While Labash "doesn't pull his punches" in such pieces as his profile of former Washington mayor Marion Barry, "he succeeds in producing an affecting portrait of a rapscallion in twilight.... the deep satisfaction of finishing a story and feeling that it couldn't have been told better."
Labash's critiques, particularly in his profile of former Washington mayor Marion Barry, are unflinching yet effective. He manages to create an engaging depiction of a veteran rogue.... the immense satisfaction of completing a story and feeling that it couldn't have been told better.