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 doesn't shy away from criticizing in profiles such as his piece on former Washington mayor Marion Barry; however, he successfully crafts a compelling portrayal of a seasoned scoundrel.... the great pleasure of finishing a narrative and realizing no other telling could match this one.