David Graham Phillips was an American novelist and journalist of the muckraker tradition, who in the early 20th century worked to expose the corruption and abuses of power in politics, business, and various aspects of American life. 
Phillips became a newspaper reporter in Cincinnati with the Cincinnati Times-Star and then moved to New York city in 1890. His novel “The Fashionable Adventures of Joshua Craig” was published in 1909 and represents the classical example of the muckraker tradition. The author depicts Washington's high society. The female protagonist, Margaret Severence, is a caricature of the superficial leisured class, a `noddle-head', obsessed with her public image.
Most of Phillips's novels employ journalistic techniques and explored a variety of social problems, so you have the great opportunity to get acquainted with one of his literary works. Enjoy the reading!