As Keefe notes in his acknowledgments, he originally intended to practice law until an offer from The New Yorker led him to pursue his dream of writing for magazines. Rogues represents and expands on this work, and the themes explored in the book are persistent interests for Keefe. In particular, Keefe is fascinated by who becomes notable, and how stories are told “Journeyman” for example, is not his only piece about a chef as a cultural icon and political figure: A May 2022 article features chef Jose Andres, whose World Central Kitchen operates in conflict zones, most recently in Ukraine. Like Bourdain, Andres finds himself the subject of attention in a new medium: the director Ron Howard is working on a documentary about him. 

Keefe is also perennially interested in crime, corruption, and the relationship between businessmen and politics. Keefe began covering the administration of US President Donald Trump for The New Yorker in 2017, with a piece on advisor Carl Icahn. He followed this up with a profile of then-National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster, investigating the possibility that McMaster believed he was saving the US from Trump by serving in his role. More recently, Keefe has profiled Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who now owns the Chelsea Football Club.