Here are some reactions from a few people who identify as ‘hillbillies’ and more established media members responding to Vance’s book.
R. Mike Burr: The Self-Serving Hustle of “Hillbilly Elegy”
Aaron M. Renn: Culture, Circumstance, and Agency: Reflections on Hillbilly Elegy
G.W. Para: Hillbilly Fallacy
Elizabeth Catte: For the good of the poor and common people: What Hillbilly Elegy gets wrong about Appalachia’s working class
Mona Charen: What Hillbilly Elegy Reveals About Trump and America
For those of you curious about statistics in the Appalachian region in terms of poverty, unemployment, population and education, here are some maps and statistics to help understand where the Appalachian region has been at since 1980.
Appalachian Regional Commission: Maps
Community Commons: Mapping Poverty in the Appalachian Region
One of the things brought up by Vance is about the ‘Hillbilly Migration’ from Kentucky to other states through Rt. 23. Here are some articles about that migration, one of which is about that migration to Chicago’s neighborhood of Uptown.
Chicago Mag: Chicago’s Hillbilly Problem During the Great Migration
NewCity: Hillbilly Heaven: Chicago’s Other Migration fro the South
Chicago Reader: Norma Lee Browning Vs. The Hillbillies
AppalachianHistory.net: Where the Hillbilly Highway Ends
Forbes: Rust-Belt Cities And Moving To Opportunity: It’s Time To Get Back On The ‘Hillbilly Highway’
L.A. Times: Urban Appalachians Find Pride in Hillbilly Heritage
Here’s a Google Map of Jackson, Kentucky, setting of most of the book. I definitely recommend using Google’s street view to ‘walk’ through town, same as we did for Moreland, Indiana. You can find instructions on how to use Google Maps on that link.
Our book discussion for July is Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.
As always if you or someone you know wants to join our discussion, they can pick up a copy of the book from the Circulation Desk on the first floor. The discussion for this book will take place on July 31st.
True Story Book Club 