Posted on August 19, 2024 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
As has been reported earlier, JD Vance's elevation to vice presidential nominee has refocused attention on his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, and on the Appalachian region more broadly.
Attention can be both positive (in terms of boosted sales) and critical, though.
Today's collection of posts related to Vance, Elegy, and Appalachia tends more towards the latter than the former.
The New Yorker reports on the fact-checking that an attorney has done, as a personal hobby, on Hillbilly Elegy, in particular Vance's grandparents' marital record, and contrasts this data with statements Vance has made both within and beyond the book.
NPR interviewed Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barbara Kingsolver and other literary figures to discuss how they've sought to present a different view of Appalachia in their literature, not as a way to debunk Vance's own individual experience but rather to provide a more comprehensive view of the region they love.
And if that piques your interest, you may enjoy an earlier post from Book Riot, recommending fifteen other books about Appalachia.
Related posts
Categories: Today in Books