In 2016, headlines declared Appalachia ground zero for America's
"forgotten tribe" of white working class voters.
Journalists flocked to the region to extract sympathetic profiles of
families devastated by poverty, abandoned by establishment politics,
and eager to consume cheap campaign promises. What You Are Getting
Wrong About Appalachia is a frank assessment of America's recent
fascination with the people and problems of the region. The book
analyzes trends in contemporary writing on Appalachia, presents a
brief history of Appalachia with an eye toward unpacking Appalachian
stereotypes, and provides examples of writing, art, and policy
created by Appalachians as opposed to for Appalachians. The book
offers a must-needed insider's perspective on the region.
