Poverty is both reality and destiny for increasing numbers of
people in the 2020s and, as Maharidge discovers spray-painted inside
an abandoned gas station in the California desert, it is a fate often
handed down from birth.
Motivated by this
haunting phrase—“Fucked at
Birth”—Maharidge explores the realities of being poor in
America in the coming decade, as pandemic, economic crisis and social
revolution up-end the country. Part raw memoir, part dogged,
investigative journalism, and featuring photos from across the US,
Fucked At Birth channels the history of poverty in America to
help inform the voices Maharidge encounters daily. In an
unprecedented time of social activism amid economic crisis, when
voices everywhere are rising up for change, Maharidge’s journey
channels the spirits of George Orwell and James Agee, raising
questions about class, privilege, and the very concept of “upward
mobility,” while serving as a final call to action. From Sacramento
to Denver, Youngstown to New York City, Fucked At Birth dares
readers to see themselves in those suffering most, and to
finally—after decades of refusal—recalibrate what we are going to
do about it.