Posted on 07/25/2024 5:41:38 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
A UW-Madison professor is revisiting "Hillbilly Elegy"-- JD Vance’s memoir-- eight years after the book was picked by the university as the "Go Big Read" book of the year.
Hillbilly Elegy describes Vance’s experience in Appalachia, Kentucky and upbringing in Middletown, Ohio– diving into concepts such as poverty, addiction, and "hillbilly culture." This was published in 2016, and in 2017 UW-Madison chose to distribute the book through the “Go Big Read” reading program. This program selects one book per academic year to give to all the incoming freshmen and center discussion around the book’s themes, like a massive book club.
“It's our job to help you mix it up,” said previous Chancellor of UW-Madison, Rebecca Blank at the 2017 Fall Convocation. “Hillbilly Elegy is about poverty and about people who have lost hope. It's about the social, economic, and political forces that shaped places like the Ohio steel town and the Appalachian community in Kentucky.”
Hillbilly Elegy was incorporated into the curriculum of some professors and analyzed by academics and students alike. Here and now in 2024, a professor reviews his 2017 notes on Vance's book.
“With the republican vice-presidential pick being JD Vance, you know, I returned to the book and it kind of prompted me to think about what I learned,” said UW Professor of English and Director of the Center for the Humanities, Russ Castronovo.
Castronovo participated in discussions with students and experts in political science, healthcare, and sociology— all for the sake of academic analysis of the book.
“It describes poverty as a personal failing. Right. As really a matter of laziness, and it doesn't really understand there are systemic forces at play,” Castronovo said.
Castronovo says the book oversimplifies poverty and addiction… where Vance draws conclusions on people in society based on his lived experience.
“He really kind of personalizes these issues and making it a matter of one's own responsibility, own agency suggesting, then I think in the book at various points that ‘poor people lack agency,’” Castronovo said.
The professor recalled some of his notes to add quotations— from the book itself— to this claim.
“Quote, 'the rhetoric of hard work conflicts with the reality on the ground,” Castronovo reads off. “He's saying, you know, well, we all talk about how hard work, but the people in rural America or in Appalachia, well, they talk about hard work, but they're not doing it.”
For someone running for a position in office, Vance's book and beliefs don't match up according to Castronovo.
“It's ironic that someone seeking a position in government wouldn't believe or would diminish the role that government has in helping people,” Castronovo said.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but once you pass you will have no stake in the future of the country. You are less committed to the future than someone with children and grandchildren.
I have cats and don’t like them. So there’s that.
EC
It’s the way of the left, embrace something that can be used to promote the narrative, pillory everything that doesn’t. Vance’s book was embraced when useful, now that he’s the Republican VP nominee everything he’s done in his life up to this point must either be destroyed or re-assessed as negative, racist, homophobic, anti-abortion, etc. Look at Biden’s first day in office. Overturned everything Trump did that was working simply because they didn’t want him to get credit. That should tell anyone all they need to know about what the left is all about: themselves.
Would you like to take that back now???
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/a-civilizational-crisis/
Here is more
“Now people will say, and I’m sure the Atlantic and the Washington Post and all the usual suspects will criticize me about this in the coming days. “Well, doesn’t this mean that non-parents don’t have as much of a voice as parents? Doesn’t this mean that parents get a bigger say in how our democracy functions?” Yes. Absolutely.”
Looks like the “Madison professor” knew how to get to a person like you. Which was his goal.
LOL
Unfortunately, there are a few around here who are all about themselves too.
I am not going to promote something I dont believe in.
You should not get extra votes just because you are a Catholic who doesn’t believe in birth control (one of my family members back in the recent past had 10 kids) or because Nick Cannon is out there procreating with different baby mommas and has 12 kids or because you are Tyreek Hill that has had 4 children just in one year and is speculated to have over 10 kids.
I will never espouse the idea that Nick Cannon and Tyreek Hill should get more votes than I do just because they have kids.
Oy. I’ve gotta read comments, because I haven’t read the book yet.
They can’t afford to $uck this up for ONE word or ONE second- the consequences are grave our republic has fallen
It was a very dumb thing to say. I also don't have kids as a male and I'm disgusted by his comment.. And then he doubled down. Biden has kids, Pelosi has kids. Still voting for Trump, but Vance needs to stop alienating voters.
This is wrong. You do not have to have a child to have a stake in the future.
What about my assets? Stocks, Land, Home, Capital Gains. Estate Tax. Gift tax. Shares in small business that will continue to have to deal with laws made.
I have more than one trust where I am a beneficiary. You think the Grantors didn’t have a stake in that trust and the laws that govern that trust before they died that affect it after they died.
What about how assets are evaluated in certain trusts.
IRS and the Irrevocable Trust rules that seem to have changed in 2023 about step up basis. This is a SIGNICANT issue.
I don’t have to have a child to have a legacy. That notion is ludicrous.
Again, GEORGE WASHINGTON
Interesting comment I rather suspect the Cat Ladies of today are around due to Men today that have had enough of modern day women and rather be single and not have to deal with the drama they bring to a Man’s life. If you go on You Tube there are countless videos concerning the topic.
NO ONE HAS TO GO thru IVF.
THAT is a personal choice.
1000 % correct.
I have been single all but 44 months of my life.
I have worked for over 67 years.
EVERY PAYCHECK I got-—I knew that I had to “EARN $3 TO SPEND $2’.
I was over taxed on everything to support women & millions of kids who lived on the “GOVERNMENT TEAT”.
I am NOT ALONE.
BUT I AM OVERLY tired of having to support those who preferred to have WELFARE & FOOD STAMPS & FREE MEDICAL & LOTS OF OTHER FREEBIES.
the word HAVE only refers to the fact that in order to have children they HAVE to resort to it.
Yes, you CHOOSE to go through IVF because nature forces you to do it if you want a child. Sometimes people are fortunate and they end up getting pregnant even after IVF failed. (and let’s not forget UK law as to peerage and surrogacy which is why so many are interested in whether Markle had a surrogate or gave birth)
Good God Almighty, if JD Vance gave a person 10 votes to a parent because that person had a child who might that benefit more. Dems or Republicans??????????????????????????????????????????????????
Did you post to the wrong thread?
We live in a welfare state and it’s gotten out of control.
“He said in 2021 people who don’t have children..which includes men..should not have the same voice in democracy.”
I think people who don’t own property should not have the same voice in democracy.
I think people on government welfare and don't pay taxes should not have a voice.
if your child made minimum wage and couldn’t afford property would you tell him or her she shouldn’t vote in the next election?
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