Anne Kim's Blog, page 2
January 13, 2020
Alex Kotlowitz Review of Abandoned
One of the nation's foremost chroniclers of poverty, struggle and the failings of U.S. social policy is Alex Kotlowitz. His 1991 bestseller, There are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America, was named one of the 20th century's most important books by the New York Public Library, and he has won awards across three mediums - print, film and radio. His achievements are a source of admiration, aspiration and inspiration for writers like me.
I'm extraordinarily honored by his review of my book, which you read here in the latest issue of Washington Monthly magazine: https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazin...
And if you are interested in other reviews, please check out what Goodreads readers have to say on the book page as well as these reviews from Kirkus (starred), Publishers Weekly and Booklist:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781...
https://www.booklistonline.com/Abando...
I'm extraordinarily honored by his review of my book, which you read here in the latest issue of Washington Monthly magazine: https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazin...
And if you are interested in other reviews, please check out what Goodreads readers have to say on the book page as well as these reviews from Kirkus (starred), Publishers Weekly and Booklist:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781...
https://www.booklistonline.com/Abando...
January 6, 2020
Giveaway!
The giveaway for my book is now live: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
If you win a copy, please take a minute to offer your feedback. I’m a long-time writer but a first-time author and welcome your thoughts.
Also importantly, I’d love to know whether this book changed your perspective on young adults’ chances of success today, what it takes to achieve independence and how that’s changed, and whether public policy should take a bigger role in helping young adults finish their educations and launch their careers (or at least stay out of the way).
If you win a copy, please take a minute to offer your feedback. I’m a long-time writer but a first-time author and welcome your thoughts.
Also importantly, I’d love to know whether this book changed your perspective on young adults’ chances of success today, what it takes to achieve independence and how that’s changed, and whether public policy should take a bigger role in helping young adults finish their educations and launch their careers (or at least stay out of the way).
January 3, 2020
Giveaway launching January 5
Hi, everyone:
The New Press has generously provided 20 copies of my book for a giveaway launching January 5. Details are here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
In the meantime, I hope you’ll take a look at my latest post at Washington Monthly, where I write about a proposal to help more parts of the country share the wealth of “superstar” cities like Boston and San Francisco. https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/01...
As I also argue in my book, accidents of geography - where you happen to grow up - are a big part of why so many young people don’t get the opportunities they deserve.
Best wishes to all for a great start to the new year!
The New Press has generously provided 20 copies of my book for a giveaway launching January 5. Details are here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
In the meantime, I hope you’ll take a look at my latest post at Washington Monthly, where I write about a proposal to help more parts of the country share the wealth of “superstar” cities like Boston and San Francisco. https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/01...
As I also argue in my book, accidents of geography - where you happen to grow up - are a big part of why so many young people don’t get the opportunities they deserve.
Best wishes to all for a great start to the new year!
December 13, 2019
Who Succeeds in America Today?
One of the biggest insights I came away with from the course of researching my book is just how little control so many of us have over the opportunities we get in life.
There's a myth in America that anyone can "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and go from "rags to riches" so long as they "work hard and play by the rules." Unfortunately, that's increasingly less true. So much depends on where you grow up, who your parents are, the quality of your teachers, the jobs available in your community and even things as basic as whether you have access to a reliable car.
I think many Americans instinctively feel that the path to the American Dream has gotten rockier. That's why more than 6 in 10 Americans told the Pew Research Center in 2018 that the U.S. economic system "unfairly favors powerful interests" and only one-third believe their children will be financially better off than their parents.
Don't get me wrong - there are many, many people who succeed despite overwhelming odds against them. But many of those people also have some sort of extraordinary resource at their disposal, whether it's their own internal strength or the privilege of having a teacher, mentor, coach or pastor to help them find their way. But maybe the larger point is that it shouldn't be so hard to succeed, especially for young people who have even less control of their circumstances around them.
What I hope Abandoned: America’s Lost Youth and the Crisis of Disconnection will do is raise some questions about who gets opportunity in America and how, and shed some light on the unnecessary obstacles that block the path of young people who want nothing more than to contribute to society and take care of themselves.
There's a myth in America that anyone can "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" and go from "rags to riches" so long as they "work hard and play by the rules." Unfortunately, that's increasingly less true. So much depends on where you grow up, who your parents are, the quality of your teachers, the jobs available in your community and even things as basic as whether you have access to a reliable car.
I think many Americans instinctively feel that the path to the American Dream has gotten rockier. That's why more than 6 in 10 Americans told the Pew Research Center in 2018 that the U.S. economic system "unfairly favors powerful interests" and only one-third believe their children will be financially better off than their parents.
Don't get me wrong - there are many, many people who succeed despite overwhelming odds against them. But many of those people also have some sort of extraordinary resource at their disposal, whether it's their own internal strength or the privilege of having a teacher, mentor, coach or pastor to help them find their way. But maybe the larger point is that it shouldn't be so hard to succeed, especially for young people who have even less control of their circumstances around them.
What I hope Abandoned: America’s Lost Youth and the Crisis of Disconnection will do is raise some questions about who gets opportunity in America and how, and shed some light on the unnecessary obstacles that block the path of young people who want nothing more than to contribute to society and take care of themselves.
November 26, 2019
Hello and thank you!
I'm excited to be joining the Goodreads author community to debut my book, which is officially releasing February 4, 2020. I also want to say a *huge* thank you to the readers who took the time to review advance copies of the book. I'm grateful for the feedback and looking forward to seeing more reviews, comments and questions. Happy Thanksgiving!
