To interpret this conversation generously, one might suggest that the authors aren’t angry with Appalachia at large, but instead are striking back at what the seemingly endless array of pre-election “Trump Country” pieces told them to think or feel. Many are fed up that reasonable discussions of racism among Trump’s base keep getting deflected with copies of Hillbilly Elegy. Most writers appear exhausted by relentless election re-litigation that suggests #Berniewouldhavewon by citing his popularity in red states.
