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    Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation
    Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation
    Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation
    Audiobook11 hours

    Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation

    Published by Tantor Media, Inc

    Narrated by Teri Schnaubelt and Corey M. Snow

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    America is broken. You don't need a fistful of statistics to know this. Visit any city, and evidence of our shattered social compact will present itself. From Appalachia to the Rust Belt and down to rural Texas, the gap between the wealthiest and the poorest stretches to unimaginable chasms. Whether the cause of this inequality is systemic injustice, the entrenchment of racism in our culture, the long war on drugs, or immigration policies, it endangers not only the American Dream but our very lives.

    In Tales of Two Americas, some of the literary world's most exciting writers look beyond numbers and wages to convey what it feels like to live in this divided nation. Their extraordinarily powerful stories, essays, and poems demonstrate how boundaries break down when experiences are shared, and that in sharing our stories we can help to alleviate a suffering that touches so many people.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateSep 12, 2017
    ISBN9781541483873
    Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation

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    • 5/5
      This may be THE book to understand the current moment. So many great voices trying to capture a corner of the world. Fantastic effort.
    • 4/5
      "America is broken. You don't need a fistful of statistics to know this. You just need eyes and ears and stories."This book provides the stories--essays, short stories, poems, and personal anecdotes--which as the editor writes, "demolish the myth of Horatio Alger and replace it with the reality of what it feels like to try to keep a foothold in America today."This is a diverse collection by many of today's best writers. Some of the ones that stood out to me include:--"Death by Gentrification" by Rebecca Solnit, in which she relates the true story behind the headlines about a Hispanic teenager who was shot and killed by the police in his own neighborhood. The police were called by one of the "new" residents of this gentrifying San Francisco neighborhood, people who were afraid of other people who did not look like them. The police shot before talking."Dosas" by Edwidge Danticat--a short story about immigrants from one of the places DJT considers a shithole, Haiti."Outside" by Kiese Layman--a personal essay starkly laying out the different treatments given for minor drug crimes committed by the privileged students at an elite college and the treatment given a young janitorial employee at the same college who committed a similar crime."White Debt" by Eula Bliss, a personal essay on white privilege--being comfortably with what one has, but uncomfortable with how one came to have it--"one of the conundrums of whiteness.""Leander" by Joyce Carol Oates--a short story about a comfortable suburban matron who wants to do something to help a Black Live Matter-like group, but finds herself very uncomfortable attending one of their meetings."We Share the Rain, and Not Much Else" by Timothy Egan--an essay about how Seattle has changed from its gritty pre-Microsoft/pre-Amazon past when a blue-collar worker could lead a comfortable life."To The Man Asleep in Our Driveway Who Might Be Named Phil" by Anthony Doerr--a personal essay about the dilemma of coming home to your comfortable suburban home to find a homeless man sleeping in your driveway."Looking for a Home" by Karen Russell--a personal essay about living above a homeless shelter."Happy" by Brad Watson--an essay about growing up in a white family in Mississippi with a black maid. More honest than The Help.These were the ones that spoke to me most, but there are many other worthy pieces by other authors, including Sandra Cisneros, Ann Patchett, Richard Russo, Roxanne Gay, Julia Alvarez, Ru Freeman, Annie Dillard, and lots of other authors.Highly recommended.4 stars