Giffels’ new book: ‘The Hard Way’
Former BJ writer David Giffels, author of “The
Hard Way on Purpose: Essays and Dispatches From the Rust Belt,” says, "I
have spent my whole life watching people leave."
The former rubber capital of the world, Akron had
Goodyear,
Firestone and Goodrich and thousands of
high-paying jobs
until the 1970s. The work migrated to places with cheaper labor.
National Public Radio article on David: “A native who never knew the
good times, yet never abandoned his hometown of Akron, Giffels plumbs the
touchstones and idiosyncrasies of a region where industry has fallen, bowling
is a legitimate profession, bizarre weather is the norm, rock ’n’ roll is
desperate, thrift store culture thrives, and sports is heartbreak.
“Giffels’s linked essays
are about coming of age in the Midwest and about the stubborn, optimistic, and
resourceful people who prevail there.”
Giffels is an assistant
professor of English at the University of Akron.
To read the NPR article,
click on
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