Dispatches from the Forgotten America - The View from Flyover Country

The writing is as clear and concise as the author's thinking. It's obvious that she knows her subjects well and has great insight. Sarah Kendzior is an excellent scholar and researcher, who can make that important information easy for the rest of us to read and appreciate.

Wide-ranging, mostly excellent set of essays on a range of topics: politics, race, inequality, academia, and more. The writing is fleet, the arguments well developed, often original, and even when familiar, expressed in novel, memorable ways.

Of note: the short-essay format is well suited to reading on smartphones.

Sharply written and insightful collection of essays. All are only a few pages long so the book just breezes along. As a liberal, my eyes were opened to the reasons red America hates coastal elites so much. Challenged many of my long held beliefs about race and economics. Very depressing but Highly recommended.

Great perspectives on topics that are often overlooked or otherwise not well known. But, as a series of essays rather than lightly edited into a more structured work, the book is frequently repetitious. Many of the essays are bleak and don't offer much hope about how to make things better.

Having read these essays over time, as they were first published, it's fantastic to see them in a collection. They SHOULD be collected, because they have a common thematic thread and, collectively, will forever create an authentic record of a significant time and place and...well, predicament. If you read for insight, for information, for exposure to good prose, or to inform your humanity, you have a reason to read this. The intent is to show things as they are, not to inspire, yet there are inspiring things here.

Sarah is filling a void in our national discussion. Far too many voices from the East and West Coasts have ignored the vast middle of the country. When they do bother to write about Flyover Country, it is with a casual disdain. We are treated as rubes who deserve whatever happens to us.
The smart, thoughtful and much needed essays in this collection cover important issues with a keen eye for what really influences the decay of our cities and explains the frustrations of its inhabitants from someone who lives right in the middle of it all.

This is a collection of essays written between 2012 and 2014. Apart from an epilogue written in 2017 it does not address the Trump presidency. Apart from some very interesting pieces about St. Louis it doesn't have anything specific to say about "flyover country", except to the extent that any part of the country that isn't wealthy seems to be flyover country.

That said, there are thoughtful and eminently quotable pieces about the sorts of concerns that have made Americans increasingly uneasy and dissatisfied, and to that extent I guess it prefigures the "forgotten middle class" explanation for Trump. How and why people fell for Trump's song and dance, though, is not addressed.

What is addressed, at length and in convincing fashion, is how decent job opportunities are increasingly foreclosed to all except the wealthy and privileged. From how cities like New York and San Francisco have become just gated communities for elites, and how higher education has become a con and a closed door to the merited poor, Kendzior is articulate and persuasive. Her discussions of the "post-employment economy", where everyone is underpaid and insecure, is especially compelling and fairly rigorous. Sections on the "closing of American academia" are thought provoking, although the emphasis is on the exploitation of academics rather than of students, which is an interesting angle. There are a few pieces on foreign policy, but we seem to be on less firm ground with those.

The upshot, for me, was that I think the sales pitch about being a Trump critic and predicting the rise of Trump is a bit overblown for this collection, but the larger vitality and interest of the pieces, especially about jobs and opportunity, should be valued and appreciated on their own merits. Kendzior moves beyond shallow punditry and her opinions are worth serious thought. And she writes wonderfully.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Looking for insight into what happened to America to support the rise of Trump, and being familiar with Sarah Kendzior's political views, I was looking forward to the debut of this book. A title like "The View from Flyover Country: Dispatches from Forgotten America" suggests material that would provide a window into the minds of Midwestern voters and some kind of explanation for how we got here. But this isn't that book. It's a collection of mostly pre-2016 essays, that while interesting, don't specifically illuminate our current circumstances. Instead, it's a run-down of modern American injustices centering on race, employment, religious bigotry, and (oddly) academia. A full fifth of the book is dedicated to the struggles of modern university professors, including the economic model on which the academic journal subscription system is based and how it obscures the research of academics like Kendzior, hiding it behind journal paywalls. I mean, that's an important topic...but kind of niche, and unlikely to be the sort of material a purchaser of this book would be expecting. The topics covered in these essays, taken together, certainly highlight important injustices, but just make sure you know what you're getting before sitting down with this book.

If you have never read Sarah Kendzior's works, then I would recommend you start with this collection of essays on the state of America as regards labor, higher education, race and religion, creativity and "prestige economy."
I received a digital copy of the book from NetGalley and I was curious to know why the title 'Flyover Country,' and once I started reading the first essay I could not help but relate to most of what she wrote.
The book is divided into six parts each with essays on a theme, and this makes for easier reading. I did however find her take on higher education and the treatment of adjunct professors a stark representation of what I see happening to some degree in Kenya, because there is the need for research and publication and most of the credit goes to tenured professors and not their assistants.
This is a book that I'd love to keep in my library, a constant reality check of what happens when injustice carries the day.

This book is more than a milestone. As an academic I see it as a watershed. All adjunct professors know about the deplorable conditions that Kendzlor describes. Occasional mentions about it surface here and there. But nobody has put the miserable pay and lack of benefits, the exploitation out there on the table factually and without exaggeration as she does. Same thing about the wall between academic publications and the public, that authors have to pay to publish, and numerous other underexamined distortions in American society. The mystery is how Kendzior has been able to immerse herself in so many long suppressed problems and get to their core. The bottom line is that unlike the people trapped in the systems and won't or can't speak, or are so personally engaged that they don't see the problems, she is able to tell the stories in depth.

I admire her work on digging into details on Central Asia politics. This is a collection of eses from early part of decade about race, justice and economics. It was thought provoking at times at others it just felt like a defense of the conventional "liberal" right thing. I got the impression from reading the author was shaking her head at how apparent and clear her positions should be to her readers. I didn't make it all the way through. It just wasn't ultimately interesting enough to hold me.

The View From Flyover Country in many ways left me wanting more. I am familiar with Ms Kendzior mostly through social media and television commentary, and I was hoping for more updated insights and observations. The book consists of essays written prior to 2015, and while I can draw conclusions regarding the history revealed and the political climate today, I wanted more than just an updated preface and epilogue. I certainly agree that the essays have value, and as social commentary deserve a wider platform. I wanted more critical analysis, and to be honest a little hope for the future.

If you have never read Sarah Kendzior's works, then I would recommend you start with this collection of essays on the state of America as regards labor, higher education, race and religion, creativity and "prestige economy."
I received a digital copy of the book from NetGalley and I was curious to know why the title 'Flyover Country,' and once I started reading the first essay I could not help but relate to most of what she wrote.
The book is divided into six parts each with essays on a theme, and this makes for easier reading. I did however find her take on higher education and the treatment of adjunct professors a stark representation of what I see happening to some degree in Kenya, because there is the need for research and publication and most of the credit goes to tenured professors and not their assistants.
This is a book that I'd love to keep in my library, a constant reality check of what happens when injustice carries the day.

This book is more than a milestone. As an academic I see it as a watershed. All adjunct professors know about the deplorable conditions that Kendzlor describes. Occasional mentions about it surface here and there. But nobody has put the miserable pay and lack of benefits, the exploitation out there on the table factually and without exaggeration as she does. Same thing about the wall between academic publications and the public, that authors have to pay to publish, and numerous other underexamined distortions in American society. The mystery is how Kendzior has been able to immerse herself in so many long suppressed problems and get to their core. The bottom line is that unlike the people trapped in the systems and won't or can't speak, or are so personally engaged that they don't see the problems, she is able to tell the stories in depth.

The book is a collection of reprints from the author's columns for Al Jazeera. Only the epilogue is recent. Nevertheless, she describes some disturbing trends in American life. For example, that colleges have largely replaced tenured professors with low-paid, no-benefits adjuncts. And that magazines like Atlantic Monthly pay authors little or nothing. And that to get started in many occupations today, one must work for nothing for a while to be considered for a paying job, i.e., be an "intern". What Ms. Kendzior neglects to do is identify the source of these problems or offer any solutions. The reason colleges can pay adjuncts chump change is that colleges award twice as many PhD's (Kendzior has one) as there are tenure-track jobs. The solution to this excess of supply over demand is either to increase the demand by expanding colleges or to reduce the supply by admitting fewer people to graduate school.

At one point, Kendzior simply lies outright. She wrote "Trayvon Martin was vilified for being Trayvon Martin." In fact, Martin was shot to death while he was beating up the man who shot him, George Zimmerman. The MSM did not "vilify" Trayvon Martin, they presented him as an innocent victim even though he died while committing a violent crime.

I admire her work on digging into details on Central Asia politics. This is a collection of eses from early part of decade about race, justice and economics. It was thought provoking at times at others it just felt like a defense of the conventional "liberal" right thing. I got the impression from reading the author was shaking her head at how apparent and clear her positions should be to her readers. I didn't make it all the way through. It just wasn't ultimately interesting enough to hold me.

The View From Flyover Country in many ways left me wanting more. I am familiar with Ms Kendzior mostly through social media and television commentary, and I was hoping for more updated insights and observations. The book consists of essays written prior to 2015, and while I can draw conclusions regarding the history revealed and the political climate today, I wanted more than just an updated preface and epilogue. I certainly agree that the essays have value, and as social commentary deserve a wider platform. I wanted more critical analysis, and to be honest a little hope for the future.

This collection of provocative essays stings like a slap to the face. Several articles are almost prophetic in tone. I'm content to have read them, but I'm unsure whether it'll make a difference in an emotionally charged, reactionary age. (I hope it does.)

This is a thought provoking group of essays. I was not aware of many of the issues Kendzior discusses, and they form a cohesive statement that partially explains why America is the way it is. I would recommend so I can discuss the issues presented with others

The content and structure of this book is well worth the time and money. She selects essays that depict the lives, struggle, and dreams of our those who seek and hope to maintain an honest fulfilling middle class existence.

My complaint -- Sarah is not, in my opinion, a good narrator. Each essay is read clearly, but without inflection or emotion -- also her 's' sometimes linger as a hiss. Each essay sounds like the piece before and they're read in a manner that makes the listener drowsy. Sarah ... please keep writing - that's clearly a gift you possess and I hope to read your work for some time to come. However, please find a narrator who can give your words color and meaning.

I first saw this book in a bookstore in Greenville, SC. I wish i had read it before my trip. The book described a Greenville, as well as many other towns, that I wasn't aware of. The turnaround, development and energy described in the entire book makes you want to visit each town in the book. I hope other mayors and governors read this and try to incorporate some ideas to other local developments.
One downside was the lack of an index. There is a lot of comparisons to towns in the book that you may have wanted to refer back to.

One of the most depressing yet necessary books I've read in the past year. Real eye opening essays on how Americans, especially young Americans, chances for a decent future are being destroyed. Their hopes for just getting a permanent, full-time job are lessening day by day. Obviously, this ripples out through the economy And recent news on the terrible figures for retail 2016 holiday spending back this up.

Tremendously enjoyed these essays. While they were written before the beginning of the 2016 election cycle, these explained so many things about the political climate in the US that influenced its results. Want to know why the flyover country responded they way they did to politicians? They are still experiencing what Ms. Kendzior wrote about here. I highly recommend this book.

Great narrative style backed with facts and detailed anecdotes. Don’t miss it. Sarah is a savior for patriotic Americans fed up with the hypocrisy, bigotry and mysogony of old white dudes in gray suits. Read it and pass it on to your brothers, sisters and kids. Great stuff!

Sarah is a brilliant woman whose work needs greater exposure than it already widely gets. As an expert in authoritarian regimes, you need to be following her Twitter for the brilliant evaluation that it is in these horrific current times.

These essays are tremendous eye openers. You will definitely learn the real truth about the state of of things across this country even if you live in one of the cities the author writes about. Which I do and I was startled by a few things about my own town. A great read!

Not necessarily sure how anyone else feels about this, but I found it extremely troubling that the author was unaware that The Onion is a satirical publication meant to hold an unflattering mirror up to the American scene when necessary. She criticizes a comment made by aforementioned publication as if it were a legitimate statement aimed at harming a minority. This is simply inaccurate, and shows a distinct lack of research on part of both the creator and editing staff. I feel as though it will be difficult for this person to communicate their platform and be taken serious with glaring (and frankly embarrassing) oversights such as this. Many members of American Congress also fall for the bait and “eat The Onion”, as it is said, as well.

Sarah Kendzior has some very good insights here - but I find her work to be somewhat tainted with a bitterness of what I perceived to be opportunities lost, and opportunities that just aren't there any longer. Certainly gave me pause for thought. Also, I find many times she makes statements without links, and I would like to have an easier way to research some of the 'breadcrumbs' that lead to her conclusions.

Utterly bad She writes technically well but this is the most condescending garbage I have read this year. Here is the book "I am smart and you are stupid. If you don't agree your a woman hating redneck from middle America and too stupid to understand by brilliance." This is every essay.

Someone should take the author aside and explain how things are. If you repeatedly alienate the reader it usually = a turn off except for a limited social circle like those with a mindset of liberalism. I wonder since Sarah was s former columnist for Al Jazeera why she has not enlightened the American people to what Al Jazeera did. These US Navy officers and sailors have a story to tell the US media will not touch and Sarah may have left out of her best work on purpose.. "The Day Israel Attacked America"...

Sarah also speaks of media bias and "The Immorality of College Admissions", Did she also leave out "College Conspiracy" by accident?

This book reads like it was written by a misinformed, misguided simpleton armed with a thesaurus. The author attempts (poorly) to hide her unintelligent ideas behind the biggest words she can look up. Seriously, it's like reading a ditzy sorority girl's low-brow ramblings. I actually felt embarrassed for her. This is what can happen when you tell somebody they can be anything or do anything. No, some people just can't write. Case in point... Sarah Kenziwhatever.

Also read the book. Clearly this author is a jaded demoralized shell of a writer. Every grievance ever invented is projected to be happening to every person all at once. If it were remotely realistic I guess you'd have to just accept her world view, but as somebody who lives in the same city as the author this work strikes me as if the author doesn't go outside but just reads huffington post, shoots up cocaine and cranks out articles based on social justice buzzwords.