Best-Selling Author To Offer Insight About Trump's Win

BY MAGGIE THOMAS
Miami University journalism student

J.D. Vance will help explain President-Elect Donald Trump at Miami University on Wednesday.

That's what he's been doing since his best-selling book, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, came out in June.

At Miami -- with a talk titled "J.D. Vance: From Middletown to Yale to Scholar of Hillbilly Culture" -- Vance will talk about the book and the national political climate when he speaks at 12:30 p.m. at the Armstrong Student Center.

The memoir provides an overview of Vance's life while growing up in a working class family in Hamilton, Ohio, and his journey since high school. Vance went on to enlist in the Marine Corps, serve in Iraq, and then graduate from Ohio State University and Yale Law School.

In addition, without once mentioning Trump, the book explains the white working class population from Appalachia. In outlining their struggles and mindset, he essentially explains why Trump's campaign appealed to those voters.

Richard Campbell, chair of Miami's Department of Media, Journalism & Film, became interested in inviting Vance to campus after reading his book.

"Vance has kind of given a voice to a lot of families in situations that we don't focus much on in America... I think the struggles of working poor people, rural people have not been covered particularly by the media, and I think Donald Trump exploited that in this election to great effect," Campbell said.

Campbell explained why he thinks Vance's message is important for the Miami community to hear: "This book is one of those books that can get us to think outside of the Miami bubble."

Patricia Gallagher Newberry, senior lecturer in journalism, said Hillbilly Elegy has been a blueprint, in a sense, to explain the Trump candidacy.

"His memoir really resonates and reflects the current political discourse and I think that's why the book has been such a hit," said Newberry.

Vance's visit is likely to be packed, she said.

"We've had a lot of interest. If you want a seat you better line up early," said Newberry.

Doors to the Armstrong Pavilion C room will open at noon. Tickets are not required, and seating will be first-come, first-serve. Vance will sell and sign books after the talk.

Photo: Hillbilly Elegy has been a New York Times' bestseller since its release. -- Contributed photo