The Past Is Never Past: Slave Labor in the West Virginia Salt Works
"It is not fair to the men who were forced to work in this industry to celebrate the salt without celebrating them as well."
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James Fallows
357 posts
James Fallows is a longtime correspondent for The Atlantic magazine. He has reported for the magazine from around the world since the late 1970s, including extended assignments in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, and within the United States in Texas, Washington state, and California. He has written 12 books and won the American Book Award, the National Magazine Award, and a documentary Emmy. He has also done extensive commentary on National Public Radio.
Artisanal Salt From an Ancient Sea
Fair warning: I am not going to try to strap any Larger Policy Significance onto this report. It was just one of the more interesting things we’ve seen on our…
Another Look at Salt-Harvesting in West Virginia
Combine ancient ingredients with a modern sensibility, and a new business takes form.
On the Politics of American Resilience
One reader urges me to embrace my inner conservative. Other readers say: Not so fast!
Thanksgiving in the Dust Bowl
A new understanding of bravery and independence
How to Sign Up for Our ‘American Futures’ Newsletter
"At the national level, American politics is bitterly polarized, and the mood of the country can seem fearful and downcast. But city by city we've seen examples of collaboration, practical-minded compromise, long-term investment in a region's future, and a coast-to-coast resurgence in manufacturing and other startup activity."
Hip in the Heartland
It's not just Brooklyn and the Bay Area any more
California High-Speed Rail No. 14: Why You Shouldn’t Get Your Hopes Up for the Self-Driving Car
"Would you prefer a system where you can be instantly teleported from SF to LA? Of course. But that doesn't mean it's going to happen."
Today’s Mid-Air Collision Outside Washington
"This reminds us how vulnerable we all are." Lessons from a tragedy
In Which I Am Recruited to Switch Political Teams
"What you are discovering on your road trip is the genius of conservatism."
California High-Speed Rail Lucky No. 13: Let’s Look at Maglev and Other Alternatives
Let's Look at Maglev and Other Alternatives. "Should we invest in infrastructure? Absolutely! But the right kind of infrastructure." Some ideas on what that might mean.
National Problems, Local Solutions: More Reports from Ohio
America and Americans in the active, not passive, mode
What the Beer Industry and the Computer Industry Have in Common
They grew up in the same era and, despite some obvious differences, have some surprising parallels.
No. 12: All Aboard for the California High-Speed Rail Chronicles
In next month's election, Jerry Brown is seeking a fourth term as California's governor and public support for his plan for a north-south bullet train to transform travel in a car-dependent state. Here is more of what's at stake.
Ingredients of a Better City: How Arts Play Their Part
A soft-power approach to hard economic and social problems
How the Boy Scouts Are Adapting to Modern American Life
A local example of a century-old organization finding a new place and role for itself