‘Years of Effort, Undone in Weeks’
It has been nearly half a century since Erie, Pennsylvania, was officially recognized as an “All-American City.” But beginning with the first of our repeated visits nearly four years ago, Deb Fallows…
Civic Life
164 posts
Ajo, Arizona, is the story of a better America
Take a walk through the oasis of green grass and palm trees in the central plaza of the tiny Sonoran Desert town of Ajo in southwest Arizona. You’re likely to run into…
Democrats Should Talk About Place-Based Policy
Staying versus moving is one of the eternal tensions of American life. Americans have frequently moved: Consider how the geographic center of the population has shifted over the centuries, from…
The End of the Roman Empire Wasn’t That Bad
Maybe the end of the American one won’t be either
The Surprising Rural Health-Care Legacy of the ’60s
Eastport Grapples with Health-Care
How a City Talks About Itself: Sioux Falls
In June 2013, my husband, Jim, and I first landed our small, single-engine Cirrus propeller airplane at the main airport, Joe Foss Field, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was the first…
The Rituals of ‘Becoming America’
Can 'civic religion' help America become a better, freer, fairer, finer version of itself?
An American Story, Starting in Kosovo
Idealistic people from outside America's borders have continually prompted the country to live up to its own ideals; an example from Erie.
A Regional Approach to Rural Healthcare Challenges
God's Storehouse, a food pantry serving low-income people along this southernmost border where Virginia meets North Carolina.
What Does All This Local Reporting Add Up To?
Yesterday, Deb Fallows and I sent an email to various loyal readers of The Atlantic. You can see what was in that message in the “Continue Reading” section of this post.…
The Rural-Urban Divide Is More Complicated Than You Think
Here are a few stories I found intriguing from the past week’s newspapers, on the unfolding complexities of the much-discussed “rural-urban divide.” 1) The first is by Andrew Van Dam,…
On Emancipation Day, Back to Mississippi
A return visit to the Golden Triangle
Our Towns: On the Road, in the Air
In the summer of 2013, nearly six years ago, my wife—Deb Fallows—and I announced in this space the beginning of a project to visit smaller towns around the country. These were places…
The Reinvention of America
Americans don’t realize how fast the country is moving toward becoming a better version of itself.
Meanwhile in America: ‘New Americans’ in the Rust Belt
'New Americans' in the Rust Belt
A Post-Election Field Report From America’s Refugees and Immigrants
Words and stories from the towns where the newest Americans live