Elizabeth Catte

An insider's perspective on Appalachia, and a frank, ferocious assessment of America's recent fascination with the people and the problems of the region.

What You are Getting Wrong about Appalachia

The highly anticipated follow-up to What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia explores the legacy of white supremacy in a small Virginia town

Pure America

Emily Hilliard

Jessica Salfia

"In February 2018, West Virginia public school teachers had had enough. With some of the lowest salaries in the country and facing drastic cuts to benefits, they walked out. The strike, which lasted thirteen days, the longest in state history, resulted in a legislative victory and has inspired educators across the country to organize for better working conditions. 55 Strong: Inside the West Virginia Teachers' Strike documents this historic movement and offers unique, on-the-ground insights. Included are essays by teachers sharing their experiences before, during, and after the strike, interviews with allies protesting at the capitol, images from rallies, and a conclusion reflecting on the strike in the context of West Virginia's labor history by Elizabeth Catte, author of What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia." -- Publisher's description

inside the West Virginia teachers' strike

55 strong

Eugenics and the Making of Modern Virginia

An examination of the emerging rural left, from environmentalists blocking pipeline construction to teachers on strike. In Left Elsewhere, volume editor and lead essayist Elizabeth Catte turns a skeptical eye toward “purple” politicians, such as West Virginia Democrat Richard Ojeda, who are hailed by many as the best hope for U.S. progressives outside the urban coasts. By offering a survey of what the left actually looks like outside major urban centers, Catte shows how an emerging rural left is developing new strategies that do not easily fit into typical ideas of liberals, leftists, and Democratic politics. From environmentalists who successfully block pipeline construction to advocates for “radical” health care solutions such as needle exchanges to school teachers who go on strike, these newly energized activists may offer a better path forward for both policy and candidates to represent the needs of poor and working Americans. By engaging activists and scholars outside the coastal bubbles, this collection offers insights into several overlooked areas, including working-class women's activism, victories in new labor struggle (especially in staunchly right-to-work states) and new organizing principles in Jackson, Mississippi—"America's most radical city"—that are bringing about meaningful racial and economic change on the ground. Taken together, the essays in Left Elsewhere show that today's political language is insufficient to convey what's happening in these areas and examine what, if any, coherent set of politics can be assigned to them. Contributors William J. Barber II, Thomas Baxter, Lesly-Marie Buer, Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, Nancy Isenberg, Elaine C. Kamarck, Michael Kazin, Toussaint Losier, Robin McDowell, Bob Moser, Hugh Ryan, Matt Stoller, Ruy Teixeira, Makani Themba, Jessica Wilkerson

Elizabeth Catte

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