Fresh Air 'Dopesick' Writer Returns To Her 'Fractured' Hometown
11 snips
Oct 7, 2025 
Beth Macy, an award-winning journalist and author of 'Dopesick', revisits her struggling Ohio hometown, revealing a landscape altered by job loss and conspiracy theories. She shares poignant memories of her mother’s resilience and reflects on how Pell Grants opened doors for her education. Macy also discusses her childhood paper route and the complexities of family dynamics, including estrangement and abuse. Additionally, television critic David Bianculli provides a nostalgic look at Rod Serling and 'The Twilight Zone,' celebrating its enduring impact.
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Moment That Sparked The Book
- Beth Macy describes hearing her sister call the 2020 election fraudulent at their mother's deathbed, which revealed divergent information ecosystems in her family.
- That moment prompted Macy to investigate what remained of her hometown, family, and community cohesion.
Mother's Work Ethic And Economic Precarity
- Macy recounts her mother's grit working second shifts at Grimes Manufacturing and picking up under-the-table jobs when layoffs hit.
- That upbringing gave Macy firsthand experience of economic precarity and inspired her reporting on the hollowing out of middle-class communities.
Paper Routes Built Confidence
- Macy explains starting paper routes to earn money for clothes and a field trip and how delivering to mixed-income neighbors broadened her view of class.
- Those early jobs seeded her confidence and led her toward journalism and higher education.
