Exurbia Now:The Battleground of American Democracy

by: David Masciotra (Author)

Publisher: Melville House Publishing

Publication Date: 2 April 2024

Language: English

Print Length: 288 pages

ISBN-10: 168589089X

ISBN-13: 9781685890896

Book Description

The term 'Exurbia' is offered as the explanation for the rise of Donald Trump, and the extreme, violent right. But what exactly is it and how potent a force is it? In Exurbia Now political and cultural joualist David Masciotra travels through the 'exurban' and suburban parts of 'Chicagoland' - the greater metropolitan area of Chicago - tracking the path of White Flight throughout the US, and outlining how the exurban existence has evolved from 'slow living' to right wing hostility toward broader American culture. Simultaneously outrageous and reassuring, Masciotra delves into the dynamics that exist within exurban communities, specifically how mode media, the death of local media, Christian nationalism, and the ongoing neglect of public goods and natural resources have exacerbated the divide between the exurban world and the urban and suburban. Combining interviews, research, and anecdote - and anchored in personal experience - Exurbia Now delivers a powerful ballad on the state of the exurbs and suburbs, and gives voice to those working towards a better future.