Thirty years ago, Dale Maharidge and Michael Williamson sealed the story of Youngstown in amber with Journey to Nowhere, their 1985 masterwork on the new American underclass, as exemplified by the ex-steelworkers of the Mahoning Valley. But with Car Bombs to Cookie Tables, editors Jacqueline Marino and Will Miller bring that story back to life.
From their introduction: “Don’t be fooled by the cover; this book is not about Youngstown’s industrial past. Don’t be fooled by the title; this book is not about Youngstown crime or nostalgia. This is a book about Youngstown experiences, told by the people who lived them. … There is no definitive Youngstown experience expressed here because there is no definitive Youngstown experience. There are only experiences: love, hardship, hang-ups, defeat, joy, kindness, devotion — you will find all of these and more. This is a book about life as it was, is, and will be lived in the Mahoning Valley.”
Contributors include: Christopher Barzak, Rochelle Hunt, Eric Murphy, Ed O’Neill, Sarah Stepanek, David Skolnick, Sarah Stankorb, C Lee Tressell, Jay Williams, Andrea Wood, and many others.
