Our Towns

Our Towns. *Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America* is a 2018 non-fiction book by journalists James Fallows and Deborah Fallows. The work chronicles their five-year journey across the United States, visiting dozens of small to mid-sized cities and towns to document local civic and economic revitalization. Based on extensive reporting for The Atlantic, where James Fallows is a national correspondent, the book presents a narrative of grassroots resilience and innovation beyond the coastal power centers.

Overview

The project began in 2013 as the Fallowses traveled across the country in a single-engine Cirrus SR22 aircraft, ultimately visiting locations from Sioux Falls to Burlington and from Duluth to Ajo. They focused on communities often overlooked in national media, spending weeks in each place to understand local dynamics. Their reporting highlighted the role of key civic institutions like public libraries, community colleges, and local entrepreneurs in driving renewal. The journey was visually documented through photography and mapping collaborations with National Geographic.

Authorship and methodology

James Fallows, a former speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter and longtime editor for The Atlantic, and Deborah Fallows, a linguist and writer who has worked with the Pew Research Center, combined their expertise for this immersive project. Their methodology centered on deep-dive journalism, involving hundreds of interviews with local officials, business leaders, educators, and residents. They employed a consistent set of observational criteria in each town, assessing factors like the presence of a craft brewery, the vitality of the downtown area, and the collaborative nature of city government. This approach was influenced by the place-based reporting traditions of John McPhee and Rebecca Solnit.

Key themes and findings

A central theme is the decoupling of local fortunes from the gridlock of federal politics in Washington, D.C., with towns creating their own solutions. The book identifies common traits of successful communities, including strong public-private partnerships, investment in downtown revitalization, and a "civic story" that fosters local pride. It highlights specific initiatives, such as the advanced manufacturing training at Pittsburg State University in Kansas and the waterfront redevelopment in Greenville. Another significant finding is the outsized positive impact of immigrants and refugees, documented in places like Rust Belt cities in Ohio and Michigan.

Reception and impact

Upon its release, *Our Towns* was praised by critics in publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post for its optimistic, granular portrait of America. It was named one of the best books of the year by the Financial Times and the Christian Science Monitor. The book resonated strongly with civic leaders and urban planners, becoming a common reference in discussions about post-industrial recovery and local journalism. Its publication coincided with increased national interest in the divisions highlighted by the 2016 presidential election, offering a counter-narrative of pragmatic cooperation.

Related projects and adaptations

The success of the book led to several ancillary projects. HBO acquired the rights and produced a documentary adaptation, also titled *Our Towns*, which premiered in 2021 and was directed by Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan. The Fallowses continued the project through a regular dispatch for The Atlantic and public speaking tours across the country. The work also inspired similar journalistic endeavors, such as the *American Futures* project, and has been integrated into curriculum discussions at universities including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Arizona State University.

Category:2018 non-fiction books Category:American non-fiction books Category:Books about the United States Category:Works originally published in The Atlantic