The View From Flyover Country: Essays by Sarah Kendzior

Sarah Kendzior examines the economic disintegration of the American Midwest, focusing on St. Louis as a case study for national decline. Through a series of reports written between 2012 and 2014, she documents how rising housing costs, stagnant wages, and the expansion of the "adjunct" workforce have eroded the middle class. The text analyzes how political neglect and the disappearance of local news outlets allow systemic corruption to flourish in geographical regions often dismissed by coastal media. Kendzior highlights specific issues like unpaid internships, high-stakes debt, and the weaponization of poverty within the legal system.

This book serves readers interested in labor rights, political sociology, and regional American history. Those who live outside major financial hubs will recognize the descriptions of infrastructure decay and dwindling job prospects. Readers gain a framework for understanding how local economic instability eventually mirrors national political volatility. The collection provides a stark look at the lived reality of residents in the center of the country, offering a perspective grounded in local reporting rather than speculative punditry.