Exurbia Now

"“Focusing on greater Chicago, Masciotra argues that the exurbs, home to both monster trucks and liberals, are becoming a key political arena.” - New York Times Book Review “well-reported, passionately argued” - Newcity Literature ""Cultural critic David Masciotra’s newest book Exurbia Now is a timely appraisal of an American political landscape marked by dangerous isolation...an urgent work of political analysis that treats small-town life as the center of the battle for American national identity."" — Foreword Review ""Having been born and raised in exurbia, Masciorta brings his personal experience to his cogent and frightening analysis of the mindset that has taken hold in so many American small towns and rural communities, offering insight and a fresh perspective on the culture wars dividing the country. Highly recommended."" — Booklist STARRED Review ""An incredibly absorbing, essential and personal portrait of our nation's growing political divide, Exurbia Now takes the reader on a rare, eye-opening journey through cultural upheavals on the outskirts of our cities. At once moving and disturbing, rarely has a book been so timely, and convincing."" — Jeff Biggers, author of State Out of the Union: Arizona and the Final Showdown Over the American Dream “Reading this book, it’s absolutely clear how the far right has managed to transform extant suburban fears of economic and social upheaval into conspiracy theories, paranoia, and authoritarian ideation. This is an enlightening and discomfiting look at how the place I spent much of my life in is becoming unrecognizable.” — Mike Rothschild, author of The Storm Is Upon Us “David Masciotra delivers an introspective tour de force that lays bare the cultural and political underpinnings of exurbia. Exurbia Now is a history of places elite Democrats frequently misunderstand, an urgent reassessment of strategies that can win hearts and minds there, and a call to action for  liberals who love small towns and want to stay and fight.”  — David Faris, author of It’s Time to Fight Dirty “An expressionistic ramble through the all-American countryside, out there beyond the cities and the suburbs, that brought us MAGA hats, megachurches and sedition—yet still offers hope, and the prospect of renewal. There is passion in David Masciotra’s writing, but not hate. He loves his country—just not blindly.” — John A. Farrell, author of Richard Nixon: The Life"