Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 2025-10-21
Books mentioned on Why Rural America Turned on the Democratic Party | The Ezra Klein Show
Ezra Klein recommended Rural Versus Urban by Suzanne Mettler and others. Suzanne Mettler recommended The Politics of Resentment by Katherine J. Cramer, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, and Devotions by Mary Oliver.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Rural Versus Urban
Rural Versus Urban by Suzanne Mettler and Trevor E.
Recommended“Rural Versus Urban, a new book by the political scientists Suzanne Metler and Trevor Brown, is the best place I found to start.”
Where to get it
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The Politics of Resentment
The Politics of Resentment by Katherine J.
Recommended“Oh yeah, I love this question. So, I want to recommend first another book about rural America by a political scientist. Uh, and that's Katherryn Kramer's book, The Politics of Resentment, Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin, and the Rise of Scott Walker.”
Where to get it
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Demon Copperhead
Barbara Kingsolver's acclaimed novel Demon Copperhead is a contemporary reimagining of Charles Dickens's David Copperfield, set against the grim backdrop of the opioid crisis in modern-day Appalachia.
Recommended“So my second choice is going to be a novel and that is Barbara King Solver's book Demon Copperhead.”
Where to get it
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Devotions
Devotions is a comprehensive poetry collection by Mary Oliver that gathers decades of her celebrated work observing the natural world, spirituality, and human emotion.
Recommended“So, um, I have been reading, uh, Mary Oliver's book, Devotions, which is, um, a collection of”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Plugged Rural Versus Urban
“And to an extent that I was unaware of until we wrote this book, um he really put rural Americans front and center in his vision of what needed to happen for the country and created all of these policies that were really designed to lift up rural America.”