This chapter focuses on survivalist instincts that arise within rural poverty. Sometimes the education that is most vital does not come from school or books, but in the knowledge of nature and how to use it. This chapter describes the process of adapting to natural hardships in remote locations, as well as learning new skills such as pumping water so that I could construct a garden out of piles of trash. (more…)
This chapter looks at the concept of “Trailer Trash”, the history of motor vehicle homes, and the phenomenon of American ghost towns. How did this form of affordable housing lead to such negative stereotypes? Why did so many towns in the West go bankrupt and shut down? In quest for an answer, I physically move to several ghosts towns before settling down in an isolated Wyoming countryside. (more…)
This chapter explores life in two separate ghettos where I have lived. It highlights the American history of ghetto slums and explains why African-Americans are crowded into them. As a side note, I try to compare cultural differences between white and black poverty. This includes my father’s background with racial violence in Los Angelos. (more…)