Welcome to the final installment of my interview with Beth Macy, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of “Factory Man,” “Dopesick,” and her newest book, “Paper Girl,” which uses a blend of memoir and reporting to examine the rural-urban divide through the lens of her hometown of Urbana, Ohio.
Beth was the first in her family to go to college, an event that drastically changed and maybe even saved her life. She's gone on to become a Guggenheim fellow and a Nieman fellow for journalism at Harvard.
In today’s episode we find out what Beth knows at this moment about where her personal throughline is leading her next. And I ask her my fast final five questions about what she's reading, watching, listening to, and fantasizing about eating.
We cover:
- Why she’s feeling called to activism
- How she patched things up with her brother, who’s on the other end of the political divide
- Robert Guy, the Kentucky writer whom Beth considers her “Appalachian sensei”
- The Netflix show “about England before it was England” her hairdresser told her about that she loved
- Palmyra, her younger son’s band that’s touring–keep an eye out!
Connect with Beth on Bluesky and/or Instagram @bethmacy.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).

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