Vance first rose to prominence a decade ago writing a memoir about growing up in Appalachia, and how the inhabitants were just lazy, violent peons who didn't know how to pull themselves up by their bootstraps like he managed to do.

Now, let me tell you - I grew up in Appalachia. I can give you a long, LONG fucking list of problems with Appalachian regional culture. It's not some idyllic paradise; it's not even 'normal' by the low standards of American society. I was glad to escape. But Vance's memoir, or at least the conclusions he drew from his experiences, was absolute dogshit with very little relation to reality.

It got turned into a movie and everything. Very irritating.