Hillbilly Elegy

bed.
Mom and Bob’s problems were my
first introduction to marital conflict
resolution. Here were the takeaways:
Never speak at a reasonable volume
when screaming will do; if the fight gets
a little too intense, it’s okay to slap and
punch, so long as the man doesn’t hit
first; always express your feelings in a
way that’s insulting and hurtful to your
partner; if all else fails, take the kids and
the dog to a local motel, and don’t tell
your spouse where to find you—if he or
she knows where the children are, he or
she won’t worry as much, and your
departure won’t be as effective.
I began to do poorly in school. Many