Hillbilly Elegy

we’d never be invited to the D.C. or
New York offices for final interviews.
When I arrived at the restaurant, I
thought it a pity that the most expensive
meal I’d ever eaten would take place in
such a high-stakes environment.
Before dinner, we were all corralled
into a private banquet room for wine and
conversation. Women a decade older
than I was carried around wine bottles
wrapped in beautiful linens, asking
every few minutes whether I wanted a
new glass of wine or a refill on the old
one. At first I was too nervous to drink.
But I finally mustered the courage to
answer yes when someone asked
whether I’d like some wine and, if so,