Hillbilly Elegy

years, all of them had vanished—given
to the police department or to a family
friend. After saying goodbye to the
fourth dog, our hearts harden. We learn
not to grow too attached.
Our eating and exercise habits seem
designed to send us to an early grave,
and it’s working: In certain parts of
Kentucky, local life expectancy is sixty-
seven, a full decade and a half below
what it is in nearby Virginia. A recent
study found that unique among all ethnic
groups in the United States, the life
expectancy of working-class white folks
is going down. We eat Pillsbury
cinnamon rolls for breakfast, Taco Bell
for lunch, and McDonald’s for dinner.