video: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/id/210925
Nick Reding talked about his book Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town (Bloomsbury USA (June 9, 2009). In the book he reports on methamphetamine production and addiction in Oelwein, Iowa, a small rural community about 300 miles from Chicago. He examines how the crystal methamphetamine trade took over the town and highlights the contribution of economic disparities and pressures to the disintegration of middle America. He also reported on the response to the situation. Mr. Reding read a portion of the book and responded to questions from members of the audience. Topics included how the meth problem had been reported by the media. Mr. Reding is the author of The Last Cowboys at the End of the World: The Story of the Gauchos of Patagonia. His writing has appeared in Outside, Food and Wine and Fast Company.
