Leading author seeks small towns to discover 'under-reported aspects of American realities'

Fallows

We've long considered James Fallows one of America's best reporters, writers and authors, and here's fresh evidence: He and his wife "are kicking off an open-ended exploration of smaller-town America," as he calls it. "The idea is to learn about places that illustrate under-reported aspects of current American realities -- economic, technological, social, demographic, and all the rest."

Jim says he's done a lot of research for the trip, but he knows this is an enterprise that calls for great diversity of input, so he's asking for recommendations for places to visit: "What is a smaller American town whose story deserves more attention? 'Smaller' is a flexible definition. The simplest approximation might be: a place that doesn't get much national notice and is rarely in the news. (For instance: Aspen, Colo., is a small town but wouldn't qualify; Sioux Falls, S.D., is fairly large, but does.) We'll be grateful for your thoughts, via the form below."