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Archived Story
New York Times Mag spotlights Alexander City
Published 10:52am Friday, August 31, 2012Alexander City may be making its way to the national spotlight with the publication of a New York Times Magazine article focused on the city.
“Who Wears The Pants In This Economy?” is a 6,700-plus word article on Alexander City, primarily detailing the changed roles of men and women with the closing of Russell Mills.
“The town so revolved around Russell that when the company left, the men were virtually stripped of their identities. And there was barely anyplace left in America where being an expert on textiles could elevate you in that same way,” the article reads.
The story, written by Hanna Rosin, senior editor at The Atlantic and at Slate, is adapted from “The End of Men: And the Rise of Women,” which is set to be published by Riverhead Books this month.
It follows the lives of several Alexander City residents – how their lives and families changed with the loss of Russell and how society in the city was impacted by the loss of those jobs.
“Downtown Alexander City still sustains a wine store, a couple of restaurants, a quaint soda-fountain pharmacy, a real-estate office that looks like a SoHo loft and a trendy jeans-and-dress store that expanded this spring, among other businesses. But as with other once-prosperous towns, Alex City, as it is called, is straining to keep up appearances … People worry that one day the downtown might go the way of Goodwater, a city with a string of abandoned gray buildings 15 miles to the northwest,” the article succinctly explains.
To read the full article, visit www.nytimes.com and click “magazine” on the left-hand index.
Surely no one is proud of this article. I have heard the phrase “any publicity is good publicity”, but I do not agree. I am proud that these women were able to find decent jobs after the Russell losses, however, some were not as blessed. Some never had a husband’s income to begin with and certainly never had BMWs or lake homes to miss after our hubby lost his job. Some of us would like to regain health benefits, job security and the ability to sleep at night with the knowledge that we can make next month’s mortgage payment. Please get to work Alexander City gov and industrial development board and bring in new industry.