J. D. Vance

James David Vance[2][3] (born James Donald Bowman;[4] August 2, 1984) is an American author and venture capitalist known for his memoir Hillbilly Elegy. The book is about the Appalachian values of his upbringing and their relation to the social problems of his hometown. The book was on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2016 and 2017. It was a finalist for the 2017 Dayton Literary Peace Prize.[5] It attracted significant attention during the 2016 election from national media[6][7] as a window into the white working class. He has appeared on ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and Fox News, among other media outlets.[8]

J. D. Vance
Vance in 2017
Born
James Donald Bowman

(1984-08-02) August 2, 1984
Middletown, Ohio, U.S.
EducationOhio State University (BA)
Yale University (JD)
OccupationVenture capitalist, author, commentator
Known forCommentary on rural sociology, poverty, Hillbilly culture
Notable work
Hillbilly Elegy
Political partyRepublican[1]
Spouse(s)Usha Chilukuri
(m. 2014)
Children2

In addition to the popular attention and critical acclaim the book received, it also provoked criticism from Appalachians who argued that Vance was not an authentic hillbilly or representative of the working class. These critics allege that in Vance's book the author misleadingly conflates the experience and identity of his hillbilly grandparents, with whom he spent some summers as a boy, with his own.[9] Other critics supported Vance's claims to represent this culture.[10]

Politically, Vance identifies as a social conservative who is nevertheless critical of the contemporary Republican Party's policies, particularly on economic policy.

Early life and education

James David Vance was born in August 1984 in Middletown, Ohio, as James Donald Bowman,[4] the son of Donald Bowman and Bev Vance. Vance's only sister, Lindsay, had been born when his mother was 19 years old. His mother and father divorced when Vance was a toddler. Not long after, Vance was adopted by his mother's third husband.[4] Vance and his sister were raised primarily by his grandparents.[11][12][13]

Vance was educated at Middletown High School,[14] a public high school in his home town. After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps[15] and served in Iraq, performing public affairs activities.[16] Vance later received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and philosophy from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.[8][17] At Ohio State, he worked for Republican state senator Bob Schuler.[18]

After graduating from Ohio State, Vance received a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. During his first year at Yale, his mentor and professor Amy Chua convinced him to write his memoir.[19]

Career

After law school, Vance worked as a principal in a venture capital firm owned by Peter Thiel,[1] known as Mithril Capital Management.[20] In 2020, Vance raised $93 million for Narya Capital, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.[21]

In December 2016, Vance indicated that he planned to move to Ohio to start a nonprofit and potentially run for office[22] and work on combating drug addiction in the Rust Belt.[3] The nonprofit is called Our Ohio Renewal.[23]

In January 2017, Vance became a CNN Contributor.[24] In April 2017, Ron Howard signed on to direct a film version of Hillbilly Elegy, which was released by Netflix in 2020, and starred Owen Asztalos and Gabriel Basso as Vance.[25]

In early 2018, Vance was reported to have been considering a bid for U.S. Senate as a Republican.[26]

Vance is a Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute researching American society and culture, and the social impact of economic policy.[8]

Personal life

Vance is married to one of his former law school classmates, Usha Chilukuri, an Indian-American woman who was a law clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts during the 2017–18 term and clerked for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh in 2014–15.[27] They have two sons, including Ewan.[28]

In August 2019, Vance converted to Catholicism in Cincinnati, Ohio,[29] in a Baptism ceremony attended by various conservatives, including Rod Dreher. In an interview with Dreher after the ceremony, Vance said he converted because he "became persuaded over time that Catholicism was true," and described Catholic doctrine's influence on his political views.[30]

Works
  • Vance, J. D. (June 2016). Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. Harper Press. ISBN 9780062300546.

References
  1. Heller, Karen. "'Hillbilly Elegy' made J.D. Vance the voice of the Rust Belt. But does he want that job?". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  2. "Summary - Hillbilly Elegy: By James David Vance - A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis". GoodReads.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  3. Heller, Karen. "'Hillbilly Elegy' made J.D. Vance the voice of the Rust Belt. But does he want that job?". The Washington Post.
  4. "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis". Enotes.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  5. Dayton Literary Peace Prize. http://www.daytonliterarypeaceprize.org/
  6. Rothman, Joshua. "The Lives of Poor White People". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  7. SENIOR, JENNIFER. "Review: In 'Hillbilly Elegy,' a Tough Love Analysis of the Poor Who Back Trump". The New York Times. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  8. "J. D. Vance, Visiting Fellow". aei.org. American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  9. Kiser, Brandon. "Author too removed from culture he criticizes". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  10. Miles, StefanieRose. "Author J.D. Vance does have hillbilly cred — like it or not". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  11. "Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance review – does this memoir really explain Trump's victory?". The Guardian. December 7, 2016.
  12. "The Lives of Poor White People". The New Yorker. September 12, 2016.
  13. "'Hillbilly Elegy' Recalls A Childhood Where Poverty Was 'The Family Tradition'". NPR. August 17, 2016.
  14. Michael D. Clark (March 10, 2017). "Middletown native J.D. Vance's book started with simple question". JournalNews.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  15. "Former Marine J.D. Vance's 'Hillbilly Elegy' Will Be Made into a Movie". Military.com. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  16. Vance, J. D. "J.D. Vance | Speaker | TED". www.ted.com.
  17. "J.D. Vance to Speak About Memoir Hillbilly Elegy Feb. 2". Yale Law School. January 27, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  18. Vance, J. D. (2017). Hillbilly Elegy. London, U.K.: William Collins. p. 181. ISBN 9780008220563. OCLC 965479512. I took a job at the Ohio Statehouse, working for a remarkably kind senator from the Cincinnati area named Bob Schuler. He was a good man, and I liked his politics, so when constituents called and complained, I tried to explain his positions.
  19. "How the 'Tiger Mom' Convinced the Author of Hillbilly Elegy to Write His Story". The Atlantic. June 7, 2016.
  20. Sarah McBride (January 20, 2017). "Peter Thiel's Mithril Capital Raises $850 Million VC Fund". Bloomberg Technology. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  21. Loizos, Connie (January 9, 2019). "'Hillbilly Elegy' author J.D. Vance has raised $93 million for his own Midwestern venture fund". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  22. Hohmann, James. "The Daily 202: Why the author of 'Hillbilly Elegy' is moving home to Ohio". The Washington Post.
  23. Our Ohio Renewal http://ourohiorenewal.com/
  24. A. J. Katz (January 17, 2017). "CNN Strengthens its Roster of Commentators and Contributors". AdWeek.com. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  25. Reed, Ryan. "Ron Howard to Direct, Produce 'Hillbilly Elegy' Movie". RollingStone. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  26. Gomez, Henry. "J.D. Vance Is Now Seriously Considering Running For Senate In Ohio". Buzzfeed. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  27. "Usha C. Vance". www.mto.com. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  28. Ferenchik, Mark (July 31, 2017), J.D. Vance draws crowds, and questions about political future, The Columbus Dispatch
  29. Dreher, Rod (August 11, 2019). "J.D. Vance Becomes Catholic". The American Conservative. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  30. "Rod Dreher Archive". The American Conservative.
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