The Oxford Project

Book 20 of my 2019 Reading Challenge

read from February 14 - 21

The Oxford Project

by Peter Feldstein

Summary (via the book jacket)

published 2008

The town of Oxford, Iowa, lies just outside of Iowa City but you've probably never heard of it - until now. Its population hovers around 700; the same Mayor has presided since 1974; it's hard to spot on the map. But take a look beneath the surface of this Midwestern enclave, and discover a community of people that are as fascinating, complex, and surprising as any you might ever meet.

The Oxford Project is a living time capsule that challenges assumptions and shatters stereotypes as it reveals the extraordinary true tale of one seemingly ordinary American town. Its power is grounded in a captivating series of then-and-now portraits of Oxford residents - taken in 1984 and again today - and in the confessional first-person prose accompanying each pair of photographs. 

In these pages, the story of two decades unfolds before your eyes. You will be moved and riveted by the truths and secrets, fantasies and flaws, the profound differences and shared histories that define and unite this unique community.

My Opinion

4 stars

What an interesting project!  It would've caught my eye anyway both because I love people-watching and because of the comparisons between the 1984 and 2008 versions of the citizens (especially the older generation) but this had the added bonus of taking place in a small Iowa town, something I'm very familiar with since I grew up about an hour away from the town in the book.  I recognized many of the things and places they talked about and there was even a shoutout of my husband's very small hometown (Brooklyn, Iowa).

It was nice that he paid tribute to the people that were pictured in 1984 and had passed away before 2008 but it was also sad to see, especially the young ones.

It's not all shiny nice and some people met the conservative Midwestern stereotypes (a few homophobes, one person mentioning they never met a black person before) but that made it even more authentic.  Another example of this was when one person said he was the black sheep of the family because he "read everything he could get his hands on" and he gets "a lot of grief for having a college degree" since it makes him "different from [his] brothers and extended clan."

Quote from the Book

"That's Oxford. People have family feuds. They bitch. But when the shit hits the fan, people who on Wednesday were pissing and moaning, they'll be helping each other get through whatever you need them for. Then by Friday, they'll be calling each other assholes again." ~ Bob Tandy