Sitting in a KFC restaurant in the former coal-mining town of Pomeroy, Ohio, a few hours before JD Vance addressed the Republican National Convention, Curtis Ramsey, 18, reminisced about his encounter with the name of the Ohio senator. It was during a visit to Washington, D.C. with filmmakers working on the documentary “Inheritance,” which sheds light on drug-ravaged Appalachian communities like his own.
During their visit to the Washington office of Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, the filmmakers, Matt Moyer and Amy Toensing, shared details about their documentary with Mr. Jordan. To their surprise, Mr. Jordan enthusiastically remarked, “Sounds like the story of the next vice president of the United States!” referring to the documentary’s theme.
Reflecting on this exchange, Mr. Ramsey, while enjoying his chicken sandwich, pondered the diverging paths of JD Vance, the author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” and his own challenging life in Appalachia. He noted that Mr. Vance, who hails from Jackson, Ky., had managed to break free from the hardships of their region, labeling him as “lucky” for escaping.
