About
The Holler is about class politics for rednecks and hippies everywhere.
It’s a rag for anyone who knows they’re getting screwed, sees through the spin, and is eager to win the basic things every decent society should provide.
We’re out of Rust-Belt Appalachia, in the Upper Ohio Valley — a culturally unique place that shaped me more than anything else. This is where I was born, and it’s home base for most of the work that inspires content here.
The Holler is about power — who has it, what they do with it, and how we shift the balance. You’ll find fewer takes about left and right, and more about top and bottom. Names will be named. Facts will be seasoned with opinion. We’ll strive for truth and fairness, and talk like we’re across from each other at the bar.
This is not a “view from nowhere.” We’re proudly biased in favor of the working class — people who show up for work not because they want to, but because they have to.
This is the journal of a political organizer who sometimes commits acts of serious journalism. Some days, you’ll get straight reporting. Other days, it’s the soup of the day: essays, rants, interviews, roadside dispatches, or something stranger.
For a sample of my recent work, or most of the work I’ve done, check my LinkTree.
There are no paywalls here. Free-flowing political info shouldn’t cost a dime. But if you believe in what we’re doing and want to keep it going, pitch in. A $5/month ($60/year) subscription helps me keep chasing the stories and building the projects we write about here.
About The Author
John Russell is a born-and-bred river rat based in Wheeling, WV. He earned a degree in Agricultural Science, farmed produce for seven years, and ran a stump grinder to pay for the farming habit.
He ran intentionally for state representative, accidentally for Congress, and later advised a major presidential campaign on rural policy and engagement. After a decade of that mix, John came back to the Ohio Valley, picked up a dive bartending job for a couple years, and jumped into advocacy media.
His reporting with More Perfect Union earned an Emmy nomination in 2023. In 2024, he spoke in primetime at the Democratic National Convention about the need to return to labor roots and class solidarity.
Today, he’s a freelance reporter for More Perfect Union, co-host of the Jess and John podcast, and the main author of this here newsletter.
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