William T. Vollmann, Poor People ** 1/2

I had high hopes for this non-fiction meditation on the subject of poverty. Vollmann is a writer who I've been meaning to read, and he took an intriguing approach to a subject I am interested in. In disparate parts of the world, Vollmann would meet poor people and ask them. "Why are you poor?"

The first few chapters — wherein Vollmann describes his first few encounters and outlines the issues that arise when thinking about the nature of poverty, its causes and possible cures — are thought-provoking. He quickly discovers that poor people are not the most articulate chroniclers of their situation. He deftly describes the contradictory impulses that arise for a rich person in the presence of poor people. Unfortunately, subsequent chapters are more impressionistic and less engaging, despite Vollmann's strong descriptive skills. The final few chapters regain some of the early strengths, but I remain disappointed by the book overall. I might recommend reading Part 1 on its own.