On the Front Porch with Tony Pipa and Brent Orrell: A conversation with Tataboline Enos about ‘Proudly Made’

Thursday, August 21, 2025, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. EDT 
Online: https://www.brookings.edu/events/on-the-front-porch-with-tataboline-enos  

Contemporary differences between rural and urban areas in America have their roots in long-term demographic, economic, technological, and social factors. In this event series, Tony Pipa (Brookings) and Brent Orrell (American Enterprise Institute) host conversations “On the Front Porch” with authors of recent research on issues facing rural America. These discussions explore the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural America and consider policy options to promote development and opportunity outside the nation’s major metropolitan areas.

On August 21, Pipa and Orrell will be “On the Front Porch” with Tataboline Enos, whose recent book, “Proudly Made: A Story of Reinvention in the Big Woods and Small Towns of the Pennsylvania Wilds,” tells the story of how, after decades of population loss, rural Pennsylvania came together to leverage two of its greatest assets—its people and its public lands—to create a brighter future for its communities. Enos provides a blueprint for other rural communities looking to leverage outdoor recreation opportunities for economic development.

Viewers are welcome to submit questions via email to events@brookings.edu.