According to an NPR series on “Poverty in America: The Struggle to Get Ahead,” Reading, Pa. edged out Flint, Mich. as the nation’s poorest city.

Updike was born in the Reading hospital and wrote about the city in his Rabbit tetralogy, calling it Brewer.

The Society returns to Reading in October 2014 for the Third Biennial John Updike Society Conference at Alvernia University.

Here’s the link to the full article. Thanks to member Brian Duffy for calling it to our attention.