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Beth Macy

ベス・メイシー

Besu Meishī

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1964-01-01 （Urbana, Ohio, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Urbana, Ohio, U.S. → Roanoke, Virginia, U.S. → Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. (Nieman Fellowship) → Hollins, Virginia, U.S.

Career

Occupations
journalist, non-fiction writer
Active Years
1989-
Affiliations
The Roanoke Times (former employer), Nieman Fellowship (Harvard University), Guggenheim Fellow (2023)

Education

Bowling Green State University
Journalism
Degree: BS
Period: 在学〜1986年
Year of Graduation: 1986
Country: United States
Bachelor of Science in Journalism
Hollins University
Creative Writing
Degree: MA
Period: 在学〜1993年
Year of Graduation: 1993
Country: United States
Master of Arts in Creative Writing

Awards

Nieman Fellowship
2010
Organization: Nieman Foundation at Harvard University
Result: 受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
2023
Organization: John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result: 受賞
USC Scripter Award
2022
Work: Episode "The People vs Purdue Pharma" (based on Dopesick)
Category: テレビシリーズ脚本（エピソード）
Organization: USC Scripter Awards
Result: 受賞（共同受賞）
Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction (shortlist)
2019
Work: Dopesick
Organization: American Libraries / ALA-related
Result: 最終候補（ショートリスト）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Factory Man

2014 Non-fiction / investigative reporting

A nonfiction account following a furniture maker's fight to resist offshoring and preserve local jobs, examining globalization's impact on a town and its people.

labor and industryglobalizationcommunity resilience

Truevine

2016 Non-fiction / social history

Based on a true story from the Jim Crow South, it tells the story of two albino brothers and their mother's struggle amid exploitation and racial injustice.

race and historyexploitationfamily quest

Dopesick

2018 Non-fiction / investigative reporting

A detailed investigation into the opioid epidemic, examining the roles of drug manufacturers, doctors, dealers, patients, and communities in America's crisis.

addictionpharmaceutical industry accountabilitypublic health
Adaptations
  • [TV miniseries] Dopesick (2021)

Raising Lazarus

2022 Non-fiction / social issues

A follow-up investigation highlighting grassroots activists and families working to combat the overdose crisis, focusing on hope, justice, and treatment strategies.

overdose responsegrassroots activismmedical and legal systems

Paper Girl

2025 Memoir / non-fiction

A memoir in which the author returns to her hometown of Urbana, Ohio, exploring the effects of globalization, addiction, and a divided America on family and community.

memory and homecomingcommunity changefamily history

Bibliography

  • Factory Man (2014)
  • Truevine (2016)
  • Dopesick (2018)
  • Finding Tess (2019, Audible Original)
  • Raising Lazarus (2022)
  • Paper Girl (2025)

Adaptations

  • Hulu miniseries based on Dopesick (2021)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
detailed investigative non-fictionnarration emphasizing firsthand voicesaccessible, emotionally resonant prose
Recurring Motifs
working-class perspectiveimpact of addiction on communitiesdecline and revival of rural townsfamily and community narratives

Legacy

Beth Macy is known for investigative non-fiction that deepened public understanding of the U.S. opioid crisis, particularly through Dopesick. Her work's adaptation to television and public engagement have influenced policy conversations and popular culture.

Quotes

  • America is in the midst of a struggle with opioid addiction.
    Source: Acceptance speech at the USC Scripter Awards (shared with Danny Strong) (2022)

Trivia

  • First person in her family to attend college.
  • Married to Tom Landon; has two adult children.
  • Dopesick was adapted as a Hulu miniseries starring Michael Keaton.
  • Awarded a Nieman Fellowship in 2010 and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2023.