Amanda Page is a documentarian and she brought her film Peerless City, about Portsmouth Ohio, to Lit Youngstown’s 2022 Fall Literary Festival. If you’ve heard of Portsmouth, Ohio, it’s because either 1.) you’re from there, or 2.) you’ve seen it mentioned in a headline that claims it is the “pill mill capital of America.” But, before it was “ground zero for the opioid epidemic,” it was the “Peerless City,” hyped by enthusiastic boosters, revered by its residents, and economic rival to Cincinnati and other cities along the Ohio River. The film Peerless City tells the story of Portsmouth, from its days as the “Peerless City,” through its time as “Where Southern Hospitality Begins,” to the present day, as it works to be the “Comeback City.” We explore the impact a slogan has on civic pride, on a sense of history, and how a slogan can inspire a sense of belonging in the people who live in the place it is meant to represent. The film screening was well attended with over 20 audience members who engaged in a spirited Q&A session with the filmmaker, who covered topics ranging from her interviewing techniques to her choice of shots. The Grace Ruth Memorial Endowment made this screening possible!