Sarah Smarsh & Nick Smarsh: Are You Different Than Me?
Publisher |
WNYC Studios
Media Type |
audio
Publication Date |
Jun 19, 2019
Episode Duration |
00:20:09

As a journalist and author, Sarah Smarsh has built her career around examining socioeconomic class. In 2018, her book Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth became a New York Times bestseller and was a finalist for the 2018 National Book Award. 

Sarah grew up outside of Wichita, Kansas, and spent much of her childhood on her family's farm. The Farm Crisis during the 1980s led to her family leaving farming behind, and her dad, Nick, had to find work elsewhere⁠—first, he worked locally on construction crews; now, he puts up buildings for fast food chains in far-flung places like Mississippi and Texas. 

In this audio essay, Sarah interviews her dad about the changes he's endured throughout his lifetime, and about how, at 63, he thinks about his future as someone who builds things with his hands. 


This episode is part of Death, Sex & Money's 2019 Maternity Leave Lineup. 

The bestselling author and Kansan talks with her dad about what happens when you grow up believing the hard way is the best way, and then cross over into a different class. 

This episode is part of our 2019 Maternity Leave Lineup of guest hosted shows while our regular host, Anna Sale, is out on leave. Are you new to Death, Sex & Money? Check out our starter kit of some of our favorite episodes. And subscribe to our weekly email newsletter! Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at manage.com/subscribe?u=4109fdd323aaac7078eadaa8f&id=566f296761">deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.

Support Death, Sex & Money today at deathsexmoney.org/donate.

Follow the show on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.

The bestselling author and Kansan talks with her dad about what happens when you grow up believing the hard way is the best way, and then cross over into a different class. 

This episode is part of our 2019 Maternity Leave Lineup of guest hosted shows while our regular host, Anna Sale, is out on leave. Are you new to Death, Sex & Money? Check out our starter kit of some of our favorite episodes. And subscribe to our weekly email newsletter! Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates from the show. Sign up at manage.com/subscribe?u=4109fdd323aaac7078eadaa8f&id=566f296761">deathsexmoney.org/newsletter.

Support Death, Sex & Money today at deathsexmoney.org/donate.

Follow the show on TwitterFacebook and Instagram. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.

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