Death, Sex & Money's Starter Kit

Death, Sex & Money

• Episode: Death, Sex & Money's Starter Kit
• Website: Death, Sex & Money
• Feed URL: http://feeds.wnyc.org/deathsexmoney
• Published: 2018-03-26 16:31

Death, Sex & Money began back in 2014, which means we have a lot of episodes for you to enjoy. But that also means there’s a lot to sift through, if you’re new to the show. So we asked our listeners about some of their must-listen Death, Sex & Money episodes. Here are some of the episodes that they recommended as places to start, and some of our favorites too. 

Anna with Ann and Al Simpson at their home in Cody, Wyoming.

This Senator Saved My Love Life - You have to give it to some elected representatives—they really will respond to the letters you send. Or at least, Senator Alan Simpson did when host Anna Sale's boyfriend, Arthur, sent a plea for help. That’s how she wound up in the Wyoming kitchen of Alan and Ann Simpson, getting advice on maturity, commitment, and of course, sex.

Ellen Burstyn’s Lessons in Survival - When Ellen Burstyn was 18, she got on a Greyhound bus going from Detroit to Dallas. She had 50 cents in her pocket and a hunch that she could find work as a model. Now 81, the actress and director, known for her roles in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, The Exorcist, and Requiem For a Dream says she thinks of herself as a "work in progress," adding, "I know I’m a successful actress, but I don’t feel I’m necessarily a successful person."

An Essential Worker, Going Back In - We first met a listener named Sharron in March 2020, when she wrote in about working in a hospital and worrying about dying from coronavirus, as a single mother with chronic asthma. When we called her back to check in a few months later, a story unfolded— about deciding to take some time off, caring for her teenage daughter, coping with personal grief and loss, dreaming about the next steps in her career, and preparing to go back into the hospital again. 

I Was Your Father, Until I Wasn't - Tony became a father in his mid-20s, after a woman he'd had casual sex with got pregnant. He shared custody of their daughter, and said being a dad gave him new purpose in life. But when his daughter was about a year old, Tony decided to take a paternity test—and found out the child he'd been raising as his was not biologically related to him. 

Opportunity Costs - When have you been most aware of your class status? When we asked our listeners this question, they responded with stories about class and divorce, fertility, friendship, education, race and much more. Listen to this series and read pieces about class and money written by our partners at BuzzFeed News. 

Big Freedia holding a photograph from her senior year in high school. (Rush Jagoe)

In New Orleans - There's no single story about Hurricane Katrina, or about how people have fared in its wake. In this series that we produced around the 10 year anniversary of the storm, we share five very different stories about five people from New Orleans—including bounce artist Big Freedia, the elected New Orleans coroner, and a woman who calls herself the Demo Diva. They all lived in the city when Hurricane Katrina hit. They all live there now. And their lives in the decade since the storm have all been shaped in some way by it and its aftermath. 

How To Be A Man With Bill Withers - Maybe it’s not manly to say, “I’m scared.” But for Bill Withers, being a man isn’t about ignoring fear. It's about getting things done in spite of it, and knowing when to ask for help. Before he wrote some of the most memorable hits of the 70s and 80s—songs like “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and “Lean on Me”—Withers was a stuttering boy in a poor mining town. I spoke with Withers, a fellow West Virginian, about leaving his small town, caring for his dying father, and finding the courage to make something of himself.

Between Friends: Your Stories About Race and Friendship - When we asked you about moments when race became a flashpoint in your friendships, we heard about awkward, funny, and deeply painful moments. In partnership with NPR's Code Switch podcast, this episode features your stories about how race, identity, and racism have impacted your friendships.

Life in Our 20s: Advice from Niecy Nash, Alia Shawkat & Terri Coleman - Your 20s can be hard—but getting advice from people who've been there can make things a little easier. With the help of guests Alia Shawkat, Niecy Nash, and Terri Coleman (from our series "In New Orleans"), we take on life advice questions from listeners in their 20s, and talk about the most challenging and exciting parts of young adulthood.

Autism Isn't What I Signed Up For - Diane Gill Morris is raising two teenage sons with autism. We first met her when she left a comment on our Facebook page in response to an article about people who are considering having children. "I have sacrificed a huge part of who I am—given up my career, gone broke, accepted social isolation," she wrote. "If someone had told me this is what it would be like, I never would have had kids." Diane talked with us about trying to keep her sons safe as young black men, about how her marriage has changed since the kids' diagnosis, and about how she can both love her sons deeply and mourn the children she never met. 

A Former Debt Collector's Unpaid Bills - When Angela first started working at a debt collection agency, she says she barely understood what her job was. "I was so completely awestruck that people didn't pay their bills," she told me. "I thought this was going to be really easy." It wasn't easy. But Angela finally did start getting consumers to pay, and spent 15 years working her way up in the world of collections. Now, she's banned from the industry for life⁠—and is getting collection calls after falling behind on her own bills. 

Happy listening! And since you're new to our show, know that you can email your story ideas or episode responses any time to [email protected].