RIP Barbara Ehrenreich

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Nickel and Dimed" was an important account of an often hidden problem. She did us all a service with that book. Maybe someone now needs to take up that mantle and do an updated version, because I suspect many of those indignities suffered by low-wage workers years ago are sadly still with us. Maybe even in more insidious forms.

Agreed! By coincidence, last night I started reading Maid, and it has similar themes. Barbara Ehrenreich wrote the introduction (in which she points out that she had the luxury of just visiting the low-income life in Nickel & Dined but the Maid author actually lived it) — apparently Barbara Ehrenreich ran a program that supported writers who cover similar topics.

(Unrelated, but for nonfiction fans, BE’s daughter, Rosa Brooks, also wrote a really interesting book. Tangled Up in Blue, about going through the police training program here in DC.)

[Anonymous]

She did a no growth. She did a white fragility.

[Anonymous]

Both her and her son Ben and daughter Rosa - great people. Super sad to hear of her passing.

[Anonymous]

I remember seeing her interviewed in a documentary about the 60s, too: Berkeley in the Sixties or 1968-
The Year That Changed America, or one of those. I was impressed that she’d been a student activist who I think went on to be an educator. Having faltering commitment myself, I am awed by those who remain on course.

[Anonymous]

I LOVED her book Nickeled and Dimed and was so sad to hear of her passing.

If anyone wants to read similarly themed books:

Evicted by Matthew Desmond (fantastic book about the struggle for affordable housing)
Maid is a good one
Robert Reich’s books and Twitter
Elizabeth Warren’s The Two Income Trap

Even Educated and The Glass Castle have similar themes about the real life struggles of the working poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That was a good book. But her name is not a household name.

Probably depends on your age and education or media consumption. For Gen Xers who were in college in the 90s, she was very well known. Anyone who listened to NPR in the 90s would have known her work, I think.

I’m a Gen Xer and went to college beginning in ‘96. Never heard of her.

[Anonymous]

I loved nickel and dimed. I didn’t realize she lived in Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Condolences to her kids. I went to school with Rosa and she was a very nice person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That was a good book. But her name is not a household name.

Probably depends on your age and education or media consumption. For Gen Xers who were in college in the 90s, she was very well known. Anyone who listened to NPR in the 90s would have known her work, I think.

I’m a Gen Xer and went to college beginning in ‘96. Never heard of her.

I'm surprised! I thought she was impossible not to know about for people our age. Maybe we were reading different papers and listening to different radio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I LOVED her book Nickeled and Dimed and was so sad to hear of her passing.

If anyone wants to read similarly themed books:

Evicted by Matthew Desmond (fantastic book about the struggle for affordable housing)
Maid is a good one
Robert Reich’s books and Twitter
Elizabeth Warren’s The Two Income Trap

Even Educated and The Glass Castle have similar themes about the real life struggles of the working poor.

Another grateful and admiring BE fan here (and yes, Gen Xer who was in college in the early 90’s listening to lots of NPR). If you choose one of the books above, choose Evicted. Wow. That was a seriously eye opening book.

[Anonymous]

Her critique of the pink ribbon culture after going through breast cancer was thought provoking. If I recall correctly she also decided after 70 she'd had enough of being poked and prodded by doctors having reached a good enough age. Great writer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Her critique of the pink ribbon culture after going through breast cancer was thought provoking. If I recall correctly she also decided after 70 she'd had enough of being poked and prodded by doctors having reached a good enough age. Great writer.

https://lithub.com/barbara-ehrenreich-why-im-giving-up-on-preventative-care/

[Anonymous]

GenX er but didn’t encounter her work until after grad school (heard a piece on the radio and read it for pleasure).

It really resonated with me. Sad to hear of her passing and will definitely give the other titles listed here a whirl.

[Anonymous]

She was clearly not known to the younger generation who went after her on twitter for a harmless joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That was a good book. But her name is not a household name.

Probably depends on your age and education or media consumption. For Gen Xers who were in college in the 90s, she was very well known. Anyone who listened to NPR in the 90s would have known her work, I think.

I’m a Gen Xer and went to college beginning in ‘96. Never heard of her.

What is the value of this statement? If a famous baseball player dies, a young singer dies or an overseas politician dies, I don't say, "never heard of them" - I google them to learn more about their lives.