Death, Sex & Money

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 …

The Oscar-winning actor interviews the co-creator of one of his favorite movies of 2018, Blindspotting, about his childhood as a "knucklehead" in the Bay Area, finding a creative partner, and avoiding jealousy.

This …

The last time Alia Shawkat was on the show, she was offering advice about being in your 20s. Now she's back, this time, getting advice about her 30s from therapist Esther Perel. 

This episode is part of our 2019 …

The Daily Show host says he sometimes struggles to get out of bed. But he's comfortable saying that with a smile. 

This episode is part of our 2019 …

Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones self-describes as "super sensitive." But that's not the same thing as being scared.

This episode is part of our 2019 …

The Nashville singer-songwriter and the editor-in-chief of GQ Magazine sit down together to talk about their close friendship, Will's recent cancer diagnosis, expensive risk-taking, and their shared sobriety.

This …

The writers on why the label covers a multitude of sins.

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The actor and Hedwig and the Angry Inch creator talks with 91-year-old cabaret singing legend Marilyn Maye about love affairs, alcoholism and …

The Crazy Rich Asians actor talks with guest host Lisa Ling about how Bambi helped her process her mom's death, and why she has no qualms about turning down offers to do high-paying panty liner commercials.

The Death, …

For the next few months, some of our favorite past Death, Sex & Money guests—and some new folks, too—are taking a turn in the host chair and …

We asked for your stories about being laid off. A listener named Stephanie wrote in about her dad. 

Take our survey about losing a job by going to deathsexmoney.org/laidoff. And find advice from other listeners about …

As a teen, Daniel K. Isaac fought his sexuality. But accepting that part of himself as an adult has meant finding new, complicated ways of relating …

José Andrés is at the helm of more than a dozen restaurants and is famous for his humanitarian work. But when it comes to parenting, he says he's often felt less than confident. 

Apply for our Summer 2019 internship in …

Diane Gill Morris moved her whole family, including her two young adult sons who have autism, into a house she thought they'd live in forever. Then …

When we posted an article on Facebook about deciding to have children, Diane Gill Morris told us, "If someone had told me this is what it’d be like, …

The legendary poet talks with host Anna Sale in front of a live audience about standing up to her father, surviving breast and lung cancer, and why she now cries "over any damn thing." 

Have you ever been laid off? We …

We're revisiting our most-listened to episode ever, about porn. Your stories about secret hard drives, fantasy plot lines, illegal downloads, titillating Tumblr feeds, and giving porn up completely.

We're sharing this …

If you have an STI, we've got an assignment for you. Send your voice memos to deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.

STI rates are on the rise. But when we asked our listeners to tell us their stories about having an STI, what we heard about was how alone it makes you feel. 

This episode is part of our month-long series called Our Sex …

You have a limited number of orgasms in life. Your penis will fall off if you get an infection. Kissing will get you pregnant. We asked you to share your "sex ed fails"—and you all had a lot to say. 

This episode is …

Andrea grew up attending an evangelical church in Texas, where she was taught to abstain from sex until marriage and keep herself sexually "pure." That early sex education—and her decision to have premarital sex …

Sister Josephine Garrett grew up Baptist and worked her way up the corporate ladder—only to realize in her late 20s that she wanted to convert to …

Vanessa never thought much about the immigration process until she fell in love with Freddy, whose legal status in the U.S. is now in jeopardy.

Your year-end donation of $75 combined with the support of other listeners …

A couple reflects on the big strides they've made together since a cycling accident left one of them paralyzed two years ago—and on the things they still need to face. 

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YA author John Green has built his career on his ability to connect with young fans—but in his own lowest moments, the isolation he's felt has been …

When former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm ran for office, she was told not to remind voters that she'd be the first woman to hold the office — and …

What did you learn about sex that you wish you hadn't? Send a voice memo about how sex ed failures played out in your own life to deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. And we're working with the BBC on this project, so we'd …

Two stories of recovery after loss. 

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Lawrence Bartley was released on parole this spring. Now, he and his wife Ronnine are building an everyday life for their family on the outside.

…

For one of our earliest episodes, I spoke with Jane Fonda about living her life in the public eye. This week, we're bringing you that conversation again. 

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We've been following eight listeners as they've dated this summer—this week, we do a final check-in as the warm weather winds down.

Go back and …

Nick Offerman is famous for playing the most macho man on TV, but in real life, he says he has "all the colors inside."

This week, we're also asking …

Comedian Chris Garcia lost his dad to Alzheimer's last year. Now, he's turning his grief into conversations with other comedians for a new project from WNYC studios—and we're bringing you an early listen.

WNYC …

Ceci and Miracle talk about what's happened since Miracle ran into one of her Bumble matches making out with her middle school teacher, and Ceci …

In the six years since Tig Notaro's famous comedy set about her cancer diagnosis and her mother's death, a lot has changed.

Find the playlist of listener-generated episodes we love here. 

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Since we first talked, Jessie emailed to confess something about her dating life that she didn't tell me before. Plus, June's off Tinder!

All summer, …

This week, we continued our conversation about being a man today with a live national special, featuring CNN's W. Kamau Bell and your calls.

For more of our stories about manhood today, including a list of books, …

Earlier this week, we got a voice memo in our inbox, from a husband and wife inspired to talk about masculinity together. So we asked them if we …

The first time we talked to Dan, he was wrestling with how to navigate consent in the #MeToo era. This week, he and I dig a little deeper. 

All …

We revisit our episode with the Grammy-winning songwriter and singer on his 80th birthday, for a conversation about a life lived with intention and the beauty of the perfect rhyme.

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Miracle decided to try a dating app, and got a blast from the past.

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"You kind of learn what you're supposed to do. But nobody tells you anything." A conversation about what it means to be a man today, in partnership with FiveThirtyEight and SurveyMonkey.

We're just starting this …

Louis is at his wit's end with dating apps...so we called in reinforcements. Plus, some musings from Ceci.

All summer, we're following a group of …

One of our summer daters has had some big changes in his love life already.

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John Prine has been in the music business for 47 years, and at this point, he's fine being a self-proclaimed "oddball."

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Dating in 2018 can be frustrating. But a lot of you are doing it anyway...and some of you are letting us listen in. 

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The bestselling author of An American Marriage talks about writing her own rules for adulthood.

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Thousands paid off. Cuts to the beauty budget. A foster daughter. Our listeners share what's happened since appearing in our student loans episodes last year.

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A 22-year-old who calls herself a “professional sugar baby” explains why she goes on dates with much older men for money—and why the men don’t always …

Dwayne Betts committed a carjacking when he was 16 years old. For his mom, Gloria Hill, it was just the first in a series of events in her life …

Thom Tran was grazed by a bullet four days into his deployment in Iraq in 2003. He's spent the last 15 years figuring out what that moment means for …

When musician Johnny Solomon hit rock bottom, he turned to his mom for help. Now, as his mom's health declines, he and his wife—and bandmate—have …

Amy took a mail-in DNA test to find out more about her genealogy...and learned more than she bargained for.

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The actor and writer is having a big year—but it took a lot of work, patience, and some financial help from her mom to get here.

Check out the newest addition to our Opportunity Costs series: our class pride and shame …

Veterinary medicine has a suicide rate that's one of the highest in the healthcare profession. For the veterinary community in Dallas, those statistics hit home last year.

If you’re considering suicide, or are worried …

Ernie Major self-identifies as "socially lower middle class, economically a bit better than that." But he also says status has never been something he paid much attention to. 

This episode is part of our series …

For a father and son whose family is in the 1%, having resources that "exceed their wants" brings its own set of challenges. 

This episode is part of our series Opportunity Costs: Money and Class in America. All this …

Jaimie Seaton got used to an upper class lifestyle while married to her banker husband and living overseas. Then she got divorced, and her financial picture totally changed.

This episode is part of our series …

Ramal Johnson has a "middle class mentality," a working class paycheck, and upper class aspirations. 

This episode is part of our series Opportunity Costs: Money and Class in America. All this week we're bringing you …

Best friends Cat and Christine met in college and have stayed close in the years since. But their class differences became very clear—and …

From January 22-26, we're sharing your stories about your class status, and when you've felt it most in your life.  

Don't miss the launch of Opportunity Costs! Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter and every …

Get ready to get mad.

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As we begin 2018 together, we're sharing our first mini-episode of Pull Quote, our latest podcast experiment, with all of you. 

It's not too late to …

I talk with a friend about her life after heroin addiction.

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How witnessing heroin overdoses every day is affecting one paramedic in Charleston, West Virginia. 

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Reconsidering what we put up with.

Send us your 30-second voice memos about what you wish you could tell your younger self about dealing with …

A conversation about reclaiming your body after sexual assault.

Send us your stories about the times you've been most aware of your class and how …

When "It's a match!" takes on a whole new meaning. 

Are you in the same social class as your parents? Take our poll by texting "class" to 70101. And …

Journalist Lisa Ling has been reporting on TV since she was 16. But she says telling other people's stories has always been a lot easier than sharing her own.

Send us your stories about class. We want to hear about the …

Charlie Shrem made a fortune on cryptocurrency, lost it all, and spent a year in prison for a federal crime—all before turning 30. 

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A few weeks ago, we interviewed a woman who shoplifts. Now, we talk with you about your reactions to her story.

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Live from the Werk It Women's Podcast Festival at the Ace Hotel in downtown LA, we talk all about getting through your 20s with actors Alia Shawkat …

Ellen Burstyn has won countless acting awards, but says she is proudest of raising her son. We talk about learning how to mother, leaving an abusive marriage and confronting death.

Want to celebrate your next Ellen …

"I want it, so I take it." A serial shoplifter explains why she does it, and how—and the conflicted feelings she has about her daughter following a …

Need help with the debt you already have? Balancing loan payments with the rest of your life expenses? We tackle your questions in part two of our call-in specials about student debt.

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Is loan forgiveness a safe bet? When is college not a good investment? Is bankruptcy an option? Part one of our live call-in specials about student …

We check in with the Another Round co-host about her long list of New Year's Resolutions, and why she says she's in "a much different place today" …

The latest storm to hit the Gulf Coast has us thinking back to the people we met two years ago, for the series we put together around the 10th …

Katie Couric lost her husband to cancer in 1998. After 16 years of single parenthood, she remarried. But, she says, she still regrets the way she said goodbye the first time around.

If you're in your 20s, we want to …

Rachel Ward's husband, Steve, died unexpectedly when she was in her early 30s. Afterward, she says in some ways she re-experienced adolescence—while …

Jeff Garlin says the key to marriage, comedy, parenting and dealing with his food addiction is to be present. That doesn't mean it's always easy. 

…

Bullseye host Jesse Thorn's latest project has him interviewing interviewers about...interviewing. Go behind the scenes of Death, Sex & Money as …

Ronnine Bartley married her husband Lawrence while he was in prison. They had two kids and dreamed about a life together on the outside. Now, …

We met Lawrence Bartley inside Sing Sing prison in 2014. Now, almost three years later, he's up for parole for the first time in his 27 years behind …

Hundreds of you told us about feeling duped, overwhelmed, and ashamed of your student debt. But we also heard stories about how some of you took back …

More Americans are taking out more student loan debt and taking longer to pay it back. But we're not talking about the impact that it has on our lives. Until now. 

Explore more than 1,000 of your stories about student …

More Americans are taking out more debt to pay for higher education, but we often don’t feel comfortable talking about our student loans. We want to show you that you’re not alone.

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Domestic violence. Grave plot sales. The ripples of the financial crisis. A new immigrant's dashed hopes. This is what we heard about after we asked, …

The comedian and his mom give advice on pursuing career-life balance, dealing with racist friends and figuring out the best time to DTR (Define The Relationship).

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The actor's first movie role didn't give her total financial security, but it did help her pay off one important bill.  

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The actor opens up about money, sex at 58, and working on Jill Soloway's newest TV series, I Love Dick. 

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The idea of having children was just fantasy "pillow talk" for Nikki Villavicencio and Darrell Paulsen. Then, a positive pregnancy test proved …

Three weeks after Rachel Swidenbank and Hiroki Takeuchi got married, an accident changed everything. 

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The actor and comedian goes deep on death, sex and money in his new memoir, Nevertheless. 

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Meet Nancy—a new podcast from WNYC Studios that's all about exploring identity, finding community, and having frank conversations about the LGBTQ experience today. Find out more at nancypodcast.org. 

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When we met Rashema Melson during her sophomore year at Georgetown University, she was tired of people calling her "the homeless valedictorian." A lot's changed in her life since then.

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Mandi Hauwert thought coming out as a transgender woman while working as a guard at California's San Quentin State Prison would be "insane." She did …

A listener named Tony wrote to us about his deep love for his daughter, and what it was like to discover that he wasn't her biological father.

…

Breakups, addiction, death, and music—married musicians Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires join Anna to answer all your questions live from Nashville.

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Comedian Cristela Alonzo was raised by a single mom in an abandoned diner with no power or water in South Texas, but she says she can comfortably fill up a Target shopping cart these days.

Don't forget about our "10 …

We asked for your stories about breakups. You told us about being left, doing the leaving, and the times when you're not exactly sure what happened. 

Two and a half years ago, former NFL cornerback Domonique Foxworth told me about leaving football behind. Now, it's a part of his life again—in a way …

Mahershala Ali just earned his first Oscar nomination for his role in the movie "Moonlight." Ten months ago, he and his wife Amatus told us how …

At 19, Sarah Short gave birth to her first child—and ended up thousands of dollars in debt. A few years later she carried twins as a surrogate to pay …

The Another Round podcast host has a long list of goals that she wants to accomplish in 2017—and she wants her almost 100,000 Twitter followers to …

Bex Montz and his mom Katie Ryan laugh a lot together, even when they're talking about depression, suicide, and the sudden death of Bex's dad. 

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Former bank executive Sallie Krawcheck says she's comfortable talking about other people's money. But when it comes to her own money—that's a different story. 

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Your stories about secret hard drives, fantasy plot lines, illegal downloads, titillating Tumblr feeds, and giving porn up completely.

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Since the election, we've asked you one question: What do you wish Americans understood about you, but don't? Hear Anna talk live with listeners about their responses.

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A confession is tortured out of a suspect. He goes to prison. Thirty-three years later, he gets a check for what he endured. But forgiveness is not part of the bargain. 

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Actor Amy Landecker has developed some rules over the years, about what she wants in a boyfriend, when she'll do nudity on camera and why she'll …

Jane Chung always prayed that God would protect her father. When he was murdered in 2014, Jane dropped everything to support her …

The journalist and feminist icon sits down with guest host Ellen Burstyn to talk about having the chutzpah to strike out on her own as a young woman, and her love of life at 82. 

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A mother of two black autistic sons talks with a veteran cop—and father of two autistic boys of his own—about her fear that her sons could be harmed …

Comedian Tim Dillon did his first line of cocaine at 12, sold subprime mortgages before the recession, and came out of the closet six years …

Longtime Sesame Street actor Sonia Manzano and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor talk about leaving their childhood homes in the Bronx, facing their insecurities, and coming to understand the power of the …

Four former Death, Sex & Money guests—Ellen Burstyn, Chris Gethard, Sonia Manzano and Diane Gill Morris—take over the host chair and help us wrap up Anna's maternity leave.

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When we talked with her this spring, Elizabeth Caplice described her life to us as "one big near death experience." She died on July 12, after more …

We asked for your favorite short stories about death, sex and money. Hear actors Sam Underwood and Kathleen Chalfant perform two of them. 

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Anna Chlumsky left life as an actor behind until a psychic tapped her on the shoulder one day. Then she had to learn how to balance her renewed …

Katie Heaney wrote a memoir about her lifelong single status. Then she realized she was looking for love in the wrong place. 

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Amber Scorah and Lee Towndrow's first child, Karl, died unexpectedly when he was three months old. As they grieved, they also decided to have another …

The "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" actor takes us on a journey through his childhood in Georgia, and talks about what his relationship with his mother looks like today. 

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What happens inside Planned Parenthood has long been at the center of a raging political debate in the U.S. But we don't often hear from the patients …

Danielle Brooks grew up in a religious household in South Carolina. But at 26, the actor says she's found new freedom to talk about her body and sex.

We met Susanne and Mike almost 10 years into their recovery from heroin addiction. But disturbing criminal charges against Mike forced Susanne to take a hard look at their relationship.

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Jeff Daniels describes turning 50 as "a speed bump at 80 miles per hour." His career got its second wind—and the Michigan-based actor abandoned more than a decade of sobriety. 

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Chaim Levin and Benjy Unger desperately fought their attraction to other men by signing up for gay conversion therapy. They rejected the therapy together, but saved their friendship.

Orange is the New Black's Diane Guerrero has been on her own since she was 14, when her parents were deported. What followed were years of financial …

Your stories about life after near death. 

Amanda's husband Sam had a lot of secrets, most of which she discovered after his death. That made grieving, and moving on, a lot more complicated.

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During times of big change, family often keeps us grounded. Meet the people who played that role for Rosie Perez, Hari Kondabolu and Mahershala Ali, …

Danny Oquendo put his life on hold when his half brother, Avonte, disappeared from his New York City school in 2013. Three years later, his life is …

Susanne and Mike met and fell in love with each other...and heroin. They stuck together through addiction and recovery, but things haven't fallen into place the way they had hoped.

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Comedian Michael Ian Black has been steadily building his career since the '90s. But he says he's tired of not finding mainstream success. 

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You've been sending us your anthems of change. Now, we want to see you rock out to them. 

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At 63 years old, musician Lucinda Williams is more successful than ever. But with age has come a lot of loss.

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Jeb Corliss is a BASE jumper and wingsuit flier who's learned to very carefully control his emotions. It's made him fearless and, he says, …

Brooke Shields' two longest relationships have been with her career and with her mother. But she says she needed one to end for the other to thrive. 

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Living alone has its perks: no one to tell you what to eat, how to decorate, or when to go to bed. But there's also no one to split the bills with.

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Last year, Rashema Melson became known as "the homeless valedictorian" with a full ride to Georgetown. Now a sophomore, she's tired of that label and …

When we posted an article on Facebook about deciding to have children, Diane Gill Morris told us, "If someone had told me this is what it’d be like, …

Actress Holland Taylor built a reputation by playing self-assured characters who keep others at a distance. But at 72, she's finally ready to take a …

We asked you why you're not having sex—right now, or ever. These are your stories. 

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In this episode taped before a live audience in New York, writer and original Real World cast member Kevin Powell talks about confronting the anger …

The 93-year-old writer and producer behind shows like The Jeffersons and All in the Family talks about his childhood and how it shaped the way he's …

On the air, Yesi Ortiz is a warm, flirty host for a popular L.A. hip hop station. Off the air, she's a single mother of six adopted kids. Managing …

Dr. Jonathan Clark lost his wife, astronaut Laurel Clark, in the 2003 Columbia space shuttle explosion. As he grieved, he also learned how to be a …

Emma's a single mom and supports her family with the income she makes from sex work. The money's good. But she struggles with the secrecy, and the shame.

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For 44 years, Sonia Manzano explained letters, numbers, and life to kids on Sesame Street. But her own childhood left her with a lot of questions …

Dr. Jeffrey Rouse is the Orleans Parish coroner—a job he describes as the “interface between law and medicine.” A decade ago, he was preparing for a life in academia, not public office. 

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Dr. Kiersta Kurtz-Burke spent Hurricane Katrina inside New Orleans’ Charity Hospital. Now that she's got two kids, she keeps her gas tank full in …