Death, Sex & Money

A lot has changed in the student loan landscape since the pandemic hit. In this special collaboration with NPR's Life Kit, student loan expert Betsy Mayotte answers your questions about who is covered under the CARES Act, how private loan borrowers can get relief, and what this all means for you if you're enrolled in Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Support Death, Sex & Money by becoming a sus...

Listener Diane Davis and author John Green have spent years learning tools to manage their obsessive thoughts and fears of contamination. But COVID-19 is putting all of them to the test. Sign up for our newsletter today at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter. And follow our show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. Need to...

We check in with Alana Duran, who has lupus and received a donor kidney several years ago from her new girlfriend at the time, Lori Interlicchio.  What are you noticing about physical touch and intimacy right now? Whether you're partnered or single, we want to know how touch—or a lack of it—is making you think about your romantic life. Tell us about it at  deathsexmoney@wnyc.org . Sign up for our...

One of the things writer Tayari Jones has learned in isolation is mastering different forms of connection, from re-learning how to teach her college students over Zoom to sending money to friends in need. The simplest way she's connecting? Greeting cards! "People love to receive cards and I have so many of them and I just imagined that if people are at home alone feeling isolated, wouldn't it be n...

"I'm just a lucky guy," John Prine told me in our 2018 interview. We will miss him.  Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Songwriting icon Bill Withers died this week at 81 years old. Today, we revisit my conversation with him—from the very first episode of Death, Sex & Money. Need to set up your Slate Plus feed? If you subscribed through Slate.com, check out our FAQ at slate.com/podcastfaqs for easy instructions. Members subscribed via Apple Podcasts get automatic access—no setup required. Hosted on Acast. See a...

A few weeks back, we created a  Pandemic Tool Kit  for those of us who are staying home during the COVID-19 crisis. But we also wanted to hear from those of you who can't stay home right now because your jobs have been deemed essential—about what's on your mind right now, and what's helping you cope. These are your stories.  Are you in financial flux right now due to COVID-19? Tell us about it at ...

We asked essential workers to write in about what they need, and what they're thinking about. Here's what one surgical nurse in Ohio told us. Not subscribed to our newsletter yet? Sign up at  deathsexmoney.org/newsletter . And follow our show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at  deathsexmoney@wnyc.org . Need to set up your Slate Plus feed?...

If you’re an essential worker who isn't able to stay home, we want to know what’s on your mind right now and what’s helping you. Record a voice memo and send it to deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. And if you are staying at home right now—we have an assignment for you too.  Not subscribed to our newsletter yet? Sign up at  deathsexmoney.org/newsletter . And follow our show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagra...

Jason Isbell was a restless guitarist. Amanda Shires was a fiddler who turned his life around. In 2014, they were a year into marriage, and discovering that sobriety and success come with new challenges. Want more? Here are a few other conversations from our archive featuring Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires:  Live from the Internet: Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires & You : The couple took listener c...

"It's bringing me back to early recovery....I have to think about the things that keep me sober for right now, because we have no idea what tomorrow is going to look like."  Not subscribed to our newsletter yet? Sign up at  deathsexmoney.org/newsletter . And follow our show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at  deathsexmoney@wnyc.org . And...

This week, you've been helping us build a  Pandemic Tool Kit . Now we want to see it in action! Pick something to do from the kit this weekend and send in your field reports from your activities of choice—pictures, voices memos, emails, whatever—to  deathsexmoney@wnyc.org  by Monday morning. We’ll share how we're all putting this tool kit to use in our newsletter. Not subscribed to our newsletter...

The  High Maintenance  star reflects on his childhood, what he's learned from his divorce, and why he's starting to smoke less weed. Looking for some TV recs? Here are five of my favorite High Maintenance episodes. I only picked from the last four seasons of HBO for ease in finding. The whole web series is amazing, which you can find here . "Dongle" (Season 3, Episode 7): A Puerto Rican man who ju...

Anna and Kai Wright, host of WNYC's The United States of Anxiety podcast, take your calls about how the coronavirus is impacting your life, your relationships, and your plans—and how you're coping with it all.  You can find coronavirus tips and resources that we've compiled at  deathsexmoney.org/coronavirus , and you can listen to The United States of Anxiety wherever you get your podcasts, or at ...

We asked you why you're not having sex—right now, or ever. These are your stories.  How is the coronavirus impacting your life? How is it changing the way you think about your relationship to other people? Anna is taking your live calls this Friday, March 13, from 3-4pm Eastern (12-1pm Pacific) along with United States of Anxiety host Kai Wright. Call them up during that time at 844-745-8255.  Sup...

A listener talks about why he thought hiring sex workers could save his marriage⁠—while also knowing it could destroy it.  We're looking for your stories about climate change, and about what happens when you take a minute to slow down and force yourself to focus on it. What do you think about? How do you feel? And then, what happens next? Send a voice memo to deathsexmoney@wnyc.org .  Sign up for...

The comedian talks with me about what mental illness has taught her about managing money and allowing herself to be loved.  Maria's new comedy special is called  Weakness Is The Brand . Listen to This American Life   episode 261   to hear more about the Gottmans, the husband and wife psychologists Maria has turned to for marriage advice.   If you or someone you love is at risk of suicide, please g...

After years of working as a physician, Ken Jeong quit to pursue acting. Then his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, and he found himself needing to think like a doctor again. This episode was originally broadcast in 2015. Sign up for our newsletter by going to  deathsexmoney.org/newsletter , and every Wednesday we'll send you behind-the-scenes updates, podcast listening recommendations, and so...

I talk with the dancer and choreographer about the low-budget beginning of her prolific career, and about dealing with new physical limitations while creating new works in her late 70s. Send a Death, Sex & Money Valentine! Find episodes to send to your loved ones, as well as a special Valentine's e-card, at  deathsexmoney.org/valentine . Sign up for our newsletter by going to  deathsexmoney.or...

The writer reflects on her first relationship with a woman, finding the words to talk about experiencing abuse, and the process of writing it all down in her memoir. Sign up for our newsletter by going to  deathsexmoney.org/newsletter , and every Wednesday we'll send you behind-the-scenes updates, podcast listening recommendations, and some pretty incredible listener letters from our inbox. Follow...

A conversation with a psychologist about the importance of friends who cross racial lines—and those who don't.  Want to reflect on how race has factored into your friendships? Take our survey at  deathsexmoney.org/friendship . Afterward, you can see how other people have responded to the survey questions, and we'll also send you a recommended reading list.  And, as always, you can sign up for our...

Your stories about race and friendship brought up a lot of questions. Our friends at NPR's Code Switch podcast have some answers. And if you missed it, make sure you check out our episode right before this one, called "Between Friends: Your Stories About Race and Friendship." Plus, take our survey to examine how race plays into your own friendships, at deathsexmoney.org/friendship . Sign up for ou...

"Your white friend can just make one comment and it feels like a trap door has opened up from underneath," one listener told us when we asked for stories about race and friendship. "And I’m thrust back into the realities of living in a racist America." Today: Your stories about when race became a flashpoint in your friendships. Tomorrow, we'll share an episode from our partners at the NPR podcast...

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 who rely on their clinics for care.  This episode was originally broadcast in 2016. Sign up for our newsletter by going to  deathsexmoney.org/newsletter , and every Wednesday we'll send you behind-the-scenes updates, podcast listening recommendations...

The writer reads an essay about his mom, and explains why she always made New Year's "determinations" instead of "resolutions." We want to hear YOUR determinations! Record a voice memo telling us what you "will" do in 2020, and send it to us at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org. We'll share them back with the entire Death, Sex & Money community soon. Here's one determination for you: You WILL sign up for...