top of page
I Grew Up Without a Fixed Address

CURBED

I Grew Up Without a Fixed Address

Officially, entire chunks of my childhood don’t exist.

Paying For College, One Crushed Beer Can at a Time

OZY

Paying For College, One Crushed Beer Can at a Time

It takes 21,000 aluminum cans to pay for a calculus textbook. I know that from firsthand experience. And it takes a hell of a lot of time — and work — to gather up 21,000 aluminum cans.

The Value of Life, Measured by Word Count

TALK POVERTY

The Value of Life, Measured by Word Count

My stepfather passed away a few years ago. His death came suddenly and without warning—he went into the bathroom one morning, and my mother discovered him unresponsive on the floor a short time later.

How Do You Get Dental Care When You Can't Afford It

THE NEW YORKER

How Do You Get Dental Care When You Can't Afford It

At an annual dental fair in Philadelphia, Americans wait in line and hope to get through the door.

Bite Marks

HARPER'S MAGAZINE

Bite Marks

What a dental x-ray reveals about poverty.

With Covid Delays, You May Die Waiting for Disability Benefits

IN THESE TIMES

With Covid Delays, You May Die Waiting for Disability Benefits

Disabled people already had to cut through a lot of red tape to get benefits. Coronavirus made it even harder.

Parenting in Poverty

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Parenting in Poverty

I am far too familiar with the seemingly endless array of indignities and flavors of shame that come with living in poverty.

The Tyranny and the Comfort of Government Cheese

TASTE

The Tyranny and the Comfort of Government Cheese

Government cheese shows up in the punch lines of jokes and song lyrics, but to those who have actually lived on it, it’s both a cornerstone of survival and an object that inspires complicated tinges of nostalgia.

bottom of page