New books — one fiction, one fact — tell same story of poverty, desperation and society's compli
Two newly released books tell the same story of poverty: one, a novel. The other, a meticulously researched treatise on factors that create poverty and the steps that could — but are not — be taken to alleviate it.
The first is “Such Kindness” by Andre Dubus. It tells the story of a one-time building contractor whose injuries launch a spiral of bills, addictions, depression and shame.
The other is Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond‘s “Poverty, by America,” which lays out the myths of poverty and makes a convincing case for ways it could be alleviated if people were to become “poverty abolitionists.” He says that when we witness poverty, we should ask, “Who is benefiting?” and not assume poverty is caused by individuals’ choices.
The two authors recently joined host Robin Young at WBUR’s City Space to discuss their work and their personal experiences with poverty.
Book excerpt: ‘Poverty, by America’
By Matthew Desmond
The Kind of Problem Poverty Is
I recently spent
