Death, Sex & Money

A few days ago we asked to hear from those of you who are essential workers—those of you who can’t stay home right now. We wanted to know what you are thinking about, and what’s helping you. And since then, so many of you have written in—thank you. We're working now on an episode that represents the range of workers we heard from that’ll come out later this week.  But today, we wanted to share just one of those voice memos that came in, from a listener named Jennifer. She's a nurse in Ohio, and the mom of six kids. And we loved taking this walk with her in the woods. 

Over the last week, we've loved watching many of you use our and learning how you're coping with social distancing. But not all of us have the ability to stay home right now. A listener named Mary, who is a nurse in upstate New York, emailed us this week and told us that she's looking for whole different kind of tool kit. Like many other essential workers (healthcare workers, grocers, delivery workers, janitors, warehouse workers, trash collectors and more), Mary is at the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and wants to know how people like her are coping right now. So this weekend, we're asking essential workers: What’s on your mind right now? and What’s helping you?  And for those of you that have loved ones who are essential workers, we're asking you to do something nice for them, and tell us about how great they are. Record a voice memo and send it to deathsexmoney@wnyc.org by Monday morning.

In 2014, I talked with musicians Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires ⁠ when they were  a year into marriage, and two years into Jason's sobriety. But their new life didn't come without its challenges. Jason was learning how to be a feminist husband, and Amanda was figuring out where her own career fit in amid his success and their plans to raise a family.  Hear our conversation about love, liquor, trust, and staying connected when everything in your life is changing. Jason and Amanda have joined us on Death, Sex & Money a few times since this conversation:  : The couple took listener calls along with Anna about relationships, faith and music.  : Jason guest hosts Death, Sex & Money, and talks with his best friend and GQ Editor in Chief Will Welch about sobriety and mental health.  : Jason talks with Anna from his home in Nashville during the COVID-19 pandemic, about how coming on and off of tours has helped prepare him for sobriety in quarantine, and about the music he and Amanda are listening to right now. 

As social distancing becomes the new normal for all of us, it's affecting us in different ways. For a listener we're calling Chloe — who stopped drinking a year and a half ago — it's impacting the way she maintains her sobriety. "F or me personally, it's really balancing my extreme fear of isolation...with my concern about spreading a virus   that can turn fatal," she told us about weighing the decision to attend in-person AA meetings versus staying home. "Which one do I prioritize? And it's really hard." Last week, I called her from my makeshift studio in my closet and talked with her about where she's finding support today — and about the lessons she's applying to life in quarantine that she learned during her early days in recovery. Plus, I call up musician Jason Isbell, to talk about what he's learned about his sobriety while transitioning on and off the road, and to hear about the music he and his family are listening to at home right now.  Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires first appeared on Death, Sex & Money in a 2014 episode, .  We've also made you  with all the songs Jason and Amanda are listening to during their self-quarantine. Enjoy!      

In the past, we've created collaborative spreadsheets with your suggestions for getting through traumatic life events like  with suggested things to read, listen to, watch, think about, and more. You've added suggestions about everything from watching meditation videos and making nachos to hosting singalongs and donating to service workers. So this weekend, we want to challenge you to check it out, add ideas to it — and give something in the tool kit a try. Tell us how it goes. Send in your field reports from your activities — pictures, voices memos, emails —to .