Was Dad Being a Creep? And Other Childhood Memories to Decipher

Was Dad Being a Creep? And Other Childhood Memories to Decipher

June 23, 2026 · 53 min · Episode 581

About this episode

Anna Konkle discusses her new memoir and reflects on her complex relationship with her father.

Growing up, whenever Anna Konkle's parents fought–which was frequently–she usually sided with her dad. As she got older, she started to see those memories differently. Was her dad actually the bad guy? This week on Death, Sex & Money , Konkle talks about her new memoir, The Sane One , and the challenges of unpacking morally ambiguous memories. She also narrows in on her relationship with her dad, their estrangement, and their reconciliation shortly before his death.  Konkle is an actor and writer who was the co-creator and star of PEN15 , the tween comedy series where she starred as a middle schooler and reenacted many of these confusing scenes from growing up. She appeared most recently in the final season of HBO’s Hacks .  Podcast production by Cameron Drews.  Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Death, Sex & Money show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify . Or, visit slate.com/dsmplus to get access wherever you listen. If you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can…

People in this episode

Host: Anna Sale

Guest: Anna Konkle

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PEN15, HBO, Slate Podcasts

Books & works: The Sane One

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