Episode 730: NICHOLAS KRISTOF & SHERYL WuDUNN (2020)-TIGHTROPE - Deaths of Despair among the Working Class

Episode 730: NICHOLAS KRISTOF & SHERYL WuDUNN (2020)-TIGHTROPE - Deaths of Despair among the Working Class

From Free Forum with Terrence McNally by Terrence McNally

March 26, 2026 · 58 min · Episode 730

About this episode

Terrence McNally discusses the themes of despair and economic crisis in America with Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, based on their book 'TIGHTROPE'.

To remind us what has to heal to put MAGA behind us, here’s my 2020 conversation with Pulitzer Prize winning husband-wife team, NICHOLAS KRISTOF & SHERYL WuDUNN. Their book, TIGHTROPE, tells how Nick’s childhood home - Yamhill, Oregon - was devastated by the loss of well-paying jobs and policy failures in education, healthcare, and justice that led to his childhood friends’ deaths of despair - and how we can end this crisis. We recorded this episode in the final year of Trump’s first term, a few weeks before the pandemic exploded.

People in this episode

Host: Terrence McNally

Guests: NICHOLAS KRISTOF, SHERYL WuDUNN

Topics covered

  • Deaths of Despair
  • Working Class
  • Policy Failures
  • Healthcare
  • Education
  • Justice
  • Economic Crisis

Keywords

  • deaths of despair
  • working class
  • economic crisis
  • TIGHTROPE
  • Nicholas Kristof
  • Sheryl WuDunn
  • policy failures
  • healthcare
  • education

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: TIGHTROPE

Places: Yamhill, Oregon

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