M. Gessen

In theory, I knew that this kind of thing can happen in any family.

Upstanding citizens are always turning out to be secret criminals, and I wouldn't even call my cousin Alan an upstanding citizen.

But it's one thing to know and another thing to understand.

What the hell was Alan thinking?

From Serial Productions and The New York Times, I'm Em Gessen, and this is The Idiot.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Em Gessen, an opinion columnist at The New York Times.

I'm also the host of a new show from The Times and Serial called The Idiot.

And if you haven't listened yet, this conversation will have some spoilers.

The Idiot is the story of a convicted felon from my own family.

In 2022, my first cousin, Alan, was arrested for taking out a hit on his ex-wife.

He is now serving a 10-year sentence in federal prison.

Alan has two children with his ex-wife, and he wants more than anything to connect with them.

When I was making the podcast, I wanted to understand how that could happen, how children can build relationships with parents in the prison system.

So I spend a lot of time talking to a friend of mine who had to do this in her own life.

My friend's name is Harriet Clark.

Her mother, Judy Clark, spent 37 years in prison for driving the getaway car in a Brinks robbery that left three people dead.

Harriet is the author of an upcoming novel that draws on her life.

It's called The Hill.

I've read it, and I loved it.