Death, Sex & Money

Four Interviews and a Revival

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To mark the return of Death, Sex & Money, we’re presenting a live celebration of new beginnings, featuring interviews with comedian and TV host W. K...

This Senator Saved My Love Life

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this special Valentine’s Day episode, Anna revisits a conversation she had with former Senator Al Simpson and his wife Ann, who provided some muc...

Life After Death: News About the Future of Death, Sex & Money!

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hear about the new life for Death, Sex & Money, with new episodes coming soon! In the meantime, subscribe to Anna's newsletter here to keep in touch a...

Four Interviews and a Funeral

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When we heard that Death, Sex, & Money was coming to an end at WNYC, we decided there was only one thing to do: throw ourselves an in-person goodbye c...

Your Inheritance Stories: When Death, Family and Money Mix

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few months, we’ve been collecting your stories about inheritance, from those who have it and those who don’t. You told us about when...

Meshell Ndegeocello Thinks Authenticity is Unsustainable

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meshell Ndegeocello has been a working musician since she was a teenager. She’s probably best known for her biggest hit to date, “Wild Night,” a...

Productive Discomfort: A Job Training Program for Single Moms That Centers Mental Health

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hannah is 34, has two kids, and lives in Casper, Wyoming, where she was born and raised. Hannah’s been working in construction for 3 years, ever sin...

Maria Bamford on the Lucrative Nature of Oversharing

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Maria Bamford is a comedian and actress who you may know from her standup specials, her Netflix show Lady Dynamite, or her 2020 interview with Anna on...

Underdogs, Training Montages and Buzzer-Beaters: When Sports Movies Got You Through It

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With their underdog-against-all-odds-redemption stories and epic training montages, sports movies can be the best source of support when we’re deep ...

In Our Marriage, Psychosis Comes and Goes

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Giulia Lukach had her first manic episode, it seemed to come out of nowhere. She was in her late twenties, and had been married to her husband, M...

Raphael Saadiq: Music Was My Therapy. It Had To Be.

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This fall, Tony! Toni! Toné! is on tour for the first time in twenty years. Raphael Saadiq's career took off as a member of the R&B trio —a group w...

An End of Life Doctor’s Shocking Loss

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Bonnie Chen is no stranger to grief. The majority of her patients are facing a terminal illness and, as a palliative care doctor, her job is to he...

Married With No Kids and a Ranching Business with No Heirs

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Albert and Sue Sommers met, fell in love and got married in their 40s. Albert is a rancher whose family has worked the same land in Pinedale, Wyoming ...

Jonathan Goldstein, Heavy Weights, and What We Owe Old Friends

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we are very excited to introduce you all to one of our favorite podcasts: Heavyweight, hosted by Jonathan Goldstein. First, Jonathan chats ...

Feeling Lost or Stuck? Try Craigslist, says John Wilson.

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The filmmaker behind HBO’s How To with John Wilson shares how his hobbies, like checking Craigslist ads obsessively, make him feel more deeply conne...

A New York City Mover Who Carries More Than Your Boxes

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past 20 years, Adonis Williams has moved thousands of people in and out of New York City. With each move, he catches a glimpse of a life in t...

Ellen Burstyn at 90 Today

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anna and Ellen Burstyn check in 9 years after they first spoke. Ellen talks about the relationships that make up her life in this moment, her dog, and...

Revisiting Ellen Burstyn at 81

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re listening back to one of Anna’s favorite episodes, when actor Ellen Burstyn invited us into her apartment for a sprawling interview about he...

I Did Surrogacy For Money And Now I’m Starting Over

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anna follows up with Sarah Short, the mom who became a surrogate to pay off debt. They discuss her divorce, starting her own business, and why this ch...

A Headline Stays Static Even As A Life Transforms

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lawrence Bartley was first on the show in 2014 while he was still in prison. In this new episode, he talks about becoming an award-winning journalist ...

Why Ezra Klein Thinks “We're Living Through A Mistake”

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The New York Times journalist talks about the difficulties of early parenthood, the lure of communal living, and why he loves Burning Man. Want more ...

A Trans Elder’s ‘Final Act’: Musician Beverly Glenn-Copeland

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The 79-year-old musician tells Anna about coming into his gender identity, “being cared for” by his bandmates, and the joys–and pitfalls–of fi...

Secrets, Turn-Ons, and Fantasies: Your Stories About Porn

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We revisit our most popular episode, featuring your stories about secret hard drives, fantasy plot lines, illegal downloads, titillating Tumblr feeds,...

Bells and Bills: The Price You Paid For Your Wedding

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we asked listeners if they were currently planning a wedding, and if money had become a sticking point. We heard from couples with vas...

The Crude Reality of Debt from This is Uncomfortable

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Beaton was determined to work her way out of debt. But nothing could have prepared her for the experience of toiling in the Canadian oil sands. ...

Why Writer Brandon Taylor Likes Being “A Little Bit Lonely”

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The author talks about arguing in high school English classes, learning to manage money, and his evolving relationship with the Internet. Did you know...

I Still Love My Dad, But I Don't Love Guns

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two years after Anna’s first conversation with a listener named Jack, she called him back for an update on his relationship with his dad, and his re...

Can You Help Your Kid’s Anxiety By Changing Your Behavior?

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kids look to their parents to keep them safe and to show them how much risk they can handle, but parents are often winging it as they walk that line. ...

‘It Just Denies Reality’: Abortion Access and the Law After Dobbs

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mississippi-based reproductive justice activist Laurie Bertram Roberts updates Anna on life after Dobbs. Plus, a story from the podcast More Perfect o...

Ocean Vuong on Telling Lies, Building Family and Loving the Knicks

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The acclaimed poet talks about falling in love with poetry in New York basements, caring for his brother, and mastering — and walking away from — ...

Hold On: Should I Tell My Boss I’m Depressed?

27 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the final episode of Hold On, a national call-in show about our mental health, Anna talks to organizational psychologist Melissa Doman, author of Y...

Hold On: When Shame Keeps You From Therapy

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Hold On, our live national call-in series about mental health, we asked listeners to call in if the idea of getting therapy was som...

Hold On: Let’s Talk About Psych Meds

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

1 in 5 American adults are taking medication to treat their mental health, that’s more than the number of people in therapy. Anna talks to sociologi...

Hold On: My Diagnosis, My Self

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anna talks to psychology professor and researcher Dr. Craig Rodriguez-Seijas, about his work studying bias in mental health diagnostics, and takes li...

Hold On: How to Support our Teens' Mental Health

13 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anna takes calls from teenagers, and people who love teenagers, about adolescent mental health, along with psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour. Find resource...

Hold On: How Therapists See the Mental Health Crisis

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anna takes calls from mental health professionals along with psychiatrist Dr. Kali Cyrus, and you offer your tips for accessing care. Find resources ...

Leaving the Extreme Right, and a Marriage, Behind

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anna and Micah Loewinger, correspondent for On the Media, travel to Montana to talk to Tasha Adams about her decades-long marriage with Stewart Rho...

The Voice of NYC's Subways Comes Out as Trans

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Voiceover artist and journalist Bernie Wagenblast shares her journey to coming out as a trans woman. Listen to our episode with Jane Fonda here: http...

John Green on OCD, Writing, and Loving Middle-Age

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The writer talks about longing to fall in love, his life with mental illness, and why  adulthood is underrated.  This episode originally aired in 2...

The Movies That Taught Us What Sex Could Be

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Your stories about the beloved – and complicated – movies you saw that taught you about sex. Did you know we have a weekly email newsletter for t...

Alice Wong On Medicaid, Rage, and “Good Care”

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anna first talked with disability rights activist Alice Wong in 2020 about self-advocacy, as well as how she manages money, Medicaid, and her and her ...

Kate Bowler on Shame, Productivity, and Living with Chronic Pain

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The professor and Everything Happens podcast host talks about growing up in a Mennonite community, living with chronic pain, and the small things that...

How to Face Your Fears With Steve-O, Laurel Braitman, and Rev. angel

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We asked you to tell us about the fears in your life that are holding you back. In this episode, we share your stories and questions with Steve-O, Lau...

A Trans Parent’s Adoption Journey

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anna first talked with Liam and Marisa about their love story back in 2014. Nine years later, we hear about the next chapter of their relationship: be...

My Sex Life Became A Screenshot. Then I Lost My Job.

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Erick Adame was a TV weatherman. Then someone sent pictures to his employer, his mother, and his boyfriend of him performing sex acts on a webcam. Di...

How to Say Goodbye to Your Pets

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Your stories of loving—and losing—your beloved animal companions. Plus, an end-of-life veterinarian offers advice on knowing when to say goodbye. ...

Your One Night Stand Stories, Revisited

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're celebrating the very short-term romance: the one night stand. Those moments in life when someone appeared in a flash, you connected, and ...

Gabrielle Union Completes Herself

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The actor talks about having agency over her body, her relationships and her career, even as she lives with the trauma of sexual assault and infertili...

Margo Price After Cheating and Drinking

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The country musician talks candidly about loss—of a generational family farm and the death of her newborn—and coping with infidelity and an abusiv...

Your Estrangement Calls Answered Live

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we bring our estrangement series to an end with a live call-in show co-hosted by Anna Sale and WNYC’s Kai Wright, host of the Notes fr...

From Fan to Friend: The Unlikely Friendship Between Pico Iyer and Leonard Cohen

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pico Iyer, author of "The Half-Known Life," reflects on deliberately walking away from his dream job, his decades-long friendship with Leonard Cohen, ...

Why the Creators of "Everything Everywhere All At Once" Treat Their Partnership Like a Marriage

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known as Daniels, on their friendship, learning to play to their strengths, and making their hit film Everything Eve...

Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp Talk About Their Divorce, Anxiety, and Slowing Down

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The co-creators of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On talk about collaborating while getting divorced, navigating grief, and finding joy in the everyday. ...

Trevor Noah Talks Depression, Radical Honesty, and Braiding Hair

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The former host of The Daily Show sometimes struggles to get out of bed. But he's comfortable saying that with a smile.  *This episode originally ra...

Radiolab’s Lulu Miller Steals All Her Best Ideas From Her Kids

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Anna talks with Terrestrials host and creator Lulu Miller about becoming a parent and being inspired by her kids’ curiosities. Plus, a clip from Te...

Estrangement’s Alternate Endings

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In our last episode, we look at how estrangement changes shape over the course of a life: how it can bend or harden, and how it affects new relationsh...

Then I Blocked Them: How Estrangement Became Official

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When we first asked for your stories on estrangement, we wondered if it was like a slow pulling away, or like a flipped switch? In episode two of our ...

Estrangement Purgatory

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brian is on the fence. On the one hand, he no longer believes in the religion he was raised in, “It’s high control,” he told us, “rules on eve...

Fran Lebowitz’s Guide to Life (And Parties)

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The writer shares her thoughts on talent versus luck, her vendetta against hiking, and how she’s made and kept friendships over the years in a live ...

Estrangement: We Were Close, Now I Don’t Know You

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In Death, Sex & Money’s new three-part series about estrangement, we talk to listeners about cutting family ties, leaving religion, and ending frien...

Race and Friendship After 2020: An Update

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“Some conversations I’m just not willing to engage in anymore.” Check out Matt’s photo series of other Korean adoptees, Where are you really ...

Between Friends: Stories About Race and Friendship

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Friendship is our only social relationship that is purely voluntary. Someone can just walk away at any time."  Today, we're sharing your stories ab...

An Update from the Sex Worker Next Door

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Emma was a single mom and supported her family with the income she made from sex work. The money was good. But she struggled with the secrecy, and the...

Sandra Cisneros on Sex, Aging, and the Paranormal

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sandra Cisneros has picked “some real doozies” as lovers. But at 67, she says she’d rather write a new book of poetry than waste her time with m...

Singing in the Pain: Hrishikesh Hirway on his Mother, Grief and Creativity

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Musician and “Song Exploder” host, Hrishikesh Hirway, remembers his mother, Kanta, who died in 2020, and the music that’s helped him move throug...

Conversations with My Dead Mother

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel Matlow’s mother refused to get the surgery that could have saved her. That often left her and Rachel trying to love each other while bitterly...

I Wanted To Be A 'Good Girl'

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Andrea grew up attending an evangelical church in Texas, where she was taught to abstain from sex until marriage and keep herself sexually "pure." Th...

India Walton: I Knew It Was Gonna Be Tough, But I Didn't Expect it to Get Nasty

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2021, India Walton won, then lost, the Buffalo mayor’s race. She continues to work and grieve in her city.  Did you know we have a weekly email...

Inside John Waters' Home (But Not Inside His Colon)

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The delightful and rebellious writer-director welcomes us into his apartment to talk about money, family, friendships, and colonoscopies.  Did you k...

How Clothes Help Us Find Our People and Ourselves

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Your stories about how your personal style has changed in the last few years, and the impact on not only what you wear, but how you see yourself an...

Lucinda Williams Says Whatever the Hell She Wants

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In her sixties, musician Lucinda Williams is more successful than ever. But with age has come a lot of loss. Did you know we have a weekly email new...

Big Freedia Bounces Back

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Big Freedia is a reality TV star and fixture on New Orleans' bounce scene. But days after Hurricane Katrina, she was sleeping on the street ...

Finding Meaning After My Husband's Public Death

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2018, David Buckel died by self-immolation to protest climate change. His husband Terry talks about respecting David's message while grieving hi...

Knock Knock, Who's There? Bob the Drag Queen

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The stand-up comedian and drag star tells me about growing up around her mom’s queer club, bringing drag to small American towns, and all the people...

What's Going On With Student Loans?

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We took some of your burning student loan questions to our favorite expert on the topic, Betsy Mayotte, president of The Institute of Student Loan Ad...

"This Isn't Just About Abortion": What the End of Roe Means to You

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Your reactions to the end of Roe, plus, a conversation with Mississippi-based reproductive justice activist Laurie Bertram Roberts about how their w...

Bottled Up: Your Stories About Alcohol

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We asked you about your relationships with alcohol—why you drink, or don't, the strategies you use to manage your consumption, and what alcohol b...

The Highs and Lows of Being a Starbucks Union Organizer

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Starbucks union is having a moment. We talked to three workers in three different states about the victories and the very real consequences of go...

“No Call Goes Unanswered”: A Lifeline in Wyoming

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline becomes a 3-digit number, 988, I visit a call center in Wyoming, which had the highest suicide rate per...

The Very Hot Marriage of Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Actress Niecy Nash and her wife, R&B singer-songwriter Jessica Betts, tell me about falling in love, learning to live together during the pandemic, an...

Cut Loose: Your Stories of Breaking Up

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We asked for your stories about breakups. You told us about being left, doing the leaving, and the times when you're not exactly sure what happened. ...

'I'm Done Kissing Your Butt': From Manager to Labor Activist

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When Mary Gundel spoke out about working conditions at Dollar General, she lost her job. She also gained TikTok celebrity, and started a national labo...

How Harvey Fierstein's Bad Sex Led to Good Art

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The acclaimed actor and playwright tells me about coming of age during the gay rights movement, why a rubber band signifies financial stability, and h...

What Our Teachers Are Carrying

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Teachers across the country share their feelings about their profession, burnout, and how they're holding up at the end of another difficult pandem...

Maria Hinojosa on Partying, Partnership, and Her New Pulitzer

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of her Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting, I revisit my conversation with journalist Maria Hinojosa about building up her confidence in the ...

How Much Climate Anxiety Helps?

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I take a walk with Britt Wray who studies the mental health effects of climate change, and we talk about how she overcame debilitating climate dread...

"There’s Never a Perfect Time to Say, 'I’m Blind'"

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I talk with a listener named Fey about her deteriorating vision, how and when to disclose her disability, and she gets a pep talk from EDM singer Lach...

Anna Sale Introduces Dead End: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery

29 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Anna talks with her WNYC colleague Nancy Solomon about her new podcast, Dead End: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery. New Jersey politics is not ...

Siblinghood

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After hearing from more than 200 listeners about their siblings, it's clear that the people we spend our childhoods with aren't the easiest ones to...

Hard: Softening Expectations

13 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Sex is a much more copacetic and enjoyable experience when it is about the experience rather than results." This is the third episode of a three-par...

Hard: Little Pill, Big Pharma

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How Welsh coal miners and a pants-dropping presentation eventually led to the invention of Viagra.  If you missed the first episode in our Hard se...

Hard: Erectile Disappointment

30 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the first episode of a three part series, we focus in on people’s intimate lives and relationships that have been impacted by both erectile dysfu...

Why Lynn Nottage Cashed Out Her 401(k)

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The acclaimed playwright tells me why she left theater for a few years, and how quitting her day job and making an investment in herself helped ...

Affairs, Throuples, and Big Monogamy: Your Relationship Questions Answered

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Struggling to make a decision about your relationship? Panelists Heather Havrilesky, George Civeris and Tuck Woodstock take on your questions about e...

Inheriting Divorce

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I talk with producer Ian Coss about the many divorces in his family, and how learning about them inspired his podcast Forever is a Long Time. Listen ...

Where is Lisa Fischer's Backup?

16 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You've heard Lisa Fischer singing backup vocals for everyone from the Rolling Stones to Beyoncé. But after decades of touring with rock stars, Fische...

This Elvis Impersonator Does It For Love… And Money

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Elvis impersonator Brendan Paul marries as many as 75 people a day in the Las Vegas wedding chapel he owns. But while his portrayal of Elvis generally...

André De Shields On Living With His Shadow

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

André De Shields shares his wisdom from 50 years on the stage, and 76 years on this earth. You can find our original conversation from our Opportuni...

Downsizing After Divorce

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jaimie Seaton got used to a lavish upper class lifestyle while married to her banker husband and living overseas. Then she got divorced, and her finan...

A New Year's Pep Talk From Robin Arzón

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The author and popular Peloton instructor tells me about running through trauma, changing careers, and how motherhood has changed how she values her t...