An episode from 11/9/20: Tonight, I read one of the most moving sections of George Orwell’s 1937 book, The Road to Wigan Pier. In the book, Orwell goes to live in the mining district of Northern England, and this passage comes after he spent only a small amount of time in the mines himself, amid their horrible conditions. The question to ask after listening to what Orwell has to say is, "What aspects of modern life seem so essential to us today, as coal was for Orwell's time, that we are willing to accept that they can only be achieved through the suffering and drudgery of others?" Don’t forget to support Human Voices Wake Us on Substack, where you can also get our newsletter and other extras. You can also support the podcast by ordering any of my books: Notes from the Grid, To the House of the Sun, The Lonely Young & the Lonely Old, and Bone Antler Stone. Any comments, or suggestions for readings I should make in later episodes, can be emailed to [email protected].

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