Award-winning political essayist and social critic Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Elon University’s common reading, “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America,” will discuss her book at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 14 in Alumni Gym, located in the Koury Center on campus.
Ehrenreich’s book recounts her experiences as one of the millions of Americans who work for poverty-level wages. She took entry-level service positions to see if anyone could survive, let alone prosper, in these jobs. Traveling across the country, she worked as a waitress, a hotel maid, a cleaning woman, a nursing home aide and a Wal-Mart sales clerk. Very quickly, she discovered that these low-wage jobs require exhausting mental and muscular effort. A chapter of Ehrenreich’s book was published in Harper’s magazine in 1999 and drew widespread interest from readers and the media. The article also won the Sydney Hullman Award for Journalism and a Brill’s Content Honorable Mention.
A contributing writer for Time since 1990, Ehrenreich’s books include “The Worst Years of Our Lives,” a New York Times bestseller, and “Fear of Falling.” She has been a guest at universities around the world and has appeared on national programs such as “Good Morning America,” “Crossfire,” and “All Things Considered.” She recently taught in the Women’s Studies Program at Brandeis University.
Each year, a committee of Elon students and faculty select a book for incoming students to read. This provides a common point of reference for students and faculty at the start of the school year, and the book is used in classroom discussions and assignments.
Tickets go on sale Tuesday, Aug. 24 and are $12, or free for those with valid Elon identification. Tickets may be purchased by calling the McCrary Theatre box office at (336) 278-5610. The box office is open from 12:30 p.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.
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