Great passage from the book "Nickel and Dimed."

[Bouncy Ball]

If you're not familiar with the book Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, Barbara Ehrenreich decided to temporarily leave her life as a writer and journalist (and PhD) and become a low-wage worker in three different states for a couple of years, to see what it took to get by.

Well, at one point, she finds herself with nothing to do on a Saturday night and discovers a church called "Deliverance Church" (her comments on that name are hilarious) is having a tent revival.

Here's the end of her description:

The preaching goes on, interrupted with dutiful "amens." It would be nice if someone would read this sad-eyed crowd the Sermon on the Mount, accompanied by a rousing commentary on income inequality and the need for a hike in the minimum wage. But Jesus makes his appearance here only as a corpse; the living man, the wine-guzzling vagrant and precocious socialist, is never once mentioned, nor anything he ever had to say. Christ crucified rules, and it may be that the true business of modern Christianity is to crucify him again and again so that he can never get a word out of his mouth. I would like to stay around for the speaking in toungues, should it occur, but the mosquitoes, worked into a frenzy by all this talk of His blood, are launching a full-scale attack. I get up to leave, timing my exit for when the preacher's metronomic head movements have him looking the other way, and walk out to search for my car, half-expecting to find Jesus out there in the dark, gagged and tethered to a tent pole.

(end snippet)

Is THAT some great writing, or what? I have to say I wasn't expecting this book to have laugh out loud moments, but it does--it's VERY darkly funny.

[jojo54]

1. Woe, ballsy woman

She left several well paying jobs to see how us little folk live?!?!
That took guts and I gotta give her a lot of credit.

[Bouncy Ball]

2. Oh yeah, she never made more than $6 or $7 an hour in the two years

she did it (I believe it was two years). She meant to only do it for a month or so, but kept going. It's absolutely fascinating reading (and like I said, surprisingly, DARKLY funny).

She learned how hard it is to get a job when you are living in a hotel, how hard it is to get an apartment when you don't have a job (catch-22), she learned it's impossible to live on just one low-wage job (and she was alone! No kids!) and she learned how crappy low-wage workers get treated.

She experienced sexual harrassment, being accused of doing things she didn't do (stealing from her employer, doing drugs), etc. Pretty bad. Lived on very little food and what she ate was mostly crap.

Her own parents were pretty poor, so it's not like she was comfortable her whole life, but she did this in her early 50s and it was somewhat of a shock.

She's a big advocate for raising the minimum wage and paying more attention to helping the working poor. It's a fantastic book.

[PinkTiger]

10. Actually, she didn't do it for years, only for a few months.

And she took lots of time in between her jobs to clear her palate. I love the book. Use it in a course I teach. Ehrenreich did the experiment to see if it were possible to live on minimum wage, or the salary a person could make at Wal-Mart, as a waitress, or a Merry Maid.

The book is an excellent commentary on what millions of Americans are forced to put up with. However, she states early on that she did not give up her real life, only left it for awhile, and the bank account and the escape route was always there if she needed it.

Unfortunately, the people working with her didn't have that option. She also addresses this issue. Most telling, too me, were the poignant moments, such as the time one of her co-workers shared a lunch with her because she was trying to get by without eating to save her money for rent.

[Bouncy Ball]

11. Yeah, she even points out in the beginning that, as bad as she

had it while doing that book, her situation was BETTER than most of the people she worked with because she had no kids and because she knew she had that escape route. Psychologically, I'm sure the escape route made a big difference. I'm sure it would for me.

I must have misunderstood her time line in the introduction. I thought she did it a lot longer and I thought two years was a particularly long time to willingly subject yourself to low-wage poverty!!!

I'm still on the part where she's in Maine, working as a maid and a dietary aide in a nursing home.

[ThoughtCriminal]

3. Common in conservative churches?

I've noticed they same thing at fundamentalist churches that I've attended. Jesus is frequently mentioned, but only in the context of the Crucifixion - he is hardly EVER quoted or any of his other acts talked about - just Death and Resurrection. I do not think this is an accident.

If I were Satan, I doubt I could have come up with a better strategy to undermine His teachings.

[Bouncy Ball]

5. Exactamundo.

She sounded rather off-hand in her description, but I really think she hit the nail on the head (forgive the unfortunate innuendo there!).

[MisterP]

16. like the Gospel According to Hellraiser, a.k.a. The Passion of the Mel

it's ALL about the suffering--flagellants times 40,000. Not a snip about actual teachings, of course.

[RandomKoolzip]

4. I love that book.

I wish Barbara Ehrenreich was a fixture on those sunday-AM talk shows; she's awesome.

[Bouncy Ball]

6. Did you laugh while you read it (in parts)?

And were you surprised by that, if you did?

I did NOT expect laughter. Not at all. But she takes these really pathetic, horrible situations and describes them with such biting, sarcastic humor, it kills me.

[RandomKoolzip]

7. No. I cried.

I'm living the situation she describes: low-wage food service job, 70+ hours a week, barely paying bills, etc. Sure, she had it a lot worse, but it made me weep many times while reading it.

I didn't laugh at all.

[Bouncy Ball]

9. I'm sorry.

I expected to do the same, but the living conditions of the working poor is something I've not only seen up close and personal, but I still study a lot (it's one of my two pet issues, that and GLBT rights) and so it's made me cry a lot **before** reading this book. I haven't read a thing yet that has surprised me.

It's only confirmed what I already knew and what I try to tell people all the freaking TIME about the working poor.

But the people living it don't need to be told about it and the people who are above it, socioeconomically speaking, don't want to hear about it (except some Democrats).

[sharonking21]

17. What can we do to refocus attention?

I have lived it too. My son is living it worse. Now that I'm retired and on a more limited income, it is creeping back upon me too. I remember writing in my journal about these problems way back in 1995, watching my son struggle to establish himself in a much harsher environment than I had to face. And it is getting worse and worse.

If any of you have the time, go to this thread and read through also. It is from last night, but its title didn't fully explain what it was about.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3536715

[supernova]

27. Hug for you RKZ

:hug: I know it's tough. Hang in there. We all want you to make it. :-)

[sharonking21]

8. Great read

And also one of the few trying to bring popular attention back to issues of poverty, low wages, minimum wage, housing etc. I wish I could force feed this book to all those who think this isn't a problem we should work on any more.

Try also:

David K. Sheplar, The Working Poor

and Jim Wallis, God's Politics--

I am mostly a secularist so this very religious but on-the-side-of-the-light took some getting used to, but he makes a great argument for Christians returning to the real teachings and examples of Christ.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. Also

A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne.

[Bouncy Ball]

19. Now that's one that I've been meaning to read forever and a day!

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. I just got it

and I cannot put it down.

We are trying to get Ruby Payne to come to our district for some prof development. She is terrific. She's from Texas, isn't she?

[BlackVelvetElvis]

12. This is one book that I am ashamed I haven't read.

Thanks for reminding me to get off my butt and read it.
This was a controversial required reading for incoming freshmen at UNC-Chapel Hill a couple of years ago.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0708-07.htm
I wonder who paid for the full page advertisement? Hmmm.

[Bouncy Ball]

14. How crazy!

Yeah, just have them read the stupid Wal-Mart story by Sam Walton as a contrast (both in subject matter AND writing quality!) and talk about them.

I guaran-damn-tee you there'd be much more discussion about Nickel and Dimed.

And yeah, read it! I found it at my public library branch, just happened upon it and I've been meaning to read it forever. It's a pretty fast read, too.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. That is such a great book

It should be required reading for every kid about to enter the 'work force'.

[Bouncy Ball]

18. Ooo very true.

I think a kid contemplating dropping out of high school might just find it compelling.

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. I told both of my boys who are in their 20s to read it

and they liked it so much they recommended it to friends. My younger son said 'well, Mom, this is a pretty good reason for me to stay in college'.

[Jesus Saves]

20. That is an insightful observation, and well put

It's a great book. I read it a couple of years ago.

[leftofthedial]

21. that is wonderful writing

[earth mom]

22. Nickled and Dimed is an important and excellent book!

Thanks for spotlighting it here on DU! :)

It's interesting how you found it to be humorous in parts. When I read that book about 2 years ago, I was living in a similiar situation myself as the working poor (with my Dh and son) and reading that book left me feeling outraged-for myself and all the other people in this country who are forced to live that way-with no end in sight. Things are better now for our family, but I'll never forget that experience!

If it were up to me it would be mandatory for every single freeper out there to be forced to read that book cover to cover! :evilgrin:

[Bouncy Ball]

23. Maybe humor is the wrong word.

I dunno, in re-reading some parts, maybe I mean "absurdity" not humor.

Like this:

Employees are barred from using the front door, so I enter the first day through the kitchen, where a red-faced man with shoulder-length blond hair is throwing frozen steaks against the wall and yelling, "Fuck this shit!"

"That's just Billy--" explains Gail....."he's just on the rag again."

I mean that scene is just SO patently absurd. You either laugh or cry, truly.

And I've had so many of those jobs, I could relate. This book really brings back the experience of living below the poverty line.

[earth mom]

24. I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to fault your finding humor in the book...

I should have elaborated and said that things were so bleak for me back then that I couldn't see humor that was right in front of my face!

Your post about Nickled and Dimed was great-it was positive and it encouraged people to read the book. I'm glad for that since I fear that more and more people will soon be in the same position I was in due to the way things are going with outsourcing, unemployment, underemployment, the lowering of wages etc., etc., etc. Awareness about it is key...even for the pain in the butt freepers...because, who knows...it might change a few of their votes...LOL!