Best Of: Zayd Ayers Dohrn’s childhood on the run / Writer Jesmyn Ward
5/23/202648 min
Zayd Ayers Dohrn’s mother, Bernardine Dohrn, was a leader of SDS, a student group protesting the Vietnam War. She also led a faction that broke away and became the Weather Underground, advocating armed resistance against the government. His father, Bill Ayers, was also an activist-turned-revolutionary. In a new memoir, Zayd wrestles with questions he had growing up, like if his parents were living underground and on the run from the FBI, why did they have kids? He spoke with Terry Gross.
Also, two-time National Book Award winning writer Jesmyn Ward (‘Salvage the Bones,’ ‘Sing, Unburied, Sing’) has a new essay collection on grief, motherhood, and survival. It’s called ‘On Witness and Respair.’ She spoke with Tonya Mosley.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
[pensive music] Each story you hear on Planet Money starts with a question. What happens if we refund tariffs? Why are groceries so expensive? At NPR, we stand for your right to be curious because the forces shaping our world can be hard to see. Follow NPR's Planet Money wherever you get your podcasts and start seeing how the economy really works.
Tonya Mosley· Host0:23
[upbeat music] From WHYY in Philadelphia, this is Fresh Air Weekend. I'm Tonya Mosley. Today, growing up underground and on the run. We talk with Zayd Ayers Dorn. His mother, Bernadine Dorn, was a leader of the SDS, the student anti-Vietnam War group. She also led a faction that broke away and formed the Weather Underground, advocating armed resistance. In his new memoir, Zayd wrestles with questions.
Zayd Ayers Dorn· Guest0:51
What turns somebody into a revolutionary? How did my mom go from a law student and a civil rights activist to a top-10 most wanted fugitive and a person who advocated bombing government buildings?
Tonya Mosley· Host1:05
[pensive music] We also hear from writer Jesmyn Ward. She's a two-time National Book Award winner, a MacArthur Fellow, and the author of Salvage the Bones and the memoir Men We Reaped. Her latest book is an essay collection on grief, motherhood, and survival. That's coming up on Fresh Air Weekend.
Speaker 31:23
This message comes from Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe. You can send, spend,