logo
episode-header-image
Apr 30
56m 47s

Disposable: America's Contempt for the U...

Haymarket Books
About this episode

Join Sarah Jones and Sarah Lazare in conversation around Jones' new book Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass. This event will take place at Haymarket House, and will also be live-streamed on our YouTube channel.

In a compelling blend of personal narrative and in-depth reporting, New York magazine senior writer Sarah Jones exposes the harsh reality of America’s racial and income inequality and the devastating impact of the pandemic on our nation’s most vulnerable people.

Sarah Jones delves into the lives of the essential workers, seniors, and people with disabilities who were disproportionately affected by COVID-19—not due to their age or profession, but because of the systemic inequality and poverty that left them exposed. She argues that America has abandoned a sacrificial underclass of millions, but insists that another future is possible. By addressing the pervasive issues of racial justice and public policy, Jones calls for a future where no one is seen as disposable again.

“Disposable is a massive work of journalism—and a masterful act of love. Both a scathing rebuke of corporate health care and a clear-eyed call to action, this book reminds us that we should not and cannot put the pandemic behind us.”

—Beth Macy, author of Dopesick.

Order a copy of Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass: https://bookshop.org/p/books/disposable-america-s-contempt-for-the-underclass-sarah-jones/21581827?ean=9781982197421&next=t&affiliate=1039

Speakers:

Sarah Jones is a senior writer for New York magazine, where she covers politics and religion. She was previously a staff writer for The New Republic and her work has been published by The Nation, the Columbia Journalism Review, and Dissent magazine. Jones won the 2019 Mirror Award for commentary and has been a fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is active on social media @OneSarahJones. Originally from rural Washington County, Virginia, she now lives in Brooklyn with her husband.

Sarah Lazare is a reporter based in Chicago. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept and Jacobin. A former editor for In These Times, staff writer for AlterNet and Common Dreams, Sarah co-edited the book About Face: Military Resisters Turn Against War.

This event is cosponsored by Haymarket Books, In These Times, and Pilsen Community Books.

Watch the live event recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loSbXlI9NDk

Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org

Up next
Jun 11
Theory of Water with Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Join Leanne Betasamosake Simpson for a conversation with Sarah Haley to celebrate the release of her new book Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead.In her powerful new book, Theory of Water, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson offers a radical rethinking of relationships bet ... Show More
1h 17m
May 2
Haymarket Presents: Malcolm Harris on What's Left
In this inaugural event in the Haymarket Presents speakers series, best-selling author Malcolm Harris will be joined by activist-historian Gabriel Winant for a conversation on Harris’s new book, What’s Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis. Co-sponsored by Pilsen Communi ... Show More
1h 27m
May 1
Who's Afraid of Gender? Judith Butler in Conversation with Lisa Wedeen
Join Judith Butler and Lisa Wedeen for a bold and essential conversation of how a fear of gender is fueling reactionary politics around the world.Judith Butler, the groundbreaking thinker whose iconic book Gender Trouble redefined how we think about gender and sexuality, confront ... Show More
1h 18m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
86 | Right-Wing Political Thought w/ Dr. Matt McManus
In this episode, we are joined by Matt McManus to discuss his research into the history and philosophy of right-wing politics in his book The Political Right and Equality. We discuss the nature of conservatism as an irrationalist reaction to modernist ideas about human egalitaria ... Show More
59 m
Dec 2022
Fresh prince: The new face of the Green Party
Climate change remains a key political issue. But with multiple crises mounting, are the Greens a one policy party? Ros Taylor is joined by Zack Polanski, deputy leader of the Green Party, to talk about what they want and what's missing from mainstream political discourse. “Only ... Show More
30m 39s
Feb 2024
Thinking the "Far Right" [Teaser]
Subscribe to Know Your Enemy on Patreon to listen to this premium episode, and all of our bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/knowyourenemy Matt and Sam return to some historiographic questions from our episode with Kim Phillips-Fein — especially how to think the relationship ... Show More
4m 1s
Apr 23
Meet the Man Behind Project 2025 - Kevin Roberts
Kevin Roberts is an American historian and political strategist who serves as the president of The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. SPONSOR. Augusta Precious Metals: Protect Your Retirement with Physical Gold. Rated #1. Click to learn more: https://bit.ly/triggergo ... Show More
1h 19m
Nov 2024
Shattering the Spectacle: Trump, Kamala, and the 2024 Election
Alyson and Breht analyze the results of the recent presidential election and explore its various meanings. Together they discuss the grotesque hollowness of the Democratic Party, the identity crisis of the post-Trump Republican party, dealignment and realignment, the end of neoli ... Show More
1h 11m
May 25
The Best Breakdown of America You’ve Never Heard - Richard Miniter
Richard Miniter is an American investigative journalist and author, known for his work on national security and foreign policy. | SPONSOR. We use Ground News to escape the echo chamber and stay fully informed. Go to https://ground.news/triggernometry to save 40% on the Ground New ... Show More
1h 20m
Mar 2025
The Current Political Moment, U.S. Imperial Decline, and Organizing a Revolutionary Vanguard Party
In this episode Breht sits down with Brian Becker, a longtime socialist organizer and leading member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), to break down the current political and economic crisis in the United States and the urgent need for revolutionary organization. A ... Show More
1h 28m
May 2024
Liliana Doganova, "Discounting the Future: The Ascendancy of a Political Technology" (Princeton UP, 2024)
Forest fires, droughts, and rising sea levels beg a nagging question: have we lost our capacity to act on the future? Dr. Liliana Doganova’s book Discounting the Future: The Ascendancy of a Political Technology (Princeton University Press, 2024) sheds new light on this anxious qu ... Show More
1h 1m
May 2019
115: THE EVE OF THE WAR with special guest Stephen Bush of the New Statesman
As the EU Election clock ticks remorselessly down to zero we’re joined by the New Statesman’s political editor STEPHEN BUSH to survey the campaign so far and predict the upshot. What will Labour’s “all things to everyone” stance to do its vote? How do we fight the Brexit Party’s ... Show More
1h 13m
May 21
[BEST OF] The Noam Chomsky Interview: Fragility of US Power w/ Vijay Prashad
ORIGINALLY RELEASED Aug 19, 2022 In this landmark episode, we sit down with the legendary Noam Chomsky and renowned historian Vijay Prashad to discuss their insightful new book, The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power. Exploring the aftermath of ... Show More
1h 57m