Pulitzer Prize Winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn Chronicle America’s ‘Deaths of Despair’ in Their Latest Book “Tightrope”

Margaret Flinter and I were honored this week to have the opportunity to speak with Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn on Conversations on Health Care. Kristof and WuDunn are Pulitzer Prize winning journalists and humanitarians. They spoke with us about deaths of despair and hope for America that they outline in their latest book, Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope. 

Nick spoke about growing up on a family farm in Yamhill, Oregon, providing a rare glimpse into a community impacted by Deaths of Despair. Looking through their lens of family, friends, and neighbors, we see the challenges the community faces, like alcohol and substance abuse. They broaden their focus and help us see communities across the country that have faced similar problems. 

Importantly, they do not stop at the problems, but pivot to focusing on solutions that communities have found, such as Family and Children Services program Women in Recovery based in Tulsa Oklahoma. The authors help us better understand the work of Dr. Steven Woolf, who spoke with us about declining life expectancy among working-age adults, and of Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, who is doing important work as California’s Surgeon General in addressing issues of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

We strongly encourage you to read the book, Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, listen to the show, and join us in sharing additional stories that help us better understand and address issues of health care in America.