Newsroom

CORVALLIS - The realities of life in minimum-wage America will be the focus as author Barbara Ehrenreich presents "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 22, at Oregon State University.

Ehrenreich's talk, which is free and open to the public, will be held in LaSells Stewart Center at 26th Street and Western Boulevard.

Ehrenreich's topic is based on her book of the same name, which recounts her undercover experiences working on the lower rungs of the American economy, among waitresses, discount store clerks and house cleaners.

The text details scenes of defeated dreams, surprising hopes and corporate evil as she lived on minimum wage in three different places.

Her experiences were originally intended for a magazine article, but then evolved into a book and a play.

Even with her doctorate-degree intelligence, good health and no children, she found that a reasonably comfortable existence was virtually out of reach for a single person working for minimum wage. She was forced to hold two jobs just to cover rent, food and the most basic living expenses.

Her experiences led her to argue that the poor are the ones subsidizing the nation, sacrificing their health, family and personal satisfaction as profits are reaped by the ruling class.

Ehrenreich is the university's third guest in the 2003-04 Convocations and Lectures Committee speaker's series. The Convocations and Lectures Committee invites three to four major speakers each year to campus. Her appearance also is part of OSU's Conference on Gender & Culture.