I promptly became homeless once again after graduating from a women studies program. To no surprise nobody would hire me, so I lived in my car for the following months while hunting for work. This chapter explains the process of trying to put a roof over my head. It also explores the question: Am I white trash? (more…)
This chapter looks at punk rock, dead-end jobs, the difficulty of living on minimum wage, and why employers should never mess with the dignity of low-paid staff. This chapter explores my teenage years, before a political identity had formed, and the reasons why I was once a strike breaker. (more…)
Fast food restaurants have become one of the true symbols of the United States. However, if you remove the grease from underneath your fingernails, you will see an even darker underside. Employees flutter from one dead end job to another, because few of these eating establishments offer much of a future. The idea of being dedication to one’s company is dying quickly. There is also a demographic shift as more and more minority groups, single mothers, and unskilled workers apply for fast food jobs. (more…)
This chapter look at my time in a glass factory. It shows the the frustration of trying to make a production quota on a meaningless job while better qualified colleagues were getting laid-off just in time for Christmas. After slashing my wrists on a double-paned company window, I began my life as a traveler. (more…)
This chapter is about is about working a summer job in Wyoming. In a town that was saturated with wealth, few employees could afford housing in minimum wage. Therefore, I lived in a bunkhouse while saving money. In this environment, I seriously thought about attending university and accepted the risk of student loans. (more…)
This chapter looks at childhood and the cycle of violence. It explore my family background, my father’s gang membership, my mother’s fondness of gambling, and the question of us being White Trash. (more…)
This chapter looks at the politics of being a man in a women studies program at Oregon State University. Race, gender, and class are more complex than most theories can comprehend. People can be oppressed in some ways; while experiencing certain privileges at the same time. Radical feminists tend to blame patriarchy, and avoid all discussion about their own race or class priviledges. (more…)