Language

Inspirational, Non Fiction, Women's Issues

Aug 26: She Come By It Natural – Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs

August 26, 2026

Sarah Smarsh explores how Dolly Parton’s musical storytelling influenced women in poverty – including her own family.

She Come By It Natural with Sarah Smarsh

With the sad loss of a great American icon yesterday, we dug through our archives to bring you an interview with journalist Sarah Smarsh on her 2020 book, described as a loveletter to Dolly Parton, She Come By It Natural.

Growing up amid Kansas wheat fields and airplane factories, Sarah Smarsh witnessed firsthand the particular vulnerabilities, and strengths, of women in working poverty – playing in the background, country songs by female artists told powerful stories about life, men, hard times, and surviving.

In her family, Sarah writes, “country music was foremost a language among women. It’s how we talked to each other in a place where feelings aren’t discussed.” And no one provided that language better than Dolly Parton.

Meet Sarah Smarsh

Journalist and award-winning author Sarah Smarsh is recognized as one of the most important commentators on socioeconomic class in America. She’s written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, Harper’s. She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs is Smarsh’s second book. Her first, Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, was a New York Times Bestseller, and a finalist for the National Book Award. She has a much-anticipated new book coming out next month: Bone of the Bone Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class.

Journalism, Memoir, Non Fiction

Sep 21: Rebel with a Clause – Ellen Jovin

September 21, 2022

Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian

Ellen Jovin‘s journey of almost 30,000 miles around America began outside her Manhattan apartment, with a folding table, and a sign saying GRAMMAR TABLE. From lawyers , couples, and families, to writers, students, and rappers, passers-by had questions for Ellen — and she had answers.

But how did this take Ellen to 49 cities and towns, by five modes of transport? We discuss why people stopped by the Grammar Table, how that led to the documentary film and Ellen’s book. And why this isn’t just about words, language, and grammar, but connection, community and — yes — sometimes just wanting to be right.

About Ellen Jovin

Ellen Jovin is the author of four books on language, and a cofounder of Syntaxis, a communication skills training consultancy. She has a B.A. in German studies, an M.A. in comparative literature … and studied 25 languages just for fun. Her latest book is Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian.