Cheryl Strayed experienced a range of living situations in her childhood, from apartment living to camping in rural Minnesota. Her mother told her that these experiences would be “character building,” but she didn’t come to truly appreciate them until adulthood. Now her experiences serve as fodder for her writing. In this podcast, you’ll hear excerpts from Cheryl’s interview with writer’s program curator Matt Briggs and her reading at a live performance at Jack Straw Productions.

Music by Sheila Fox, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.