Author of 'Maid' talks book and new Netflix show - New Day NW
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
- The story of Stephanie Land is now being seen by thousands on Netflix. She was 28 and living here in the Pacific Northwest when her life plans of going to college and being a writer were cut short.
Pregnant and escaping an abusive relationship, she started cleaning houses to survive. Plunged into poverty with few of the supports needed, she had to fight hard for housing and food for her child.
Her memoir "Maid" and now the Netflix show, inspired by her book, explores the hardship of pursuing the American dream from below the poverty line.
Stephanie joined us to talk about the book and show.
About "MAID: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive"
At 28, Stephanie Land’s plans of breaking free from the roots of her hometown in the Pacific Northwest to chase her dreams of attending a university and becoming a writer, were cut short when a summer fling turned into an unexpected pregnancy. She turned to housekeeping to make ends meet, and with a tenacious grip on her dream to provide her daughter the very best life possible, Stephanie worked days and took classes online to earn a college degree, and began to write relentlessly. She wrote the true stories that weren’t being told: the stories of overworked and underpaid Americans. Of living on food stamps and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) coupons to eat. Of the government programs that provided her housing, but that doubled as halfway houses. The aloof government employees who called her lucky for receiving assistance while she didn’t feel lucky at all. She wrote to remember the fight, to eventually cut through the deep-rooted stigmas of the working poor.
Maid explores the underbelly of upper-middle class America and the reality of what it’s like to be in service to them. “I’d become a nameless ghost,” Stephanie writes about her relationship with her clients, many of whom do not know her from any other cleaner, but who she learns plenty about. As she begins to discover more about her clients’ lives-their sadness and love, too-she begins to find hope in her own path.
Her compassionate, unflinching writing as a journalist gives voice to the “servant” worker, and those pursuing the American Dream from below the poverty line. "Maid" is Stephanie’s story, but it’s not her alone. It is an inspiring testament to the strength, determination, and ultimate triumph of the human spirit.
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I am so inspired by Stephanie Land and the Netflix series “Maid”. I wanted to express that I felt the empathy coming through the interviewer. Thank you for covering this topic.
Best netflix series ever, and thank you so much for interviewing her. A true unsung hero and saint for real people.
I was a child of domestic violence, and I see a lot of my mother in Alex's Story in the show. I was a "Maddie." We lived in a domestic violence shelter at least twice once when I was in elementary school and another when I was in middle school. When my mom's abuser almost found our domestic violence shelter, We were moved to a homeless shelter.
Afterward, she went through a series of abusive boyfriends until she broke the cycle.
I think a lot of my anxiety about relationships comes from this time in my life, and watching my mom go through that. However, she always made sure me and my brother and I felt loved, where fed and had a roof over my head.
I hope that one day, she can feel safe enough to follow her dreams.
I relate so much to the story. My boyfriend too we had twins at 22 and he wouldn't get a house or anything for us. He was on coke too and an alcoholic. So her story is a lot like mine. My mom too never listened to me and rarely helped me out. I've made it by having faith and doing my own thing. I really love this story though.
I've applied to cleaning jobs before, and when I told my mother about it, she told me "Don't apply to be a janitor, you're better than that." and I just thought "You bitch" lol. Janitors / cleaners aren't below anyone or anything, they're people, too.
Yup. Illegal and legal immigrants have been maids for years and years and years here in the USA, fighting hard for their lives and children’s. And it’s a real job that is honorable and nothing to be ashamed of.
this show made me want to scream, and pause just to have a moment of silence for the character. this should be required reading for anyone who wants to talk about how "poor people just need to"..
I agree with how we need to remove the dignity issue from work. I've had rough jobs where I was invisible, and it didn't bother me. I just wanted to get paid. My problem is that with the gig economy, where you hire a babysitter, maid, handyman, or driver from an app/agency, the agency is paying that person 1/5 of what you pay.
Honestly even thinking about it Makes me Want to cry
The series was SO good, it makes me cry thinking about it
The series is good but the book was so much better!
I was never actually homeless though but I was kicked out at 19 and not because I'm bad because my parents are drug addicts. So it was hard to get government housing. We now are together and have a house and the life we deserve.
I never doubted how hard it is for a woman in that predicament to get free. An addict or alcoholic is a very manipulative desperate type of person.
I'm 29 now by the way.
She is no hero. She needs to take responsibility for her role in everything. She used her daughter as a crutch & took her away from her dad. Im a mom & i would never do that. Went thru peoples personal belongings... Awful! Would love to hear the other side of this story.
Try watching the show. It paints a really good picture of her decisions