Death, Sex & Money

In 2008, travel writer Rick Steves thought the U.S. might be on the verge of war with Iran. So he took a TV crew there to document the people and places who might soon be at risk. “You should know people before you bomb them,” he told Anna Sale.
In this episode, Rick talks about his multiple visits to Iran (the first was in 1978) and how travel in general can challenge our beliefs and broaden our perspectives. He also explains how he manages his money and why he gives so much of it away.
You can find Rick’s most recent book On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer on his website.
His 2009 TV special from Iran is available on YouTube.
And here’s NPR’s story by Rebecca Rosman about Rick purchasing the hygiene center.
This episode was produced by Cameron Drews.
Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Death, Sex & Money show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/dsmplus to get access wherever you listen.
If you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected].
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Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a novel that follows a young college student who starts a flirtation, and then affair, with a college professor who ends up getting her pregnant. Author Rufi Thorpe takes us through what happens next, as Margo decides to keep the baby and then joins OnlyFans in the earliest days of the site.
The novel is now a TV show on AppleTV starring Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nicole Kidman, and our friend at Death, Sex & Money, Nick Offerman, who plays Margo’s father who’s in recovery from opioid addiction after working as a professional wrestler.
Rufi Thorpe joins Anna for a funny and personal conversation about how single motherhood and loving people in addiction recovery have both shaped her life. And the plot details about sex work? For that, Rufi had to become an Only Fans consumer herself and figure out how to convince some of its high-earning stars to tell her how they did it.
Podcast production by Andrew Dunn
Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.
And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected].
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Doree Shafrir started fertility treatments in her late thirties, she thought it would be relatively simple. It ended up taking multiple rounds and sinking her family into debt.
Doree and her husband host the podcast Matt and Doree's Eggcellent Adventure: An IVF Journey. She also co-hosts Forever 35, and writes the work advice column for Slate, Good Job.
Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.
And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected].
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A listener we're calling Natalie received over a million dollars after being sexually abused by her university gynecologist in one of the largest abuse settlements in American history. She talks about the strange math of converting a bad experience into a dollar amount, and why she’s barely spent any of it.
*This episode includes descriptions of abuse. Please take care while listening.
Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.
And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected].
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Career pivots can be terrifying. How do you know when the time is right? Is it ever too late to switch jobs? What if the next thing is worse?
This week, we’ve assembled a panel of career change experts to answer your questions about whether and when to make big moves. Sophia Chang is a former hip-hop talent agent who started a mentorship nonprofit. Ed Zitron launched his own PR firm but then branched out and started writing and podcasting about the tech industry. Luke Peterson is a Minnesota farmer, who pivoted to agriculture even though he didn’t own any equipment or land.
This episode was produced by Zoe Azulay and Cameron Drews.
Get more Death, Sex & Money with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of DSM and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the Death, Sex & Money show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/dsmplus to get access wherever you listen.
If you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is [email protected].
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.