This episode explores the things we hide from the people we love most, when the truth is too terrible to bear.
Everybody lies. We lie to protect people from painful truths and to preserve the family name. We lie about affairs, flirtations, and addictions. Sometimes, we even lie to ourselves.
In this episode, we’ll hear two stories about family secrets—and the blurry line between deception and delusion: An alcoholic conceals his addiction from everyone, including himself. And Ann Walling recalls her old-school Southern family, the rites and hierarchies they observed, and the painful histories they could never bring themselves to face.
Host: Hal Humphreys
Music provided by Jason White (who composed our theme), Headmint, Lullatone, and Chris Zabriskie.
Special thanks to Jonathan for sharing his story, and to Ann Walling for reading this excerpt from her upcoming book, Sunday Dinner: Coming of Age in the Segregated South. And big thanks, as always, to our brilliant sound engineer, Simon Gugala.