Building the Wall

By
Alex Barron
The New Yorker Radio Hour | Aug 19, 2016

“April 4. There were taunts again today from the Mexicans on the other side of the wall. They keep making fun of our inexperience with manual labor. Most of us used to work in the arts, entertainment, or media in New York or Los Angeles, so we don’t really know how to use things like . . . tools.” Jesse Wann’s diary of a newly hired construction worker, drafted into service to erect President Trump’s wall, was published in The New Yorker’s Shouts & Murmurs column. Chris Eigeman performs our adaptation.

Profile Image
Alex Barron

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

The World Cup, the Knicks, and LeBron James’s Fate: An All-Time Summer in Sports

The staff writer Louisa Thomas on the U.S. men’s national soccer team, the N.B.A. off-season, and Serena Williams.
The New Yorker Radio Hour |

The near-collapsed Midtown building is now stable, but its finances may not be

Experts say the structural failure at the Pfizer Building could cause financial problems and a lingering stigma — but that the city’s housing shortage means renters will probably move in anyway.
Gothamist |

NYC DSA on Their Big Wins, and the Future

NYC-DSA co-chairs Grace Mausser and Gustavo Gordillo talk about the DSA's recent big wins.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Get Lit: Laila Lalami's 'The Dream Hotel,' and Imal Gnawa Performs

All Of It with Alison Stewart |
YOU ARE ONLINE