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Full episode
624: Private Geography
Act One

Vouching Towards Bethlehem

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Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. So is This American Life producer Susan Burton. During Devos’s nomination hearings, critics accused her of never having set foot in a public school. But it turns out that years ago she did—as a volunteer mentor. Susan returned to Grand Rapids to find out what DeVos's experience in a public school in her hometown can tell us about her vision for education in this country. (29 minutes)

By

Susan Burton

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804: The Retrievals
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Act One

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804: The Retrievals
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Act Two

Often bypassing logic, the women go to great lengths to construct elaborate stories to make sense of their inexplicable pain.
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Act 1: Naked Lunch

Susan Burton is a couple years into recovery from the eating disorder she’s had for decades.
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