In this episode of “Attribution” host Bob McKinnon speaks with Emi Nietfeld, the author of Acceptance, a memoir from Penguin Press.  

As a homeless teenager writing college essays in her rusty Toyota Corolla, Nietfeld saw the Ivy League as a way to escape her dysfunctional childhood. Attaining upward mobility meant first crafting the perfect resilience narrative. Nietfeld had to show she was an “overcomer,” made stronger by all she had endured. Both a chronicle and an indictment of the American Dream, “Acceptance” reveals the cost of trading a troubled past for the promise of a bright future.

After graduating from Harvard in 2015, Nietfeld worked as a software engineer at Google and Facebook. Her essays have been noted in “The Best American Essays 2021” and have appeared in The New York Times, Longreads, and Vice among others.

To learn more, please visit:

Emi Nietfeld 

Acceptance 

Horatio Alger Association

This episode contains descriptions or mentions of eating disorders, mental health issues, and sexual abuse which some listeners may find disturbing. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know might be experiencing any of these issues, please reach out to the appropriate local resources/authorities.

Here are some national organizations also providing support:   

National Eating Disorder Association 

National Alliance on Mental Illness 

RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network)