Originally published on May 12, 2021 (Episode 206)
Introduction
In her new book Sick and Tired: An Intimate History of Fatigue, Emily K. Abel has written the first history of fatigue—one which also contains a memoir of her own experiences as a cancer survivor afflicted with it.
In this wide-ranging history, Abel shows how our view of fatigue is intimately connected with our view of work, and how “the American cultural emphasis on productivity intersect[s] to stigmatize those with fatigue…When fatigue limits our ability to work, our society sees us as burdens or worse.”
Beyond that, one of the particular burdens of fatigue is that it has an immediate effect on one’s life that no friend can see or medical test confirm. Abel explains how fatigue has been ignored and misunderstood by both the general public and medical professionals, but she also shows how we have attempted to treat it through a variety of sometimes terrifying means.
About the Guest
Emily K. Abel is professor emerita of public health and women’s studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the author of several books, including Hearts of Wisdom: American Women Caring for Kin, 1850–1940.
For Further Investigation
Emily K. Abel, Sick and Tired: An Intimate History of Fatigue (UNC Press, 2021)
Emily K. Abel, Hearts of Wisdom: American Women Caring for Kin, 1850–1940 (Harvard, 2002)
Radithor—from the Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity
💬 Listen & Discuss
What struck you in this episode? How does Abel’s history of fatigue change the way you think about work, illness, or productivity? Join the conversation in the comments below—and consider forwarding this post to a friend who might resonate with it.
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