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I don't think I'll survive this one. So, when I saw This American Life is looking for stories, I emailed them



Julie, I just move out of extremely substandard hoousing: no sewage, heat, running water, etc. I am now living in my travel trailer, behind a woman's home about 75 miles away. Tonight, after 1 week, she ordered me out and actually expects me to vacate the property by the 3rd of next month. I have no vehicle to tow the trailer and won't have any money until my $700/mo Social Security check comes in  on the 3rd. I also have 4 cats, a little dog, 23 baby chicks and 3 goats on her property. I believe she chose to rent to me in order to take away my animals, as I believe she is an animal hoarder.

Goats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raXz-Ox7BDI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkOuqcBB05E

Chicks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdwoNfIghA8

Substandard house: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivrDcwnsQLc

blog: http://livinginthehood.blogspot.com/

I have a minidisc recorder & mic. I've produced documentaries in the past and have a PRX membership, as well as membership to AIR.

I would like to record a bit of my story, with lots of animal sounds, etc.

I have been actively seeking secure, affordable housing for 17 months. There is none in New Mexico http://alibi.com/news/34690/The-Cost-of-Living.html

I am responsible for my animals; they depend on me. I am also exhausted from being treated like a pariah and target for exploitation. I only found out tonight that she wants me out and is threatening to have my trailer towed to an impound lot, with everything I own in it, including several hundred dollars' groceries in the freezer.

I am making plans to end my life, if I cannot locate housing. I would give my entire check next month to a friend who helped me get the trailer, as well as its contents and the trailer itself.

I don't see any other options.


I maxed out my credit cards, which I was successfully paying off, and emptied my bank account in order to move into this place. With a trailer, animals and only $700/month income, my chances of finding housing are almost nil.

Would you be interested in this story?

 

Hi there This American Life friends and contributors:

It’s Ira Glass here.  We're doing this show next week - May 6th - that
we've been planning for months and are very excited about.  It's
unlike any show we've ever done.  The theme is simply:  "This Week."
Everything in the show will have happened in the previous seven days.
That'll include an international story or two, and things that are
happening in national news in DC and elsewhere.  But it'll also
include hyper-local: hopefully a bar fight, a first kiss.  In other
words: an approach to doing a “news” show in a narrative way,
reporting the week's news with great characters and stories and
hopefully a lot of feeling.  Fingers crossed on that anyway.  Not one
minute of tape has been recorded as I write this.

Here's where you fit in.

Do you know of anything especially interesting happening (to you or
anyone else) between Saturday April 30 and Friday May 6th?  Something
that might qualify as having a “big” week?  Some ideas we’ve thrown
around here: a Youth League soccer or school sports rivalry that'll
come to a big decisive game?  Someone doing something for the first
time?  Someone who might go into remission or come out of a coma or
get married or open a business or shut down their business?  Anyone
who'll get their tax check back from the government and get to spend
it?  A talent show or recital or school play?  Someone getting their
first drunk tattoo or braces put on or braces taken off?  Someone
trying as hard as they can in the last weeks of the semester not to
flunk out?

Or maybe there's an interesting local news story where you are that
might be approaching a turning point next week?

Obviously, the best stories - as always - would be ones where
something important is at stake for someone.  What we already have: a
beauty pageant, Wisconsin electoral news, a college student who's
graduating and moving back in with her parents.  That leaves a lot of
room for you.

Because we'll be turning these stories around so fast, if you're not
an experiened radio producer or reporter we most likely will pay you
for the idea and then either set up a quick phone interview with the
subject or figure out a way to get a producer to gather some tape.

And if nothing comes to mind as you read this right now, please keep
us in mind next week should you happen to fall in love for the first
time, decide suddenly to emigrate to Norway, find a thousand dollar
bill on the sidewalk or get called up from the minor leagues to the
majors.

Thanks!  I know the contributions we get from all of you will be an
important part of this show.

Ira Glass