Anya Kamenetz – The Stolen Year

What if, one day, you decided to quit your job? Without having another one already lined up?

This is the email Anya Kamenetz sent, which instantly grabbed my attention. Anya covered education for many years at NPR. She speaks, writes, and thinks about learning and the future. Anya is a returning guest. You can find our previous conversation in the show notes.

Our conversation focuses on two main points

How does someone finally reach their tipping point to make such a bold career decision, and The impact that Covid has had on children, which she addresses in her newest book, The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Children's Lives, And Where We Go Now. When reflecting on her career, Anya points out that from her perspective, a career fills three buckets – financial, day-to-day experience, and identity. Anya also talks about her struggle with the best way to use her talents and skills in service of making the world better.

The cost of closing our schools for so long during COVID, made with good intentions, has not yet been fully reckoned with. Anya makes the case that 2020 wasn't a lost year–it was taken from our children, by years of neglect and bad faith. We have failed to put them first.

To get more people involved in this critical conversation, the first five listeners who email me, I will send you a free copy of Anya's new book.

Please enjoy my conversation with Anya Kamenetz.



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