When it comes to providing information to the public or introducing a brand, a radio interview is one of the best mediums to use. That is why Citi of Books Publishing cooperated with People of Distinction CBS Radio’s host, Benji Cole, for the inspiring and amazing stories behind every author’s work to be heard.
People of Distinction is a platform for professional and even enthusiast authors to engage in a genuine discussion and learn on inspirations, themes, and narratives from blossoming authors.
This program is hosted by Benji Cole, son of Al Cole, and is the ideal platform for authors who want to widen their readership. Benji Cole is an awesome Los Angeles actor and filmmaker who conducts interviews with guest authors. Take part in the CBS Radio Interview and become a notable guest on one of the most renowned radio shows in the country.
This extensively broadcast talk show has already conducted interviews with 2,000 of the most remarkable people in America over the past few years, including NBC producer Ken Corday and former CBS Morning News anchor Bill Kurtis. Authors who land a spot on this radio interview program will undoubtedly reach millions of listeners who could end up being book customers courtesy of CBS’ prominence and extensive national reach.
The author of the book “Ordinary People: Americans Falling in and out of Poverty,” David Wagner, was interviewed by Benji Cole of CBS Radio. They talked about the in-depth nature of the book’s theme and inspiration during the interview. Wagner’s inspiration stems from his commitment to social justice and remembrance of the marginalized. He rediscovered a trove of personal bios from the Tewksbury Almshouse and recognized an opportunity to humanize institutional history. Incapable of being reduced to statistics, these individuals emerged through genealogical and administrative records to tell their own stories.
“Ordinary People: Americans Falling in and out of Poverty” by David Wagner delves into the lives of individuals who experienced poverty during the decades following the U.S. Civil War. Through the lens of inmates from one of Massachusetts’s largest almshouses at Tewksbury, Wagner brings to light first-person biographies, enhanced by genealogical and official records, that trace the varied trajectories—from hardship to resilience—of ordinary people living at the margins. By reframing poverty as a fluid, dynamic condition rather than a static identity, the book challenges readers to understand how people adapt, survive, and sometimes escape across time.
David Wagner is a professor of social work at the University of Southern Maine and active with low-income organizations in trying to end homelessness, mass incarceration, poverty wages and poor social benefits. His book Checkerboard Square won the C. Wright Mills award, and his book The New Temperance, won the Northeast Popular Culture Award. His book Confronting Homelessness was named an Outstanding Academic Title by Choice magazine, the librarians’ journal.
The narrative begins with an exploration of the Massachusetts State Almshouse at Tewksbury, set within the broader context of immigration and industrialization. Wagner then introduces us to individuals labeled as “ordinary,” charting their lives as immigrants uprooted, workers displaced, or families in crisis. These stories unfold in three thematic parts: Mobility and Resilience, which highlights economic and geographic movement; Crisis in the Family, which reveals impacts of out-of-wedlock births and desertion; and Age and Poverty, sharing the experiences of children and the elderly within institutionalization. Throughout, Wagner emphasizes that poverty did not define these people—it as part of their journey.
The book stands out for giving texture and agency to lives often dismissed in sweeping social histories. His case studies show not just suffering, but surprising upward mobility, personal agency, and moral resolve. As readers witness births inside poorhouses, desertions, children cast out, and elderly
stripped of dignity, they also encounter people who forged identities beyond hardship, sometimes rebuilding full lives.
“Ordinary People: Americans Falling in and out of Poverty” is not only a meticulously researched work of history, but also a tribute to overlooked lives and the power of human agency. For readers interested in historical empathy, social policy, or ordinary stories living under extraordinary pressure, this book provides both depth and clarity. It redefines poverty as a state in flux, revealing the courage, creativity, and complexity of those who lived through it.
In a time when social inequality remains a pressing concern, Wagner’s work reminds us: it is through the careful recovery of ordinary lives that history finds its moral urgency.
Watch the full interview below:
3 Comments
David Wagner’s exploration of poverty during the Gilded Age feels especially timely, given the ongoing conversations around economic inequality today. It’s powerful to see historical narratives centered on everyday lives rather than just prominent figures.
Very impressive!
Very impressive and new cover is good