Mother’s Day

Stories of moms: How they treat us, how we treat them. Prologue: Tillie Olsen reads from her short story "I Stand Here Ironing," from her collection Tell Me A Riddle. In the story, a mother reviews all that's gone wrong in the raising of her oldest daughter...and makes a few conclusions about what she should think about her mistakes as a mother. And Host Ira Glass interviews his own mother, who insists—several times—that mothers are always taken for granted. (7 minutes) She Said, She Said: Producer Alex Blumberg conducts an investigation, perhaps the first ever, into this American subspecies: People who compulsively imitate their mother's voices in everyday conversation, well into adulthood. (19 minutes) Are You My Mommy?: When Jessica Robinson was sent to adult prison at the age of 14, the state did such a terrible job taking care of her that several women—an embezzler, a convicted murderer, and some thieves—stepped in to mother her. Alex Kotlowitz reports. Seven thousand young people like Jessica are now in adult prisons nationwide. (21 minutes) Mom Music: Beau O'Reilly and his mother Winifred, who had 14 children, discuss her secret feelings about Johnny Cash and other matters on Mother's Day. (9 minutes)