‘I soon understood that if I wanted to get my father back I was going to have to help him get rid of the competition.’
It was Mom who didn’t love him. As far back as I can remember, their marriage was an endless round of shouts and reproaches marked by timeouts to send me off to brush my teeth. They must have had a few good moments together, but I never witnessed any. Maybe they took place while I was brushing my …
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‘I think there should be a National Service of Hospitality. The best way to see the true face of humanity is to serve it a plate of chips.’
Camilla Grudova on bad-mannered customers.
‘Anyone who has ever worked night shifts will understand the vertiginous feeling that comes with staring down the day from the wrong end.’
A.K. Blakemore on working nights.
‘I was constantly reading job ads, trying to find my holy grail – a job I could stand to do, and someone foolish enough to hire me.’
Sandra Newman on learning how to play professional blackjack.
‘I loved being a receptionist. What I loved about it was playing the part of being a receptionist.’
Emily Berry on being a temporary office worker.
‘Every part of you would swell, including your eyeballs, and no matter how much water you drank, you were always dehydrated.’
Junot Díaz on working for a steel mill.
