“The reason it was so bruising when someone said I was from a rich family is that, like many of us, I'm deeply invested - probably overly so - in the myth of my own self-creation. I like to believe that I got where I am, such as it is, by working hard and charting my own course.”

American author, essayist, podcaster, and journalist

Meghan Daum is an American author, essayist, podcaster, and journalist. She is known for her personal essays and commentary, as well as for work that moves between literature, culture, and public life. Her writing often examines identity, independence, family, and the pressures of modern adulthood, using a direct and observant voice. She has built a broad body of work across print and audio, and her name is closely associated with nonfiction that is personal in tone but wide in range.