I spoke to lawyers and the prosecutor. They have. Instead of learning to walk in a halfway house, as Story did, Maddy grows up in a subsidized apartment. Things start tumbling so out of control, it sets the piece down, scoots away, and starts singing again. I wish I would have, wish I could have, admitted that it was against my own better judgment as well. ", "I Spent 2 Years Cleaning Houses. Where is Stephanie Land now? 02:07 - Source: CNN. In reality, Land posted very openly about her struggles on Facebook and started a blog, which inspired her community to spring into action. Myself included. Then I Hired a Maid", "She has a bestseller and hit Netflix series. Blended families FTW. Since then, the success of her book has led to more financial stability. After spending a few weeks living with her own father and stepmother, she left somewhat abruptly with Mia and found an opening at a local homeless shelter in Port Townsend, Washington.It wasn't a homeless shelter in the traditional sense, but rather a span of six or seven two-room cabins that families could stay in as they tried to get back on their feet. Social media contributed to rising stigmas about poverty and government assistance. Netflix's miniseries Maid was inspired by Stephanie Land's memoir called Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive; here's how it compares to the book.In the TV show, young mother Alex Russell (Margaret Qualley) flees in the night with her daughter Maddy (Rylea Nevaeh Whittet) from her abusive ex-boyfriend Sean Boyd (Nick Robinson). I just think America is so work-focused, and it goes back to that stupid American myth that if you pull yourself up by your bootstraps then you'll make. This meant that out of the 20 clients she had, she would clean two or three houses each day. Next door was the Sad House. In the book, I didn't really talk up the emotional abuse because one, my kid was going to read. Land grew up between Washington and Anchorage, Alaska,[5] in a middle class household. That prompted her to call the Domestic Violence Hotline. She had housing assistance, Medicaid, a Pell Grant for college tuition, LIHEAP for help with utilities, WIC checks for supplemental nutrition for new mothers and children, child care grants, and was enrolled in the SNAP program for food stamps. When author Stephanie Land was trying to sell the movie/TV rights to her bestselling 2019 memoir, she met with 10 different production companies. While the waterfront community of Port Townsend from the memoir is hard to distinguish from its fictional counterpart Port Hampstead in the series, other characters and locations were changed more significantly. CBS News spoke with Land about how she wrote "Maid," the feelings of watching your life's story become a television show, and what people don't understand about welfare. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. "It really affected me," she told NPR. And it just, like - so one time, I looked, and I'm like, well, how many antibiotics are they on, and, like, if it was for her or for him." After graduating college, Land started working as a freelance writer for parenting magazines. Its really hard to absolutely know how hated you are for needing assistance. Ex-maid turns story of struggle into best-selling book. My four-year-old daughter had started to mimic his posturing, his finger-pointing, and even told me to go away because my face looked bad. When I was on food stamps, there were a lot of talks and memes and hatred on social media about how we need to drug test people on welfare. Like Alex her fictionalized, onscreen counterpart Land left an abusive relationship and moved into a halfway house with her baby, Story, then just 9 months old. The couple first met in the year 2018 and began their relationship just a few months later. What do you think people misunderstand about the nature of poverty? She then moved to Missoula and started to attend the University of Montana.When Land first started at the University of Montana, she figured she'd go for a sociology degree so she could graduate and have job stability. My oldest, Mia, and I have taken to watching a couple of my favorite movies from the 1980s when were out traveling alone together. All of the characters and locations in the Netflix Maid series are fictionalized, some more than others. My whole life felt like a lie, but I was good at telling the story, even to me. In the book, Land and Story live with Lands father for a short time, and barely see Lands expatriate mother at all. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Id say, Jesus loves you though one man smiles at me and said, He seems to love you a little more. Land was under the impression that she would always be safe; she never questioned it until it was too late. The decline in the American middle class paved the way for open and extreme racism. Like Margaret Qualley's character in the Netflix series, she at first rejected the idea. It was also a huge relief to see how good it was and how authentic it was. Land says that when she was around the age of 13, her mother told her that she was very close to aborting her. She began working as a freelance writer and became a writing fellow at the Center for Community Change. Kates coat was a Catherine Walker rewear; Diana wore her Moschino suit numerous times. Peoples prejudice against those who are low income makes their already difficult lives more difficult, which we do not really see in the Netflix drama. After calling the Domestic Violence Hotline and reaching her usual caseworker, Stephanie was encouraged to call the police. On an interesting side note, actress Andie MacDowell is the real-life mother of Margaret Qualley, who portrays Alex in the Netflix Maid series. She didn't want the series to stick too closely to the book since the memoir is tightly focused on her and two of the years that she worked as a house cleaner.Her tenth meeting was with actress Margot Robbie (representing her production company, Lucky Chap) and TV writer/director John Wells (Shameless, The West Wing, ER). Author Stephanie Land says the adaptation does her story justice. People think that the janitor in the airport has less dignity than the pilot does and really the janitor is supporting that pilot and making that pilot's job possible. There were a lot of memes going around at the time about how people should be drug-tested for welfare, and a lot of my friends would post on Facebook and social media some type of hatred for people on food stamps. The memoir ends when Land receives a Pell Grant to attend school at the University of Montana in Missoula, from which she would ultimately receive her Bachelors degree in English. [11] Barack Obama placed the book on his "Summer Reading List" of 2019[17] and actress Reese Witherspoon said she "loved this story about one woman surviving impossible circumstances. When she isnt writing or checking Twitter, shes probably watching the latest K-drama or giving a concert performance in her car. She does not mention her as being undiagnosed bipolar. The location was also changed. Her oldest daughter, Mia, was six. Then I Hired a Maid. Government programs encourage poor people to have poor nutrition. Even though hundreds of millions of Americans were struggling across all demographics, Land noticed that people began to see it as a them problem. pic.twitter.com/UIwwR0Mf5L / Twitter" Netflixs Maid isnt a one-to-one recreation of the source material, but that doesnt mean it isnt true to Lands experiences living in poverty. VPN to ZTNA. John, Molly, and Erin have spent so much time getting to know me and Story, and truly care about usalmost how I imagine family members would.. Leaving the trailer where they live with Alexs ex-boyfriend Sean isnt as easy as it seems and leads them full force into poverty and desperation. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English from the University of Montana in Missoula. Between work and caring for your child, being a low-income, single mother in America eats up a lot of valuable time. Land has remarried and lives with her husband, Tim Faust, and their blended family in Missoula, Montana. She received messages full of encouragement and love; some even sent her money. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. It even made former President Barack Obama's summer reading list in 2019. And he finally did, for good. However, Mia's father began to call repeatedly, telling Stephanie he wanted to come back and fix the window in the door, which he had punched a hole through. This isn't touched on at all in Netflix's narrative healthcare doesn't even come up as a constant struggle. A post shared by Stephanie Land (@stepville). There was no way for me to walk into a government office and tell them I needed enough money to compensate for the meager wages I needed in order to pay for a home. This is in response to the judgment she felt from people all around her while the economy was in collapse and millions of others were struggling through similar hardships. The reality is the way we go about educating our country leaves millions stretched to their limits, with almost of half of students wondering how theyll find their next meal and even more than that drowning in debts theyll owe for a lifetime.". Just three months after we got married, I had called the police for help. A Maid fact-check reveals that the real Stephanie Land was 28 when she was pregnant with her daughter Mia (today, Mia goes by her middle name, Story). She reaches up to dig her hand into my armpit, and I let her, because its something shes done practically since birth. The show almost makes you root for the abuser in some episodes. You need to listen to people in your own communities and you especially need to listen to people of color. Usually, people assume those on government assistance have it easy, but you try juggling seven different government programs (and all their paperwork) and see how easy it is. For example, Land says that when she started, the agencies charged clients $20 per hour and she was paid $8.55 an hour, which was right around the minimum wage in Washington state at the time. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In the series, Alex doesnt want to accept help from her father because a) they are semi-estranged, and b) she eventually remembers that he abused her mother but in reality, Lands father was struggling himself after the housing crash and couldnt afford to feed two more people. Stephanie suffered from a very bad cough herself and "was constantly sick." He and his wife couldnt make ends meet in the economic collapse, leaving Land and her daughter without support. People have blamed my tumble into poverty on an unexpected pregnancy. She handled the potentially awkward moment with grace. I smiled at her, looked over at him, and went inside the house to cry. Meanwhile, in the series, Paula Alexs mother, played by Qualleys real-life mom, Andie MacDowell is a constant, but unreliable, presence in her daughter and grandchilds lives. "[18], The book has received critical acclaim. Land now lives with her two daughters, two dogs and her husband Tim Faust in Missoula, Montana. [8] During her studies, she published her first public writing in the form of blog posts and local publications[13] followed by Internet-based publications such as HuffPost[7] and Vox. Similar to what Alex (Margaret Qualley) experiences in the TV series, the true story behind Maid on Netflix confirms that Stephanie Land's relationship with the father of her daughter had become emotionally abusive. In researching the Maid true story, we discovered that the Netflix series was inspired by Stephanie Land's 2019 memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive. She describes her mom as being overweight and speaking with a fake British accent. I stood in my kitchen, leaning against the counter, holding a half-asleep Coraline, with Mia standing next to me, and stared at the brochures theyd left on my table, explaining signs to watch for after experiencing strangulation. I know how grueling the job can be, and I swore I'd never ask. Share. She lives with her husband, Tim Faust, and their children in Missoula, Montana. [23] National Domestic Violence Hotline and other resources were mentioned after each episode of Maid. Your IP: In an essay on herpersonal website (opens in new tab), Land says that she left the relationship in January 2008, and that she began cleaning houses and sought government assistance because she wasn't able to resume work in the restaurant industry while seeking daycare for Story, since most facilities are only open during daytime hours on weekdays. This is where she learned about the Womens Independence Scholarship Program, a scholarship specifically for survivors of domestic violence, which she received $3,000 through. We follow it as it scoots along, singing this silly song about searching for the piece thats missing, while it meets frogs and butterflies and stops to look at flowers. -NPR, Yes. In a 2021 interview with The Washington Post, Land said:[32]. She graduated from the University of Montana with a Bachelor's in English and Creative Writing in 2014. Over time, she took on private clients in addition to the ones she had with the cleaning agency. They also have two pet dogs. Claiming her daughter as a dependent on her taxes helped her get a government grant to pay for school. "What do you do when you cant afford childcare? In addition to student loans, she had paid for college with the help of Pell grants. "He kind of forcefully asked us to leave," Land told NPR. You don't have the chance to see this in the miniseries, but it is touched on in theMaid novel. He hasnt lived with us in almost six months. On the flip side, Land learns that a lot of people in positions of power will purposely not follow rules to discriminate against the poor. But I at least hoped that if they were listening to me they would start listening to others and it would open doors for more marginalized people to talk about their lives. ", Yes. Among all her clients, none of them became her friend as Regina does for Alex. -Vox. The first sentence of Stephanie Land's memoir states, "My daughter learned to walk in a homeless shelter." Spoilers for season 1 ofMaid. She has also gotten married. Not exactly. In that same conversation, almost a year after it happened, he still blamed our bad relationship on him hurting me. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The bookan elaboration of an article Land wrote for Vox in 2015[16]debuted at number three on The New York Times Best Seller list. There was no welfare, not in the sense they thought of it as. Though the additional characters in the story are mostly fictionalizedthe book only lightly touches on her ex and her parents, and she doesn't mention a client similar to Reginamany of the events actually happened, including Story's pony party and the car accident. What influences of yours can you see in the final product? I tried to swallow and answered no, with a raspy voice. Author Stephanie Land's Official Website Stepville.com. Its worth listening to. All the dance numbers! My desire for that happy ending especially as a woman whod been a single mom for almost a decade was a rushing current too strong to fight. He had been an electrician, but developers struggled with not having anyone to develop anything for, so there wasnt any work for people like him in an area like Port Townsend. 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It was of course really triggering and hard to watch and traumatic in some parts. Earlier this summer, after I started admitting in social media posts that Id chosen to be a single mom again, a few local women reached out to me, all saying some variation of I was so worried about you!. I arranged meetings. Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The homeless shelter that Land and her daughter lived in for a short period of time came with a four-page list of rules, including no visitors. Though we do get a quick flash of a sign of rules for transitional housing, these kinds of regulations for being low income are not covered in Maid. Thats how you know theyre going to live happily ever after.. When I told my husband to move out at the end of spring, Coraline was about to turn four, and she started sleeping with me again. Stephanie Land and her husband Tim Faust tied the knot in the year 2019 at an intimate wedding. This is part of the Time Tax problem, which burdens (mostly poor) people with hours of red tape just to live day to day. But in Land's real life, these were everyday occurrences. [26] The book will combine Land's personal experiences with investigative reporting about higher education and the cost of it in the United States. The Mountbatten-Windsors have been recastagain. I also think I've learned how important it is to be able to advocate for others. I thought they did really well with showing that this person who is totally charming on the outside and everybody else thinks is this wonderful guy, everybody's heartthrob, can be really violent at home and just kicks you down in so many ways. She revealed that the show's creator, Molly Smith Metzler, and executive producers John Wells and Erin Jontow spent time with her and Story to learn more about her experiences. As stated in the Netflix Maid series, the true story confirms that an unplanned pregnancy postponed Land's plans to go to college at the University of Montana and obtain a degree in creative writing. Her daughter was constantly in and out of doctors offices for chronic ear infections and upper-respiratory infections, but she personally couldnt afford to see a doctor for her chronic pain, sinus infections, and constant coughs. It seemed he was, even saying 25% of the reason in choosing to be with me was because of that. [30] She owns a home in Montana and has three dogs. While fact-checking Maid, we learned that Stephanie Land had entered into another abusive relationship after the events in the series. Someone like a neighbor. Tell me about the experience of watching your story come to life? / CBS News. Stephanie Land can tell them otherwise and, unlike most authors who write about poverty, speaks from personaland recentexperience. She also thanked the show's team for their work on the show. Youd never know it from the Netflix show, but the 2008 financial crisis is a major footnote in this specific narrative. Stephanie Land (born September 1978) is an American writer and public speaker. It appeared that his wife had died in the late 1980s, but her to-do lists were still tacked to a cork board and the trinkets she'd collected remained on the windowsills. I've been getting a lot of comments about "I realize my current relationship is toxic and I need to leave, or "I was able to process past relationships and be more forgiving of myself" and I had a lot of people either tweet or comment that they immediately donated to a domestic violence shelter or started volunteering. It's also because we assign dignity to the type of jobs people do. I think my biggest role as a parent is teaching empathy. In Stephanie Land's book Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, which inspired the series, Land is focused on the struggle to persevere in a system built for failure. She said that he had kind of gradually built up to being violent. Toward the end of Lands book, she states, Welfare is dead. I really didn't think that people were going to listen to that or care about it because I had lived such an invisible life. The real-life Alex is now a New York Times best-selling author. The 2023 SAG Awards Will Be Streaming-Only For The First Time Ever, 'The Umbrella Academy' Season 4 Has Added "A Trifecta Of Actor Greatness", Everything To Know About 'Outer Banks' Season 4, The 'Outer Banks' Season 3 Ending Sets Up A New Treasure-Hunting Adventure, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. Land had been living with her daughter Mia's father for roughly the first six months of Mia's life. In Maid, Alex spends quite a bit of time in a domestic violence shelter, where she and her daughter can have a temporary safe place to live, make some friends and allies, and obtain some free meals and clothing. "I felt like if I could possibly do that, then it would show Mia that she could do the same," Land told NPR. (My child and I) watched the first two episodes in my bed on my laptop, kind of cuddled up together. Land became unexpectedly pregnant while dating her ex-boyfriend. [2] Land and her eldest daughter occasionally lived in homeless shelters, transitional housing and a camper in a driveway, before securing an apartment in low-income housing. I hated it that Id done that, that Id kept what hed done to me hidden as much as possible. Together they have four children. The author says that memes began to circulate in 2008 comparing people on food stamps to wild animals. Let us know below! [15], Land's first book Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive was published by Hachette Books on January 22, 2019. Prior to the publication of her memoir in 2019, Land had $50,000 in student loans to pay off and she was renting a home from her ex-mother-in-law. I think even though it's exhausting for me, I see an importance in my role in advocating. Stocking up on junk and fast food is usually the quickest and cheapest option available for those in poverty, but it is common knowledge that healthier diets cost significantly more than unhealthy diets. Racism barely is addressed in Maid, but it was a common occurrence that many of Land's coworkers and peers would face. Are at the top of the characters and locations in the book she! People misunderstand about the nature of poverty the University of Montana with a voice. Him, and their children in Missoula, Montana poverty on an unexpected pregnancy crisis a! 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'S life President Barack Obama 's summer reading list in 2019 did n't really talk up the emotional because... Blamed my tumble into poverty on an unexpected pregnancy you need to to... To advocate for others her mother told her that she would always be safe ; never. And other resources were mentioned after each episode of Maid Moschino suit numerous times really triggering and hard to and... Against my own better judgment as well that Id kept what hed to. Netflix Maid series are fictionalized, some more than others unexpected pregnancy blamed my into! Book, Land was under the impression that she would always be safe ; she never it! 30 ] she owns a home in Montana and has three dogs Maid, learned... Rights to her bestselling 2019 memoir, she at first rejected the idea with the Cleaning.! Little more off of government assistance, be a contributing member of society would... ) watched the first sentence of Stephanie Land ( @ stepville ) two! 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In her car, Jesus loves you though one man smiles at me and said, seems. [ 18 ], the book, Land was under the impression that she was very close to her! Time, and starts singing again was encouraged to call the Domestic Violence Hotline resources were mentioned after episode. Would have, admitted that it was a Catherine Walker rewear ; Diana wore her Moschino suit numerous.... Two dogs and her husband Tim Faust, and their children in Missoula,.... Of Montana in Missoula government programs encourage poor people to have poor nutrition my own judgment. And became a writing fellow at the Center for Community Change page across from University... Is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher Tim,... What hed done to me the year 2019 at an intimate wedding in that same conversation almost. I smiled at her, looked over at him, and barely see Lands expatriate mother at all out control. 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