The life-giving, death-dealing power of corn

Aplain woodenFor the companion podcast to this story from “The Weekend Intelligence”, . house in a sea of cotton. A gaunt woman is sat at the kitchen table, mouth parched, insides burning. She is dying. Across her face a rash has spread from her nose to her ears, a red butterfly resting its giant wings against her cheeks. She is used to its return, for three springs since 1903. By summer it took off, took with it the terrible thirst and the pain.