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cover of episode John Seabrook on the Destructive Family Battles of “The Spinach King”

John Seabrook on the Destructive Family Battles of “The Spinach King”

2025/6/10
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The New Yorker Radio Hour
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David Remnick
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John Seabrook
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Madeline Barron
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David Remnick: 西布鲁克家族的故事是一部真实的家族史诗，其中充满了父子间的权力斗争和家族企业的兴衰。我主要介绍了约翰·西布鲁克家族企业衰败的开端，以及他父亲被从家族企业中驱逐的事件，为后续约翰讲述家族内部的矛盾冲突和个人成长经历奠定了基础。 John Seabrook: 我讲述了西布鲁克农场从兴盛到衰败的过程，以及家族内部因品牌形象、阶级差异和个人性格等因素导致的冲突。我着重描述了祖父对父亲的心理和情感虐待，以及这种家庭环境对我个人成长的影响。我深刻反思了家族历史对我的影响，以及我如何通过写作来面对和解决这些问题。我希望通过我的故事，能够帮助我的女儿更好地理解家族历史，并与我进行更深入的交流。

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This chapter explores the rise of Seabrook Farms, a frozen food empire built by C.F. Seabrook. It details the company's success, its innovative methods, and its role in the American economy. The complex relationship between C.F. Seabrook and his son, the author's father, is also introduced, hinting at the tensions that would eventually lead to the family's downfall.
  • Seabrook Farms produced a third of the nation's frozen vegetables.
  • C.F. Seabrook's innovative freezing methods revolutionized the industry.
  • The family's brand story clashed with the reality of the business.
  • The relationship between C.F. Seabrook and his son was strained due to class conflicts and the pressure of maintaining the family brand.

Shownotes Transcript

John Seabrook)’s new book is about a family business—not a mom-and-pop store, but a huge operation run by a ruthless patriarch. The patriarch is aging, and he cannot stand to lose his hold on power, nor let his children take over the enterprise. This might sound like the plot of HBO’s drama “Succession,” but the story John tells in “The Spinach King)” is about a real family: the Seabrooks, of Seabrook, New Jersey. His grandfather C.F. Seabrook built a frozen-food empire in the farmland of South Jersey, which produced one third of the nation’s frozen vegetables at its height. The P.R. was about a hard-working and innovative farm family, but the business, behind the scenes, advanced with political corruption and violence against organized labor. Then C.F. destroyed his business and his family rather than cede control to his sons. John—a staff writer who has covered many subjects for The New Yorker, most notably music—talks with David Remnick about the consequences of inherited wealth, and overcoming a family legacy of suspicion and emotional abuse.