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Artwork for Listening to America

Listening to America

Listening to America
Thomas Jefferson
John Steinbeck
Louisiana Purchase
Native American Tribes
Slavery
John Randolph Of Roanoke
Western Flyer
Lindsay Chervinsky
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Mississippi River
Napoleon Bonaparte
Christmas
Cold War
Henry Wallace
Virginia
Cannery Row
Sea Of Cortez
Haitian Revolution
Edward S. Curtis
College Football

Listening to America aims to "light out for the territories," traveling less visited byways and taking time to see this immense, extraordinary country with fresh eyes while listening to the many voices of America's past, present, and future. Led by noted historian and humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson, Listening to America travels the country's less visited byways, from national parks and forests ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes535Founded19 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistorySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Listening to America

Latest Episodes

Clay joins journalist Jonathan Thompson, publisher of The Land Desk on Substack and author of Sagebrush Empire: How a Remote Utah County Became the Battlefront of American Public Lands. Thompson, who is currently living in Greece, begins by providing... more

Clay interviews the award-winning historian Joe Ellis about America's tragic legacy of slavery, and about the dispossession of American Indians from their sovereign homelands. Professor Ellis has often argued that what happened with respect to Africa... more

Clay welcomes author Matthew Davis to talk about his new book, Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore. How did it happen that a mountain in the heart of the Black Hills of South Dakota, in land sovereign to the Lakota Indi... more

Clay interviews the adventurous Brits Nat and Mikey, school teachers who got it into their heads to float the entire Missouri and Mississippi River corridor. They began on August 5, 2025, and completed their journey in the second week of January 2026... more

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Recent Guests

Jonathan Thompson
Contributing editor to High Country News and author of "Sagebrush Empire".
High Country News
Episode: #1692 The Crisis of the Public Lands
Matthew Davis
Author of 'Biography of a Mountain, The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore'
Episode: #1690 Mount Rushmore: Its Back Story and the Continuing Controversy
John Bacon
Author of The Gales of November, The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Self-published
Episode: #1687 The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, 50 Years Later
Walter Borneman
Historian and author of numerous books on American history
Episode: #1684 America at 250: How Did We Get Here?
Paul Hutton
Eminent historian and executive director of the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum.
Buffalo Bill Cody Museum
Episode: #1683 Writing the American West in a Time of Disillusionment
Ellen Wohl
Professor of Geomorphology at Colorado State University, author of 'Following the Bend: How to Read a River and Understand Its Nature.'
Colorado State University
Episode: #1682 How Do Rivers Work?
Tom Jones
Astronaut with four space shuttle missions, author of 'Skywalking: An Astronaut's Memoir', and 'Space Shuttle Stories'
NASA
Episode: #1677 Final Frontiers: Lewis and Clark and the American Space Program
Norm Miller
Businessman and adventurer from Livingston, Montana who has paddled significant historical American trails.
Episode: #1670 Paddling the Full Lewis and Clark Trail
Robert DeMott
Professor and leading expert on John Steinbeck
Episode: #1667 Lunch With America's Leading Steinbeck Scholar

Host

Clay Jenkinson
Host and noted historian known for exploring American history and culture through engaging narratives and discussions.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.3k ratings
  • Informative Interesting Show

    One of my favorite podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    vfaler
    United States4 months ago
  • Very enjoyable

    Just recently discovered this podcast. Started with episodes from late 2016. Intend to listen to them all. Recent reviews say this becomes more political. Time will tell. Understand also the change to listening to America emerges from the TJ Hour. Should be as interesting I guess expect.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cfeman
    United States5 months ago
  • Listening

    Thank you for seeking out these conversations.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    midway-through
    United States8 months ago
  • Trash

    This guy could be good if this guy and his guests would leave politics out of it.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    BMY11
    United States10 months ago
  • brilliant re-make of the TJH

    While I truly miss the Thomas Jefferson hour, I quite understand that it had somewhat ran its course, and that the highly fascinating yet complex Mr. Jefferson can himself be a somewhat troublesome character at times. To this end, I think Clay has deftly kept the heart and soul of the original program in making LTA, re-casting it from its original mold into something equally brilliant. Clay is a superb interviewer and collaborator in a wide range of topics, providing us all with a clear tone a... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mharrisARCH
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some express nostalgia for earlier formats and a desire for less politicized content, indicating a tension between historical insights and contemporary political discourse.
Encounters with diverse guests and topics have garnered praise, positioning the host as an insightful figure in exploring America's cultural narrative.
Listeners appreciate the informative and interesting content presented, often feeling engaged and enriched by the discussions.
The show is recognized for its scholarly depth and ability to connect historical events with modern societal issues while maintaining a conversational tone.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#1692 The Crisis of the Public Lands
Q: Is Glen Canyon Dam going to come down or be used as just a pass-through?
Jonathan suggests that in the long term, Glen Canyon Dam may not be viable as a storage facility and could potentially serve only as a pass-through, depending on future agreements regarding water management.
#1692 The Crisis of the Public Lands
Q: What do you think is going to happen to the Colorado River issue?
Jonathan explains that they must cut back on water usage for alfalfa farmers in Arizona and California, as most of the water is used for irrigation and there are urgent cuts needed to address the crisis.
#1692 The Crisis of the Public Lands
Q: What's the mood in Greece and Europe now about what's going on in the US?
Jonathan notes that Europeans are shocked by the state of American politics and see parallels with issues in their own countries, expressing both concern and bewilderment.
#1691 Was it Shakespearean Tragedy or Greek Tragedy?
Q: What would George Washington have done about Native Americans?
Washington aimed to maintain Creek control over their land and wanted to set a precedent of Native American states within the Union.
#1691 Was it Shakespearean Tragedy or Greek Tragedy?
Q: What do you mean that what we did with black people is Shakespearean tragedy and what we did to Native Americans was Greek tragedy?
A Shakespearean tragedy is a tragedy based on the moral failure of major figures which could have gone differently. A Greek tragedy is seen as inevitable and unchangeable, embedded in the actions of gods or fate.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Listening to America

What is Listening to America about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The content reflects an in-depth exploration of American history, culture, and politics, emphasizing narratives often overlooked in mainstream discussions. Through a series of engaging discussions, the hosts highlight historical events, significant figures, and current societal issues, weaving personal anecdotes with scholarly insights. Themes such as exploration, civic engagement, American hospitality, and the impact of political dynamics on democracy are routinely featured, producing a rich tapestry of conversations that elevate historical narratives and their relevance to contemporary society. A unique aspect is the incorporation of personal journey reflections as hosts travel through underappreciated parts of the country, adding a narra... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Listening to America?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Listening to America:

1. The David Frum Show
2. The Ezra Klein Show
3. Fresh Air
4. Throughline
5. The New Yorker Radio Hour

How many episodes of Listening to America are there?

Listening to America launched 19 years ago and published 535 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Listening to America?

Recent guests on Listening to America include:

1. Jonathan Thompson
2. Matthew Davis
3. John Bacon
4. Walter Borneman
5. Paul Hutton
6. Ellen Wohl
7. Tom Jones
8. Norm Miller

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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