Happy Fourth of July from Radiotopia!
Need some audio to get you in the patriotic spirit? We’ve compiled an Independence Day playlist to get you through your holiday weekend road trips, train rides and parties. Celebrate Radiotopia’s fierce independence with episodes about revolutionaries, women pilots, abolitionists and of course, President Bartlet. Pop in your earbuds or turn up your car’s sound system and hit play.
The Memory Palace, “Episode 25 (I Have Not Yet Begun to Rot)”
The story of John Paul Jones, a hero of the American Revolution.
Song Exploder, “Mitski — Your Best American Girl”
Mitski breaks down her song Your Best American Girl, along with her long-time collaborator Patrick Hyland.
What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law, “Prosecuting a President”
Two Vice Presidents have been indicted with criminal charges while serving in office, but does the Constitution allow the prosecution of a President? Elizabeth Joh and Roman Mars explore this question.
Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything, “Man Without a Country (1 of 3)”
What happens when you curse your own country? In this version of the classic Americana tale, your host is sentenced to live out the rest of his days in a hot air balloon. In part one, you’ll hear the story of what happened when he fought the “three strikes, you’re out forever” law and lost. Plus, Howard Zinn on the myth of American exceptionalism.
The Kitchen Sisters Present, “Black Chef, White House: African American Cooks in the President’s Kitchen”
Cooking for the Founding Fathers — the story of Hercules and Hemings, the enslaved chefs of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. And an interview with Zephyr Wright, President Lyndon Johnson’s cook who worked for the family for 27 years.
99% Invisible, “The Revolutionary Post”
Winifred Gallagher, author of How the Post Office Created America: A History, argues that the post office is not simply an inexpensive way to send a letter. The service was designed to unite a bunch of disparate towns and people under one flag, and in doing so, she believes the post office actually created the United States of America.
Radio Diaries, “The Story of ‘Ballad for Americans’ ”
How a 10-minute folk opera managed to unite Democrats, Republicans and Communists.
The Allusionist, “Election Lexicon”
Take a jaunt through the etymology of election and democracy-related words. Find out why casting a vote should be more like basketball, and why polling is hairy.
Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything, “Man Without a Country (2 of 3)”
What happens when you curse your own country? In this version of the classic Americana tale, your host is sentenced to live out the rest of his days in a hot air balloon. In part two of the story, your host has his first human interaction in 10 years. Plus, radio host Glynn Washington tells us what it was like to grow up black in a white-supremacist Christian cult.
The Memory Palace, ”Episode 9 (Ben Franklin Death Ray)”
Ben Franklin’s scientific knowledge had the British quaking in their boots during the Revolutionary Period.
What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law, “The 4th Amendment and the Border”
The Fourth Amendment says that “The right of the people to be secure in their person, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” But at the border, warrantless searches are OK, even when it comes to our digital devices. With Trump’s focus on the border, this is becoming a bigger deal.
99% Invisible, “The Border Wall”
When current President Donald Trump took office, he promised to build an “an impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful, southern border wall.” The first part of this episode by Radio Diaries tells two stories of what happens when, instead of people crossing the border, the border crosses the people. Then, in part two of the show, Avery Trufelman takes a closer look at eight current designs that have been turned into prototypes near the border in California.
The Mortified Podcast, “Mortified’s Summer Camp Spectacular!”
In honor of Independence Day, this special episode features two tales of kids getting their first taste of freedom from mom and dad at sleepaway camp.
The West Wing Weekly, “3.09: Bartlet for America (with John Spencer)”
To accompany their discussion of “Bartlet for America,” The West Wing Weeklyteam interviews John Spencer, who won an Emmy for his performance. They talk to David Daniel, who is a senior producer at CNN Newsource. He interviewed John Spencer in 2002, just before the Emmy awards, about The West Wing pilot, “Bartlet for America,” addiction and more. The West Wing Weekly got David’s original raw tape from that day, which they use to put this segment together.
Radio Diaries, “Contenders: Women Who Fought for the White House”
Portraits of some of the most unusual and groundbreaking presidential candidates — who never won the White House. This is the first in a three-part series: Contenders.
What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law, “President Twitter and the First Amendment”
Can Trump block people on Twitter? It turns out, the First Amendment has something to say about that.
Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything, “Man Without a Country (3 of 3)”
What happens when you curse your own country? In this version of the classic Americana tale, your host is sentenced to live out the rest of his days in a hot air balloon. The story concludes(?) when your host attempts to turn bread into wine. Plus, learn about the origins of the tale of the Man Without a Country and the various versions that have been produced over the last hundred years.
The Memory Palace, “Episode 106 (A Washington Monument)”
If you want the story of the construction of the actual Washington Monument, you could check out John Steele Gordon’s book.
Song Exploder, “Old Crow Medicine Show — Dearly Departed Friend”
Old Crow Medicine Show is a six-piece band from Tennessee that’s been around since 1998. They were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2013, and they won the Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2015, for their record Remedy. In this episode, bandleader Ketch Secor tells the story of how they made “Dearly Departed Friend,” one of the songs from Remedy.
99% Invisible, “From the Sea, Freedom”
In 1933, delegates from the United States and fourteen other countries met in Montevideo, Uruguay to define what it means to be a state. The resulting treaty from the Montevideo Convention established four basic criteria for statehood — essentially, what is required to be recognized as a country. The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications:
- A defined territory
- A permanent population
- A government
- Capacity to enter into relations with other states
Over time, some people got to thinking that the criteria for becoming a state seemed surprisingly simple. So simple, that some attempted to declare their house an independent country. So-called “micronations” popped up around the world.
Most of these micronations aren’t expecting anyone to take them seriously, and many don’t even meet all four criteria laid out at the Montevideo Convention. But one micronation, the Principality of Sealand, cannot be dismissed so easily.
The Truth, “That’s Democracy”
Parental advisory: This episode contains mature and violent themes. A teacher gives his students lesson about democracy that they’ll never forget. Performed by Peter McNerney as Mr. Mohr, Russ Armstrong as Eric and Alexis Lambright as Margaret, with Fiona Bradford, Teddy Shivers, Oscar Montoya and Ben Jones as the principal. From an outline by Louis Kornfeld. Produced and directed by Jonathan Mitchell.
The Truth, “The Making of That’s Democracy”
A new short film has been made based on the episode “That’s Democracy,” and, to celebrate, The Truth team produced this documentary about how the original story was made. Including interviews with Louis Kornfeld, Peter McNerney and filmmakers Jon Bowden and Cliff Traiman. Plus, archival tape from the story meetings and outtakes from the recording session.
Ear Hustle, “So Long”
Leaving an organization or community often calls for an exit strategy — even in prison. In this final episode of season two, four men who are preparing to leave San Quentin share stories about what they’ve learned on the inside, and their aspirations, big and small, for life on the outside. Learn what happens when you gain your freedom after not having it for so long.
The Memory Palace, “Hoover”
The life of Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States.
Criminal, “In Plain Sight”
In 1849, abolitionist and attorney Wendell Phillips wrote: “We should look in vain through the most trying times of our revolutionary history for an incident of courage and noble daring to equal that of the escape of William and Ellen Craft; and future historians and poets would tell this story as one of the most thrilling in the nation’s annals, and millions would read it, with admiration of the hero and heroine of the story.” Unfortunately, almost 170 years later, William and Ellen Craft aren’t well known anymore. Today, we have the story of this couple’s incredible escape.
99% Invisible, “Miss Manhattan Redux”
All around the country, there stands a figure so much a part of historical architecture and urban landscapes that she is rarely noticed. She has gone by many names, from Star Maiden to Priestess of Culture, Spirit of Life to Mourning Victory. Now nearly forgotten, Audrey Munson was once the most famous artist’s model in the United States.
In and beyond her time, she has represented many things, including truth, memory, seasons, the stars, and even the universe itself. Immortalized in iron, marble and gold, Audrey remains perched on high, quietly watching over cities from coast to coast.
Radio Diaries, “Fly Girls”
In the early 1940s, the U.S. Air Force faced a dilemma. Thousands of new airplanes were coming off assembly lines and needed to be delivered to military bases nationwide, yet most of America’s pilots were overseas fighting the war. To solve the problem, the government launched an experimental program to train women pilots. They were known as the WASPs, the Women Air Force Service Pilots.
