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Sharon McMahon
Here’s Where It Gets Interesting finds the stories of America you probably haven’t heard. Host Sharon McMahon, a longtime teacher and one of today’s most influential voices, will ignite your curiosity about the fascinating stuff that wasn’t in history textbooks. She’s joined by notable thought leaders who share insights about history, culture, and politics, and inspire us to grow into more thoughtful, well-informed citizens.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Built From the Fire with Victor Luckerson
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with author Victor Lukerson about the Tulsa Race Massacre. Victor’s new book, Built From the Fire, brings to light the atmosphere and events in Oklahoma that make up the 1921 riot–or as Victor calls it–the pogrom, or organized extermination of an ethnic group. Learn about the violence and destruction white Tulsa wrecked on the prosperous black community of Greenwood, the community's perseverance, and the effects that are still felt today, a century later.
Special thanks to our guest, Victor Luckerson for joining us today. You can order Built From the Fire here.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Victor Luckerson
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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41:4912/07/2023
Until Justice Be Done with Kate Masur
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with author Kate Masur, whose book, Until Justice Be Done, shines a light on what we can consider to be the first Civil Rights Movement–the movement for free Black Americans to gain equality from our country’s inception through Reconstruction after the Civil War. We often think of the fight to gain rights as a movement that happened in the 1950s and 1960s, but even in the early 1800s, there was an organized effort to resist racist laws and policy.
Special thanks to our guest, Kate Masur, for joining us today. You can order Until Justice Be Done here.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Kate Masur
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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39:3710/07/2023
Buried Apologies and a Path Forward
Disinterment and repatriation is important work, but it’s only just begun, and it’s not the only work that needs to be done to acknowledge and atone for the history of Indigenous boarding schools. The Federal Government has not yet provided a centralized place for survivors or descendants of survivors of Federal Indian boarding schools, or their families, to voluntarily detail their experiences in the boarding school system.
Which means that there are still generations within the Indigenous community who continue to carry the invisible burden of these schools. The “road to healing” has started, maybe, but it's the indigenous people themselves who have taken the most significant steps forward.
Note: We would like to issue a content warning for this episode. Some parts of this episode may not be suitable for younger audiences.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and KariMarisa Anton
Thank you to our guest K. Tsiannina Lomawaima and some of the music in this episode was composed by indigenous composer R. Carlos Nakai.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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45:3007/07/2023
Barriers to a Better Education
By the 1960s and early 1970s, activist movements across the country had begun to call for better national policies to support minority groups and the government made attempts to some of the wrongs of the past. But it didn’t always lead to success. So let’s dive in, and talk about the gap between the government’s policy intentions for Native American communities and its not-so-effective execution.
Note: We would like to issue a content warning for this episode. Some parts of this episode may not be suitable for younger audiences.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and KariMarisa Anton
Thank you to our guest K. Tsiannina Lomawaima and some of the music in this episode was composed by indigenous composer R. Carlos Nakai.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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41:5205/07/2023
The Pendulum Swings Wildly
On today’s episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, we are going to explore an explosive pendulum swing in the mindset of the American people, when the government basically told Native communities: “No more interventions. You’re on your own!” The ominous-sounding Termination Policy fundamentally changed the relationship between the Federal Government and Native Tribes, again, and its reverberations can be felt even today.
Note: We would like to issue a content warning for this episode. Some parts of this episode may not be suitable for younger audiences.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and KariMarisa Anton
Thank you to our guest K. Tsiannina Lomawaima and some of the music in this episode was composed by indigenous composer R. Carlos Nakai.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
37:1503/07/2023
Beyond the Mainland
Today, we are going to explore the Native boarding school systems in Canada, and in our 49th and 50th states, Alaska and Hawaii. The US wasn’t the only nation setting up mandatory residential schools for Indigenous populations, and in the beginning, many of these programs mirrored those of the US with a focus to “civilize” Indigenous children. We’re not referring to merely hundreds of students who were taken from their families, but hundreds of thousands spanning decades. With many students unable to return home and schools operating “in loco parentis,” it would be years before the truth of these atrocities would come to light.
Note: We would like to issue a content warning for this episode. Some parts of this episode may not be suitable for younger audiences.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and KariMarisa Anton
Thank you to our guest K. Tsiannina Lomawaima and some of the music in this episode was composed by indigenous composer R. Carlos Nakai.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
40:1630/06/2023
Less Education, More Forced Labor
In 1880, Richard Pratt opened the Carlisle School’s Outing Program. Pratt framed the programs as an opportunity to give boarding school students real-world experience and cultivate practical skills they learned at school, but in reality, the Outing Programs were nothing more than indentured servitude. By the 1930s, most programs were so corrupt that they were discontinued. Were the programs nixed due to a sudden change of heart? No, it was the result of an independent research organization and their publication of the Meriam Report.
Note: We would like to issue a content warning for this episode. Some parts of this episode may not be suitable for younger audiences.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and KariMarisa Anton
Thank you to our guest K. Tsiannina Lomawaima and some of the music in this episode was composed by indigenous composer R. Carlos Nakai.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
35:3228/06/2023
Death in the Schools
In 1908, an anthropologist traveled to the Western states to examine an outbreak of tuberculosis and found that 20 percent–or one in every five–of the residents of Indian Country had contracted the disease. In an effort to contain it, authorities asked the anthropologist to trace the cause of the outbreak and he found it – in the Native American boarding schools. Educating native children was an enterprise that quickly turned lethal as epidemics and contagious illnesses swept through the schools. Sickness infected and killed scores of students.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and KariMarisa Anton
Thank you to our guest K. Tsiannina Lomawaima and some of the music in this episode was composed by indigenous composer R. Carlos Nakai.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
39:5526/06/2023
Taken By Force
As the idea that the best way to handle the “Indian Problem” in America was to civilize their youth took hold in the late 19th century, the amount of boarding schools grew rapidly. But the government couldn’t rely on Native tribes to send their children to schools willingly, so they had to accomplish it another way: by force. Attendance became mandatory, and children were rounded up and sent to live at boarding schools, sometimes hundreds of miles away. They were cut off from their homes, families, and culture… and forced assimilation began.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and KariMarisa Anton
Thank you to our guest K. Tsiannina Lomawaima and some of the music in this episode was composed by indigenous composer R. Carlos Nakai.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
43:2823/06/2023
Shaved Heads and Stolen Lands
Richard Pratt’s boarding schools for Native American children didn’t just materialize out of thin air. The idea that it was the job of the government to try to assimilate Native Americans into European settler culture had been around since the first Europeans stepped foot onto North American soil. So today, let’s jump back in time and connect the dots from the Constitution to forced education.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and KariMarisa Anton
Thank you to our guest K. Tsiannina Lomawaima and some of the music in this episode was composed by indigenous composer R. Carlos Nakai.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
38:3121/06/2023
Pratt's Devastating Experiment
Welcome to our new series, Taken: Native Boarding Schools in America where we dive into the complex history of the United States Government's intervention of Indigenous tribes and culture. We’re going to go beyond the Trail of Tears and into the federally mandated programs that took Native children from their homes and placed them in boarding schools. It’s a history of erasure, dominance, violence, and trauma–some of it so concealed that the Department of the Interior is still investigating it today.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Amy Watkin, Mandy Reid, and KariMarisa Anton
Thank you to our guest K. Tsiannina Lomawaima and some of the music in this episode was composed by indigenous composer R. Carlos Nakai.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
38:3419/06/2023
I Won't Shut Up with Ally Henny
Writer Ally Henny joins Sharon today to talk about Bruno. But in this context, Bruno–always around, but only talked about in hushed tones–is race. Ally and Sharon have a candid conversation about the pitfalls of Respectability Politics and how white people can do better when it comes to getting uncomfortable in conversations about race. Ally’s new book, I Won’t Shut Up: Finding Your Voice When the World Tries to Silence You, is a great place to start if you are looking to understand the ways in which racism persists in America today.
Special thanks to our guest, Ally Henny, for joining us today. You can preorder I Won’t Shut Up here!
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Ally Henny
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
43:3716/06/2023
Break It Up with Richard Kreitner
On today’s episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with author of the book Break It Up: Secession, Division, and the Secret History of America's Imperfect Union, Richard Kreitner. Richard and Sharon talk about the theme of division throughout American history. We may say we are one nation, united, but there have always been ideas, events, and people who have challenged that notion of unity and union, even back at the very start of the nation’s founding.
Special thanks to our guest, Richard Kreitner, for joining us today. You can purchase Break It Up here.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Richard Kreitner
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
37:3414/06/2023
The Value of Building Civic Friendships with Dr. Kerry Sautner
On today’s episode of Here’s Where It gets Interesting, Sharon welcomes guest Dr. Kerry Sautner, the chief learning officer at the National Constitution Center. Kerry and Sharon talk about civic education, and how it can be a building block for a great democracy–but just as important as learning from our past is learning how to communicate and collaborate in the present. Join us to learn more about the National Constitution Center, and the value of civic friendships and access to America’s full history.
Special thanks to our guest, Dr. Kerry Sautner, for joining us today.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Dr. Kerry Sautner
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
46:1612/06/2023
Eight Iconic American Symbols with David Rubenstein
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon welcomes back David Rubenstein to talk about his new PBS series, Iconic America. The series takes a look at eight different American symbols, from Cowboys to the Hollywood sign. These recognizable pieces of America have surprising histories, and Sharon and David discuss how symbols evolve and take on new meaning over time.
Special thanks to our guest, David Rubenstein, for joining us today. Catch his new PBS series, Iconic America, streaming now.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: David Rubenstein
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
36:5209/06/2023
The Teachers with Alexandra Robbins
Sharon’s guest on today’s episode on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting is author Alexandra Robbins, the author of several New York Times bestsellers. Her newest book, The Teachers, goes behind the scenes to show readers what life is like for teachers in America. She follows three teachers through their trials and triumphs over the course of one school year. Learn about their challenges with being under-resourced and over-scrutinized while they try to make connections and safe learning environments in their classrooms.
Special thanks to our guest, Alexandra Robbins, for joining us today. Order your copy of The Teachers here.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Alexandra Robbins
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
42:3007/06/2023
An America Divided by Region with Colin Woodard
Joining Sharon today is Colin Woodard, the director of the Nationhood Lab. Colin is an expert on the regional cultures that make up the United States, and while we tend to think of regional differences as disagreements about our political views, the cultural history goes much deeper than that. Colin has studied how these geographical regional divides pertain to gun violence in America, and his conclusions may surprise you.
Special thanks to our guest, Colin Woodard, for joining us today. Learn more about the Nationhood Lab through the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy at Salve Regina University.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Colin Woodard
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
49:4105/06/2023
The Real Dr. King with Jonathan Eig
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with Jonathan Eig, the author of the new Martin Luther King Jr. biography, King: A Life. Eig spent six full years researching and writing about King’s life. He shares countless moments and pieces of King’s story that get left out of the general image we have of the I Have a Dream preacher. He also argues that, through honoring the Civil Rights activist with a holiday and through flashy quotes and merch like mugs and tees, we lose sight of the real King and his radicalism.
Special thanks to our guest, Jonathan Eig, for joining us today. Find King: A Life here.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Jonathan Eig
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
42:1302/06/2023
Life Worth Living with Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz
On today’s episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with Yale professors and two of the authors behind Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most. Initially a class in Yale’s humanities program, Life Worth Living sought to find answers to the age-old philosophical question: what’s the meaning of life? The book brings the classroom lessons to a new audience, and Sharon talks to Volf and McAnnally-Linz about how to go beyond TikTok and Cheetos and find true fulfillment.
Special thanks to our guests, Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz, for joining us today. Find Life Worth Living here.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guests: Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
41:2131/05/2023
Drama Free with Nedra Tawwab
To kick off a new season of guest interviews, Sharon sits down with the amazing Nedra Tawwab: bestselling author, relationship therapist, and boundaries expert. Nedra and Sharon talk about some of the key ideas Nedra shares in her latest book, Drama Free, and about how to navigate unhealthy family dynamics and relationships and move them into a healthier space. The change starts with us.
Special thanks to our guest, Nedra Tawwab for joining us today. Find Drama Free here.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Nedra Tawwab
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
40:5329/05/2023
From Hoovervilles to Hummingbirds in Space
Do you celebrate National Beer Day on April 7th every year? Did you even know that the U.S. has a National Beer Day? We do! And it’s all thanks to our 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt and his signing of the Cullen-Harrison Act. Celebrated across the country in 1933, the act was just one small step on the path to the ratification of the 21st Amendment and the final nail in the coffin for Prohibition.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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37:5026/05/2023
The Tide Begins to Turn
At its beginning, prohibition was spearheaded by outspoken women. Women who saw a need for social change and then set up the scaffolding to build, what they thought, would be a better America. So maybe it won’t be a surprise to hear that the repeal of Prohibition began in pretty much the same way. By the late 1920s, it was clear to many that Prohibition was a big flop. It was especially clear to one of its initial supporters who realized it was time to change her mind.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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39:5424/05/2023
Luck Be A Lady Governor
In the middle of the 1920s, when Prohibition was at its peak, leaders and law enforcement could go one of two ways: they could crack down on Volstead Act violators… or they could look the other way. Today, we’ll meet the first two women governors in the nation’s history–and a couple of lawmen–and learn how they handled their duties during Prohibition.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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37:5722/05/2023
White Squares Off Against the KKK
In its fight for a dry, anti-alcohol nation, the Anti-Saloon League recruited the Ku Klux Klan to join its mission to make Prohibition the law of the land. Klan members themselves weren’t specifically pro-Temperance, but they were happy to use dry laws as a way to target and perpetrate violence against Black Americans, immigrants, Jews, and Catholics. But the power of the Klan was beginning to fade…
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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35:1719/05/2023
A Movie and a Man Who Revived the Klan
How did one of the most popular movies in the country–a blockbuster of epic proportions–fuel the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan? And how, in just a few short years, did the Klan grow from small pockets of state chapters into a national social organization with a membership in the millions? The KKK and the prohibitionists of the 1920s worked hand-in-hand to turn America into a dry, white, Protestant-ruled nation. As booze dried up in towns across the nation, white supremacy began to rise.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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41:1817/05/2023
A Cocktail Toast to the Mob
On today’s episode of our series on Prohibition, we talk about two things that go hand in hand with the enforcement of dry laws: crime and cocktails. The spread of both was a direct consequence of the 18th amendment as mobsters ruled the violent industry of bootlegging and the rough liquor they sold was made more palatable with mixers.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
44:5315/05/2023
The Suckers and Celebrities of the NYC Speakeasy Scene
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, it’s a battle between the lawman and the barkeep; we’re going to explore the New York jazz and speakeasy scene. Along the way, we’ll meet a few people who embodied that old adage: sometimes appearances can be deceiving. And, of course, if there’s anywhere in time and place to reinvent yourself, it’s New York City in the 1920s.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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37:0912/05/2023
A Physician, a Rabbi, and a Bootlegger Walk into a Pharmacy
By 1920, America was officially a dry country. In theory. In practice, the law came with enough loopholes that opportunists found plenty of ways to make, trade, sell, and guzzle vast quantities of alcohol. Some turned to religion and some walked into a pharmacy with a doctor’s note. Still others knew how to rig the system so well that they made their fortunes and even got away with murder.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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45:0110/05/2023
The Whiskey-Guzzling Womanizer in the White House
As the country went dry at the start of 1920, Americans were ready for a new leader. A stand-up guy, they thought, someone who reflects our morals–a man of the people. The elected Warren Harding, a handsome Ohioan who prided himself on his all-American principles. But behind closed doors, Warren Harding, 29th President of the United States, hid a plethora of dark secrets.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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45:1608/05/2023
If Mabel Had Worn Trousers
Today, we’re going to meet the most powerful woman in America during the Prohibition era. Mabel Walker Willebrandt was the Assistant Attorney General and it was her job to enforce the 18th amendment and prosecute those who flouted the new laws of Prohibition. With a boss that didn’t think she’d succeed and a lazy department who didn’t want to work for a woman, Mabel went after some of the most notorious names in bootlegging… and won.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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38:1505/05/2023
How to Train Kids in the Practice of Temperance
Today in our series about Prohibition, we learn more about the crusade to turn America into a dry nation. It may surprise you to learn that it wasn’t spearheaded by only white Christian women who disapproved of saloons and whiskey. Leaders in the growing civil rights movement also pushed for temperance, and one woman convinced the government that the path to prohibition was best paved through the public school system.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
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43:1703/05/2023
Carrying a Nation into Prohibition
Welcome to the first episode in our new series, From Hatchets to Hoods: The Mayhem of a Dry America! We’re going to begin our series a number of years before the iconic 18th Amendment went into effect, with a growing movement born of domestic and religious fervor, and the women who were gutsy enough to face social problems head on… a hatchet in hand.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Give to the Winds Thy Fears sung by Brianne Flanagin
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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41:1101/05/2023
The First Lady of World War II with Shannon McKenna Schmidt
Today on the show, Shannon McKenna Schmidt joins Sharon to talk about the trifecta of listener-favorite subjects: an American First Lady, World War II, and a secret adventure. Shannon’s new book, The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt's Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back, chronicles Eleanor Roosevelt’s journey to the Pacific theater during wartime. The five week trip took her through the South Pacific, and began as a secret when she hitched a ride on a transport airplane next to sacks of mail. Tune in to hear what happened when she touched down in Australia.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Shannon McKenna Schmidt
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Researcher: Valerie Hoback
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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40:3928/04/2023
An American Love Story with Ilyon Woo
On this episode of Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with Ilyon Woo, author of the new book, Master Slave Husband Wife, a love story between William and Ellen Craft. You may not be familiar with their names, but the Crafts were a determined enslaved couple who made their escape through disguise and performance, and in their success, defied the limitations of gender and race.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Ilyon Woo
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Researcher: Valerie Hoback
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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39:1526/04/2023
What's Our Problem? with Tim Urban
Today, on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, co-founder of the website Wait But Why? joins Sharon to talk about a few big ideas, like censorship, the future of big tech, the role of government, and what we can do to combat corruption. They also talk about bad drawings of stick figures, and his new book, What’s Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Tim Urban
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Researcher: Valerie Hoback
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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46:4124/04/2023
The Nazi Conspiracy with Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch
On today’s episode, authors Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch sit down with Sharon to discuss their New York Times bestselling book, The Nazi Conspiracy. The pair discusses their research and writing process, including what it's like to collaborate on a book together. The Nazi Conspiracy takes readers deep inside the events of the Second World War and the semi-secret, in-person meeting between FDR, Churchill, and Stalin in Tehran. The Nazis grew wise to the meeting and conspired to assassinate all three leaders. What followed was a calculated series of spy missions, intelligence gathering, and strategic moves between the Allies and the Nazi powers.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Researcher: Valerie Hoback
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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42:4021/04/2023
Shipwrecked: Diving with a Purpose with Dr. Sean Kinglsey
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon welcomes Marine Archeologist Dr. Sean Kinglsey. Learn about how marine archeology is carried out, what the divers look for when they dive and explore shipwrecks, and how the information is pieced together to fill in gaps of the history of human migration--specifically, the transatlantic slave trade, in which 12.5 million Africans were transported around the world against their will. Dr. Kingsley's latest book is Enslaved: The Sunken History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Sean Kingsley
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Researcher: Valerie Hoback
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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39:3119/04/2023
Life in Five Senses with Gretchen Rubin
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, bestselling author Gretchen Rubin joins Sharon to talk about her newest book, Life in Five Senses. Gretchen talks about how to use our sensory experiences to draw closer to other people and evoke our memories. She is a fan of practical application–trying small things throughout our day to enrich our senses and open us up to more beauty, happiness, and passion for the ways in which we decide to enrich our lives.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Gretchen Rubin
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Researcher: Valerie Hoback
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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39:4217/04/2023
An Immense World with Ed Yong
Sharon welcomes guest Ed Yong to Here’s Where It Gets Interesting. Ed’s newest book, An Immense World, How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us. It’s a fascinating look at the rich sensory world of animals, and Ed speaks to Sharon about how exploring this world opens up big, philosophical questions about life. Every creature, humans included, are only really perceiving a very thin sliver of the fullness of reality, and while our perceptions may be limited, we should continue to explore, and let our curiosity guide us into new experiences.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Ed Yong
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Researcher: Valerie Hoback
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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41:2414/04/2023
Dinner with the President with Alex Prud'homme
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon sits down with author Alex Prud'homme about his book, Dinner with the President, all about White House food. He is the coauthor of his aunt Julia Child's memoir, My Life in France, and merges Presidential history with dishes that were the height of sophistication at one point. An on ramp to this book and conversation can be summarized in this passage:
“Presidential meals often had personal meaning, and sometimes contained coded political messages. James Garfield and Dwight Eisenhower liked bowls of squirrel soup. William Howard Taft had a taste for possum. Zachary Taylor died after eating cherries and drinking cold milk. Woodrow Wilson had chronic indigestion and consumed dubious elixirs, yet he and Herbert Hoover saved millions of lives with innovative food policies. The gourmand Theodore Roosevelt and his gourmet cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt led the nation over bison steaks and terrapin soups. (A gourmand is someone who eats and drinks to wretched excess. A gourmet is a connoisseur of fine dining.) JFK liked clam chowder, LBJ favored chili, Richard Nixon ate cottage cheese almost every day, and George W. Bush liked ballpark hot dogs. The presidents’ food choices reflected the state of the nation.”
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Alex Prud'homme
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Researcher: Valerie Hoback
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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40:1012/04/2023
A Fever in the Heartland with Timothy Egan
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, Sharon talks with Timothy Egan, a Pulitzer Prize—winning reporter, lifelong journalist, and the author of ten books, most recently the highly acclaimed A Pilgrimage to Eternity and The Immortal Irishman, a New York Times bestseller. His book on the Dust Bowl, The Worst Hard Time, won a National Book Award for Excellence in Nonfiction. His account of photographer Edward Curtis, Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher, won the Carnegie Medal for nonfiction.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Guest: Timothy Egan
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Researcher: Valerie Hoback
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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39:2710/04/2023
Secrets of the Civil War: The Rocky Road of Reconstruction
After four years of fighting, the Union had persevered in bringing the seceded states back into the fold. But the newly reunited country had a great deal of healing to do. Reconstruction took over a decade, and the passage of several constitutional amendments, to create new scaffolding. And even as a new century dawned, the United States was as segregated as ever.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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45:0907/04/2023
Secrets of the Civil War: The Necessity of Innovation
In this series, we have covered all sorts of innovations that arose out of the conflict, from deviled ham spread and spy balloons to surgical advancements. Today we are going to continue that exploration with a wide range of new developments like photojournalism, a national currency, and the evolution of premade clothing. It’s a smorgasbord of inventions, y’all!
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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46:1105/04/2023
Secrets of the Civil War: Battlefield Angels and Amputations
Approximately 620 thousand soldiers died in the Civil War, and some historians believe that number might be closer to 750 thousand. But believe it or not, it could have been worse. The Civil War hastened medical advancements out of necessity, and we’re still benefiting from many of these advancements today.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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44:2603/04/2023
Secrets of the Civil War: North Toward Freedom
Today in our series, Secrets of the Civil War, we’ll meet some of the key players in the Abolition Movement–a persuader, an agitator, and a conductor. Their ideals and actions helped foster the success of the Underground Railroad and the path to emancipation. How did so many enslaved persons seeking freedom make it through the perilous journey North? Through a meticulously organized network of safe houses and stations run by agents and conductors.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hush, Hush, Somebody is Calling My Name recording by Sweet Honey in the Rock
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35:5231/03/2023
Secrets of the Civil War: The War Within a War
Today on Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, we’re going to touch on a war you probably didn’t know happened. During the seemingly all-consuming Civil War, there was another entirely different series of skirmishes and battles happening in America. It only lasted 6 weeks, but had devastating consequences.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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33:1929/03/2023
Secrets of the Civil War: A Tale of Two Roberts
On today’s episode in our series, Secrets of the Civil War, we’re going to hear about two men–both named Robert and hailed as heroes, who had completely different backgrounds – until the Civil War changed the directions of their lives forever. One was a boat thief and the other was a battalion leader.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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37:5327/03/2023
Secrets of the Civil War: Survival Off the Battlefields
Today, let’s talk about what life was like during the Civil War for people who weren’t on the battlefield. What did they get up and do every day? What did they worry about? We’ll witness the war through the eyes of five women whose stories are symbolic of the real experiences–the hopes, the sorrows, the loneliness and the joy–that countless women endured during the Civil War.
Special thanks to the curators of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Museum, including Sister Lavonia “Lee” Bailey, Reverend Edward Maurice Bailey, Nelson Polite, and Minnie P. Vinson.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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31:4224/03/2023
Secrets of the Civil War: Propaganda in Tune
During the Civil War, the Union used a whole slew of propaganda to win over Northerners: pamphlets, posters, poetry, clothing, cartoons… and music. Performed at rallies where in front of huge crowds about the cause, Civil War songs were specifically written to stir up patriotism and pride. Lyrics praised the bravery of volunteers, and had the dual purpose of encouraging more young men to enlist while boosting the morale of existing troops. Listen in, there’s no doubt you’ll recognize the tunes.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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34:2422/03/2023
Secrets of the Civil War: A War Won on Food
Did you know that Hot Pockets, astronaut food, and maple bacon donuts all have their origins in the Battle Between the States? It’s true! During the Civil War, the most important thing for soldiers’ survival wasn’t ammunition or strategic plans. It was FOOD! So grab a snack and settle in.
Hosted by: Sharon McMahon
Executive Producer: Heather Jackson
Audio Producer: Jenny Snyder
Written and researched by: Heather Jackson, Valerie Hoback, Amy Watkin, and Mandy Reid
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
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39:3120/03/2023