Best Chautauqua Podcasts (2025)

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WASATAS #037 - SIEGE (ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gnaht ym tup i edition) 1:06:31

5h ago1:06:31

1:06:31

Siege: a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrenderBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1643 A Cultural Tour of Cuba 58:07

14m ago58:07

58:07

Russ Eagle is the guest host for a discussion of Clay’s recent cultural tour of Cuba. Clay, Russ, and guests spent 10 days in Cuba, traveling in a small bus across the island. They began in Santiago, where the Cuban Revolution touched off on July 26, 1953, and ended in Havana, once one of the most vibrant cities in the Caribbean. It is still full o…

1
WASATAS #036 - WRIGGLE 1:15:41

7h ago1:15:41

1:15:41

Wriggle: to move the body or a bodily part to and fro with short writhing motions like a wormBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1642 The Myths That Hold America Back 56:37

1d ago56:37

56:37

Clay is joined by Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky and Dr. Casey Burgat to discuss a new book, We Hold These “Truths”: How to Spot the Myths That are Holding America Back. The book aims to tackle 13 myths at the core of political dysfunction: lobbyists are evil, Congress doesn’t do anything, the Supreme Court has become too political, and there is a demand t…

1
WASATAS #035 - PITCH 1:15:22

7d ago1:15:22

1:15:22

Pitch: a black or dark viscous substance obtained as a residue in the distillation of organic materials and especially tarsBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1641 Author, Hampton Sides on Captain James Cook’s Amazing Third Voyage 56:18

9d ago56:18

56:18

Clay interviews Hampton Sides, the author of a dozen outstanding books, including studies of Kit Carson, Martin Luther King’s assassin James Earl Ray, the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in Korea, and most recently, The Wide, Wide Sea, Sides’ study of the third and fatal voyage of Captain James Cook. How does one write about a British explorer like Jame…

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WASATAS #034 - BELLY 1:08:08

14d ago1:08:08

1:08:08

Belly: the stomach and its adjunctsBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1640 Traveling America in Search of Its History and Stories 52:28

15d ago52:28

52:28

Clay sits down with Nolan Johnson, fellow North Dakotan and Listening to America’s talented videographer and podcast editor. Nolan joined Clay with cameras and drone in hand at key points along Clay’s 21,000-mile Travels with Charley journey in 2024. The two discuss plans for this year’s Lewis and Clark trek from Monticello to Astoria, Oregon, and …

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WASATAS #033 - INFLATE (feat. Ben Medina of 10,000 Maniacs) 1:08:50

29d ago1:08:50

1:08:50

Inflate: 1. distended with air or gas 2. expanded to an abnormal or unjustifiable volume or levelBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti, Ben Medina

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#1639 Jefferson and the Lewis and Clark Expedition 56:57

22d ago56:57

56:57

Guest host Russ Eagle interviews Thomas Jefferson about the American West. When he became the third president in the spring of 1801, Jefferson hired Meriwether Lewis to be his private correspondence secretary. Two years later, he selected Lewis to explore the American West by traveling up the Missouri River to its source, crossing the continental d…

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WASATAS #032 - MEAL (bUzZeD edition Vol. 2 - feat. Hillary Belin) 1:20:11

29d ago1:20:11

1:20:11

Meal: an act or the time of eating a portion of food to satisfy appetiteBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti, Hillary Belin

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#1638 Joe Ellis on the 2024 Presidential Election 57:21

29d ago57:21

57:21

Clay's discussion with Pulitzer Prize winning historian Joseph Ellis, author of over a dozen outstanding, award-winning books on the Founding Fathers and America's early national period. Joe shares his comments and insights on the 2024 election and the return of Donald Trump to the White House, only the second time this has occurred in American his…

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WASATAS #031 - JUST (feat. Zach Stahlsmith) 1:16:00

1M ago1:16:00

1:16:00

Just :adjective: having a basis in or conforming to fact or reason; adverb: exactly, preciselyBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti, Zach Stahlsmith

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#1637 Historical Integrity in a Hyper-Partisan Time 1:00:59

1M ago1:00:59

1:00:59

Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky and Clay discuss the challenge of maintaining historical integrity during political turmoil and uncertainty. How does a professional historian differentiate between her personal politics, her status as an American citizen, and her responsibilities as a professional historian? In other words, how can the public trust a histori…

1
WASATAS #030 - JOYSTICK 1:07:04

2M ago1:07:04

1:07:04

Joystick: a control for any of various devices (such as a computer) that resembles an airplane's joystick especially in being capable of motion in two or more directionsBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1636 Special Episode: Listener Mail On Clay's Great Steinbeck Adventure 56:23

1M ago56:23

56:23

Clay and special guest Russ Eagle take up listener mail about Clay's recently completed Travels with Charley tour of America. Thousands of people followed Clay's 210-day, 21,400-mile journey across America and sent along numerous suggestions and questions; these included recommended detours, great places to camp, restaurants to visit, and great spo…

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WASATAS #029 - NET 1:11:02

2M ago1:11:02

1:11:02

Net: an open-meshed fabric twisted, knotted, or woven together at regular intervalsBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1635 Peaceful Transfer of Power 55:52

2M ago55:52

55:52

Clay is joined by David Marchick, the author of the acclaimed book, The Peaceful Transfer of Power: An Oral History of America’s Presidential Transitions. The transfer of power in 2021 was not peaceful and it was not efficient. The transfer of power in 2025 will certainly be peaceful, but President-elect Trump is deliberately violating norms that h…

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WASATAS #028 - SHAFT 1:10:44

2M ago1:10:44

1:10:44

Shaft: something suggestive of the shaft of a spear or arrow especially in long slender cylindrical formBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1634 AI and Quantum Computing, Ready or Not 54:19

2M ago54:19

54:19

Clay and frequent guest David Horton talk about the coming Artificial Intelligence revolution. Like it or not, we are already wading (if not rushing) into that brave new world, and we all better come to terms with what’s ahead of us. Horton’s portfolio at Radford University includes questions of technology, appropriate technology, and the laws of u…

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WASATAS #027 - LIBERAL 1:22:35

2M ago1:22:35

1:22:35

Liberal: inclined to be open to ideas and ways of behaving that are not conventional or traditionalBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1633 The History of Presidential Transitions 56:30

2M ago56:30

56:30

Clay and frequent guest Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky discuss how an incoming president prepares to govern the United States. In what ways does the outgoing administration advise and guide the one coming in, particularly when the new president wants to make a sharp break with his predecessor’s policies and style? We examine the first four presidencies: Wa…

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WASATAS #026 - ATTIC (New Year's Day edition) 1:11:43

2M ago1:11:43

1:11:43

Attic: a room or a space immediately below the roof of a buildingBy Anthony Merchant

1
#1632 A Survival Guide for the Next Four Years 55:13

2M ago55:13

55:13

Guest host David Horton and Clay discuss New Year’s resolutions. Never more important than at present. People across the political spectrum are nervous about the next years of American life. But what’s to be done? Clay offers several ways of coping—taking up a craft that involves one’s hands and not merely one’s brain, reading with discipline and p…

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WASATAS #025 - TOYS (Xmas Day edition) 1:18:31

3M ago1:18:31

1:18:31

Toys: 1) Something that is of little or no value or importance; 2) Something for a child to play with; 3) Something small for its kind, especially an animal of a breed or variety that is exceptionally small Merry Christmas!By Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1631 The Annual Christmas Show 55:00

3M ago55:00

55:00

Guest host David Horton of Radford University and Clay discuss the history of Christmas, especially its modern invention during the mid 19th century in England and the United States. Thomas Jefferson, a deist, did not celebrate Christmas, but as someone who grew up in the Anglican tradition, he did not shun it the way New England Puritans of the pe…

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[BONUS] WASATAS XMAS EPISODE TEASER 20:48

3M ago20:48

20:48

Gavin and Anthony tease the xmas edition of WASATAS plus they write a song (no big deal)By Gavin Paterniti, Anthony Merchant

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WASATAS #024 - FLEX 1:11:18

3M ago1:11:18

1:11:18

Flex: to bend especially over and overBy Anthony Merchant

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#1630 The Vietnam War: An Interview with Historian Geoffrey Wawro 50:31

3M ago50:31

50:31

Clay welcomes University of North Texas historian Geoffrey Wawro for a discussion of the War in Vietnam (1961–1975), which cost more than 58,000 American lives and hundreds of thousands of deaths in North and South Vietnam. Wawro, the author of seven books on the history of war, explains how a superpower got into a quagmire in a small Asian country…

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WASATAS #023 - EPISODE 1:09:05

3M ago1:09:05

1:09:05

Episode: an event that is distinctive and separate although part of a larger seriesBy Gavin Paterniti, Anthony Merchant

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#1629 The Declaration of Independence and Conspiracy Theories 55:09

3M ago55:09

55:09

One of Clay’s favorite guests, Beau Breslin, talks about the early National Period as rife with conspiracy theories. The Declaration of Independence, for example, argued that the ministry and crown of England were engaged in a systematic conspiracy to “enslave” the colonists. Beau argues that the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was a conspiracy—e…

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WASATAS #022 - MOIST (feat. Dave Ahlquist) 1:14:25

4M ago1:14:25

1:14:25

Moist: slightly or moderately wetBy Dave Ahlquist, Gavin Paterniti, Anthony Merchant

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#1628 Civil Rights Pilgrimage with Russ Eagle 1:04:28

3M ago1:04:28

1:04:28

Clay's and his close friend, Russ Eagle, journey from New Orleans to Shreveport. Then, from Jackson, Mississippi, to Birmingham, Alabama to visit civil rights sites and shrines. John Steinbeck witnessed the appauling white response to the integration of the schools in New Orleans in December of 1960 and was so repulsed by what he saw that he gave u…

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WASATAS #021 - WHOLE (21+ edition) 1:09:34

4M ago1:09:34

1:09:34

Whole: constituting the total sum or undiminished entiretyBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1627 Clay and Steven Duchrow Talk Chautauqua 50:31

4M ago50:31

50:31

Clay welcomes fellow Chautauquan Steve Duchrow of Illinois for a conversation about portraying historical characters. Clay does six or seven; Steve portrays the poets Carl Sandburg and Vachel Lindsay. They discuss how to choose a character. How do you prepare for your first performance and the five hundredth? Why is it important not to work from a …

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WASATAS #020 - REVOKE 1:14:28

4M ago1:14:28

1:14:28

Revoke: to put an end to (as a law, order, or privilege) by taking away or cancelingBy Gavin Paterniti, Anthony Merchant

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#1626 America’s Fascination with Conspiracy Theories 50:49

4M ago50:49

50:49

Clay talks with guest host David Horton about America’s obsession with conspiracy theories, from the notion that the moon landing in 1969 was faked on a Hollywood sound stage to the view that 9-11 was an inside job designed to secure more oil for the United States and justify a war against Islam. What is the psychology of this strange phenomenon? D…

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WASATAS #019 - HAUNT 1:09:36

4M ago1:09:36

1:09:36

Haunt: a place habitually frequentedBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1625 Do We Have an American Narrative? 59:01

4M ago59:01

59:01

In an interview recorded on October 29, 2024, Clay interviews the eminent classicist, Edward Watts of the University of California, San Diego, on the collapse of the American narrative. The old narrative that began when Columbus bumped into the New World and then moved through the colonial period, the American Revolution, the Westering movement, th…

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WASATAS #018 - THOUGHT (Barely Legal edition) 1:09:01

5M ago1:09:01

1:09:01

Thought: the action or process of thinkingBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1624 Thomas Jefferson on American Elections 51:33

4M ago51:33

51:33

Guest host David Horton welcomes the Third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, to the program to talk about what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they designed the system of American elections. Why did the Founders give two senators to each state? How was the controversy between big and little states resolved, and how has it infl…

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WASATAS #017 - TRACT (bUzZeD edition) 1:07:35

5M ago1:07:35

1:07:35

Tract: a system of body parts or organs that act together to perform some functionBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1623 Reflections on the Nation of Texas 55:35

5M ago55:35

55:35

Clay discusses his foray into Texas on Phase Three of the great John Steinbeck Travels with Charley 2024 tour. How is Texas different from other states? Can anyone really eat at the Big Texas Steak Ranch and survive? Is the Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo as worthy as Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska? Why are Texans nicer IN Texas than when they drive t…

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WASATAS #016 - MAGNITUDE 1:11:01

5M ago1:11:01

1:11:01

Magnitude: great size or extentBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1622 Clay's John Steinbeck America Tour Resumes 59:39

5M ago59:39

59:39

Guest host Russ Eagle interviews Clay about the third phase of his 2024 Steinbeck "Travels with Charley" tour. Russ was in North Carolina, Clay, at an RV park in eastern New Mexico on the legendary Route 66. They discussed Steinbeck's purpose for his 1960 truck camper Odyssey. Did he achieve his goal? Why wasn't Steinbeck interested in America's Na…

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WASATAS #015 - GRANDMOTHER 1:17:07

5M ago1:17:07

1:17:07

Grandmother: the mother of one's father or motherBy Gavin Paterniti, Anthony Merchant

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#1621 The Caitlin Clark Phenomenon 50:33

5M ago50:33

50:33

Clay Jenkinson is joined by sports historian Kurt Kemper of Dakota State University and sports fan David Nicandri of Washington State. Our subject: the Caitlin Clark phenomenon. Clark of the University of Iowa now holds the NCAA collegiate basketball record for most career points in either the men’s or women’s league. What is next for her? How does…

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WASATAS #014 - IMPERIAL 1:04:45

5M ago1:04:45

1:04:45

Imperial: of, relating to, befitting, or suggestive of an empire or an emperorBy Anthony Merchant, Gavin Paterniti

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#1620 The Hollowing Out of Rural America 59:13

5M ago59:13

59:13

Clay speaks with Richard Rhodes, eminent author of numerous books, including The Making of the Atomic Bomb. The subject: industrial agriculture and the death of rural America. Other countries pass legislation protecting small family farms, but the U.S. government throws its weight behind agribusiness and industrial gigantism. Rhodes believes we nee…