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.

We invite you to join us on this journey. 

ESSAYS, INTERVIEWS AND FEATURES

President and Jackie Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, minutes before his assassination, November, 22, 1962.Read more +02 November 2024 By Clay Jenkinson in Features

Recollections in Dallas: A Pivot of American History

While in Dallas, Texas, on his Steinbeck Travels with Charley Tour, Clay revisits places and memories connected with President John Kennedy’s tragic assassination on November 22, 1963.
Read more +28 October 2024 By Clay Jenkinson in Features

Autumn and Joy on the Open Road

There is nothing quite like the magic of traveling America in the fall.
Read more +22 October 2024 By Clay Jenkinson in Features

Reports of the Book’s Demise are Greatly Exaggerated

A stop at a West Texas Barnes & Noble persuades Clay that books remain alive and kicking.

Connect with Listening to America

Cultural Tours & Retreats

February 23–March 6, 2025: Cuban-American History Tour

July 20–29, 2025: Lewis & Clark Cultural Tour

January 5–10, 2025: Winter Retreat: Thoreau’s Walden & Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire 

January 12–17, 2025: Winter Retreat: Classic Shakespeare: King Lear & As You Like It

 

COMING SOON!
Jefferson’s France: Fall 2025

Online Class

November 16–December 7, 2024: John Donne and the English Renaissance 

Books We’re Reading

Read more +03 September 2024 By Clay Jenkinson in Books

Peaceful Transfer of Power: Then and Now

Lindsay Chervinsky’s new book closely examines the dramatic events that shaped America’s pattern for the peaceful transfer of power.
Read more +12 July 2024 By Russ Eagle in Books

The Best John Steinbeck Biographies, Part II

Russ Eagle builds on his previous list of John Steinbeck biographies by looking at works that focus on specific relationships and periods in the author’s life.
Read more +11 June 2024 By Russ Eagle in Books

The Best John Steinbeck Biographies, Part I

As Clay prepares for the second leg of his Travels with Charley journey, Russ Eagle calls out the best John Steinbeck biographies.
Clay Jenkinson

Clay Jenkinson

A prolific author and noted humanities scholar, Clay Jenkinson is a frequent guest on national media and is regularly featured in documentary films, including several by Ken Burns. Clay is the recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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