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

A artist rendition of the signing of the United States Constitution with George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton (left to right in the foreground).Read more +03 March 2026 By Clay Jenkinson in Features

A Republic, if You Can Keep It: War and America in Iran

When the Founding Fathers met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to craft a new constitution, they worked strenuously to cage the “dogs of war” by way of constitutional restraints.
A fresco by artist Cesare Maccari (1840-1919) depicting Roman Consul Cicero (63 BCE) denouncing Catiline's conspiracy to overthrow the Republic in the Roman senate.Read more +23 February 2026 By Clay Jenkinson in Features

America at 250: Echoes of the Roman Republic?

America’s Founding Fathers drew heavily on the last years of the Roman Republic in crafting our nation’s founding documents, foreseeing both the promise and the frailties of a Republic. 
Route 66 road signRead more +09 February 2026 By Clay Jenkinson in Features

An Age of Disillusionment

What Is our American Story as the Nation’s 250th Birthday Approaches?

Connect with Listening to America

Events

Friends of LTA Quarterly Zoom
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 — evening
4:30 Pacific / 5:30 Mountain / 6:30 Central / 7:30 Eastern

Friends of LTA Book Club
Tuesday, March 17, 2026 — evening
4:30 Pacific / 5:30 Mountain / 6:30 Central / 7:30 Eastern

March 18, 2026: Virtual Event: The Ten Greatest Westerns
Online / Zoom

March 26, 2026: Vail Symposium: Education in America: Standards, Access and Outcomes
Online / Vail, Colo.

March 27, 2026: Vail Symposium: What is the U.S. Constitution?
Online / Avon, Colo.

Cultural Tours & Retreats

July 25-August 3, 2026: Cultural Tour: Lewis & Clark Trail

September 13-19, 2026: Cultural Tour: Monumental Decisions: Antiquities Act of 1906

September 20-October 2, 2026: Cultural Tour: Jefferson's France

Now Open for Registration!

January 3–8, 2027: Winter Retreat: The Beatles in Four Albums

January 10–15, 2027: Winter Retreat: Thoreau and the American Dream

January 17–22, 2027: Winter Retreat: The Novels of Jane Austen

Online Classes

Books We’re Reading

Teenager selling WW II memorabilia. Rzhev, Russia. July 2023. Cover image for the book Volga Blues by Marzio Mian with photographs by Alessandro Cosmelli.Read more +16 February 2026 By Clay Jenkinson in Books

Book Review — Volga Blues: A Journey Into the Heart of Russia

My friend, the Italian journalist Marzio Mian, has just published a remarkable book on his monthlong underground journey along Russia’s sacred Volga River. Part travelogue, part Russian history, and part exploration of the dense, tragic Russian soul in a time of brutal war, the book is a powerful read when America’s place in world affairs is significantly unsettled.
Author John Steinbeck at work.Read more +02 February 2026 By Clay Jenkinson in Books

Solitude & Loneliness: Pondering Steinbeck While Reading Thoreau

One of the great things about reading a lot is that it gives you the insights of triangulation. One book illuminates, interprets, and perhaps even disagrees with another, though the authors never met.
Undaunted Courage coverRead more +01 July 2025 By Clay Jenkinson in Books

Best Books On the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Clay’s recommendations on the best books on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
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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