FEATURES

Man with white beard and sunglasses standing beside a loaded motorcycle, next to a wooden sign titled 'Blackfeet and Buffalo' in a rural area.

Frank Lister — A Native Son and Great Soul of America’s West

The Listening to America team lost a trusted colleague and dear friend last week. Frank Lister, our chief scout, passed away on October 27, 2026.  Frank made us all happy to be alive. He will be profoundly missed.
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“This Mass of Trash” — Jane Austen and Thomas Jefferson

You find Jane Austen fans in the most unexpected places. Though not likely Thomas Jefferson.
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Bears Ears National Monument gets its name from the two distinct buttes that tower over the Southeastern Utah landscape and resemble a bear's ears.

Why Bears Ears National Monument Is Different

Last month, the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, in collaboration with Listening to America, hosted a Cultural Explorations program titled Monumental Decisions: The Antiquities Act of 1906.
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The 1936 public execution of a 22-year-old Black man, Bethea, convicted of the rape and robbery of a 70-year-old white woman. An estimated 10,000 to 20,000 spectators gathered around the wooden scaffold in a public courtyard. Widespread public disorder and criticism surrounding the spectacle led Kentucky (and other states) to ban public executions, making Bethea's hanging widely recognized as the last officially sanctioned public execution in the United States.

America’s Enlightenment Crisis

Recent events, including the proposal that the federal government live-stream the public execution of a convicted terrorist, are corroding our nation’s long enlightenment heritage.
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Harper's Magazine cover, January 1947, featuring the title 'The West Against Itself' by Bernard Devoto (Vol. 194, No. 1160).

Where Is Bernard DeVoto When We Need Him?

Struck by the breathtaking speed of change in American life since World War II, Clay is writing a series of essays about what has transpired within a single humanities scholar’s lifetime. This week he writes about how our media channels shape our sense of history, current events, and national outlook.
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A Lament for the Snail-Mail Letter — A Great Technological Casualty?

During my lifetime, I have witnessed the death of the letter. Future historians will have to sift through an infinite number of mostly inane cellphone texts, with little real revelation of the individuals and the periods they are studying.
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Formed by retreating glaciers 10,000 years ago, Prairie pothole wetlands are shallow, freshwater marshes scattered across the Great Plains. They provide vital waterfowl habitat. According to the EPA, about half of all prairie potholes have been drained or altered for agricultural use.

Weakening Generational Commitments That Protect Wetlands Is Bad for Farmers, Wildlife, and Future Generations

Prairie pothole wetlands are shallow, freshwater marshes scattered across the Great Plains of North America. Formed by retreating glaciers 10,000 years ago, this immense number of small, pocket-like water bodies fill with spring snowmelt and rain, creating a “duck factory” ecosystem.
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The Beatles perform

In My Life: The Beatles and Global Connectivity

I tuned in, along with over 300 million others from around the globe, on that landmark day when popular music connected with the space age and changed the world forever.
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Outdoor garage sale setup on grass with a table of cookware, shoes on a rack, baskets, a vintage suitcase, and a 'GARAGE SALE' sign with an arrow.

The Grim and Goofy Anthropology of Garage Sales

There are between 6 and 9 million garage sales per year in the United States, approximately 165,000 per week, with total sales of $220 million annually. Such affairs seem especially popular here in North Dakota.
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Matt Damon as the hero Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s new film epic The Odyssey.

A Review of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

I rushed from Missoula, Montana, to Billings the other day to see Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey at a modified limited IMAX theater. This was the same theater where I first saw Nolan’s Oppenheimer three years ago. Quick take: I liked Oppenheimer better, but read on ...
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