Our American Stories

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Danny Elfman Never Planned to Become a Film Composer. Then Tim Burton Called Jun 01, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Danny Elfman first became famous as the lead singer of Oingo Boingo before building a career as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable film composers. His work on Batman, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and The Simpsons helped shape the sound of movies and television for an entire generation. But music was not always his passion. From a punk-ska band to an unexpected partnership with Tim Burton, Elfman shares the story of how an unlikely path through music led him into film scoring.

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I Sewed Through Fabric My Great-Grandmother Chose Before World War I Jun 01, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Joy Neal Kidney shares the story of a handmade quilt that linked her to her great-grandmother, Laura Goff, a country schoolteacher born shortly after the American Civil War who raised 11 children while moving across the Midwest in search of opportunity and education for her family.
Years after Laura’s death, Joy inherited her unfinished “Periwinkle” quilt — a beautiful but stubborn patchwork that would not lie flat. Taking it apart thread by thread and sewing it back together by hand, Joy found herself stitching through fabrics her great-grandmother had chosen decades earlier. It became more than a quilt. It became a story about family, women’s work, memory, sacrifice, and the quiet ways history survives across generations.

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How One Company Helped an Employee Find Her Calling May 29, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, finding meaningful work is easier said than done. For our Opportunity America series, Kelly Robinson shares how the culture at Koch Industries helped her discover new strengths, grow professionally, and ultimately find her calling. It’s a story about career growth, workplace culture, leadership, and what can happen when employees are encouraged to pursue purpose alongside performance.

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The Night 2 H-Bombs Fell on North Carolina (Told By the Man Who Dismantled Them) May 29, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in January 1961, a B-52 Stratofortress crash near Goldsboro sent two massive hydrogen bombs falling to the ground just days after John F. Kennedy took office. But much of what happened that day remained hidden from the public for decades.
Earl Smith, the young Air Force bomb disposal technician sent to the scene, shares what he saw on the night of the Goldsboro nuclear bomb accident.

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The Boston Marathon Did Not Want Women Running in 1967. Kathrine Switzer Ran Anyway May 29, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, The Boston Marathon had never officially allowed a woman to compete when Kathrine Switzer pinned on her bib number in 1967 and stepped to the starting line. Just minutes into the race, an angry official stormed toward her and tried to rip her out of the pack in front of reporters and spectators. Switzer herself joins us to share how she kept running through the chaos and how that moment helped change the future of women’s sports.

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William Faulkner Turned His Mississippi Hometown Into Literary History May 28, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, William Faulkner spent most of his life in Oxford, where he wrote novels focused on the people, conflicts, and tensions of the modern South. The town around him became the basis for Yoknapatawpha County, the fictional setting that would define much of his work and help establish his place in American literature. Some locals did not always appreciate it, after all, their stories sometimes found their way into Faulkner’s fiction, for better or worse.
Rachel Hudson of Rowan Oak shares how Faulkner wrote about Mississippi in a way that unsettled local readers and helped change the direction of Southern literature.

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How a Log Cabin Helped Spark the Great Awakening in Early America May 28, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, in the early 1700s, a small log cabin in Pennsylvania became the center of a growing religious movement in the American colonies. Built by Presbyterian minister William Tennent, a devoted pastor and educator, the humble school, later known as the “Log College,” trained a handful of young men who would go on to lead revivals across the colonies and help shape early American Christianity during the Great Awakening.
Robert Morgan, author of 100 Bible Verses That Made America, shares how the Bible influenced early American history, the Great Awakening, and the spirit that helped lead toward the American Revolution.

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From Montserrat to America: Patrice Onwuka’s Story of Opportunity May 28, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Patrice Onwuka was born on the Caribbean island of Montserrat before her family immigrated legally to the United States in search of greater opportunity. After arriving in a rough neighborhood outside Boston during the 1980s, Onwuka watched her parents work exhausting jobs, sacrifice endlessly for their children, and slowly build a new life from scratch.
Years later, the little girl who grew up watching political commentary shows with her parents became one of the voices she once saw on television. Onwuka shares her story of immigration, hard work, education, and the American Dream.

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Brett Favre’s Tribute to His Father May 28, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, NFL legend Brett Favre reflects on one of the most emotional games of his career. After the passing of his father, Irvin Favre, in December 2003, Brett took the field and threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns in a memorable Monday Night Football victory over the Oakland Raiders. During his 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech, he shared the story of that unforgettable tribute to his dad.

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The USS Enterprise Coffee Disaster May 28, 2026

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Americans drink millions of cups of coffee every day, and the United States Armed Forces have long depended on it too. Our regular contributor out of Colorado, Richard Muniz, traces the history of coffee in America through wartime stories before sharing a hilarious tale from the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), where one sailor’s attempt to make the greatest cup of coffee on the ship went spectacularly wrong.

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