E Pluribus Motto

John Hodgman presents his home commonwealth to Janet Varney. It’s time to spotlight Massachusetts!

Keep your Boston accents to yourself (for now) because we’ll learn more about how its motto was born from was born from an incredibly aggressive guest book entry and the numerous songs that have fought status within Massachusetts.

Plus, John will chat with Kate Lorch. As an elementary school student she struck a major political victory: getting Massachusetts an official state muffin. 

Special thanks to Denise Falbo for supplying episode art this week!

Produced by Julian Burrell.

Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher.

Find E Pluribus Motto on Instagram and TikTok.

And send us a voice memo, message or photo about an upcoming state to 

[email protected].

It’s Janet Varney’s turn to present to John Hodgman; it’s the biggest little state in the union: Rhode Island!

While Rhode Island does have a limited presence in pop culture, it still has a lot of great songs devoted to it. And we’re happy to showcase a few.

We’ll find out what exactly a “stuffy” is and why this state motto is so simple and yet perfect.

Plus, we’ll hear from Julian Fellowes, creator of the shows “Downton Abbey” and “The Gilded Age.” The latter is filmed in Newport, Rhode Island. We’ll learn more about why Julian was so taken with the location and what he thinks of the Rhode Island state motto.

Special thanks to listeners Ryan Michney and Thomas Westgate for providing photos for this episode art. 

Produced by Julian Burrell.

Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher.

Find E Pluribus Motto on Instagram and TikTok.

And send us a voice memo, message or photo about an upcoming state to [email protected].

It’s the very first episode of E Pluribus Motto!

John Hodgman and Janet Varney’s first stop on their tour of every state, commonwealth and territory in the United States is Connecticut. Why Connecticut first? They’ll explain.

Hear more about its legendary rich, sandy loam, the grape-filled seal, and its many attempts to create a state motto that sticks.

Plus, Janet speaks with Amy Holden Jones, creator of the film Mystic Pizza. Amy will tell us about how her movie was directly inspired by Connecticut… and give her own suggestions for a new state motto.

Produced by Julian Burrell.

Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher.

Find E Pluribus Motto on Instagram and TikTok.

And send us a voice memo, message or photo about an upcoming state to 

[email protected]

Listening to E Pluribus Motto is like taking a road trip with friends Janet Varney and John Hodgman. In each episode, they spotlight one state and chat about its motto, bird, beverages, songs, and–occasionally–muffins. Plus, you'll hear from residents and guests whose lives or work have been inspired by that state. This podcast is a celebration of regional culture and an homage to the love we all seem to have for the place we call home. Pack your snacks and jump on in!