The Preamble

In this episode, Sharon and guest Kelli France talk about the not-so-stellar history of the construction of Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. A sacred place to the Lakota, Tunkasila Sakpe Paha, or Six Grandfathers Mountain, was transformed in the 1920s and 30s into what we know as Mt. Rushmore. The mountain’s complicated history includes broken treaties, a white supremacist sculptor, 14 years of construction, scads of dynamite, and the 60-foot tall faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Join Sharon and Kelli to hear facts about the iconic national memorial, and find out what’s in store for its future.

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In today's episode, Sharon sits down with author and podcast host, Kate Winkler Dawson, to discuss the ways in which we talk about and consume true crime. Kate and Sharon ruminate on why the true crime genre is especially appealing to women, and how Kate feels a responsibility to the women in true crime; they are often the victims we leave behind in order to follow the movements of men who make up the majority of the perpetrators and the investigators. Join the conversation to learn more about The Bender Family, Kate’s research process, and what evidence collecting may look like in an all-digital future. Parental discretion advised due to the overall theme of crime and violence.

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In today’s solo episode, Sharon dives into some of the unique stories of South Carolina’s beautiful barrier islands. The Sea Islands in South Carolina populate the coastal Lowcountry region and are rich in history, natural beauty and… monkeys. Join in as Sharon takes us on a tour, telling tales of famous authors, big sea battles, a mid-century Coney Island of the South, the culture of the Gullah, and Morgan Island’s colony of four thousand Rhesus monkeys. (No, you’re not allowed to pet them, or even step foot on the shores of their South Carolina island home!)

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In this episode, author and speaker Carlos Whittaker joins Sharon once again to discuss everything from 150 year old log houses to how Gen Z will be the generation to break our serious reliance on life-as-performance on social media. The iconic duo swaps thoughts on chickens, Nirvana album art, and more serious topics like fear of the unknown, critical race theory, and the messiness of history. How do we reconcile our greatest national heroes and achievements with the idea that many people have been harmed along the way?

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In this episode, Sharon sits down with Taylor Wolfe, comedian and lover of wigs, to talk about Rhode Island’s most famous lighthouse keeper, Ida Lewis. A strong swimmer and rower, even as a petite woman, Idawalley Zoradia Lewis faithfully kept the lamp lit at Lime Rock Light Station and rescued as many as 36 people from drowning during her lifetime. These feats of heroism catapulted her to nationwide fame in the mid-1800s and even led to a visit from President Ulysses S. Grant. Ida was sixteen when she made her first rescue, and sixty-three when she made her final rescue, earning the title of the bravest woman in America.

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In this episode, Sharon is joined by author Catherine Price, whose new book, The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again explores the concept of fun and why it’s a necessary part of the human experience. Catherine set out to pinpoint the definition of “fun” and she found that universally fun experiences meet three criteria: playfulness, connection, and flow. Catherine explains why play is so much easier when we’re children, and how passive “fun” like scrolling through social media, is not an equal stand-in for active fun. Learn how to create the habit of noticing daily delights and embrace opportunities for fun.

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In this solo episode, Sharon sets her sights on the sweet life of Milton S. Hershey and his innovation in the world of chocolate. Today, the Hershey Company produces over a billion pounds of chocolate each year, but its origins are much more humble. Milton Hershey, armed with only four years of elementary education, spent decades learning and honing his chocolate-making craft. His hard work and business acumen led to the company’s rapid success, as well as the growth of an entire town and tourist destination. Hershey is one of the most recognizable and most philanthropic companies in the nation, and it all began on farmland in rural Pennsylvania.

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In this episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Harvard historian Fredrik Logevall joins Sharon to discuss the life and career of the 35th President, John F. Kennedy. Professor Logevall shares expertise and research from his latest book, JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, which captures the glamor and beauty of the Kennedy family, as well as the moments of hesitation and darkness. Kennedy struggled with health issues for much of his life, but did not let it deter him from pursuing his interests, most notably, international and world affairs. Brush up on your knowledge of one of America’s favorite presidents as Logevall articulates JFK’s trajectory from a slacking schoolboy to a wildly popular world leader.

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In this solo episode, Sharon dives into some of the myths vs. facts about Manifest Destiny and the Oregon Trail. What did it really look like, in the mid-1800s, for a family to travel the trail from Independence, Missouri to the beautiful Willamette Valley region of Oregon? All-in-all, about 400,000 people traveled along the Oregon Trail in the mid-1800s, hoping to move from crowded Eastern communities to work the riches of the land out West. Much of what we know was probably gleaned from playing the computer game, The Oregon Trail. Chances are, it was one of the first games you played in your youth on a computer, but do you know its humble Minnesotan history?

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In this episode, Darcy Gaechter joins Sharon to talk about her incredible whitewater kayaking expeditions. Darcy is the first (and only!) woman who has kayaked the Amazon River from its source to the sea. The journey took 148 days and had plenty of misadventures alongside all of the adventure. Darcy lives in Ecuador and runs a kayak tour business, helping others achieve their dreams of whitewater kayaking along the country’s beautiful, winding rivers. Listen in as Darcy shares how her adventures have been successful through skill, perseverance, and learning the balance between planning ahead and improvising on-the-go.

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