American Esoterica

This is the story of a nation scorned taking delicious - and extraordinarily petty - revenge.

This is a story about the worst of intentions, and it is 100% about sex. Just not THAT kind.

Two names, two families, forever entwined. And it began even earlier than you know. 

Eight days, 11 states, 36 minutes of ill-advised anecdotes, two people on a mission to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste all the America. This one's a three-hander, giving you more America than you ever knew you wanted.  

Think you've had a rocky relationship with your parents? You've got nothing on William Franklin, who loses everything for the cause of American... Dependence. This one gets dark. Part II of II (That's Roman-speak for 2!).

Benjamin Franklin may have been a beloved Founding Father, but not so much when you take the word "founding" out of it. In this first of two episodes, learn how a nearly inseparable relationship between father and son turned into a feud with historic consequences. 

It's pop quiz time, and the subjects are "The Address of the Address," "Counting Commanders-in-Chief," "The War of Whenever," and "A King for a President." Good luck.

The vote for millions came down to the vote of just one, and a short, sublime campaign of influence by a powerful figure. 

The weird story behind an iconic American brand, featuring old-time religion, free love, presidential assassination,  and lots of silverware. 

Spy, saboteur, and financier of the Continental Army... Meet Haym Salomon, superhero of the Revolution.

In 1982, one man conned his way into one of the biggest races in NASCAR, then disappeared without a trace for over forty years. Get ready for a hard left turn. 

No time - just listen, before it's too late. (Also, the story of the results of John Tyler's procreative history.)

About the tension between Freedom of Speech and human decency, and how one canny Police Commissioner tried to protect both at once. Come laugh at the bigots with us.

An epic tale of an indomitable spirit and the small world of the Civil War-era United States. Meet Elizabeth Keckley. 

The story of the saddest Valentine's Day in American history. Listen with a loved one. 

If you think a raid into enemy territory that rescued over 750 enslaved people and destroyed millions of dollars of Confederate property sounds impressive, you should hear about the woman who led it

On the night that shattered the nation, a dark conspiracy would also devastate a family. At the same time, as assassination attempts go, this assassin went 0 for 5.

A cold-blooded murder in broad daylight. A cover-up that starts at the White House. A scandal that rocks the entire country. You won't believe how this one ends. Or you probably will now, now that I've hinted that it's different than the way you thought it would go. Just listen to it, okay? It's got an action sequence and everything!

Lincoln grows a beard and forces a young lithographer to find a new way to make a lasting impact on American culture. NOTE: this episode comes in an alternate form - this is the main version.

Lincoln grows a beard and forces a young lithographer to find a new way to make a lasting impact on American culture. NOTE: this episode comes in two forms, and this version is an alternate version featuring a few contributions from my two-year-old son. Enjoy!

Founding Father Gouverneur Morris produced some of the lofty language that underpins our most sacred governing document, but we don't talk about him much, maybe because of his...unorthodox self-care methods. NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH. 

He fled the Bolsheviks and the Nazis. He married a Russian aristocrat. And he won the Kentucky Derby. Twice in a row. Why isn't there a biopic in the works?

You may be unlucky, but have you ever been "accidentally started two major wars" unlucky? Some origin stories are downright embarrassing.

Everybody dreams of being President for a day. Turns out, there's a chance one man actually may have been just that.

There's a kind of tragic poetry in the history and creation of the Secret Service, but protecting important politicians wasn't their first line of work. And that's a real shame for a few presidents.