This episode of This American Life uses the metaphor of four street corners across America to explore the nation’s history, love, community, and identity, revealing how deeply personal and collective stories shape the American experience.
PREMISE
Hosted by Ira Glass, the episode
Sign up to read the full summary
Free AI-powered recaps of every episode, delivered to your inbox.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Mentions
Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.
People
Topics
Listen to This Episode
More from This American Life
890: Maximal Americanness
881: I Want What I Want
137: The Book That Changed Your Life
212: The Other Man
895: Label Maker!
443: Amusement Park
Related episodes
From other shows on similar topics.
America at 250: A View from the Streets
The New Yorker Radio Hour
The Most American Episode of The Daily, Ever.
The Daily
MFM Minisode 503
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Best Of: A family split by race / Eddie Glaude Jr. on America at 250
Fresh Air
NPR News: 06-20-2026 11PM EDT
NPR News Now
250 to 250
Letters from an American
Get summaries like this every morning.
Free AI-powered recaps of This American Life and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.