#342 Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny w/ Jeff Bieber
The Road to Now
Hannah Arendt witnessed the rise of Nazism in Germany and her groundbreaking works, including The Origins of Totalitarianism, sought to understand how regular people could be seduced by horrendous ideologies such as antisemitism and fascism. In this episode, Ben speaks with documentarian Jeff Bieber, whose new film , documents Adendt’s life as an intellectual, refugee and, eventually, an American citizen whose concerns about power remain as relevant today as they were half a century ago. Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny premiered on PBS on June 27 and For more on Jeff Bieber’s...
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#341 Native Nations w/ Kathleen DuVall
The Road to Now
joins Ben & Bob for a discussion of her Pulitzer Prize-winning book and how understanding North American history from both Native and non-Native perspectives helps us better understand our shared story. We also discuss her work with Ken Burns on his upcoming documentary on the American Revolution. Dr. Kathleen DuVall is Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previous episodes mentioned in this conversation: - (also available This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer
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#340 How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Trump w/ Molly Worthen
The Road to Now
Bob speaks with UNC-Chapel Hill historian about her new book Gary Fletcher edited this episode.
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#339 The Ballad of Marion Zioncheck (Live in DC part 2)
The Road to Now
Ben tells the story of Marion Zioncheck, inventor of the Zioncheck Zipper* and the only sitting member of congress to escape from an insane asylum. This is the second part of our live show featuring guests (CBS News), (Syracuse University/Axios) & (too many to list). Check out the first part in episode #338 Murder & Mayhem in the Capital City. Special thanks to of for recommending the Zioncheck story to Ben. If you enjoy this trivia round, make sure to check out Perfect Timing, the comedy game show that Ben hosts monthly at The Lab at Zanies Nashville! You can The...
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#338 Murder & Mayhem in the Capital City w/ Major Garrett, Doug Heye & Margaret Talev (Live in DC part 1)
The Road to Now
(CBS News), (Syracuse University/Axios) & (too many to list) join Bob & Ben for a conversation about Washington, DC’s long history of scandals and how media has shaped public perceptions of what is/isn’t acceptable in American politics. The conversation was recorded on May 29, 2025 at in Washington, DC. A special thanks to Matt Burton and the crew at The Hamilton for hosting us and to everyone who came out to the show! If you enjoy this episode, make sure to check out part 2 of our live recording in episode 339 (air date 6/11/25). This episode was edited by...
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#337 Christian Capitalism in the Early American Republic w/ Joseph Slaughter
The Road to Now
Few American Christians in the 21st Century question the compatibility of their faith with a capitalist economic system. Two hundred years ago, however, the social and economic changes that came with the rise of a capitalism posed fundamental challenges to Christian practices and beliefs. In this episode, Joseph Slaughter joins us to discuss his book and how Christian responses to the rise of capitalism in the 19th Century laid the foundation for how we understand our modern economy. is Assistant Professor of History and Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Guns and...
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#336 No Elevator to Everest w/ Will Acuff
The Road to Now
Ben & Bob sit down with friend and community builder for a conversation about how to find the good in life. Will founded the non-profit , which “co-creates economic participation with underestimated Nashvillians,” alongside his wife Tiffany, and recently published his first book . This episode was edited by Gary Fletcher.
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#335 The Good Friday Agreement and the Future of Ireland w/ Mark Doyle & Greg O’Loughlin
The Road to Now
The Good Friday Agreements of 1998 marked a turning point in Irish history, bringing an end to three decades known as The Troubles and laying a course for a better future for the people of Ireland. In this historian Mark Doyle and Friends of Sinn Féin Executive Director Greg O’Loughlin join us for a conversation about Irish history, the status of Irish unification, and how peace is possible even in the hardest of times. is Professor of History at Middle Tennessee State University where he specializes in the history of Ireland and Great Britain. He previously joined us to discuss his...
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#334 Eurovision Past & Present w/ Paul Jordan
The Road to Now
A lot of Americans only know Eurovision via Will Farrell’s film, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” which capture some of Eurovision’s over-the-top aspects, but the history of the annual event actually shines light on some of the biggest cultural, social and political developments in post-World War II European history. In this episode, , aka Dr. Eurovision, joins Ben and special guest cohost/his wife for a conversation about Eurovision’s origins, how it’s been shaped by geopolitics, and, of course, who their favorites are in this year’s contest, which airs...
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Charisma and American Politics– Live at Cat’s Cradle w/ Molly Worthen, Doug Heye & Rufus Edmisten
The Road to Now
With our live show in Washington, DC coming up on May 29, we thought it’d be fun to share one of our previous live recordings from Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC w/ guests Molly Worthen, Doug Heye & Rufus Edmisten! (Department of History at UNC-Chapel Hill), (CNN/former RNC Communication Director) & (Deputy Chief Council, Senate Watergate Committee/ former NC Secretary of State & Attorney General) join Bob & Ben for a conversation about charisma in American politics and society. Recorded live at the legendary Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC on January 25, 2020....
info_outlineWhen Bill France Sr. founded NASCAR in 1948, his goal was to turn stock car racing from an activity associated with bootlegging roughnecks into a successful spectator sport. To say he accomplished that goal would be an understatement, as the once-regional sport has become one of the most popular in the United States. How did this happen? And how did a competition once associated with outlaws and rogues become one of the most family-friendly sports in modern America? Anyone who knows NASCAR history will tell you that you can’t answer these questions without talking a lot about the Petty Family, and in this episode we do just that. Ladies and gentlemen, in episode #44 of The Road to Now, we talk the history of NASCAR with NASCAR icon Kyle Petty.
Kyle Petty is an American Stock Car racer who earned 173 top-ten finishes and 8 wins in his three decades behind the wheel in NASCAR. The Petty family, which also includes Kyle’s grandfather Lee, his father Richard, and his son, Adam, is unquestionably one of the most significant families in the history of NASCAR. Since retiring in 2008, Kyle began working as a race analyst for top networks, and currently works on pre- and post-race coverage for NBC. Kyle is also the founder of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, which has raised over $17 million to benefit children’s charities. Since 2004, the ride has benefitted Victory Junction, which was founded to enrich the lives of children suffering from chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Victory Junction was founded by the Petty Family in honor of Kyle’s son Adam, who died tragically on the racetrack in 2000.
For more on this an other episodes of The Road to Now, go to our website: www.theroadtonow.com.
The Road to Now is hosted by Bob Crawford of The Avett Brothers and Dr. Benjamin Sawyer of Middle Tennessee State University, and produced by Bob, Ben and Ian Skotte.