Historical Perspective
Sarah Vowell presents a theory that the entire history of the United States can be told by standing at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive in Chicago, covering events from Louis Joliet to Keanu Reeves.
34This American Life
Four Corners: Stories from Across America
Host Ira Glass introduces a series of stories centered on specific street corners in four different states, revealing history, personal moments, and community connections.
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128: Four Corners
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Personal Milestones
Scott Richer and Julie Riggs share a story about their first kiss at the corner of South Fourth Street and the alley behind the West End Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, which did not go as planned.
45Community Formation
Mike Paterniti describes a community of dogwalkers that formed on the grounds of an old cemetery at the corner of Vaughn and Clifford in Portland, Maine.
5Literary Fiction
Writer Achy Obejas reads a piece of short fiction from her book, We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This?
5Ask GenPod next
Keep the question moving.
“How does focusing on a single location help reveal broader historical trends?”
“What role do public spaces like cemeteries play in forming modern communities?”
“How does personal storytelling contribute to understanding national identity?”
Background reading
The context behind the episode.
Episode Structure
Four Acts
The episode is structured into a prologue and four acts. The prologue features host Ira Glass discussing the Four Corners tourist monument where Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico meet. The subsequent acts feature stories from Chicago, Louisville, Portland, and Cuba.
345Questions
Questions to carry into the episode.
What is the central theme of this episode?
The episode tells the story of life in America through portraits of life on four different corners in four different states.
1What historical theory does Sarah Vowell propose?
She proposes that you can tell the entire history of the United States by standing on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive in Chicago.
3Where did Scott Richer and Julie Riggs have their first kiss?
They were supposed to have their first kiss at the corner where South Fourth Street meets the alley behind the West End Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.
4What community is described in Act Three?
A community of dogwalkers that formed on the grounds of an old cemetery at the corner of Vaughn and Clifford in Portland, Maine.
5Experts
Voices named in the source.
Sources and disclosure
Where this guide comes from.
Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for a premium subscription.
- Publisher show notes
We try to tell the story of life in America through portraits of life on four different corners, in four different states across the nation.
- Publisher show notes
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.
- Publisher show notes
• Prologue: Host Ira Glass talks about the Four Corners tourist monument where Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico meet. (2 minutes) • Act One: Sarah Vowell has a theory that you can tell the entire history of the United States by standing on one street corner—specifically at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive in Chicago—and describing all the events that happened within eyeshot of the corner.
- Publisher show notes
She covers three centuries of history, from Louis Joliet to Keanu Reeves. (21 minutes) • Act Two: Scott Richer and Julie Riggs of Louisville, Kentucky, were supposed to have their first kiss at the corner where South Fourth Street meets the alley behind the West End Baptist Church.
- Publisher show notes
But it went wrong. (7 minutes) • Act Three: Writer Mike Paterniti tells a story of dogs and a community of dogwalkers that formed on the grounds of an old cemetery at the corner of Vaughn and Clifford in Portland, Maine. (14 minutes) • Act Four: Writer Achy Obejas reads a piece of short fiction from her book, We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This? (11 minutes)
- Publisher show notes
Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org
- Publisher show notes
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