E Pluribus Motto
Listening to E Pluribus Motto is like taking a road trip with friends Janet Varney and John Hodgman. In each episode, they spotlight one state and chat about its motto, bird, beverages, songs, and–occasionally–muffins. Plus, you'll hear from residents and guests whose lives or work have been inspired by that state. This podcast is a celebration of regional culture and an homage to the love we all seem to have for the place we call home. Pack your snacks and jump on in!
Episodes
Turn on the tube! Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready to celebrate the 2026 MaxFun Drive! Now is the best time to go to MaximumFun.org/joinmotto to become a MaxFun Member for as little as $5 a month. With that recurring contribution you’ve helped ensure that this show will continue and earned access to our bonus content library.
After wrapping up the movies that best represent each state, it’s time to move on to TV shows! But t...
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready to celebrate the 2026 MaxFun Drive! Now is the best time to go to MaximumFun.org/joinmotto to become a MaxFun Member for as little as $5 a month. With that recurring contribution you’ve helped ensure that this show will continue and earned access to our bonus content library.
Our hosts will take a look at each state from season 2 to discuss which movies best exemplify them. There’s so many fi...
It's MaxFunDrive. And here, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters.
Jesse Thorn and Judge John Hodgman know a thing or two about podcasting, and in this very important podcasting event, they reveal ALL the tricks of the trade. They're joined by podcasting veterans Stuart Wellington & Dan McCoy (The Flop House). It goes without saying these four gent...
Prospector Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready to talk about all the GOLD in them thar hills!
That’s right; the show is back on the west coast, to spotlight California; everything from gold, bears, and even a cryptid or two.
In fact, California is on its way to having an official cryptid– Big Foot. But this is a monster that other states may feel a stronger claim to, even if the legislation is completely pushed through.
But no ...
It’s season 3 of E Pluribus Motto!
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are back with a brand new collection of states and their mottos, iconography, animals, and so much more.
Our first state of this season… isn’t a state at all! It’s the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, birthplace of legends like Rita Moreno, Ricky Martin and Bad Bunny, whose INCREDIBLE Superbowl performance showcased the island’s rich culture.
Puerto Rico is also home to...
Season 3 of E Pluribus Motto begins March 31st with Puerto Rico! After that, expect new episodes of the show every other Tuesday.
Here's the full schedule:
March 31: Puerto Rico
April: 14: California
April 20: MaxFun Drive!
May 12: New Hampshire
May 26: Alabama
June 9: Florida
June 23: Nebraska
July 7: Washington
July 21: Ohio
August 4: Michigan
August 18: North Dakota
Can't wait for Season 3 of E Pluribus Motto? Neither can we!
And the first stop of the next season of the show will be Janet and John recording a LIVE episode of the show at SF Sketchfest.
They'll be giving the spotlight to the state of California, talking all about mottos, symbols, cryptids and more. And they'll be joined by Adam Savage, of "Mythbusters" fame!
Tickets are available now. We hope we'll see you there.
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready for the season finale of the podcast! And where better to visit than a state full of slot machines, deserts, ghost towns and cryptids (possibly): Nevada!
There’s so much to get into here, including Janet doing her best to get through the pronunciation of said state and John recounting a heroic tale that involves a slot machine that Peter Dinklage graced with his voice.
All of this and so much m...
Janet Varney and John Hodgman celebrate the first non-state and non-commonwealth in the brief history of the podcast: The capital of the United States, Washington D.C.
And if there’s one problem with the perception of D.C., it’s a failure to understand that it’s a real city with a lot of cool people who call it home. We try to push beyond the monuments and motorcade and make sure to highlight that.
Plus we give a shoutout to everyth...
Janet Varney and John Hodgman have arrived in the keystone state! First order of business: What on Earth is a keystone anyway?
If nothing else, it’s one of the many things that Pennsylvania uses to identify itself as. Its other symbols include (but are not limited to) Benjamin Franklin, hoagies, the liberty bell, Rocky and so much more.
And we’ve gotten tons of Pennsylvanians from far and wide to tell us why they love to call this c...
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are on to the Hawkeye State! And while there are some very respectable hawkeyes to take sight of, our hosts will also talk about some vaguely disturbing Hawkeyes as well (sorry Herky!).
And we’ve got to stay on brand and talk about that motto as well– it’s quite a mouthful. But Iowa proudly showcases it on its seal and its official state flag.
We even got John Darnielle from the Mountain Goats to give th...
Janet Varney and John Hodgman visit their first state in the Pacific Northwest: Oregon! There’s a Latin motto and so much flora and fauna to discuss; including some wonderful Douglas-fir and those amazing beavers.
Speaking of beavers, they are the namesake of Oregon’s unofficial nickname, “The Beaver State.” And those animals happen to be on the second-side of the state flag– yes, this is that rare state flag that is TWO sided.
But, ...
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready to talk all about “The land of enchantment”: New Mexico! Or as the locals call it, “The land of entrapment.”
Even if you know nothing about New Mexico, the one thing you’ll immediately recognize is its absolutely gorgeous state flag. But did you know that prior to its current flag, it also had one of the worst flags we’ve seen yet?
That’s just one other story we’ll hear today, including some st...
NOTE: A previous version of this episode erroneously stated that Kentucky was a Confederate State in the US Civil War. It was in fact, a Union State. This has been corrected Thank you to those who pointed out the error.
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are here and ready to talk all about some blue grass… sort of. It’s all about Kentucky and it’s slightly complicated branded with its iconography.
If you’re looking for excitement, steer ...
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready to yell, “On Wisconsin!” And no, that’s not the official state motto. The actual one is MUCH more boring.
But there’s still so much to love about Wisconsin; that includes a lot of really lovely history, landmarks and accents. Plus, what’s a conversation about Wisconsin without a lot of cheese chatter?
Episode cover art provided by:
Shaleigh Sugden
Laura Swisher
Megan Hauser
Produced by Julian Burr...
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready to dive into some lakes! And what better place to do that than the state with more than 10,000 of them?
That’s right, the next stop is Minnesota. It’s got a shiny new state flag and seal that’s ready for a proper review. Plus, we are so, so excited to showcase our very first FRENCH state motto!
Episode cover art provided by:
John Moe
Megan Sorenson
Allison Kelly
Produced by Julian Burrell.
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are back with Season 2 of E Pluribus Motto.
They’ve chosen none other than Maryland to kick off this brand new tour of state mottos and iconography. Everything from the very busy state flag, the state song, the state spirit and more will be discussed.
Plus… what better way to get Season 2 started than with the return of a LATIN motto?
Episode cover art provided by:
Meaghan Harper
Jeff McLain (Unsplash)
Lenn...
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are back! This is a brief reprieve from the wait for Season 2 of E Pluribus Motto.
The pair respond to a number of emails and voice notes from listeners. There’s plenty of corrections on previous episodes and information about all the states, commonwealths, and districts(!) that will be covered next season.
Produced by Julian Burrell.
Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher.
Find E Pluribus Motto on In...
Happy MaxFun Drive!
This show is supported by our beloved MaxFun Members! To become one yourself as part of the #MaxFunDrive, go to maximumfun.org/join and set up a recurring monthly contribution (or an annual prepay) for as little as $5 a month.
Janet Varney celebrates MORE state cryptids from our wonderful E Pluribus Motto listeners. Some of them are spiritual, some are disturbing but we love hearing about them all.
Not only that...
Happy MaxFun Drive!
This show is supported by our beloved MaxFun Members! To become one yourself as part of the #MaxFunDrive, go to maximumfun.org/join and set up a recurring monthly contribution (or an annual prepay) for as little as $5 a month.
Janet Varney and John Hodgman explore the legendary, creepy, adorable and mysterious cryptids that (possibly) exist across this country.
The bipedal creatures with wings of bats, fur, jurass...
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