Watching America
Hosted by British born host Dr. Alan Campbell, Watching America combines interviews, engaging audio, and deep dive talks in to our local and national culture through the eloquent and ever-curious lens of a ‘Brit’ who has spent over two decades ‘figuring it all out’; Watching America.
Episodes
August 1, 2025 • 53 mins
Born as the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee, best-selling author Ruta Sepetys has harnessed the power of story to highlight the lives of those who would otherwise become lost in the cracks of history. Her impact goes far beyond the pages of her novels. She was honored by the President of Lithuania for her contributions to education and memory preservation. And she has received her own commemorative postage stamp. She says she is e...
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August 1, 2025 • 53 mins
Fans may know her best for her portrayal of “Ma” on the popular television series Little House on the Prairie, but Karen Grassle has also had a far-reaching career in theater and film as well. In her new memoir, "Bright Lights, Prairie Dust: Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love from Little House's Ma," she recounts with surprising candor and humor how she faced challenges off-screen, including a battle with alcoholism, and how she f...
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August 1, 2025 • 53 mins
At the age of eight, Herb Alpert was drawn to the trumpet in a music appreciation class in his elementary school. He went on to master the instrument, earning numerous awards along the way. He recorded his first hit song, "The Lonely Bull" in 1962. Since then, he has earned five #1 hits, 9 GRAMMY® Awards, 15 Gold albums, 14 Platinum albums and he has sold over 72 million records. He also started one of the most successful independe...
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August 1, 2025 • 53 mins
Could there be life beyond our planet? It’s a question that has captivated our imaginations for centuries, and one that scientists continue to explore today. In a new book, acclaimed science journalist Jaime Green offers a spellbinding exploration of alien life and the cosmos. Incorporating expert interviews, cutting-edge astronomy research, philosophical inquiry, and pop culture touchstones, she explores our evolving conception of...
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August 1, 2025 • 53 mins
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt took the world by storm as the chaplain for the 2018 Loyola Chicago Final Four men's basketball team. And last year she celebrated her 103rd birthday! Sister Jean is a religious sister of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She has spent her entire adult life working as a teacher, administrator, and volunteer -- first at elementary and grade schools in Chicago and Los Angeles, and later at...
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August 1, 2025 • 53 mins
She is perhaps one of the world’s most iconic figures. Jacqueline Kennedy captivated the nation and the rest of the world with her intelligence, beauty, and grace. But who was she before she became a household name? From her adventures abroad in Paris to her groundbreaking career as a writer and photographer in Washington, DC., join us for a journey into the life of a remarkable woman on Watching America. Carl Sferrazza Anthony is ...
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August 1, 2025 • 53 mins
Dive into the mesmerizing mind of acclaimed science fiction author Bruce McAllister.
McAllister’s first story, “The Faces Outside,” was published to acclaim when he was 16, earning him the label “science fiction prodigy.” Since then he has spent five decades venturing into the darkest realms of fantasy. His other books include "Kin," "Dream Baby," and "The Village Sang to the Sea: A Memoir of Magic." When he isn’t writing fiction ...
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August 1, 2025 • 53 mins
It is a story that reads like one of today’s popular fiction crime novels — a 1920s village midwife known as “Auntie Suzy” had a knack for murder. And many of the women in her village were quick to adopt her murderous methods. And their dark secret remained undetected for more than 15 years. In her book “The Angel Makers: Arsenic, A Midwife, and Modern History’s Most Astonishing Murder Ring,” award-winning journalist Patti McCracke...
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August 1, 2025 • 53 mins
What was once the stuff of science fiction has become reality. Robots are being used today for everything from fixing automobiles to exploring space, and they are increasingly becoming more human-like. Well-known roboticist Dr. Dennis Hong is the inventor of a number of cutting edge robots including those that can walk, climb, dance, and even play soccer. He also invented the world’s first car that can be driven by the blind. How w...
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August 1, 2025
In a culture where we are bombarded with information, and often mis-information, how do you know what’s true? Author Samuel C. Spitale’s new book offers help. "How To Win the War on Truth: An Illustrated Guide to How Mistruths Are Sold, Why They Stick, and How to Reclaim Reality" examines the use of progranda through the years by advertisers, governments, corporations, and others. His book is filled with examples of modern-day prop...
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August 1, 2025
Former actor and model Jason Umidi nearly lost everything after years of heavy drinking and drug addiction. In his book “Jesus + Seltzer: Stories and Meditations on Sobriety and Recovery,” he discusses how he got clean and sober after entering detox and a 12-step program. In this interview with host Dr. Alan Campbell, Jason discusses his journey to sobriety, why he returned to the faith of his childhood, and the struggles he still ...
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August 1, 2025
The youngest American to ever orbit the earth—cancer survivor, Hayley Arceneaux, believes that when we face our fears with hope and faith, extraordinary things can happen. In this week’s episode, she discusses her memoir “Wild Ride: A Memoir of I.V. Drips and Rocket Ships.” Arceneaux recounts her odyssey, from her cancer diagnosis at age 10 and the year-long treatment that inspired her goal of working with pediatric cancer patients...
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August 1, 2025
Brian McDonald is accustomed to telling other people's stories. His books have been prime sources in several television documentaries and the sole inspiration for “My Father's Gun," a full-length documentary that aired on the History Channel. In his latest work, “Five Floors Up,“ he explores the history of four generations of a firefighter family. From the days just after the horse-drawn firetruck, to the devastation of the 1970s w...
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August 1, 2025
Mike Rinder, one of the highest-ranking defectors from Scientology, exposes the secret inner workings of this powerful organization in his new memoir A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology. In this interview with host Dr. Alan Campbell, Rinder discusses growing up in Scientology, why he decided to leave at age 52, the backlash he faced and how he now works diligently to expose the abuses that con...
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December 29, 2023
Known as one of the greatest entertainers in movie history, Charlie Chaplin rose to fame in the silent films of the nineteen-hundreds, and created one of the most iconic characters ever seen on the screen. But his career was derailed after being caught in the crossfire of political turmoil and mired in scandal. As a result, he was exiled from the U-S during the post-war Red Scare. On today's final installment of Watching America, b...
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December 22, 2023 • 53 mins
Looking for a new start? Want to begin some new habits? It turns out science can help you get from where you are to where you want to be. Award-winning Wharton Professor Katy Milkman is a trailblazer in behavioral science. She has devoted her career to the study of behavior change exploring ways that insights from economics and psychology can be harnessed to change consequential behaviors for good, such as financial habits, exercis...
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December 15, 2023 • 53 mins
The last time Clancy Martin tried to kill himself was in his basement with a dog leash. It was one of over 10 suicide attempts throughout the course of his life. Yet, he survived — as he had numerous times before. Martin is a prolific author and a professor of philosophy. His research covers the ethics of social and behavioral health, especially in the areas of suicide prevention and the treatment of addiction. In his new book, “H...
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December 8, 2023 • 53 mins
From the Tudors to the Windsors - intrigue, scandals, and power took center stage within the halls of the magnificent and breathtaking Hampton Court Palace. This week author Gareth Russell takes us through 500 years of history in the palace that was home to such significant events as the commissioning of King James’s version of the Bible, the staging of many of Shakespeare’s plays, and Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation ball. We explo...
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December 1, 2023 • 53 mins
From his early days in photography capturing President Eisenhower to the gripping tales of Native American lives in "The Divided Trail" and the environmental masterpiece "Chasing Ice," filmmaker Jerry Aronson has had an illustrious career. Aronson has been capturing the stories of others since age 15. One of his best-known films is “The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg,” a winner of the International Documentary Association Award i...
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November 17, 2023 • 53 mins
Take a trip to London, England. Host (and native Brit) Alan Campbell took a trip "across the pond" to visit the home of Benjamin Franklin, Jimi Hendrix's flat, and the reconstructed Globe Theatre where actor and director Sam Wanamaker labored for years. We hear stories from historians and tour guides about why these gentleman fell in love with London and what they accomplished there. This episode of Watching America originally aire...
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