Midwesternish

Midwesternish listeners, we have a new podcast for you! KCUR's Suzanne Hogan brings you tales of the everyday heroes, renegades and visionaries who shaped Kansas City and the region. If these stories aren't told, they're in danger of fading into the past. The first episode drops February 6. Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Minnesota wants to rebrand itself as "The North," because apparently they think they're different from the rest of the Midwest. So, is it time to break up? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .

The Midwest has a reputation for being a bland, neutral, accent-free place. But experts say that simply is not true. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .

We produce a lot of food in this part of the country, and some of it ends up as school lunch. But with every cafeteria tray comes a large helping of economics and politics. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .

Singer Vanessa Thomas credits her idyllic childhood in a cozy Kansas town for her international success. But she ended up in that town through a set of dark circumstances. And her path forward hasn't always been a straight shot. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .

Midwesterners are used to seeing squirrels all over the place - in the woods, in cuisine (really) and in their front yards. But some species are leaving the Midwest for the west coast and abroad. And they're not making friends easily. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .

What's it like to be an icon in the Midwest? The tap-dancing McFadden Brothers tell the story of their coming up, and how they're carrying on a legacy for African American arts in the Midwest. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .

People have been intentionally destroying cars in demolition derbies for generations. It's like the Midwest's Colosseum. But the old school demo derby is running out of gas. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .

When we talk about being from the Midwest, it usually comes with some familiar words. "Quaint" and "old fashioned" or worse, "close-minded" and "too slow." So are they true? Well - it's complicated. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher .

Ever been to a squirrel cook-off? How about the demo derby? Well ... that's ok. Here in the Midwest we eat all kinds of food, play all kinds of sports and maybe aren't exactly what you thought — particularly if you identify as a Midwesterner yourself. Midwesternish is a podcast that explores (and sometimes explodes) what it means to be Midwestern. Stories of triumph, identity and casseroles.

Reporter Laura Ziegler reflects on what bringing her family and her father under one roof really meant. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Feathered ," " Silent Flock ," and " On Belay " by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.

For his day job, he smoked ribs at a barbecue joint. But his secret identity was a playwright. Hear Nathan Louis Jackson's journey to becoming a writer for television and stage, including the Netflix series Luke Cage. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Set The Tip Jar ," and " Balti " by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.

When you start a show called "Midwesternish," at some point there'll be an episode about The Wizard of Oz . If this film defines Kansas for the entire world, what exactly does it say and do we believe it? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Filing Away ," " In Passage " and " On Belay ," by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.

2015 was the most successful year since 1969 for the nation's largest cassette tape manufacturer. We meet the founder of that company, based in Springfield, Missouri, and try to figure out why people are returning to cassettes. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Pulsars ," and " Jetsam " by Podington Bear, and " Manele ," and " Heliotrope ," by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.

The Garden of Eden isn't as far away as you might think. It's in the small town of Lucas, Kansas and it's filled with art. On this episode, a grassroots art project and it's unexpected caretaker. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Home Home At Last ," " Drifting Spade ," and " City Limits ," by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.

What happens when a state regulates a tradition practiced on stoops and living room floors for generations? Missouri hair braiders say you could end up disenfranchising a community. On this episode: African hair braiding in the Midwest. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Home Home At Last ," " Sunday Lights ," and " One Needle ," by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.

It's one of the hardest conversations to have: the conversation about abortion. But what if we tried to just talk about it without all the politics. We sat down to hear two women share their stories, they stand on opposite sides of the issue, politically, but they've both had abortions. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Denzel Sprak ," " Cobweb Transit ," " Headlights/Mountain Road ," and " One Needle ," by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.

Roger Thomas wants you to move to his hometown, Orrick, Missouri, in order to save a small town that's only getting smaller. But can he convice you to see what he sees in Orrick? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Milkwood ," " Paper Napkin ," " Algea Tender ," and " On Belay ," by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.

The story of how one Kansas City man's DIY fireworks display got completely out of hand. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: Gentle Marimba by Alastair Cameron, The Stars And Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa

Can you imagine what it would be like to regain your sense of hearing after years of silence? Regaining the ability to hear isn't as simple as flipping a switch. Hear what Rob Jefferson heard as he relearned to hear with cochlear implants. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Dirtbike Lovers " by Blue Dot Sessions; it has been edited for length.