About America Works
America Works, an ongoing podcast series from the Library of Congress, features the voices of contemporary workers from throughout the United States talking about their lives, their workplaces, and their on-the-job experiences. Drawn from hundreds of longer oral history interviews collected by fieldworkers for the American Folklife Center’s Occupational Folklife Project (OFP), America Works is a testament to the wisdom, wit, knowledge, and dedication of today’s working Americans. These engaging oral histories, which have are preserved in the American Folklife Center’s archive, are enriching and expanding America’s historical record.
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America Works
Season 5
Title: Jeremy Presar, Rural Mail Carrier, US Postal System. Bukhannon, Kentucky.
Speakers: Jeremy Presar, Nancy Groce
Date: March 28, 2024
Running Time: 6:41
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Title: Shanda Dunn, Peer Support Worker, Voices of Hope. Lexington, Kentucky.
Speakers: Shanda Dunn, Nancy Groce
Date: March 21, 2024
Running Time: 6:13
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Title: Jobie Hill, Restoration Architect and Founder of SavingSlaveHouses.org. Iowa City, Iowa.
Speakers: Jobie Hill, Nancy Groce
Date: March 14, 2024
Running Time: 6:47
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Title: Barbara Norman, Blueberry farmer. Covert, Michigan.
Speakers: Barbara Norman, Nancy Groce
Date: March 7, 2024
Running Time: 5:47
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Title: Leah Chase, Chef and Owner of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. New Orleans, Louisiana.
Speakers: Leah Chase, Candacy Taylor, Nancy Groce
Date: February 29, 2024
Running Time: 6:46
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Title: Jerry Bransford, Park Ranger. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky.
Speakers: Jerry Bransford, Nancy Groce
Date: February 22, 2024
Running Time: 6:58
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Title: Marcus Wimby, Funeral Home Director. Atlanta, Georgia.
Speakers: Marcus Wimby, Nancy Groce
Date: February 15, 2024
Running Time: 5:41
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Title: Damon Walker, Luthier. Durham, North Carolina.
Speakers: Damon Walker, Nancy Groce
Date: February 8, 2024
Running Time: 6:37
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Season 4
Title: Seymour Ray (“Ray Idol”). Independent Professional Wrestler. Bristol, Tennessee.
Speakers: Seymour Ray, Delainey Bowers, Nancy Groce
Date: April 27, 2023
Running Time: 4:52
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Title: Susan Morelli, Physician/Neonatologist. Provo, Utah.
Speakers: Susan Morelli, Lisa Gabbert, Nancy Groce
Date: April 20, 2023
Running Time: 4:53
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Title: Mike Williams. Dirt Track Auto Racer. Tuscarora Nation, New York.
Speakers: Mike Williams, Edward Millar, Nancy Groce
Date: April 13, 2023
Running Time: 5:39
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Title: Rosemaire Francis-Primo. Home Healthcare Aide. Brooklyn, NY.
Speakers: Rosemarie Francis-Primo, Christopher Mulé, Christine Lewis, Patricia Francois, Nancy Groce
Date: April 6, 2023
Running Time: 5:48
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Title: Joyce Godbout, Dairy Farm Herdsperson. Burke, New York.
Speakers: Joyce Godbout, Jill Breit, Nancy Groce
Date: March 30, 2023
Running Time: 4:52
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Title: Luann Miller, Grocery Store Cashier. Seattle, Washington.
Speakers: Luann Miller, Deborah Fant, Nancy Groce
Date: March 23, 2023
Running Time: 4:40
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Title: Tina Moore Braimah. Certified Nurse Midwife. Raleigh North Carolina.
Speakers: Tina Moore Braimah, Josephine McRobbie, Joseph O'Connell, Nancy Groce
Date: March 16, 2023
Running Time: 5:17
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Title: Jude Bejarano, Cement Plant Worker, Evansville, Pennsylvania.
Speakers: Jude Bejarano, Vyta Pivo, Nancy Groce
Date: March 9, 2023
Running Time: 5:14
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Season 3
Title: Kolma “Sam” Ewu, Meatpacking Plant Worker. Beardstown, Illinois
Speakers: Kolma “Sam” Ewu, John McKerley, Nancy Groce
Date: March 10, 2022
Running Time: 10:31
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Title: William (Bill) Hatch, Vineyard Owner and Winery Worker. Leesburg, Virginia
Speakers: William (Bill) Hatch, Kim Stryker, Nancy Groce
Date: March 3, 2022
Running Time: 9:52
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Title: Thomas Sink (Popcorn the Circus Comic). Circus Worker, Professional Clown. Mead, Oklahoma
Speakers: Thomas Sink (Popcorn), Tanya Finchum, Juliana Nykoliszyn, Nancy Groce
Date: February 24, 2022
Running Time: 9:40
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Title: Kira Fobbs, Elementary School Teacher. Madison, Wisconsin
Speakers: Kira Fobbs, Mark Wagler, Nancy Groce
Date: February 17, 2022
Running Time: 10:22
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Title: Dolores Fortuna, Professional Potter. Galena, Illinois
Speakers: Dolores Fortuna, Meredith McGriff, Nancy Groce
Date: February 10, 2022
Running Time: 10:26
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Title: Henrietta Ivey, Home Health Care Professional. Detroit, Michigan
Speakers: Henrietta Ivey, Clare Luz, Nancy Groce
Date: February 3, 2022
Running Time: 10:05
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Title: Roberta Washington, Architect. New York, New York
Speakers: Roberta Washington, Sarah Filkins, Nancy Groce
Date: January 27, 2022
Running Time: 10:07
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Title: Mario Cervantes, Boeing Air Craft Factory Worker. Wichita, Kansas
Speakers: Briana O’Higgins, Mario Cervantes, Nancy Groce
Date: January 20, 2022
Running Time: 9:58
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Season 2
Title: Bernardo “Bernie” Piña, Fresh Produce Salesman. Nogales, Arizona
Speakers: Bernardo “Bernie” Piña, Nic Hartmann, Nancy Groce
Date: June 3, 2021
Running Time: 10:25
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Title: Mike Peabody, Garbage Man and Recycling. Barre, Vermont
Speakers: Mike Peabody, Virginia Nickerson, Nancy Groce
Date: May 27, 2021
Running Time: 10:25
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Title: Jim Mercer, Commercial Marine Diver. New Bedford, Massachusetts
Speakers: Jim Mercer, Madeline Hall-Arber, Nancy Groce
Date: May 20, 2021
Running Time: 9:28
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Title: Kim Spicer, Electrician and Wire-Women. Queens, New York
Speakers: Kim Spicer, Jaime Lopez, Setare Arashloo, Nancy Groce
Date: May 13, 2021
Running Time: 10:16
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Title: Jennifer Sgro, Nurse Practitioner, Night Ministry Bus. Chicago, Illinois
Speakers: Jennifer Sgro, Margaret Miles, Nancy Groce
Date: May 6, 2021
Running Time: 9:54
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Title: James Hensley, Port Pilot. Houston, Texas
Speakers: Captain James Hensley, Betsy Peterson, Nancy Groce
Date: April 29, 2021
Running Time: 13:50
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Title: Heather Campbell Hill, Funeral Director. Raleigh, North Carolina
Speakers: Heather Campbell Hill, Sarah Bryan, Nancy Groce
Date: April 22, 2021
Running Time: 10:40
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Title: Sarah Fortin, Fish Net Maker. New Bedford, Massachusetts
Speakers: Sarah Fortin, Fred Calabretta, Nancy Groce
Date: April 15, 2021
Running Time: 9:15
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Season 1
Title: Patrick Bovenzi, Race Track Worker and Horse Identifier. Tampa Bay, Florida
Speakers: Patrick Bovenzi, Ellen McHale, Nancy Groce
Date: October 8, 2020
Running Time: 9:56
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Title: Sharon Sisson, Iron Worker. Chicago, Illinois
Speakers: Sharon Sisson, Richard Sisson, Bucky Halker, Nancy Groce
Date: October 1, 2020
Running Time: 8:31
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Title: Shuly Amsel, Wig Maker. Brooklyn, New York
Speakers: Shuly Amsel, Candacy Taylor, Nancy Groce
Date: September 24, 2020
Running Time: 7:42
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Title: Richard Bludworth, Shipyard Owner. Houston, Texas
Speakers: Richard Bludworth, Pat Jasper, Nancy Groce
Date: September 17, 2020
Running Time: 9:40
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Title: Joyce Vegar, Home Health Care Worker. Coos County, Oregon
Speakers: Joyce Vegar, Nathan Moore, Donald Stacy, Nancy Groce
Date: September 10, 2020
Running Time: 9:15
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Title: Greg Vaught, Gold Mine Worker. Elko, Nevada
Speakers: Greg Vaught, Meg Glaser, Charlie Seemann, Nancy Groce
Date: September 3, 2020
Running Time: 9:21
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Title: Jeff Hafler, Hair Stylist. Wonder Valley, California
Speakers: Jeff Hafler, Candacy Taylor, Nancy Groce
Date: September 3, 2020
Running Time: 8:26
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Title: Barbara Miller Byrd, Circus Owner. Hugo, Oklahoma
Speakers: Barbara Miller Byrd, Tanya D. Finchum, Juliana Nykolaiszyn, Nancy Groce
Date: September 3, 2020
Running Time: 9:39
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Title: America Works - Series Preview
Speakers: Nancy Groce, various
Date: August 27, 2020
Running Time: 1:01
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