Hi! I'm John, and this is "What is America?" podcast. For the next year, I'm gonna drive around the country and talk to people about their lives. The goal is to help rebuild our broken politics. Wanna come?
Ep 14: Why this Mexican-American entrepreneur voted for Trump (with Alberto Paramo)
Alberto Paramo shares his journey as a Mexican-American entrepreneur and explains his support for Trump's immigration policies in an interview with the host.
19 Aug 2025
Ep 13: How'd we get so lonely? (Book Club - Bowling Alone, by Robert Putnam)
Host [Host Name] interviews author Robert Putnam about declining social connection in America and the concept of social capital.
25 Jul 2025
Ep 12: She's been a nurse for 30 years—and watched our healthcare crumble (with Mari Walker)
Mari Walker, a nurse, shares her experiences over three decades in healthcare and reveals the system's struggles with misaligned incentives that prioritize profits over patient outcomes in an interview.
7 Jul 2025
Ep 11: Meet the 5x biotech entrepreneur from Iran (with Nasser Nassiri Koopaei)
Nasser Nassiri Koopaei, a biotech entrepreneur, shares his journey of innovation and company creation in America, illustrating the pursuit of the American Dream in an interview.
20 Jun 2025
Ep 10: What happened to Florida's education success story? (with Dawne Morison)
Dawne Morison discusses Florida's education system, revealing how budget cuts under Governors Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis impacted student funding and outcomes, resulting in a decline from previous successes; this is an interview.
5 Jun 2025
Ep 9: The Russian-American student fighting for Ukraine (with Mikhail Mikhaylov)
Mikhail Mikhaylov, a Russian-American student, discusses his work with the Ukraine Rebuilding Initiative to help heal and rebuild the city of Nizhyn, Ukraine in this interview.
23 May 2025
Ep 8: Imprisoned at age 13 + growing up in a war zone (with Joel Elliott)
Joel Elliott recounts his troubled youth in Miami, including incarceration at 13 and decades in prison, highlighting America's high incarceration rates in this interview.
15 May 2025
Ep 7: What if we gave America a blood test? (Book Club - Adrift, by Scott Galloway)
What if we gave America a blood test? 🩸 When you go to the doctor, they give you your numbers for cholesterol, blood pressure, body fat percentage, the whole deal. If you’re regular about getting your checkups, you can track your numbers over time. This week, I read a book, and I think of it kind of like a blood test for America. Like...how much money do people have? How long are they living? Can they afford a home? Medical care? College? After World War II, our blood tests were looking good....
8 May 2025
Ep 6: "The American Dream is harder for people now." (with Owen Williams)
When we talk about politics, we tend to use the word “should.” Like, we should level the playing field. We should work to correct historical inequalities. But we don’t do as good a job thinking about how federal policies will impact individual people—people like Owen Williams. Owen is 66 years old. He's a retired exterminator and the quintessential dad—right down to the Dodge minivan and the Colonial Williamsburg t-shirt. He and his wife Lynne and their three kids grew up on a quiet street in...
1 May 2025
Ep 5: "Everyone deserves healthy, delicious food. Period." (with Kaya Lewis)
Life can be confusing and difficult for a 24-year-old in America. Especially if you happen to be a queer black woman living in the South, and you’re working three jobs. But somehow, in the midst of everything, Kaya Lewis is finding time to build community with her neighbors and cook healthy, delicious food for people who are hungry. Kaya is the founder of Kaya's Kitchen, an organization that coordinates volunteers, as well as monetary and food donations, to prepare and deliver meals to people...
24 Apr 2025
Ep 4: Standing alone on the world stage + the view from 100 years (with Peggy Bodine)
Ever wonder what it would be like to be a hundred years old? Or what America looks like to somebody who lived through the Second World War? Well, don’t wonder anymore. Peggy Jemison Bodine is turning a hundred this July. In a nation that is 248 years old, she's personally witnessed over 40% of American history. Over the course of her life, Peggy has raised a large and prosperous family, become deeply involved with the civic life of Memphis, and, by the way, lived next door to Elvis Pres...
17 Apr 2025
Ep 3: Death by a thousand cuts + the future of the American small farmer (with Jim Sayle)
America's small farmers are a resilient bunch—but they're subject to powerful forces outside their control. In the words of Jim Sayle: "We can either do death by a thousand cuts of playing the game the way it was being played—or we can do something about it." Jim runs a small farm in Northwest Mississippi. He's growing cotton, corn, and soybeans on 2500 acres that his family has been farming for the last seven generations. It's a beautiful way of life—but there are dark clouds gathering on t...
10 Apr 2025
Ep 2: The vanishing middle + the superhero story we need (with Dorcas Young Griffin)
In our current political climate, it can feel like the middle is drying up. It’s more and more difficult to find common ground—or even communicate with people you disagree with. Dorcas Young Griffin is our first podcast guest; she's a senior administrator with Shelby County Government, a mother of two amazing children, and a PhD Candidate in Urban Studies at the University of Memphis. During our conversation, we take a hard look at the state of American democracy. The middle class is where ...
27 Mar 2025
Ep 1: What is America? (Podcast intro + meet John)
What is America? It's a big question. Maybe we used to be able to agree on the answer—but we can't take it for granted anymore. In this episode, meet host John Minervini and learn a bit about the podcast. Over the next year, we'll drive all around the country together and talk with people about their lives. The goal is to help rebuild our broken politics. The road trip has only just begun, but it's already been an adventure. Learn about John's drive from Joshua Tree, CA, to Memphis, TN—includ...
Who has been a guest on What is America?
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Alberto Paramo
Robert Putnam
Mari Walker
Nasser Nassiri Koopaei
Dawne Morison
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
26,486
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
14 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
13
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
51
Contact What is America?
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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