20 episodes
Off the Beaten Jack Jack Boswell
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- Society & Culture
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4.8 • 29 Ratings
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Winner at the 2023 ARIAS and nominated at the 2022 British Podcast Awards.
Series 1 - Jack Boswell winds his way across the United States by train, documenting his experiences in small-town America and interviewing the people he meets along the way, covering everything from spirituality, adoption and abortion rights to gun control, gambling and addiction.
Series 2 - Jack heads to a small town in Mississippi to housesit for three months, painting a picture of a community in the heart of the Bible Belt, interrogating the stereotype and looking at the nuance which is left out.
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S2 E7. One Little Chip at a Time
In the final episode of season 2, I volunteer as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army and get talking to a woodworker named Chip. We chat about his past addiction to drugs and alcohol, the Christian motorcycle group he rides in, and the analogies between woodworking and life. There’s even a Christmas miracle…
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S2 E6. It's Not Perfect Anywhere Else
In episode six, I compare the experiences of two black women in Mississippi: T’Keeyah, a news reporter who was born-and-raised in Corinth at the top the state, and Deborah, an author who moved to Columbus from Rome. T’Keeyah discusses everything from the issue of hunger in the community to racism and the KKK in her hometown. Deborah and I talk about her experience moving in as an outsider, the dichotomy of writing her books in the South and some of the nuance in the state.
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S2 E5. All This Woke Stuff
In this double-interview episode, I speak with Columbus’ Mayor, Keith Gaskin, about the polarisation of American politics, the removal of the confederate statue from downtown, and the split in attitudes towards the spring pilgrimage where homeowners open their houses to the public. I then meet Dick Leike, president of Historic Home Tours, to hear the other side of the debate, the risks associated with removing historical artefacts - as well as “all this woke stuff”
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S2 E4. I Was Obedient
I sit down to chat with Laura Beth, who I met at the Preservation Society Gala. Our meandering conversation takes us from southern accents and politics to religion and Laura Beth’s moving story adopting her children.
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S2 E3. Normal Girl Simulator
A near miss with a tornado prompts me to take stock of my life… so I visit a strip club for the first time and end up interviewing one of the dancers - Penelope. We discuss Russian literature, feminism, Mississippi’s “velvet ditch”, mental health, antidepressants and the less-obvious reasons one might go to a strip club.
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S2 E2. High Cotton
I get invited to a swanky fundraiser for Columbus’ Preservation Society, then sit down to interview its president, Ralph Null. We discuss the split in attitudes towards the town’s historic homes, Ralph’s career in floral design and his experience being openly gay in small-town Mississippi for several decades.
Customer Reviews
Engaging
Thanks for the intro Jack, really enjoying it
Well done Jack!
Hey Jack - you have a real talent for this form of journalism. We’ve listened to series 1 and half series 2 and are hooked. Can’t help drawing the comparison with Louis Theroux’s work and feel you have a distinctive but equally thoughtful voice. You handle the guests deftly and with real respect, so they naturally relax and open up. Keep doing it!
Liking this
I am really enjoying what I’ve listened to so far. People’s stories are always very interesting to me. Especially those of the outcast and whose lives have been troubled. You learn a lot from listening and connecting. What an insight into the less known America! Makes me want to go off the beaten track too!