Reckoning with Jason Herbert

Jason Herbert

Reckoning with Jason Herbert is a long-form conversation podcast about history, the outdoors, and the stories that shape who we are. Each episode features historians, writers, scientists, and thinkers in wide-ranging conversations about wild places, forgotten pasts, cultural memory, and the forces—human and natural—that continue to shape our lives. This isn’t a news cycle show or a debate podcast. It’s a space for reflection, curiosity, and serious conversation—meant to be listened to slowly. If you’re interested in history beyond textbooks, the outdoors beyond recreation, and stories that linger long after they’re told, this show is for you.

  1. Episode 194: The Menu

    1 DAY AGO

    Episode 194: The Menu

    Two of our earliest guests are back — and 200 episodes later, the conversation is better than ever. Jason sits down with Emily Contois (Associate Professor of Media Studies at the University of Tulsa and author of *Diners, Dudes, and Diets*) and Mark Johnson (Assistant Professor of History at UT Chattanooga and author of the newly released *American Bacon: The History of a Food Phenomenon*) to dig into the 2022 satirical horror film *The Menu* — and end up covering pretty much everything worth knowing about American food culture along the way. What starts as a film discussion quickly becomes a wide-ranging conversation about class anxiety and culinary capital, the rise (and fall) of the celebrity chef, the myth of Southern food exceptionalism, why farm-to-table can only exist after industrialization, and what it really means when you pull out your phone to photograph your dinner. They debate who deserves their fate in the film, why the cheeseburger scene might be the most important moment in the whole movie, and whether food can ever truly be "authentic." Plus: Jose Andres, Anthony Bourdain's complicated legacy, Mario Batali, the bread scene, s'mores as satire, Noma's $1,500 tasting menu, and why gumbo might just be the most American food there is. *Spoilers throughout — watch the film first.* --- *Emily Contois is on Instagram and Bluesky. Her book Diners, Dudes, and Diets is available wherever books are sold. Mark Johnson's American Bacon is out now — and he'll be back on the pod soon for a dedicated book episode.*

    1hr 32min
  2. Episode 193: John Quincy Adams After the Presidency: Bob Crawford on America’s Founding Son and the Fight Against Slavery

    9 APR

    Episode 193: John Quincy Adams After the Presidency: Bob Crawford on America’s Founding Son and the Fight Against Slavery

    John Quincy Adams is one of those figures who seems to sit quietly in the background of American history — the son of a Founder, a one-term president, a man often overshadowed by bigger personalities. But look closer, and a very different story emerges. After losing the presidency, Adams didn’t fade away. He reinvented himself. He returned to Washington, entered the House of Representatives, and became one of the most relentless and morally uncompromising voices of his generation — especially on slavery. In his new book America’s Founding Son: John Quincy Adams from President to Political Maverick, Bob Crawford argues that Adams may not just be an important former president — he may be the most consequential ex-president in American history. This is a story about failure, reinvention, and what happens when someone freed from ambition becomes dangerous in the best possible way. It’s also a story about a nation moving from the age of the Founders toward the sectional crisis that would eventually tear it apart. Today, we talk with Bob Crawford about Adams’s second act, his evolving stance on slavery, his battles in Congress, and why this supposedly minor president might actually be one of the most important political figures of the nineteenth century. We’ll also explore what Adams can teach us about political courage, moral conviction, and the long arc between the American Revolution and the Civil War. This is a conversation about John Quincy Adams — but it’s also a conversation about what it means to lose power… and finally tell the truth.

    1hr 26min
  3. Episode 192: Miccosukee Sovereignty, the Everglades, and a Forgotten Cold War Story

    6 APR

    Episode 192: Miccosukee Sovereignty, the Everglades, and a Forgotten Cold War Story

    What does it mean to fight for your people—not on a battlefield, but in courtrooms, in capitals… and even on the global stage? In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, I’m joined by filmmaker and Miccosukee storyteller Montana Cypress to talk about his powerful new film, Becoming Buffalo. At the center of the story is Buffalo Tiger—a man raised in the Everglades who would go on to lead his people into one of the most unlikely diplomatic moments in American history: a meeting with Fidel Castro during the Cold War. But this conversation goes far beyond the film. We dig into what it means to be Miccosukee—how culture, language, and community are rooted in the Everglades, and why that landscape is not just land, but lifeblood. We talk about the differences between the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes, the importance of preserving Indigenous language, and the weight of telling a story that many people—even within the community—didn’t grow up hearing.  Montana opens up about stepping into the role of Buffalo Tiger, the responsibility of representing his people on screen, and the challenge of translating a deeply internal, cultural story to broader audiences. And along the way, we explore a larger truth: Some of the most important battles in Native history weren’t fought with weapons—but with strategy, diplomacy, and an unshakable commitment to sovereignty.  This is a story about identity. About survival. And about what it means to carry culture forward in a modern world. If you’ve ever wondered about the real history of Florida, the Everglades, or Native sovereignty in America—this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

    1hr 1min
  4. Episode 191: Rewriting the West: Megan Kate Nelson and the Myths We Still Believe

    31 MAR

    Episode 191: Rewriting the West: Megan Kate Nelson and the Myths We Still Believe

    In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, I’m joined by historian Megan Kate Nelson to talk about her new book The Westerners: Mythmaking and Belonging on the American Frontier—and why the frontier myth refuses to die. We dig into the stories of seven people who lived the West in real time—Indigenous women, Black frontiersmen, Chinese migrants, and white settlers—and how their lives complicate the familiar narrative of pioneers and progress. Along the way, we explore:  The origins of the frontier myth and why it still shapes American identity  Figures like Sacagawea and Jim Beckwourth—and the messy, human realities behind the legends  Why cities like Denver were central to the making of the West  How race, gender, and power determined who got written into history—and who didn’t  What these stories reveal about land, belonging, and conflict in America today This is a conversation about myth, memory, and the stories we choose to tell—and the ones we’ve ignored for far too long. If you think you know the West, this episode might change your mind.

    1hr 17min
  5. Episode 190: Timecop with John Wyatt Greenlee and Robert Greene II

    26 MAR

    Episode 190: Timecop with John Wyatt Greenlee and Robert Greene II

    What if time travel wasn’t about discovery—but control? In this episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert, we dive into the 1994 sci-fi action film Timecop—a quintessential 90s blockbuster starring Jean-Claude Van Damme that blends time travel, political corruption, and high-octane action into something far more revealing than it first appears. Joining me are Reckoning stalwarts and my great friends, historians Robert Greene II and John Wyatt Greenlee. Together, we explore what Timecop tells us about the 1990s—an era shaped by anxieties over government power, deregulation, and the growing sense that the past itself could be weaponized. We talk about: How Timecop reflects 90s fears of political corruption and unchecked authorityThe idea of “policing time” and who gets to control historyWhere Van Damme fits in the action hero pantheonWhy a film built on spectacle still raises meaningful historical questionsThis episode is part of our ongoing Historians At The Movies series, where we use film as a lens to think more deeply about history, culture, and the stories we tell ourselves about both. 🎧 If you enjoy conversations that bring together history, film, and sharp cultural insight, make sure to follow, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts—it helps more people find the conversation.

    1hr 20min
  6. Episode 189: Breaking Away with James Longhurst

    18 MAR

    Episode 189: Breaking Away with James Longhurst

    In this episode, I sit down with historian James Longhurst, author of Bike Battles, to break down the 1979 film Breaking Away and what it reveals about cycling and American life. We talk about why this coming-of-age sports movie still resonates, how it captures class and masculinity, and what it says about the 1970s bike boom. Along the way, we dig into the history of bicycling in America, the politics of the road, and how debates over bike infrastructure, cities, and transportation continue today. From Greg LeMond to Lance Armstrong to the rise of e-bikes, this is a conversation about film, history, and who gets to belong on the American road.

    1hr 40min
  7. Episode 188: Kelly Ramsey--Life on the Fireline in the Burning American West

    16 MAR

    Episode 188: Kelly Ramsey--Life on the Fireline in the Burning American West

    Wildfires are no longer rare disasters in the American West—they are a defining feature of the landscape. But very few people have seen them up close. In this episode, Jason Herbert speaks with Kelly Ramsey, author of Wildfire Days: A Woman, a Hotshot Crew, and the Burning American West. Ramsey spent multiple seasons on an elite wildland firefighting crew—known as hotshots—the teams sent to the most dangerous parts of massive fires. Ramsey was also the only woman on her crew, navigating a demanding and deeply male-dominated culture while battling some of the largest fires in recent Western history. Together we explore: What it actually feels like to stand on the firelineThe intense culture and camaraderie of hotshot crewsThe growing reality of megafires in the American WestGender, belonging, and earning trust in one of the toughest jobs in AmericaWhat these fires reveal about the future of the Western landscapePart adventure story, part personal reckoning, Wildfire Days offers a powerful look at life inside the fires that are reshaping the American West.

    1hr 36min
  8. Episode 187: Who Built American Barbecue? with Adrian Miller

    11 MAR

    Episode 187: Who Built American Barbecue? with Adrian Miller

    Barbecue is American history — but not the version most of us were taught. In this episode, I talk with James Beard Award–winning historian Adrian Miller about the untold story behind his book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue. Who built American barbecue? How did enslaved pitmasters shape a national cuisine? Why have Black barbecue traditions been minimized in the stories we tell about Texas brisket, Memphis ribs, and Southern food culture? We dive into Juneteenth celebrations, church barbecues, political gatherings, regional myths, and the fight over what counts as “authentic” barbecue. If barbecue is America’s food, this conversation asks a bigger question:  What happens when we forget who built it?

    1hr 18min
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About

Reckoning with Jason Herbert is a long-form conversation podcast about history, the outdoors, and the stories that shape who we are. Each episode features historians, writers, scientists, and thinkers in wide-ranging conversations about wild places, forgotten pasts, cultural memory, and the forces—human and natural—that continue to shape our lives. This isn’t a news cycle show or a debate podcast. It’s a space for reflection, curiosity, and serious conversation—meant to be listened to slowly. If you’re interested in history beyond textbooks, the outdoors beyond recreation, and stories that linger long after they’re told, this show is for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Herbert
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    237
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Reckoning with Jason Herbert
  • Show Website
    Reckoning with Jason Herbert

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