NOTE: A previous version of this episode erroneously stated that Kentucky was a Confederate State in the US Civil War. It was in fact, a Union State. This has been corrected Thank you to those who pointed out the error. Janet Varney and John Hodgman are here and ready to talk all about some blue grass… sort of. It’s all about Kentucky and it’s slightly complicated branded with its iconography. If you’re looking for excitement, steer clear of the seal and flag; pretty standard fare there. But Ken...
Aug 19, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready to yell, “On Wisconsin!” And no, that’s not the official state motto. The actual one is MUCH more boring. But there’s still so much to love about Wisconsin; that includes a lot of really lovely history, landmarks and accents. Plus, what’s a conversation about Wisconsin without a lot of cheese chatter? Episode cover art provided by: Shaleigh Sugden Laura Swisher Megan Hauser Produced by Julian Burrell . Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher . Find E Pl...
Aug 05, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready to dive into some lakes! And what better place to do that than the state with more than 10,000 of them? That’s right, the next stop is Minnesota. It’s got a shiny new state flag and seal that’s ready for a proper review. Plus, we are so, so excited to showcase our very first FRENCH state motto! Episode cover art provided by: John Moe Megan Sorenson Allison Kelly Produced by Julian Burrell . Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher . Find E Pluribus Motto...
Jul 22, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are back with Season 2 of E Pluribus Motto. They’ve chosen none other than Maryland to kick off this brand new tour of state mottos and iconography. Everything from the very busy state flag, the state song, the state spirit and more will be discussed. Plus… what better way to get Season 2 started than with the return of a LATIN motto? Episode cover art provided by: Meaghan Harper Jeff McLain (Unsplash) Lenny Rogers (Pixabay) Bruce Emmerling (Pixabay) Produced by Jul...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Janet Varney and John Hodgman are back! This is a brief reprieve from the wait for Season 2 of E Pluribus Motto. The pair respond to a number of emails and voice notes from listeners. There’s plenty of corrections on previous episodes and information about all the states, commonwealths, and districts(!) that will be covered next season. Produced by Julian Burrell . Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher . Find E Pluribus Motto on Instagram and TikTok . And send us a voice memo, message or ph...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 13 min
Happy MaxFun Drive! This show is supported by our beloved MaxFun Members! To become one yourself as part of the #MaxFunDrive, go to maximumfun.org/join and set up a recurring monthly contribution (or an annual prepay) for as little as $5 a month. Janet Varney celebrates MORE state cryptids from our wonderful E Pluribus Motto listeners. Some of them are spiritual, some are disturbing but we love hearing about them all. Not only that, but we’ll get to hear even more about the effect that these cry...
Mar 27, 2025•15 min
Happy MaxFun Drive! This show is supported by our beloved MaxFun Members! To become one yourself as part of the #MaxFunDrive, go to maximumfun.org/join and set up a recurring monthly contribution (or an annual prepay) for as little as $5 a month. Janet Varney and John Hodgman explore the legendary, creepy, adorable and mysterious cryptids that (possibly) exist across this country. The bipedal creatures with wings of bats, fur, jurassic flippers or glistening fangs are out there… possibly. And se...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 19 min
Janet Varney and John Hodgman chat about the start of the #MaxFunDrive! This episode is being released on the first day of the drive– March 17th. Now is the time to go to maximumfun.org/join to become a MaxFun Member. For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure that this podcast continues and earn great gifts in the process. Then, it’s Janet’s full conversation with filmmaker Amy Holden Jones . We’ll learn more about how a very specific location in Connecticut inspired the title of Amy’s fi...
Mar 17, 2025•31 min
John Hodgman and Janet Varney are pouring some lovely Tennessee tea on the season finale of E Pluribus Motto! That’s right, Tennessee is the final state and motto of season one. So does it have a strong, compelling and rich phrase to close us out strong? No! But there’s still a lot to discuss, including some personal travel stories through the state, what its flat top shape makes us think of, and… the national treasure that is Dolly Parton. Plus, a chat Tennessee’s own Mark Gagliardi from the po...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 10
John Hodgman and Janet Varney are calling for freedom from the juventocracy as they visit Illinois! It’s got a motto that makes you think but a state seal that’s very confusing and unappealing. But the pair promise to be fair judges. How do you decide what food and critters are good enough to be official representations of your home? Let the children decide of course! That’s right, Illinois allowed the… admittedly middling opinions of elementary school kids to decide on a variety of state symbol...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 9
John Hodgman and Janet Varney are ready for an episode as sweet as a peach: Georgia! Up until now we’ve dealt exclusively with official mottos. But Georgia just had to buck tradition with an UNofficial motto. Thankfully we’ve still got a lot of symbols that did make the cut. From frogs, dogs, whales and fruit. Episode art provided by: Kevin Lam Ryan Lloyd C.N. Josephs Produced by Julian Burrell . Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher . Find E Pluribus Motto on Instagram and TikTok . And sen...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 8
There’s a bit of maple in the air because this week John Hodgman and Janet Varney visit Vermont! Green mountain boys and sea monsters await. Plus: A motto so good that it makes us rethink our opinions about the other mottos we’ve graded so far. (Sorry New York– looks like “Excelsior!” might be inferior). And you know what this episode pairs great with? A big ol’ plate of pancakes with some freshly tapped Vermont maple syrup. Episode art provided by: Jayne Kennedy Jackie Gray Kate Thomas Produced...
Dec 23, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 7
John Hodgman and Janet Varney are heading ever upward! This week is all about New York! We’re going through a bunch of the Empire state’s historical highlights, from the compelling to the goofy. The two will reminisce about how New York has personally touched their lives and explain why this motto is so Amazing, Spectacular, Incredible and Fantastic. Plus: Beavers! Episode art provided by: Lizzie Bartelt Cookie Leibler Liam Jeffries Risa Stroble Gerald J. Smith Produced by Julian Burrell . Senio...
Dec 10, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 6
John Hodgman presents to Janet Varney the state that’s obsessed with having an excessive amount of mottos: South Carolina! It features two mottoes, two official state drinks, two official state marine mammals and more. And that’s before we discuss how busy the state seal is. Yet for all that, the state has a very tastefully reserved flag and a really charming fondness of the creatures like the wolf spider. So settle into your little burrow and grab a pile of boiled peanuts. Produced by Julian Bu...
Nov 25, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Janet Varney presents to John Hodgman the commonwealth of Virginia! What a creature filled state! Everything from tiny bats with big ears, directional cardinals and water-based horses. But before we can get to any of that we have to discuss that motto. Sure it’s a little aggressive and has some unfortunate historical baggage; but you’ll hear why it’s actually a very hopeful message. Plus, we’re joined by Dimitry Pompée , one of the hosts of the MaxFun podcast “ Eurovangelists ,” which is all abo...
Nov 11, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 4
John Hodgman presents his home commonwealth to Janet Varney . It’s time to spotlight Massachusetts! Keep your Boston accents to yourself (for now) because we’ll learn more about how its motto was born from was born from an incredibly aggressive guest book entry and the numerous songs that have fought status within Massachusetts. Plus, John will chat with Kate Lorch. As an elementary school student she struck a major political victory: getting Massachusetts an official state muffin. Special thank...
Oct 28, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 3
It’s Janet Varney ’s turn to present to John Hodgman ; it’s the biggest little state in the union: Rhode Island! While Rhode Island does have a limited presence in pop culture, it still has a lot of great songs devoted to it. And we’re happy to showcase a few. We’ll find out what exactly a “stuffy” is and why this state motto is so simple and yet perfect. Plus, we’ll hear from Julian Fellowes , creator of the shows “Downton Abbey” and “The Gilded Age.” The latter is filmed in Newport, Rhode Isla...
Oct 14, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 2
It’s the very first episode of E Pluribus Motto! John Hodgman and Janet Varney ’s first stop on their tour of every state, commonwealth and territory in the United States is Connecticut. Why Connecticut first? They’ll explain. Hear more about its legendary rich, sandy loam, the grape-filled seal, and its many attempts to create a state motto that sticks. Plus, Janet speaks with Amy Holden Jones , creator of the film Mystic Pizza . Amy will tell us about how her movie was directly inspired by Con...
Oct 14, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 1
Listening to E Pluribus Motto is like taking a road trip with friends Janet Varney and John Hodgman. In each episode, they spotlight one state and chat about its motto, bird, beverages, songs, and–occasionally–muffins. Plus, you'll hear from residents and guests whose lives or work have been inspired by that state. This podcast is a celebration of regional culture and an homage to the love we all seem to have for the place we call home. Pack your snacks and jump on in!
Oct 01, 2024•4 min
