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Radio Free Flint PodcastAuthor: Arthur Busch
A podcast on law, history, and culture from Flint, Michigan. Hosted by former prosecutor Arthur Busch, Radio Free Flint explores justice, society, and public affairs. This podcast weaves together personal storytelling, investigative journalism, and social analysis to explore some of the most urgent themes of our time Language: en-us Genres: News, News Commentary, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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John Prine’s America, Hymns for the Working Class
Sunday, 15 February, 2026
A vanished hometown. A son who came back different. An elder on a quiet porch waiting for someone to say hello. We follow John Prine’s trail from Maywood, Illinois, to the coal seams of western Kentucky and the factory streets of Michigan, mapping how his songs became a living record of America’s working‑class migration.We start with the family story: parents who left Muhlenberg County for steadier pay, weekend drives back down the Green River, and the language that knit southern memory to northern labor. That double vantage shaped a body of work that feels at home in both coal camps and auto plants. Paradise turns industrial extraction into compact family history, explaining why so many left towns that now exist only in stories. Sam Stone pulls the curtain on the cost of war in neighborhoods that sent more than their share, capturing addiction and broken promises without sermon or spectacle. Hello in There lowers its voice to honor elders displaced by geography and time, reminding us that attention is a form of care. And Grandpa Was a Carpenter sketches a worldview built on work, loyalty, and a plain, steady pride.Along the way, we walk the line locals know by heart—the Hillbilly Highway—where Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas families followed Dixie Highway and U.S. routes into Illinois and Michigan, trading coal dust for factory grit. Prine didn’t just sing about characters; he archived a code: show up for your people, honor your history, do your part, and expect your country to keep faith. When he died in 2020, the loss felt less like a star going dark and more like a neighbor setting down the notebook where everyone’s names were written.If you care about Americana music, labor history, or the quiet ways songs hold communities together, press play. Then tell us which John Prine lyric still finds you where you live. Subscribe, share with a friend who grew up on a front porch or a factory block, and leave a review so more listeners can find these stories.-----------------This episode is a newly expanded version of my 2020 John Prine podcast episode, with more story and analysis.”-----------------The Mitten Channel is a network of podcasts. 👉Subscribe to The Mitten Channel Join us for the full experience. Subscribe to The Mitten Channel on Substack to receive our latest narrative essays, audio stories, and deep-dive reporting directly in your inbox. Explore Our Series: Radio Free Flint: Narrative storytelling and community perspectives on industrial resilience. The Mitten Works: Essential history and analysis of labor and economic policy. Flint Justice: Critical insights into the legal and institutional challenges facing our state. Visit our Mitten Channel website for our complete library of podcasts, videos, and articles. The Mitten Channel is a production of Radio Free Flint Media, LLC. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.
