237. Penning Patriotism — Katharine Lee Bates and "America the Beautiful"

The recent hatching of baby eaglets in Big Bear, CA has Amy thinking a lot about patriotism and what it actually means in turbulent times for our country. Lost lady of lit Katharine Lee Bates — a staunch activist for social justice who decried America’s isolationist policies — must have considered the same when, during a trip across the country in 1893, she penned what would eventually become the lyrics to “America the Beautiful.” The original words to her poem are a bit more pointed than the version we know today, offering a new perspective on pure (but not blind) patriotism. This bonus episode is available to paid subscribers or for individual purchase.