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PODCAST

E Pluribus Motto

John Hodgman and Janet Varney

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!

comedy places & travel

All Episodes

01:30:51

Episode 19: Washington D.C. - “Justicia Omnibus”

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/10/28

Janet Varney and John Hodgman celebrate the first non-state and non-commonwealth in the brief history of the podcast: The capital of the United States, Washington D.C.And if there’s one problem with the perception of D.C., it’s a failure to understand that it’s a real city with a lot of cool people who call it home. We try to push beyond the monuments and motorcade and make sure to highlight that.Plus we give a shoutout to everything from D.C.’s role in the straight-edge punk movement, the cryptids

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01:40:22

Episode 18: Pennsylvania - “Virtue, liberty and...

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/10/14

Janet Varney and John Hodgman have arrived in the keystone state! First order of business: What on Earth is a keystone anyway?If nothing else, it’s one of the many things that Pennsylvania uses to identify itself as. Its other symbols include (but are not limited to) Benjamin Franklin, hoagies, the liberty bell, Rocky and so much more. And we’ve gotten tons of Pennsylvanians from far and wide to tell us why they love to call this commonwealth home. Episode cover art provided by:Dana JonesElizabeth

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01:20:09

Episode 17: Iowa- “Our liberties we prize and our...

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/09/30

Janet Varney and John Hodgman are on to the Hawkeye State! And while there are some very respectable hawkeyes to take sight of, our hosts will also talk about some vaguely disturbing Hawkeyes as well (sorry Herky!).And we’ve got to stay on brand and talk about that motto as well– it’s quite a mouthful. But Iowa proudly showcases it on its seal and its official state flag.We even got John Darnielle from the Mountain Goats to give the motto a good read– and tell us which of his songs most represents

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01:11:48

Episode 16: Oregon - “Alis Volat Propriis”

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/09/16

Janet Varney and John Hodgman visit their first state in the Pacific Northwest: Oregon! There’s a Latin motto and so much flora and fauna to discuss; including some wonderful Douglas-fir and those amazing beavers.Speaking of beavers, they are the namesake of Oregon’s unofficial nickname, “The Beaver State.” And those animals happen to be on the second-side of the state flag– yes, this is that rare state flag that is TWO sided.But, lest we forget that beautiful motto, it translates to “She flies with

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01:37:41

Episode 15: New Mexico - “Crescit eundo”

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/09/02

Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready to talk all about “The land of enchantment”: New Mexico! Or as the locals call it, “The land of entrapment.”Even if you know nothing about New Mexico, the one thing you’ll immediately recognize is its absolutely gorgeous state flag. But did you know that prior to its current flag, it also had one of the worst flags we’ve seen yet?That’s just one other story we’ll hear today, including some stunning hot air balloon commentary, some scary insect stories, and so

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01:16:24

Episode 14: Kentucky - “United we stand, divided we...

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/08/19

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 Kentucky

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01:20:53

Episode 13: Wisconsin - “Forward”

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/08/05

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 SugdenLaura SwisherMegan HauserProduced by Julian Burrell.Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher.Find E Pluribus Motto

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01:17:57

Episode 12: Minnesota - “L'etoile du Nord”

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/07/22

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 MoeMegan SorensonAllison KellyProduced by Julian Burrell.Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher.Find E Pluribus Motto on Instagram

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01:15:23

Maryland - “Fatti Maschii Parole Femine”

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/07/08

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 HarperJeff McLain (Unsplash)Lenny Rogers (Pixabay)Bruce Emmerling (Pixabay)Produced by Julian

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01:13:17

Mail from around the states!

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/05/27

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 photo about

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00:14:53

#MaxFunDrive special – Even MORE State Cryptids

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/03/27

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

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01:19:16

#MaxFunDrive special – State Cryptids

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/03/24

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 several

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00:30:52

#MaxFunDrive special – Amy Holden Jones

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/03/17

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 film

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01:20:58

Tennessee - Agriculture and Commerce

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/02/04

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 podcast

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01:16:30

Illinois - State Sovereignty, National Union

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/01/21

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

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01:07:19

Georgia - Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation (Unofficial)

E Pluribus Motto ·

2025/01/06

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 LamRyan LloydC.N. JosephsProduced by Julian Burrell.Senior Producer at MaxFun is Laura Swisher.Find E Pluribus Motto on Instagram and TikTok.And send us a voice

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00:51:13

Vermont - Freedom and Unity

E Pluribus Motto ·

2024/12/23

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 KennedyJackie GrayKate ThomasProduced by Julian

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00:58:45

New York - Excelsior!

E Pluribus Motto ·

2024/12/10

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 BarteltCookie LeiblerLiam JeffriesRisa StrobleGerald J. SmithProduced by Julian Burrell.Senior Producer

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00:52:28

South Carolina - Dum Spiro Spero & Animis Opibusque...

E Pluribus Motto ·

2024/11/25

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

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01:00:29

Virginia - Sic Semper Tyrannis

E Pluribus Motto ·

2024/11/11

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 about the

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