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Vibe Check

We’re Not Feeling the Stars and Stripes

Vibe Check

SiriusXM

Society & Culture

4.91.9K Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 2026

⏱️ 47 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On this episode of Vibe Check, Saeed and Zach are joined by one of their favorite writers, Kiese Laymon. As America gears up for its 250th birthday, they ask: what exactly are we celebrating? They talk about where the country stands today, and why progress in America often feels like two steps forward, one step back.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Girl.

0:05.4

Girl.

0:06.7

July 4th.

0:07.7

Really?

0:08.5

In this economy?

0:11.2

Not feeling the spirit, Sayy.

0:13.3

Not feeling the fascist birthday this year.

0:15.3

I'm not.

0:15.7

I'm not.

0:16.5

Feeling the stars and stripes for some reason.

0:18.5

But I am feeling our guests today.

0:20.7

So I guess we should

0:21.3

just get into it. I'm Saeed Jones. And I'm Zach Stafford, and you're listening to Vibe Check.

0:34.1

Today, we have a very, very special guest.

0:38.0

He is one of our favorite writers of all time.

0:40.2

And I'm not kidding when I say that.

0:41.4

He truly, truly is.

0:43.1

And that writer is the one and only Kiehse Lehman.

0:46.4

He is here to help us celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America.

0:51.1

And we are going to use that word very loosely here today.

0:54.1

Celebrate is very, very broad in that meaning. You probably know Kese from his work,

1:00.4

including his debut novel Long Division, his essay collection, How to Kill Yourself and Others in America,

...

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