Henry David Thoreau

Concord, Massachusetts

His only published work in his lifetime, Walden, has profoundly affected leaders such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King. The civil rights movement owes a debt to his essay on civil disobedience. Yet his staunch abolitionist stance led him to support John Brown.

Robert

The Simpsons

TV

The Simpsons has been a funny and still intelligent source of self criticism for more than 20 years.

Mauricio

Hoboken, New Jersey

Hoboken, NJ

History! The birthplace of baseball and a blue-eyed boy named Frank Sinatra, scores of Irish and Italian families made their way to this small town (just 1 sq. mile!) overlooking the New York City skyline to work as longshoremen on the docks (see: Marlon Brando's Oscar winning "On the Waterfront"), and to build this welcoming community of brownstones and tree-lined streets. Swing by to visit the flamboyant "Cake Boss" Buddy, have a drink (Hoboken boasts the most bars per capita in the US!), or grab a sandwich at one of the world famous delis (try the "mutz," but don't mention the Sopranos!). And hey, who could forget the 1804 Hamilton vs. Burr duel just up the road?

Keith Gormley

Monument Valley

Monument Valley, UT

I have never been to Monument Valley. And yet I have visited dozens of times, through countless television programs and movies, most notably those of John Ford. Monument Valley, even more so than the Grand Canyon, represents the American West. My heart swells when I see those majestic buttes and rock formations. Monument Valley can also seem otherworldly, as if some unseen hand reached down, pinched the land, and drew these strange red formations out of the earth. Yes, I’ve never been there, but before I die, I will walk among those giants.

Nathan

Bible Quilt by Harriet Powers

Washington, D.C.

While quilting was brought to America by Europeans, "patchwork" is now known the world over as an American art & craft with a rich history. The stories of thousands of women, their families, and their communities are only known to us via the quilts they created. If you have to pick just one*, the story of Harriet Powers is a bridge between eras, continents, folk art and commerce, and even technology. The Bible Quilt is now in the Smithsonian quilt collection.
*Elizabeth Mitchell's Graveyard Quilt is also pretty cool in a morbid way.

Mary Kate

The Woolworth Building

New York City

I love it's moniker: The Cathedral of Commerce -- built btw 1911-1913... it was the world's tallest building until 1930 -- a building heralded the idea of the triumph of the first chain retail store -- the exterior gargoyles of indians and nickles and dimes are amazing as is the incredible tile mosaic hallway -- which is now essentially off limits to the public - since NYU took it over (because of 9/11 security? -- not sure -- ). It had many interesting tenants over the years and the tale of the way Mr. Woolworth built it and then lost it has always struck me as poignant. Plus it's beautiful. Majestic with a sense of humor.

topiary

Lonesome Dove

Montana, The American West

This massive novel draws from all western fiction that came before it- a history as long as western expansionism itself. The film adaption is also embedded in the psyches of many of us Westerners with a penchant for nostalgia- or with grandparents who would analyze the accuracy of the saddles used in various scenes and would nod in approval at the feats of horsemanship.

Lacy

Photo of Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima, Japan

Throughout America’s history, Americans have been famous and infamous for their bravery and tenacity- in fact, our country was started on the foundation of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

World War Two was not fought on our soil. However, America's powerful reaction to the Nazis was formidable. This rich story of redemption, patriotism, and love is very real, as depicted by this famous picture. Brave Americans like these soldiers are heroes every day, creating a profound impact on our society. This photo is a testimony of the unconventional wisdom and justice expressed by men and women throughout history.

Subra

The Watts Towers

Los Angeles, CA

In 1965, Calvin Trillin wrote in the New Yorker that Italian immigrant Simon Rodia "constructed a dream-like complex of openwork towers . . . and encrusted them with a sparkling mosaic, composed mainly of what had once been refuse." Rodia’s Watts’ Towers are testament to the American immigrant artist's power to claim value and beauty in a found world. His spirit continues to inspire and transform those who experience his towers first hand. That the outsider artist’s towers are now the focus of major insider art LACMA’s restoration attentions makes them all the more worthy a Studio 360 American Icon.

Nancy

Fender Stratocaster electric guitar

Scottsdale, AZ

While the Stratocaster is not a book, movie, song, play or building, it pretty much embodies rock 'n' roll and without it, many awesome songs might never have happened. Rock 'n' roll is America, and the Strat is rock 'n' roll.

Mark

Aaron Cometbus

Berkeley CA

Aaron Cometbus's hand-written, self-published zine offers a literary foil to the optimism that pervades punk subculture. It's like a super smart love note to the world.

Nicole

The Land Itself

America

Being someone who doesn't personally resonate with the idea of incorporating geo-political borders into one's sense of self, I don't really consider myself an "American", but I am an avid listener of your show! As such I feel moved to suggest that nothing could be more iconic than the Earth which we inhabit and call "America". Indeed it would seem that all icons must spring from this root, as the artists who created those works could not have done so without being nourished and inspired by the geography they inhabit.

Seth

Citizen Kane

Los Angeles

Orson Welles had become a huge radio star, particularly on the heels of his broadcast of 'War of the Worlds.' He swept in to Hollywood and was given enormous artistic liberty and money. What did he do? Create a unflattering portrait of a megalomaniac based on one of the most powerful men of his era: William Randolph Hearst.

The film is laden with symbols and references. Even the name of Kane's childhood toy sled has special meaning. Much of it has a film noir quality to it. Although a first-time director, Welles is brilliant in his storytelling and craftsmanship of the film.

Hearst did everything in his power to try to squelch the film, which was considerable because of the extent of the media he controlled. Although the film did not do well at the box office, it is considered by most film critics to be one of the greatest motion pictures in cinema history and one of the most influential.

Michael

Give Me the Rifle by Dagmar (the Band)

Boston, Massachusettes

'Give me the Rifle' is a beautiful and haunting anti-war protest song that made number 59 on Neil Young's list of the Top Protest Songs of All Time. This song is at once a melancholy reflection on the senseless deaths of young people that fight wars they had no part in starting, and an impassioned call for the elder generation to take responsibility for making the world a better place. This song, written in the folk tradition by my father-in-law, is symbolic of the crossroads America faces, and makes a plea for the nation to behave as a parent would.

Note - see 3:40 to 4:55 on the youtube video for a segment of this song. If you email me, I also have the song file.

Rosemary

Guys and Dolls

New York, NY

Based upon the classic short stories of Damon Runyon, Frank Loesser's "Guys and Dolls" is arguably the finest American musical ever written and composed, and my nomination for American Icon.

The story, pitting charming rascals and borderline criminals and their dolls against less-charming and far less imaginative disciplinary authorities, is quintessentially American, and the score, featuring timeless songs such as "Luck be a Lady Tonight" and "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat," are some of the finest entries in the American songbook. And there are some incomparable love songs in the score as well, such as "I'll Know" and "If I Were a Bell."

"Guys and Dolls" is constantly being revived on Broadway and beyond, and I'm surprised it hasn't had the longevity of London's "The Mouse Trap."

David

Jimi Hendrix playing the "Star Spangled Banner" at Woodstock

Woodstock, NY

It worked as a protest against the status quo while keeping the listener focused on another icon, the "Star Spangled Banner," while updating it and keeping core American idealism in mind. Tjis works on several levels by successfully modifying a beloved song that portrays victory against a supposedly unbeatable force, the British Army.

Jim

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Sunnydale, California

Buffy, is in my opinion and the opinion of many others, the best thing ever broadcast on American television. In addition the show has inspired a great deal of critical and philosophic comment to this day.

Paul

A Canticle for Liebowitz

book by Walter Miller

The book paints a picture of our fears which are the same now as then. It makes a theological statement that we cannot agree upon. It has a following of readers who read it over and over again and debate you will find many online blogs dedicated to this book. The prose is poetic. The story on House of Mirth made me think to submit this suggestion.

Jeffrey

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Salem, OR

It's a complex narrative about individualism and freedom, two of the concepts central to our country's concept of itself. It's written by Ken Kesey and indelibly linked with Jack Nicholson, each of whom are American Icons in their own right. It has an iconic hero, an iconic villain, and even an iconic narrator. There's plenty of controversy to debate with its portrayal of women. The symbolism of Celilo Falls on its own would be enough material for an hour of radio about American icongraphy. You wanted to hear from Oregon, and Cuckoo's nest is our very finest.

Zach

Liberty Memorial

Kansas City, MO

First monument in US to WWI and its veterans. Has been newly restored. WWI museum there is one of the best in country / world.

Fred Andrews