Five Minutes in America is a weekday radio and podcast storytelling series created and hosted by Tony Michaels and published by The Coffman Chronicle.
New episodes begin September 7, 2026.
Each episode uses a short American story to explore a larger question about citizenship, work, liberty, community, and the responsibilities we share in a free country.
The stories take about five minutes to hear, but the questions inside them are meant to stay with you much longer.
Stories from Coffman’s Landing
Many episodes take place in Coffman’s Landing, a fictional Missouri town filled with front porches, family businesses, farms, churches, workshops, local characters, and the ordinary disagreements that come with living beside other people.
The people of Coffman’s Landing encounter small decisions that reveal something larger about themselves and their country.
The stories may be fictional.
The choices inside them are real.
A Different Way to Talk About America
Five Minutes in America is not a daily news recap or another collection of party talking points.
It slows things down and lets a story do the work.
The program does not begin by asking which side you are on. It asks what kind of neighbor, worker, leader, and citizen you are willing to become.
Because a free country is not held together by politicians alone. It is held together by ordinary people accepting responsibility for themselves, their communities, and one another.
Made for Radio and Podcast Listeners
Five Minutes in America is designed to air on radio and to be heard anywhere people listen to podcasts.
Each weekday episode delivers a complete story in approximately five minutes, making it short enough to fit into the day and meaningful enough to carry beyond it.
About Tony Michaels
Tony Michaels is a Missouri writer, broadcaster, commentator, and front-porch storyteller.
His work combines American storytelling, constitutional citizenship, humor, and the experiences of working people.
His guiding belief is simple: working people do not need the deal to be perfect, but they do need the deal to be square.
Read more about Tony Michaels:
Who Is Tony Michaels?
Tony Michaels is a Missouri writer, broadcaster and storyteller based in Jefferson City. He is the publisher of The Coffman Chronicle and the creator and host of Five Minutes in America and Along the Way.
Listen to Five Minutes in America
New weekday episodes begin September 7, 2026.
Listen, subscribe, and follow the series at:
Five Minutes in America is published by The Coffman Chronicle.
