Growing Up in Turbulence: How the Nineteen Seventies Shaped a Generation with Laura Van Wormer
Jan 22, 2026 • 43:58
In this episode of History Told Forward, we deliver a powerful storytelling podcast experience rooted in real life stories, deep conversations, and the living memory of the human experience. We sit down with author and podcast creator Laura Van Wormer to explore what it was truly like to grow up in America during the early nineteen seventies—a time before cell phones, before seatbelts, before the internet, when kids roamed free and a nation wrestled with war, scandal, and cultural change.Laura is the creator of The Class of ’74, a serialized audio drama set in a Connecticut suburb between nineteen seventy-one and nineteen seventy-four. Drawing from her own lived experience, decades as a bestselling novelist, and her career as a former Doubleday editor, she recreates an era when music, protest, war, and coming of age collided.Through deep conversations, we explore how post–World War Two America created the suburbs, why nearly every father wore the same “uniform” to work, and how the shadow of Vietnam shaped an entire generation. We talk about how music, movies, and teenage rebellion formed identity—and why young listeners today are discovering this era to better understand their parents.These resilience stories reveal that history is not abstract. It is lived in kitchens, classrooms, and quiet fears carried home from the evening news. This episode offers meaningful life lessons about memory, identity, and the power of storytelling to preserve what time would otherwise erase.This is more than nostalgia. It’s a living time capsule—and a reminder that history survives because people remember.Links Mentioned: The Class of ’74 Podcast (available on all platforms) Search “The Class of ’74” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, and Podbean.Companies & Organizations Mentioned: Doubleday IBM Apple Podcasts Spotify Pandora YouTube Veteran Voice Radio Semper Fi Country Ranger Rockwave Planned Parenthood The Veterans Administration (VA)Mentioned in this episode:Lets build a show that will inspire generations!Lets build a show that will inspire generations, it starts by scheduling your free consultation call. https://calendly.com/donalddunn/project-planningBuild your website today and start reaching CustomersContact Barracks Media Today and Schedule your free consultation. https://calendly.com/donalddunn/project-planning