This series includes an incomplete set of Pickett's scripts for "The American Past," a radio show on American culture that he hosted on public radio for several decades. Scripts are heavily annotated and corrected by hand. Topics over the years included musicals and American music more generally (e.g. jazz, folk music, songs about the American West), sports, specific eras within U.S. history and the Bicentennial, world wars, U.S. politics, holidays, comedians, specific cities and other geographies (e.g. New York, London, Hawaii, the American West), reflecting on the previous year, authors, movies, etc. The show typically lasted an hour and could incorporate interviews, narration, music, clips from movies, etc. Earlier seasons went from September one year to May the following year; by the early 1990s, the season might extend into June or July.