In 1931, a young American aspiring writer set off for what she thought would be a one-year adventure in China. Hoping to gain life experience so she could eventually write the Great American Novel – Helen Foster Snow would instead become famous as the “Voice of China” to the west, and improve the lives of millions of people in the process. Olivia talks with Helen’s great-nephew Adam Foster, and Helen’s friend and translator Professor An …
Selma Lagerlöf poetically recorded old Norse fairytales and profoundly influenced Swedish identity. Her work was so brilliant, she was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909. In old age, she turned her poetic pen to her own life, recalling winters in the 1860s at her beloved Varmland farmhouse, Mårbaka. For our annual Christmas Special, we bring her poignant memoirs to life, accompanied by an audio feast of traditional Swedish music. …
When Alice Roosevelt’s dad became President of the United States, her family became the center of attention for the entire country (and the world) – and that was just how Alice liked it. Whether smoking on the White House roof, racing her bright red motorcar through the streets of Washington DC, or wearing her snake Emily Spinach as jewelry while attending Congressional Balls – Alice scandalized her parents and delighted the nation. But that was …
Come with us to peak Gilded Age America! We’ll watch a charmingly unconventional love story unfold, cure yellow fever, stare at some incredible wallpaper, and explore fascinating reasons why women should NOT vote. Katie takes us on location to Ethel Gibson Allen’s Boston mansion, now the Gibson House Museum. Learn more about Ethel Gibson Allen and the Gibson House museum here. Find resources about the anti-suffrage movement in the US at the Library of Congress …
How did a 25-year-old German Jewish refugee with no formal photography training become ‘half of’ the most celebrated war photographer in history? Returning guest Kip Wilson takes us right into the heart of the Spanish Civil War to meet Gerda Taro – subject of Wilson’s newest novel One Last Shot and the most famous photojournalist you’ve never heard of. See many more photos by Gerda Taro at the International Center for Photography. There you can …
How did a lifelong cleaning lady become one of the most beloved painters in French history? In 1905, the voice of the Virgin Mary told orphaned, uneducated maid Seraphine to paint, and she obeyed. Her small French town was on the front line of both world wars, and through it all she painted her kaleidoscopic view. She died penniless and unknown, but when a film about her aired on French television a couple years ago, …
The day “Rattlesnake Kate” Slaughterback (armed only with a rifle, 4 bullets, and a “No Hunting” sign) successfully battled her way through hundreds of rattlesnakes to save herself and her son, a legend was born. But that’s just the beginning of her story… Olivia is on location at the Greeley History Museum with Grammy-nominated musician and composer Neyla Pekarek (formerly of The Lumineers), whose musical Rattlesnake Kate premiered in 2022 at the Denver Center for …
“I have only one favor to ask of people: to take care of their stories.” When Mary Kawena Puku’i was born, her grandmother named her the Puna Hele, the one who would carry their Hawaiian tradition and culture into the future. Not an easy task, since she was born in 1895 – the year Hawaii was overthrown and annexed by the United States! But she rose to the task, working tirelessly her entire life to …
Her pioneering work on solar heat and solar energy would change science forever – but it was her passionate dedication to humanity that made her a true visionary. Meet the remarkable Maria Telkes, subject of the amazing American Experience documentary The Sun Queen with Olivia’s guests, Writer/Producer Gene Tempest and Director Amanda Pollack. You can watch The Sun Queen from The American Experience here, or you can find the trailer here. You can read more …
When the mothers of Love Canal learned that their neighborhood was built on a chemical dump, they launched into the fight of their lives – first to find the truth, then to escape their own homes. But without biologist Beverly Paigen willingly putting her career on the line, it never would have happened. Discover this inspiring – and infuriating – story with returning guest Keith O’Brien, New York Times bestselling author of author of Paradise …
