THE TEACHER Lois Meek Stolz

When Lois Meek Stolz became a teacher, “children as small silent robots”-style education ruled the day. But her innovative vision, empathy for her students, and bold refusal to “do what had always been done” helped change American education forever – but that was only the beginning! Meet the “model teacher” who became one of the most influential Child Development experts in a century… and then was completely forgotten. Olivia interviews Elizabeth More, Historian and Director …

20th century / Educators / North America / United States

THE GLEANER Judith Sargent Murray

  In 1790, Judith Sargent Murray became the first American to publicly argue that men and women were equal. Hailing from seafaring Gloucester Massachusetts, she educated herself, weathered some of life’s cruelest storms, and published hundreds of bold, brave essays. She expected to rock the boat, steering her new American nation toward equality. And America went…meh. Why? Join Katie on location at Sargent House Museum in Gloucester. Judith Sargent Murray’s Unitarian Universalist Catechism is available …

18th century / 19th century / First woman to... / North America / on-location / Philosophy / Politics / Religion / Travel / United States / War / Writers

THE CONSTANT SCANDAL Valeska Gert

Even in the wildly eccentric cabaret culture of 1920s Berlin,Valeska Gert stood out. And though it would take nearly fifty years for society to “catch up” with Valeska’s vision – this unique and irrepressible dancer would eventually (and against all odds) become revered as the “Mother of Punk”! Olivia interviews dancer and dance historian Janet Collard. Watch Janet Collard’s show Performing Valeska here, and see newly-discovered footage of Valeska Gert performing “Tanz in Orange” here. …

20th century / Dancers / Europe / Germany / LGBTQ+ / North America / Performers / United States

THE GOOD WIFE Elizabeth Bray Allen

What makes a good wife? In 1700s Virginia, there was one clear path for colonial women: Marry. Have children. Preserve the family wealth. Fail at this, and you’ve failed at life. But what if the family wealth you were tasked to preserve was an old mansion…and a slave plantation? Katie takes us on location to Bacon’s Castle, one of America’s oldest houses.   You can read Elizabeth Bray Allen’s will here, and take a 3D …

18th century / North America / on-location / United States

THE PHOTOJOURNALIST Catherine Leroy

When 21 year-old Catherine Leroy hopped on a plane in Paris, headed for Vietnam, she had no idea what she was getting herself into. Despite having no experience of either war or photography, Leroy was determined to make her mark as a world-class combat photojournalist. And somehow, against all odds – and against massive opposition from most of her male colleagues, top-ranking military officers, and the press itself – she did it. But at what …

20th century / Asia / Europe / France / Journalists / Military / Travel / Vietnam / War

THE NATURALIST Maria Sibylla Merian

Germany was still burning witches when Maria Sibylla Merian daringly filled her 17th-century home with spiders, moths, and all kinds of toxic plants. Bold choices saved her from accusations of witchcraft–and from a mundane life. Merian’s fascination with metamorphosis led her all the way to the rainforests of South America, where she recorded countless new species, 130 years before Darwin! Katie interviews our guest Kim Todd, author of Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets …

17th century / Europe / First woman to... / Germany / Science / South America / Suriname / Travel

THE MOTHER OF FORENSIC SCIENCE Frances Glessner Lee

Frances Glessner Lee was 52 years old when she discovered the mission that would become her legacy – to “convict the guilty, clear the innocent, and find the truth.” After five decades as a prominent social hostess (and innovative part-time artist) this indomitable woman took on centuries of entrenched medical and legal tradition to become the Mother of Forensic Science. And she did it – at least partially – with dollhouses?! Olivia speaks to guest …

20th century / Activists / Educators / First woman to... / Medicine / North America / Science / True Crime / United States

THE UNVEILED Huda Shaarawi

1

An Egyptian child bride awakens to the reality of life in a harem, and dreams of revolution. And that’s just the beginning! Huda Shaarawi led thousands of women in a movement to liberate themselves from the harem, the veil, and all inequality. But in 1920s Egypt, how far could they get? Our guest is Professor Ayfer Karakaya-Stump at the College of William & Mary. Ayfer Karakaya-Stump was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. An Associate …

19th century / 20th century / Africa / Egypt / First woman to... / Politics / Writers

THE WARRIOR QUEEN Chand Bibi

Chand Bibi served as regent of two different Sultanates in the 16th century Deccan peninsula, and ruled over some of the most important – and tumultuous – years in the region’s history. Versions of her story have been told and retold in India for generations – but what really happened to this enigmatic queen? Our guest Dr. Sarah Waheed helps us unravel this fascinating mystery.   Learn more about the important ways that ‘rediscovering’ Chand …

16th century / Asia / Government / India / Military / Politics / Religion / War

VERSAILLES CHRISTMASTIDE Mary Stuart Boyd: 2021 Christmas Special

Mary Stuart Boyd spent Christmas 1900 in Versailles, not on a festive tour of the grand palace, but to stay with her 13-year-old son, quarantined there with scarlet fever. Her Versailles experience seems worlds away from today’s tourist mobs. The author of eight novels and three travel narratives, her delightful insights leave us amazed that no one’s ever heard of her. This year’s Christmas Special is read by Sophie Greenhalgh-Cook from Not For the Dinner …

19th century / Christmas Specials / England / Europe / Food / France / New Zealand / Oceania / Special Episodes / Writers