China's Foot Binding Tradition

At a young age, Alexis Soyer became a very well-known chef in both France and England, as popular for his fun personality as for his cooking. But he also left a legacy of invention and charity. Resear...

6 Jun 202239min

This 2018 episode covers Anne Lister, who was looking for a wife at a time when many women sought husbands to ensure financial stability. She was also writing thousands of pages of diaries, including ...

4 Jun 202237min

Tracy and Holly talk about the folklore aspects of Jack Sheppard's story, and how a mustache drawn on a photo of Charles Ponzi was part of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism about that case.See omnystu...

3 Jun 202215min

He’s synonymous with fraud today, but the most famous scheme Charles Ponzi pulled in his lifetime was surprisingly short-lived. Research: "Charles Ponzi Cheats Thousands in Investment Scheme, 1919-1...

1 Jun 202241min

Jack Sheppard became sort of a serial breakout artist in 18th-century England. He was a real person who became a folk hero, but many of the accounts of his life are suspect. Research: Buckley, Matthe...

30 Mai 202236min

This 2016 episode covers famed lady pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who have been often requested as a topic by listeners. But telling their story requires navigating some rather suspect historical ...

28 Mai 202227min

Tracy and Holly discuss online disagreements over the origin of the science-fiction genre of literature and the nature of Margaret Cavendish’s marriage. They then talk about Mabel Lee’s willingness to...

27 Mai 202219min

As a teenager, Mabel Lee fought for the women’s vote in the U.S. even though she wouldn’t benefit from it. As an adult, she continued to live a life in service, as community and spiritual leader in Ne...

25 Mai 202240min