August 31, 2022 • 26 mins
Our memorable contestants get into the power of words when we learn more about these two incredible authors! The show gets a new sponsor...or two!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hib looks like you're typing up a storm. Hi, Elliott, Well,
we're talking about Maya Angelo and Laura Ingalls Wilder today
and they've inspired me to start writing. Oh wow, that's great.
Thank you. This piece is really close to my heart
and I love how it's turning out. Is it in
a place where I could take a peek? I'd be honored.
(00:21):
Let's see here, milk, eggs, papers, apple, peach, baby food.
B Is this your grocery list? Well? I usually don't
write one, but when the muse speaks, the artiste must listen. Okay,
but baby food. You don't have a baby. No, but
I do have an appetite. Oh boy, Eric, please play
(00:41):
the theme song, go what do you think you know about?
The game is on. Get some energy and buckle up
your brain because it's sign to play, because because it's
standard three books. Who Live from tok poland or so
(01:07):
called so Pal Los Angeles, Welcome to Who Was the
History Quish show that gives contestants the chance to win
mega prizes and podcast glory. I'm your announcer from another bouncer,
and here's your host, the man who calls Teddy Grahams
Theodore Graham's out of respect. It's Elliott Kalen. Thanks be
just trying to recognize all the great things they do
(01:28):
for us, and welcome everyone to the Who Was Podcast,
the show that's like Jeopardy, only with surprise guests, silly games,
and those big pixie sticks that usually have to play
ski ball all day To get enough tickets for our contestants,
were sent who Was books about two great figures of history.
Now they're here to show off their knowledge and the
hopes of winning fantastic prizes prizes Who Makes Prizes Prizes.
(01:51):
Today we're learning about two big talents who both came
from little houses, Maya Angelo and Laura Ingalls Wilder. But
before we learn about them, let's about our contestants. All right.
First up, we've got Lucy. Lucy, please introduce yourself. Hello,
my name's Lucy. I like basketball in video games? Oh okay,
(02:13):
in what position do you play on basketball on your
basketball team? Center? Nice? Center? So I don't know much
about basketball, but you're the one who holds the hoop
up so people can throw the balls into it. Producer
James telling me, now, so it is the center, the one.
So is the center of the ball and people pick
you up and throw you into the hoop. Okay, Producer James, Okay,
I'm wrong about that. Uh, you know, I have to
(02:34):
learn more about basketball. It turns out so the center
is the person who starts with the ball. Oh wow.
So if you wanted, you could just take it leave
and it would be yours and then you win the
game because whoever leaves the auditorium with the ball with
That's how the Celtics weren't right in the auditorium that
they play in. Yeah, and also with us today we
(02:56):
have Charlie. Charlie, please introduce yourself. Hello, I'm Charlie and
I like history and running my bike. Oh okay, where
is your favorite place to ride your bike? Just around
the neighborhood? Okay, so it's not like a mountain bike
or like a motocross. You like a space bike that
(03:18):
would go to other planets. It would be super core,
like an aqua bike that even news to go underwater. Charlie,
what is your favorite time in history to study? Really
like learning about like BC before ancient times. And I
also liked learning about like late nineties, like the eighties
in the nineties. Okay, what's one interesting thing you could
(03:42):
share with us about the late eighties and early nineties.
The eighties in total were like a big a bit
music generation. I have a question for you, which time
period would you rather ride your bike through b c
Like ancient times or the nineteen eighties. Ancient times? Oh yeah, totally.
You're you'd be riding past the pyramids and the pharaoh
would be like what is that and they would think
(04:04):
you were a wizard or something amazing. It would be
kind of gangs. Oh okay, so maybe you should stick
to the eighties. I don't know, just when there's a
lot of good music to listen to while you're biking,
rather than going through ancient times. You know, that's good
advice for kids. Kids. If you go to ancient times,
don't bring your bike, they're going to be confused by it.
And if you go to medieval times a restaurant, don't
bring your bike because you're sitting in a seat because
(04:24):
it's not allowed. Yeah, they have bike parking outside though,
as everybody knows, Yeah, just like they did in real
medieval times. Well, thank you both for joining us. We're
very excited to have you on the show today, and
thank you to Eric. Our musician for providing our lovely
meet the contestants music and all the music on the
show today. So that's who is Charlie and Lucy. Now
let's find out who was Maya Angelo with four fast facts.
(04:49):
Maya Angelo was born in and died in. My Angelo
was both the first black person and the first woman
to read a poem at a presidential annoy Rati. She
was a revolutionary poet and activist who has influenced a
generation of artists. My Angelo is the recipient of the
National Medal of Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and
(05:09):
over fifty honorary degrees. B. What's our first game today?
All right, everybody grab your gear. We're going on a
sound effects the Fari sound effects, the far sound effects.
(05:30):
In this game, we will play a sound effect inspired
by something important from Maya's life, and our contestants will
tell us what the sound represents. Since this is our
first game, each question is worth one point. Okay, Lucy,
this first sound is for you, and let's hear it.
(05:52):
That sounded like a train. How does the train relate
to Maya's life? Is it a the sound of the
train that Maya took to live with her grandmother. Or
be Maya loved collecting toy trains as a kid. That's right,
The answer is A. When Maya was three and her
brother Bailey was four, their parents separated and they were
sent by train to live with their grandmother. Ten years later,
(06:14):
Maya and Bailey would go back to live in with
their mother in San Francisco because Maya's grandmother felt life
would be better in California, away from the segregated south
of the United States. Charlie, this next sound is for you,
all right? That sounds like some calypso music. What significance
does calypso music have in Maya's life? A she won
(06:37):
a scholarship to Calypso College. Or be she was a
popular Calypso performer at the famous Purple Onion nightclub in
San Francisco. B. That's right, The answer is B. When
she was young, Maya stopped speaking for five years after
traumatic experience, but reading books by authors like Charles Dickens
Allowed and reciting poetry helped her literally find her voice again.
(06:58):
She then went on to discover more performing arts like
music and dance, even performing with Black dance pioneer Alvin Ailey.
She became a smash success on stage, eventually joining the
cast of the show Poor He invests on a twenty
two nation tour. Lucy, this next one's for you. Okay, Lucy?
(07:20):
That is a protest march. How does that sound relate
to Maya Angelo's life A she was heavily involved in
the civil rights movement. Or be she wrote newspaper stories
about protests. That's right, The answer is A. Nine sixty.
Maya and her friends comedian Godfrey Cambridge went to see
Dr Martin Luther King speak. Maya was immediately inspired. She
(07:41):
and Godfrey put together show they called Cabaret for Freedom.
It featured black singers and dancers and raised nine thousand
dollars for Dr King's cause. This led to Maya working
directly with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as their regional director. Okay,
this last sound is for you, Charlie. Okay. Sounds like
a bird tweeting. How does that relate to Maya's life A.
(08:04):
Maya's favorite hobby was bird watching or be the title
of Maya's first book mentions a bird B. That's right,
The answer is B. Maya is the author of I
Know Why the Caged Bird sings. That book was her
first autobiography, the story about her life told by herself,
and it was a huge success. The stories Maya told
about her childhood were sad but also had hope. Maya felt,
(08:26):
no matter how hard life got, people can survive and
find happiness. The book was published in nineteen nine and
it was a big bestseller. Maya became a very successful
writer and that was a very successful sound effects Safari.
Great job, both of you. That was a great first game.
Let's go to producer Jane now with our scores so far.
(08:47):
Producer Jane, where the scores? Elliott B. I've got to
tell you we're all tied up with two points each. Nice.
A game can't get closer than that. Thank you, Jane.
It's literally anyone's game as long as that anyone is
Charlie or Lucy, because they're the only ones playing the
game right now. So we're going to take a short
break and we'll be right back with Laura Who Was? Podcast? Eric,
(09:08):
can you play us some poetry music pleas the rhyming time?
Welcome back to the Who Was? Podcast? Today we're learning
all about two writers who would like a word, Maya
(09:29):
Angelo and Laura Ingalls Wilder And now back to your host,
Elliot Klin. Thanks be. Let's keep this covered wagon a
rolling on as we find out who was Laura Ingles
Wilder with four fast facts. Laura Ingles Wilder was born
in eighteen sixty seven and died in nineteen fifty seven.
(09:50):
She started writing The Little House Books based on her
experiences growing up in the American Frontier when she was
in her sixties. Laura's books gave people a peek into
the ups and downs of life on the American Frontier.
To this day, Laura is one of the world's most
beloved children's authors. Fools. Okay, let's keep the momentum going
(10:12):
with our next game. It's called hashtag history. Hashtag history.
Hashtag history, hashtag history, hashtag history. Okay, contestants in this game,
b will read you a hashtag Laura Ingalls Wilder might
have used on her social media if they had had
social media when she was growing up a hundred and
fifty years ago, and you will tell us what it's about.
(10:34):
And since this is our second round, each question is
worth two points. Be if you would. Okay, Charlie, the
first hashtag is for you, and the hashtag is hashtag
schoolwork with Laura. Use this hashtag because A she built
a school with her own two hands. Or B she
was once a teacher herself. B. That's right. The answer
(10:57):
is B. At the age of just fifteen, Laura was
asked to become a school teacher. She wasn't really interested
in teaching, but took the job due to how much
it would help the family's finances. She was a student
and a teacher at the exact same time. M M,
I feel like there's a movie in there. B. What's
a great title for that movie? Thing three? I'd see
(11:17):
that movie? Okay. Laura's next hashtag is for you, Lucy.
The second hashtag is hashtag sawd Save America with Laura.
Used this hashtag because A she had a podcast about landscaping.
Or BE she lived in a house made of sod
B that's right. The answer is be. Laura lived many
(11:38):
places during her childhood, and one of those places was
a house made out of sad bricks held together by
the thick prairie grass. That means everything was made out
of dirt. That's what sad is is dirt. The house
is made out of dirt, and the ceiling was grass.
Once the family ox ran across the grassroof and its
leg came right through the ceiling. Just try to focus
on being a teacher and a student at the same
(11:58):
time when ox legs are coming out of this feeling
at you, I dare you, Charlie Europe. Next. The next
hashtag is hashtag Pioneer and Far with Laura used this
hashtag because A she and her family were pioneers, or
b she and her family decided to change their last
name to pioneer. Hey, that's right. The answer is A.
(12:22):
When Laura was seven, she and her family traveled west
by covered wagon. There are no cars or roads back then,
so when people moved across the country, they traveled by
wagons pulled by horses on wagon trails, which were just
the tracks of wagons that had traveled in that same
direction before you. At the time, many pioneer families like
Laura's thought that they were settling an open, uninhabited frontier,
which was a very unpleasant surprise to the indigenous people
(12:43):
who were already living out there. Lucy, this final hashtag
is yours. The final hashtag is hashtag ice ice Baby
with Laura used this hashtag because A she and her
family crossed her frozen river, or be she loved making
baby sky snowman. That's right. The answer is a because
(13:04):
everybody was making a baby size snowmen. But when Laura
was a girl, her family moved to Minnesota. They moved
during the winter, and her father wanted to take their
covered wagon across the frozen Mississippi River. However, due to
an illness, the ingles is is left later than planned
and the ice was much thinner than they wanted it
to be. Laura never forgot the sound of the creaking
and crackling ice, but they made it no more, Mr
(13:26):
ice guy. And that's hashtag history, hashtag history, hashtag that
was great. You both did so well. Yeah, great job
both of you. Fantastic. We're gonna take a break and
then we're going to get the scores from producer Jane.
I'm so excited for the break. I know, b you
always try and see how much gum you can fit
in your mouth before we come back. Well that too,
(13:47):
but also because we have a new sponsor. Oh that
is exciting. Well, let's hear that word from our sponsor.
We've got a new sky cool Laura Ingalls Wilder here.
Have you ever noticed that the main problem with most
houses is that they're just too big? Well, come on
(14:10):
down to Laura's Little House and boreum and let me
show you a vaster array of little houses for any occasion.
Need a little house for your Shetland, Pony, get up,
we can do that. Always wanted to make a version
of Big Brother where all the contestants are squirrels. They
(14:30):
may not be here to make friends, but we're here
to make that sale. Maybe you just want to feel
like a giant monster and smash a house. I think
that's super cool, And we've got the little house for you,
and for a limited time, by a little house, and
the bathroom is included free of charge, because when I
(14:51):
was growing up, bathrooms were outside the house and that
was uncomfortable. You set it, Pony, That's Laura's Little House Emporium,
because little houses aren't just for the prairie anymore. A
free bathroom, Elliott, let me borrow your credit card for
(15:12):
totally unrelated reasons. Oh wait, hold on, we have another
new sponsor. Wow, good to know we're popular. Roll it.
I'm Maya Angelo, actor, activist and author my memoir I
know why the Cage Bird Sings was all about realizing
a better future beyond the walls the world has placed
(15:33):
around me. I also famously once said love recognizes no barriers.
That's why I've decided to bring you Maya's Open plan
dulling places for humans with an open plan simply a
roof and a wall or two. But Maya, you say,
isn't that a garage? Well, friend, I'd call it a
(15:57):
space to create, but you could call it a garage
if you drive a are into it. They're great for
tennis players, volleyball players, handball players, badminton players, and even
piano plays. Just listen to those acoustics better than the
sound system at the U. S. Capitol. I can tell
you m M makes me want to try them out
(16:19):
for myself with one of my own poems. I've got
magic charm that I keep up my sleeve. I can
walk the ocean floor and never have to grieve. Life
doesn't frighten me at all, Not at all, Not at all.
Life doesn't frighten me at all. For a limited time,
when you order one of Maya's open plan dwellings, we'll
(16:40):
throw in a door that's Maya's open plan where we
make room for you. I gotta get me one of
those doors. I recommend you put it on your Christmas
list B and you'll have time to during our actual break. Eric,
if you went playing us some reality show for squirrels music,
please the time in the tree is done, squirrel by
(17:05):
tell you who was there? Marie Curie. You may remember
me from winning multiple Nobel prizes, or perhaps from my
episode of the Who wast Podcast where I played myself.
I wanted to take a moment to read one of
my favorite reviews about the Who Was Podcast. This is
from Shaken Bay and it reads loved this Me and
(17:28):
my little sister love this show more. Please. Our faith
is ariet Toman. If you want to hear your review
read on the air, make sure to subscribe, like, and
review to the OAS podcast in the I Heart Radio
up or wherever you give your podcasts. Revoir or should
I say abieno, Welcome back to the Who Was Podcast.
(17:54):
Today we're talking about Maya Angelo and Laura Ingles Wilder.
Now back to your house, elliott A, thank you be.
We've got our rip roaring game going, so without further Ado,
let's go to the little house in the Big scores
with producer Jane who has the scores. Elliott B. I
don't mind telling you it's a very very close competition. Uh,
(18:16):
Lucy has six and Charlie has six. I can't get
any closer than that. It can't. That's the closest to
competition could possibly get. The only way it could be
closer is if there was only one contestant. So there's
only one score. So it's so close that it's the
same score. But then why do it? Why do a
game show where there's just one contestant ship It doesn't
make any sense. You know who, You're just gonna win
ahead of time, although there's something kind of comforting about
(18:37):
that in this world of uncertainty. Thank you, Jane. Those
are some exciting scores, so exciting that I can't wait
to get into our exciting final game, Converge of Greatness.
In this multiple choice game B, we'll read questions where
(18:58):
are two historical figures overlap or converge? And because we're
covering two times the history, this game is worth three
points for each question. Pick the best option as your answer. Lucy.
The first question is for you take it away be
both Maya Angelo and Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in many
different cities. Maya moved around even into adulthood, and even
(19:19):
left the US to live in which historically significant city
A Cairo, Egypt, b Athens, Greece or see Mosespa tattooed
in A That's right, the answer is a. Maya and
her son Guy moved to Cairo, Egypt with her partner,
who sum Ze Make, who had been working to end
(19:41):
segregation in South Africa. At the same time, Maya had
been working with the civil rights movement in the United States.
It was around this same time Maya founded the Cultural
Association for Women of African Heritage. Maya went on to
be the editor of the Arab Observer in English magazine
in Egypt. Mosespa tattooing is from Star Wars. Actually so
it is a fictionally significant city Charlie, Europe. Next. Maya
(20:02):
and Laura were both very close to their siblings. For
Maya it was her older brother Bailey, who actually gave
her the nickname of Maya. For Laura it was her
older sister Mary. In fact, Laura became a teacher to
help support her sister after she A became death be lost.
The use of her legs or see became blind, see
(20:24):
can blonde? That's right, The answer is see. Laura and
her sister Mary were very close, and when Mary lost
her sight after a bad fever, Laura took the teaching
job she didn't really want, specifically to help pay for
Mary to go to a school for the blind in Iowa.
Laura would struggle with poverty for most of her life,
and she and her husband often worked many jobs to
support their family. Before Laura wrote her little house books
(20:46):
Lucy Back to You. Both Maya and Laura had pretty
important jobs when they were fifteen. Laura, of course, was
a teacher, and Maya took a job as a a
a cable car conductor, be a can decaying courier, or
see a cardboard carpenter. That's right, the answer is a.
(21:07):
At fifteen, Maya decided to take some time off of
high school, and after going to the railway offices for months,
she finally convinced them to hire her as the first
black conductor in San Francisco. That's right. She did every
single job. After one semester as a conductor, Maya decided
it was important to go back and finished school. Okay,
Charlie here's the last question. Both Maya and Laura wrote
(21:27):
books that were autobiographical, but Laura wrote an entire series
of books based on her life. The first book in
that series is called A Laura's Little House Adventures be
Little House in the Big Woods or see the Littlest
House You've Ever seen in your whole life? B Yep,
(21:49):
that's it. The answer is be Little House in the
Big Woods was Laura's first book, and it was about
life from the log cabin in which she was born.
It was released in ninety two, when Laura was sixty
five years old. It was this excess and Laura would
get fan letters from young readers from all over. She
would go on to write eight books in the Gooble
House series, and her life would inspire the Little House
TV shows, films, and even more spinoff books. That's right.
(22:10):
It's as if the Marvel universe was a real thing
that happened to a real person. And that's converge of
greatness and that sound means right at the end of
the game and the end of the show, while we
wait for producer Jane to tally the points, I'd love
(22:32):
to hear from our contestants. What is something you were
surprised to learn about Maya Angelo or Laura Ingles Wilder, Lucy,
did anything really surprise you that my was cable car conductor?
Isn't that such a strange, out of nowhere thing to
find out about somebody You're like, Oh, this person is
a famous poet writer. Oh, and they were also a
famous dancer. That makes sense, And they were also a
(22:54):
cable car conductor. That's not the job that I saw coming. Yeah, exactly.
That's a different skill set, but you know, she could
really do it all. What about you, Charlie, was there
anything that surprised you about my Angelo or Laura Kles Wilder.
I was actually going to say in the same thing
about my Angel that she was the first black woman
and woman to be a cable car conductor. She was
(23:17):
the first black woman to be a cable lar conductor,
the first black woman to read a poem at a
presidential inauguration, and the first woman to read a poem.
That's right. If there's something very inspiring about doing something
that's such a hands on job and being a first set,
like operating a cable car, and something that's so you know, thinky,
like like writing and reading a poem and doing that
(23:38):
for the first time had a presidential inauguration. She really
did it all. She's really an amazing person. Well, thank
you so much both of you for sharing that. But
now it's time for the big moment. Jane Police announced
our winner, Elliott. Maybe I don't mind telling you that
it really looked like we were going to have a time,
and we did. Both contestants, Lucy and Charlie had twelve points.
(24:01):
Let an amazing job. You've both won. That's fantastic. You're
both winners. You should both feel so proud of yourselves.
And you both get ten seconds for shoutouts. So the
people who helped you make it possible. Lucy, who would
you like to thank for helping you towards this victory today?
My grandmother and my grandparents and my parents. That's fantastic
(24:21):
thanking the family. And Charlie, what about you, who would
you like to thank? Just just my parents for helping
me like jump my memory and all the facts. It's
very nice when parents help kids to be interested in
the history so that the kids can win game shows.
Our winners and their libraries of choice will be receiving
a selection of who was books and I'm going to
(24:43):
get my own shout out to Enter Zach, to Jane,
to Eric, to Ronnie Miller for being our Maya Angelo
and to be and a big thank you to both
of our contestants who played a fantastic game obviously, Thank
you so much to you at home for listening. Until
next time. This is Elliott Sod Save America Calin saying
we are history. Good Bye, everybody. Thank you. Got a
(25:04):
question for any of our famous figures, send us a
voice memo at the Who Was Podcast at gmail dot com.
It might just end up on the show. Who Was
Podcast is produced by Radio Point, I Heart Media and
Penguin Workshop and is based on the best selling Who
h Q series published by Penguin. This show was hosted
by Elliott Calin with co host Megan O'Neill as Be.
(25:25):
It also starred Jane Baker as Producer, Jane, Eric Shackney
as Eric, Ranita Miller as Maya Angelo, and Megan O'Neill
as Laura Ingalls Wilder. Our executive producers are Richard Corson,
Alex Bach, Elliet Taylin, Megan O'Neil, Daniel Powell and Houston
Snyder Executive producer for Penguin Workshop, Francesco Sadita, Executive producer
Prior Heart Media, Lindsay Hoffman. This episode was written by
(25:47):
Devin Coleman, Elliot Calin, and Megan O'Neill. Produced by Bernie
Kaminsky and Taylor Kawalski. Talent producer is Jane Baker. Our
theme song and music composed and performed by Eric Shackney,
Edited and mixed by Kate Molden Howard, Recorded by Alison Worth.
Special thanks to Zach Timpson, Charlotte Dianda and Michael Lewis Howard.
Sound services provided by Great City Posts Podcast because it's
(26:13):
standard flybook
Hib looks like you're typing up a storm. Hi, Elliott, Well,
we're talking about Maya Angelo and Laura Ingalls Wilder today
and they've inspired me to start writing. Oh wow, that's great.
Thank you. This piece is really close to my heart
and I love how it's turning out. Is it in
a place where I could take a peek? I'd be honored.
(00:21):
Let's see here, milk, eggs, papers, apple, peach, baby food.
B Is this your grocery list? Well? I usually don't
write one, but when the muse speaks, the artiste must listen. Okay,
but baby food. You don't have a baby. No, but
I do have an appetite. Oh boy, Eric, please play
(00:41):
the theme song, go what do you think you know about?
The game is on. Get some energy and buckle up
your brain because it's sign to play, because because it's
standard three books. Who Live from tok poland or so
(01:07):
called so Pal Los Angeles, Welcome to Who Was the
History Quish show that gives contestants the chance to win
mega prizes and podcast glory. I'm your announcer from another bouncer,
and here's your host, the man who calls Teddy Grahams
Theodore Graham's out of respect. It's Elliott Kalen. Thanks be
just trying to recognize all the great things they do
(01:28):
for us, and welcome everyone to the Who Was Podcast,
the show that's like Jeopardy, only with surprise guests, silly games,
and those big pixie sticks that usually have to play
ski ball all day To get enough tickets for our contestants,
were sent who Was books about two great figures of history.
Now they're here to show off their knowledge and the
hopes of winning fantastic prizes prizes Who Makes Prizes Prizes.
(01:51):
Today we're learning about two big talents who both came
from little houses, Maya Angelo and Laura Ingalls Wilder. But
before we learn about them, let's about our contestants. All right.
First up, we've got Lucy. Lucy, please introduce yourself. Hello,
my name's Lucy. I like basketball in video games? Oh okay,
(02:13):
in what position do you play on basketball on your
basketball team? Center? Nice? Center? So I don't know much
about basketball, but you're the one who holds the hoop
up so people can throw the balls into it. Producer
James telling me, now, so it is the center, the one.
So is the center of the ball and people pick
you up and throw you into the hoop. Okay, Producer James, Okay,
I'm wrong about that. Uh, you know, I have to
(02:34):
learn more about basketball. It turns out so the center
is the person who starts with the ball. Oh wow.
So if you wanted, you could just take it leave
and it would be yours and then you win the
game because whoever leaves the auditorium with the ball with
That's how the Celtics weren't right in the auditorium that
they play in. Yeah, and also with us today we
(02:56):
have Charlie. Charlie, please introduce yourself. Hello, I'm Charlie and
I like history and running my bike. Oh okay, where
is your favorite place to ride your bike? Just around
the neighborhood? Okay, so it's not like a mountain bike
or like a motocross. You like a space bike that
(03:18):
would go to other planets. It would be super core,
like an aqua bike that even news to go underwater. Charlie,
what is your favorite time in history to study? Really
like learning about like BC before ancient times. And I
also liked learning about like late nineties, like the eighties
in the nineties. Okay, what's one interesting thing you could
(03:42):
share with us about the late eighties and early nineties.
The eighties in total were like a big a bit
music generation. I have a question for you, which time
period would you rather ride your bike through b c
Like ancient times or the nineteen eighties. Ancient times? Oh yeah, totally.
You're you'd be riding past the pyramids and the pharaoh
would be like what is that and they would think
(04:04):
you were a wizard or something amazing. It would be
kind of gangs. Oh okay, so maybe you should stick
to the eighties. I don't know, just when there's a
lot of good music to listen to while you're biking,
rather than going through ancient times. You know, that's good
advice for kids. Kids. If you go to ancient times,
don't bring your bike, they're going to be confused by it.
And if you go to medieval times a restaurant, don't
bring your bike because you're sitting in a seat because
(04:24):
it's not allowed. Yeah, they have bike parking outside though,
as everybody knows, Yeah, just like they did in real
medieval times. Well, thank you both for joining us. We're
very excited to have you on the show today, and
thank you to Eric. Our musician for providing our lovely
meet the contestants music and all the music on the
show today. So that's who is Charlie and Lucy. Now
let's find out who was Maya Angelo with four fast facts.
(04:49):
Maya Angelo was born in and died in. My Angelo
was both the first black person and the first woman
to read a poem at a presidential annoy Rati. She
was a revolutionary poet and activist who has influenced a
generation of artists. My Angelo is the recipient of the
National Medal of Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and
(05:09):
over fifty honorary degrees. B. What's our first game today?
All right, everybody grab your gear. We're going on a
sound effects the Fari sound effects, the far sound effects.
(05:30):
In this game, we will play a sound effect inspired
by something important from Maya's life, and our contestants will
tell us what the sound represents. Since this is our
first game, each question is worth one point. Okay, Lucy,
this first sound is for you, and let's hear it.
(05:52):
That sounded like a train. How does the train relate
to Maya's life? Is it a the sound of the
train that Maya took to live with her grandmother. Or
be Maya loved collecting toy trains as a kid. That's right,
The answer is A. When Maya was three and her
brother Bailey was four, their parents separated and they were
sent by train to live with their grandmother. Ten years later,
(06:14):
Maya and Bailey would go back to live in with
their mother in San Francisco because Maya's grandmother felt life
would be better in California, away from the segregated south
of the United States. Charlie, this next sound is for you,
all right? That sounds like some calypso music. What significance
does calypso music have in Maya's life? A she won
(06:37):
a scholarship to Calypso College. Or be she was a
popular Calypso performer at the famous Purple Onion nightclub in
San Francisco. B. That's right, The answer is B. When
she was young, Maya stopped speaking for five years after
traumatic experience, but reading books by authors like Charles Dickens
Allowed and reciting poetry helped her literally find her voice again.
(06:58):
She then went on to discover more performing arts like
music and dance, even performing with Black dance pioneer Alvin Ailey.
She became a smash success on stage, eventually joining the
cast of the show Poor He invests on a twenty
two nation tour. Lucy, this next one's for you. Okay, Lucy?
(07:20):
That is a protest march. How does that sound relate
to Maya Angelo's life A she was heavily involved in
the civil rights movement. Or be she wrote newspaper stories
about protests. That's right, The answer is A. Nine sixty.
Maya and her friends comedian Godfrey Cambridge went to see
Dr Martin Luther King speak. Maya was immediately inspired. She
(07:41):
and Godfrey put together show they called Cabaret for Freedom.
It featured black singers and dancers and raised nine thousand
dollars for Dr King's cause. This led to Maya working
directly with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as their regional director. Okay,
this last sound is for you, Charlie. Okay. Sounds like
a bird tweeting. How does that relate to Maya's life A.
(08:04):
Maya's favorite hobby was bird watching or be the title
of Maya's first book mentions a bird B. That's right,
The answer is B. Maya is the author of I
Know Why the Caged Bird sings. That book was her
first autobiography, the story about her life told by herself,
and it was a huge success. The stories Maya told
about her childhood were sad but also had hope. Maya felt,
(08:26):
no matter how hard life got, people can survive and
find happiness. The book was published in nineteen nine and
it was a big bestseller. Maya became a very successful
writer and that was a very successful sound effects Safari.
Great job, both of you. That was a great first game.
Let's go to producer Jane now with our scores so far.
(08:47):
Producer Jane, where the scores? Elliott B. I've got to
tell you we're all tied up with two points each. Nice.
A game can't get closer than that. Thank you, Jane.
It's literally anyone's game as long as that anyone is
Charlie or Lucy, because they're the only ones playing the
game right now. So we're going to take a short
break and we'll be right back with Laura Who Was? Podcast? Eric,
(09:08):
can you play us some poetry music pleas the rhyming time?
Welcome back to the Who Was? Podcast? Today we're learning
all about two writers who would like a word, Maya
(09:29):
Angelo and Laura Ingalls Wilder And now back to your host,
Elliot Klin. Thanks be. Let's keep this covered wagon a
rolling on as we find out who was Laura Ingles
Wilder with four fast facts. Laura Ingles Wilder was born
in eighteen sixty seven and died in nineteen fifty seven.
(09:50):
She started writing The Little House Books based on her
experiences growing up in the American Frontier when she was
in her sixties. Laura's books gave people a peek into
the ups and downs of life on the American Frontier.
To this day, Laura is one of the world's most
beloved children's authors. Fools. Okay, let's keep the momentum going
(10:12):
with our next game. It's called hashtag history. Hashtag history.
Hashtag history, hashtag history, hashtag history. Okay, contestants in this game,
b will read you a hashtag Laura Ingalls Wilder might
have used on her social media if they had had
social media when she was growing up a hundred and
fifty years ago, and you will tell us what it's about.
(10:34):
And since this is our second round, each question is
worth two points. Be if you would. Okay, Charlie, the
first hashtag is for you, and the hashtag is hashtag
schoolwork with Laura. Use this hashtag because A she built
a school with her own two hands. Or B she
was once a teacher herself. B. That's right. The answer
(10:57):
is B. At the age of just fifteen, Laura was
asked to become a school teacher. She wasn't really interested
in teaching, but took the job due to how much
it would help the family's finances. She was a student
and a teacher at the exact same time. M M,
I feel like there's a movie in there. B. What's
a great title for that movie? Thing three? I'd see
(11:17):
that movie? Okay. Laura's next hashtag is for you, Lucy.
The second hashtag is hashtag sawd Save America with Laura.
Used this hashtag because A she had a podcast about landscaping.
Or BE she lived in a house made of sod
B that's right. The answer is be. Laura lived many
(11:38):
places during her childhood, and one of those places was
a house made out of sad bricks held together by
the thick prairie grass. That means everything was made out
of dirt. That's what sad is is dirt. The house
is made out of dirt, and the ceiling was grass.
Once the family ox ran across the grassroof and its
leg came right through the ceiling. Just try to focus
on being a teacher and a student at the same
(11:58):
time when ox legs are coming out of this feeling
at you, I dare you, Charlie Europe. Next. The next
hashtag is hashtag Pioneer and Far with Laura used this
hashtag because A she and her family were pioneers, or
b she and her family decided to change their last
name to pioneer. Hey, that's right. The answer is A.
(12:22):
When Laura was seven, she and her family traveled west
by covered wagon. There are no cars or roads back then,
so when people moved across the country, they traveled by
wagons pulled by horses on wagon trails, which were just
the tracks of wagons that had traveled in that same
direction before you. At the time, many pioneer families like
Laura's thought that they were settling an open, uninhabited frontier,
which was a very unpleasant surprise to the indigenous people
(12:43):
who were already living out there. Lucy, this final hashtag
is yours. The final hashtag is hashtag ice ice Baby
with Laura used this hashtag because A she and her
family crossed her frozen river, or be she loved making
baby sky snowman. That's right. The answer is a because
(13:04):
everybody was making a baby size snowmen. But when Laura
was a girl, her family moved to Minnesota. They moved
during the winter, and her father wanted to take their
covered wagon across the frozen Mississippi River. However, due to
an illness, the ingles is is left later than planned
and the ice was much thinner than they wanted it
to be. Laura never forgot the sound of the creaking
and crackling ice, but they made it no more, Mr
(13:26):
ice guy. And that's hashtag history, hashtag history, hashtag that
was great. You both did so well. Yeah, great job
both of you. Fantastic. We're gonna take a break and
then we're going to get the scores from producer Jane.
I'm so excited for the break. I know, b you
always try and see how much gum you can fit
in your mouth before we come back. Well that too,
(13:47):
but also because we have a new sponsor. Oh that
is exciting. Well, let's hear that word from our sponsor.
We've got a new sky cool Laura Ingalls Wilder here.
Have you ever noticed that the main problem with most
houses is that they're just too big? Well, come on
(14:10):
down to Laura's Little House and boreum and let me
show you a vaster array of little houses for any occasion.
Need a little house for your Shetland, Pony, get up,
we can do that. Always wanted to make a version
of Big Brother where all the contestants are squirrels. They
(14:30):
may not be here to make friends, but we're here
to make that sale. Maybe you just want to feel
like a giant monster and smash a house. I think
that's super cool, And we've got the little house for you,
and for a limited time, by a little house, and
the bathroom is included free of charge, because when I
(14:51):
was growing up, bathrooms were outside the house and that
was uncomfortable. You set it, Pony, That's Laura's Little House Emporium,
because little houses aren't just for the prairie anymore. A
free bathroom, Elliott, let me borrow your credit card for
(15:12):
totally unrelated reasons. Oh wait, hold on, we have another
new sponsor. Wow, good to know we're popular. Roll it.
I'm Maya Angelo, actor, activist and author my memoir I
know why the Cage Bird Sings was all about realizing
a better future beyond the walls the world has placed
(15:33):
around me. I also famously once said love recognizes no barriers.
That's why I've decided to bring you Maya's Open plan
dulling places for humans with an open plan simply a
roof and a wall or two. But Maya, you say,
isn't that a garage? Well, friend, I'd call it a
(15:57):
space to create, but you could call it a garage
if you drive a are into it. They're great for
tennis players, volleyball players, handball players, badminton players, and even
piano plays. Just listen to those acoustics better than the
sound system at the U. S. Capitol. I can tell
you m M makes me want to try them out
(16:19):
for myself with one of my own poems. I've got
magic charm that I keep up my sleeve. I can
walk the ocean floor and never have to grieve. Life
doesn't frighten me at all, Not at all, Not at all.
Life doesn't frighten me at all. For a limited time,
when you order one of Maya's open plan dwellings, we'll
(16:40):
throw in a door that's Maya's open plan where we
make room for you. I gotta get me one of
those doors. I recommend you put it on your Christmas
list B and you'll have time to during our actual break. Eric,
if you went playing us some reality show for squirrels music,
please the time in the tree is done, squirrel by
(17:05):
tell you who was there? Marie Curie. You may remember
me from winning multiple Nobel prizes, or perhaps from my
episode of the Who wast Podcast where I played myself.
I wanted to take a moment to read one of
my favorite reviews about the Who Was Podcast. This is
from Shaken Bay and it reads loved this Me and
(17:28):
my little sister love this show more. Please. Our faith
is ariet Toman. If you want to hear your review
read on the air, make sure to subscribe, like, and
review to the OAS podcast in the I Heart Radio
up or wherever you give your podcasts. Revoir or should
I say abieno, Welcome back to the Who Was Podcast.
(17:54):
Today we're talking about Maya Angelo and Laura Ingles Wilder.
Now back to your house, elliott A, thank you be.
We've got our rip roaring game going, so without further Ado,
let's go to the little house in the Big scores
with producer Jane who has the scores. Elliott B. I
don't mind telling you it's a very very close competition. Uh,
(18:16):
Lucy has six and Charlie has six. I can't get
any closer than that. It can't. That's the closest to
competition could possibly get. The only way it could be
closer is if there was only one contestant. So there's
only one score. So it's so close that it's the
same score. But then why do it? Why do a
game show where there's just one contestant ship It doesn't
make any sense. You know who, You're just gonna win
ahead of time, although there's something kind of comforting about
(18:37):
that in this world of uncertainty. Thank you, Jane. Those
are some exciting scores, so exciting that I can't wait
to get into our exciting final game, Converge of Greatness.
In this multiple choice game B, we'll read questions where
(18:58):
are two historical figures overlap or converge? And because we're
covering two times the history, this game is worth three
points for each question. Pick the best option as your answer. Lucy.
The first question is for you take it away be
both Maya Angelo and Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in many
different cities. Maya moved around even into adulthood, and even
(19:19):
left the US to live in which historically significant city
A Cairo, Egypt, b Athens, Greece or see Mosespa tattooed
in A That's right, the answer is a. Maya and
her son Guy moved to Cairo, Egypt with her partner,
who sum Ze Make, who had been working to end
(19:41):
segregation in South Africa. At the same time, Maya had
been working with the civil rights movement in the United States.
It was around this same time Maya founded the Cultural
Association for Women of African Heritage. Maya went on to
be the editor of the Arab Observer in English magazine
in Egypt. Mosespa tattooing is from Star Wars. Actually so
it is a fictionally significant city Charlie, Europe. Next. Maya
(20:02):
and Laura were both very close to their siblings. For
Maya it was her older brother Bailey, who actually gave
her the nickname of Maya. For Laura it was her
older sister Mary. In fact, Laura became a teacher to
help support her sister after she A became death be lost.
The use of her legs or see became blind, see
(20:24):
can blonde? That's right, The answer is see. Laura and
her sister Mary were very close, and when Mary lost
her sight after a bad fever, Laura took the teaching
job she didn't really want, specifically to help pay for
Mary to go to a school for the blind in Iowa.
Laura would struggle with poverty for most of her life,
and she and her husband often worked many jobs to
support their family. Before Laura wrote her little house books
(20:46):
Lucy Back to You. Both Maya and Laura had pretty
important jobs when they were fifteen. Laura, of course, was
a teacher, and Maya took a job as a a
a cable car conductor, be a can decaying courier, or
see a cardboard carpenter. That's right, the answer is a.
(21:07):
At fifteen, Maya decided to take some time off of
high school, and after going to the railway offices for months,
she finally convinced them to hire her as the first
black conductor in San Francisco. That's right. She did every
single job. After one semester as a conductor, Maya decided
it was important to go back and finished school. Okay,
Charlie here's the last question. Both Maya and Laura wrote
(21:27):
books that were autobiographical, but Laura wrote an entire series
of books based on her life. The first book in
that series is called A Laura's Little House Adventures be
Little House in the Big Woods or see the Littlest
House You've Ever seen in your whole life? B Yep,
(21:49):
that's it. The answer is be Little House in the
Big Woods was Laura's first book, and it was about
life from the log cabin in which she was born.
It was released in ninety two, when Laura was sixty
five years old. It was this excess and Laura would
get fan letters from young readers from all over. She
would go on to write eight books in the Gooble
House series, and her life would inspire the Little House
TV shows, films, and even more spinoff books. That's right.
(22:10):
It's as if the Marvel universe was a real thing
that happened to a real person. And that's converge of
greatness and that sound means right at the end of
the game and the end of the show, while we
wait for producer Jane to tally the points, I'd love
(22:32):
to hear from our contestants. What is something you were
surprised to learn about Maya Angelo or Laura Ingles Wilder, Lucy,
did anything really surprise you that my was cable car conductor?
Isn't that such a strange, out of nowhere thing to
find out about somebody You're like, Oh, this person is
a famous poet writer. Oh, and they were also a
famous dancer. That makes sense, And they were also a
(22:54):
cable car conductor. That's not the job that I saw coming. Yeah, exactly.
That's a different skill set, but you know, she could
really do it all. What about you, Charlie, was there
anything that surprised you about my Angelo or Laura Kles Wilder.
I was actually going to say in the same thing
about my Angel that she was the first black woman
and woman to be a cable car conductor. She was
(23:17):
the first black woman to be a cable lar conductor,
the first black woman to read a poem at a
presidential inauguration, and the first woman to read a poem.
That's right. If there's something very inspiring about doing something
that's such a hands on job and being a first set,
like operating a cable car, and something that's so you know, thinky,
like like writing and reading a poem and doing that
(23:38):
for the first time had a presidential inauguration. She really
did it all. She's really an amazing person. Well, thank
you so much both of you for sharing that. But
now it's time for the big moment. Jane Police announced
our winner, Elliott. Maybe I don't mind telling you that
it really looked like we were going to have a time,
and we did. Both contestants, Lucy and Charlie had twelve points.
(24:01):
Let an amazing job. You've both won. That's fantastic. You're
both winners. You should both feel so proud of yourselves.
And you both get ten seconds for shoutouts. So the
people who helped you make it possible. Lucy, who would
you like to thank for helping you towards this victory today?
My grandmother and my grandparents and my parents. That's fantastic
(24:21):
thanking the family. And Charlie, what about you, who would
you like to thank? Just just my parents for helping
me like jump my memory and all the facts. It's
very nice when parents help kids to be interested in
the history so that the kids can win game shows.
Our winners and their libraries of choice will be receiving
a selection of who was books and I'm going to
(24:43):
get my own shout out to Enter Zach, to Jane,
to Eric, to Ronnie Miller for being our Maya Angelo
and to be and a big thank you to both
of our contestants who played a fantastic game obviously, Thank
you so much to you at home for listening. Until
next time. This is Elliott Sod Save America Calin saying
we are history. Good Bye, everybody. Thank you. Got a
(25:04):
question for any of our famous figures, send us a
voice memo at the Who Was Podcast at gmail dot com.
It might just end up on the show. Who Was
Podcast is produced by Radio Point, I Heart Media and
Penguin Workshop and is based on the best selling Who
h Q series published by Penguin. This show was hosted
by Elliott Calin with co host Megan O'Neill as Be.
(25:25):
It also starred Jane Baker as Producer, Jane, Eric Shackney
as Eric, Ranita Miller as Maya Angelo, and Megan O'Neill
as Laura Ingalls Wilder. Our executive producers are Richard Corson,
Alex Bach, Elliet Taylin, Megan O'Neil, Daniel Powell and Houston
Snyder Executive producer for Penguin Workshop, Francesco Sadita, Executive producer
Prior Heart Media, Lindsay Hoffman. This episode was written by
(25:47):
Devin Coleman, Elliot Calin, and Megan O'Neill. Produced by Bernie
Kaminsky and Taylor Kawalski. Talent producer is Jane Baker. Our
theme song and music composed and performed by Eric Shackney,
Edited and mixed by Kate Molden Howard, Recorded by Alison Worth.
Special thanks to Zach Timpson, Charlotte Dianda and Michael Lewis Howard.
Sound services provided by Great City Posts Podcast because it's
(26:13):
standard flybook
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