Vulgar History
A feminist women's history comedy podcast hosted by Ann Foster. How do you solve a problem like Marie Antoinette?
Episodes
June 12, 2024 • 87 mins
This season on Vulgar History, we're investigating How Do You Solve A Problem Like Marie Antoinette? To do so, we're looking at the lives of people who lived during the revolutionary era of the 18th century.
In honour of Pride Month, we're talking this week about the trans historical figure The Public Universal Friend. The Friend, aka PUF, grew up as a Quaker in late 18th-century Pennsylvania. Were they also a cult leader? Listen a...
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June 5, 2024 • 107 mins
This season on Vulgar History, we're investigating How Do You Solve A Problem Like Marie Antoinette? To do so, we're looking at the lives of people who lived during the revolutionary era of the 18th century.
In honour of Pride Month, this week we're talking about trans historical figure Deborah Sampson/Robert Shurtleff. Deborah/Robert fought in the American Revolution in a sort of Mulan scenario and their gender presentation has lo...
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May 29, 2024 • 81 mins
This season on Vulgar History, we're investigating the question How Do You Solve A Problem Like Marie Antoinette? To do so, we're looking at the lives of women who lived during the revolutionary era of the 18th century.
This week, we're headed to New Zealand (via England and Australia) to learn how the Industrial and American Revolutions contributed to the adventurous life of a convicted thief named Charlotte Badger. This week's gu...
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May 22, 2024 • 138 mins
This season on Vulgar History, we're investigating the question How Do You Solve A Problem Like Marie Antoinette? To do so, we're looking at the lives of women who lived during the revolutionary era of the 18th century.
This week, Kristin Franseen joins us to discuss Constanze Mozart, best known as the wife and then widow of Amadeus Mozart.
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Learn about the Grove Music Online website of the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Project
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May 15, 2024 • 89 mins
It's season seven! This year we're investigating the question How Do You Solve A Problem Like Marie Antoinette? Marie Antoinette was famously executed during the French Revolution. To understand how that happened means understanding the French Revolution, which means understanding the spirit of revolution that occurred around the world in the 18th century. This is why the first part of season seven is sub-titled Age of Revolution.
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May 8, 2024 • 44 mins
Today's guest, June Hur, is the author of historical novels that read like K-dramas. Her latest, A Crane Among Wolves, is set in Joseon-era Korea during the reign of tyrant King Yeonsan.
Learn more about June and her books at junehur.com
Buy a copy of A Crane Among Wolves from bookshop.org
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April 30, 2024 • 38 mins
We're talking about pirate history this week with Ella McLeod, author of the new YA novel The Map That Led To You! In her research, Ella dove into the world of folklore, pirateology, nautical history, and the voices of people left out of history.
Buy a copy of The Map That Led to You
Ella's Instagram
Ella's podcast, Comfort Creatures
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Theme music by The Severn Duo
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April 24, 2024 • 66 mins
We're getting into a revolutionary, pants-on vibe this week with a look at Las Soldaderas: women who fought during the Mexican Revolution and whose contributions to victory often go uncredited.
Guiding us through their pants-wearing ways is Cristina Lumague, longtime editor of Vulgar History!
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References:
Soldaderas in the Mexican Military: Myth and History by Elizabeth Salas and Elizabeth Blackshear Flinn
Revolutionary Women of ...
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April 17, 2024 • 71 mins
Today we're talking about Thanadelthur, a Dene woman who had a profound impact on the Dene people in Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba during the eighteenth-century fur trade. Much of Thanadelthur's story is shared through oral storytelling among the Dene community. Today's guest, Rosalie Tsannie-Burseth is a member of the Hatchet Lake Dënesųłiné First Nation in Treaty 10 territory.
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References:
The Legend of Thanadelthur: Elde...
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April 10, 2024 • 69 mins
We're joined today by Lauren DeLeary to talk about the true story of Matoaka, commonly known as Pocahontas. Her story has been misinterpreted countless times from the 16th century through today, perhaps still best known from the animated Disney film. Lauren was the screenwriter of Missing Matoaka, an alternate audio track to the Disney film, presenting her as the first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman.
Learn more about Missing...
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April 3, 2024 • 210 mins
We're joined by friend of the podcast Gina Berry to discuss the longest-ago figure ever discussed on the show: Hatshepsut! It's a long one, so pace yourselves because you want to hear every detail of this remarkable King's life and reign.
References:
The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney
Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender by Kit Heyam
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March 27, 2024 • 117 mins
La Quintrala is well-known in Chile as a monstrous woman from colonial history. Her alleged murderous rampage killed over 1,000 enslaved people, and her ghost is still causing havoc today. But who was the real-life inspiration of this myth? We're joined by Dr. Maria N. Marsilli from John Carroll University to separate the bloody legend from the real-life history of a 17th-century Chilean noblewoman.
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March 20, 2024 • 142 mins
In a long-awaited crossover between pale-skinned history nerds with glasses and long reddish hair, whose cats like to make guest appearances in their content, Hepburn and I are joined by I'm joined by E.K. McAlpine (and Minnie) to talk about her all-time fav: Saint Margaret of Scotland!
Support E.K. on Patreon
Follow E.K. on Instagram
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March 13, 2024 • 96 mins
We're joined today by Katie Gee Salisbury, author of the new Anna May Wong biography Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong. Katie helps guide us through a discussion of Anna May Wong's life from childhood through Hollywood and European stardom, her trip to China, and her final comeback era.
Learn more about Katie and her book at notyourchinadoll.com
Click here to order Not Your China Doll from bookshop....
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March 6, 2024 • 83 mins
This week we're talking about Mary, Queen of Scots AGAIN because (drumroll please) she's the topic of the latest Vulgar History book club book! We're joined by author Flora Carr to talk about her new book, The Tower. It's a historical fiction novel about Mary, Queen of Scots and the Lochleven Scenario and it includes faves like Mary Seton and Yung Willy, with a bunch of other names you'll recognize from the MQoS season.
Join in all...
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February 28, 2024 • 85 mins
Time to talk about a longtime Vulgar History fav, this time in her own episode! Claire Clairmont is mostly known as the third-wheel stepsister of Mary Shelley. But as you will soon find out, she was also a Goth Queen in a different way.
We're joined by author Lesley McDowell, whose new novel Clairmont makes Claire the main character for once.
Click here to order Clairmont from bookshop.org (UK)
Click here to preorder Clairmont (Nor...
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February 21, 2024 • 64 mins
We're joined by return guest Princess O'Nika Auguste, here to share the story of The Queen of Sheba. Princess explains this Queen's connection to Ethiopian, Rastafarian, Yemeni, Islamic, Jewish, Christian, and Black history.
Follow Princess's podcast Badass Women of History
Support Princess on Patreon
All other ways to follow and support Princess online
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February 14, 2024 • 63 mins
Mary Ann Shadd Cary is recognized as a national hero in both Canada and the United States. I'm joined by Nneka D. Dennie, author of Mary Ann Shadd Cary: Essential Writings of a Nineteenth-Century Black Radical Feminist to discuss Mary Ann's life and legacy.
Download the intro to her book for free with this link.
Buy a copy of her book here -- and use code AAFLYG6 for 30% off!
Learn more about Nneka and her work at nnekadennie.com
L...
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February 7, 2024 • 40 mins
We're joined this week by Avery Cunningham, author of The Mayor of Maxwell Street. This historical fiction novel has it all: old timey gangsters! Lady journalists! Noir-adjacent gangland rivalries! And: 1920s outfits. It's also a story about the Black elite of 1920s Kentucky and Chicago, using fictional characters to highlight this lesser known aspect of Black American history.
Learn more about Avery and her books at averycunningha...
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January 30, 2024 • 40 mins
Talking with Vanessa Miller, author of the historical fiction novel The American Queen. This novel is based on actual events that occurred between 1865 - 1889 and shares the unsung history of a Black woman who built a kingdom as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life.
Learn more about Vanessa and her books at vanessamiller.com
The resources Vanessa mentioned to look up the age of words are:...
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