The Exploress

Latest Episodes:

The Crusader Queens, Part 2 Apr 22, 2024

Show notes

Season 5, Episode 2. Once upon a time, back in the Middle Ages, four sisters would come to shape the Crusader States called Outremer. One would rebel (several times) against their father; another would come to rule more or less in her own right. All would see a healthy heaping of conflict while living in a chaotic time and place. In Part 2, we'll rejoin our royal sisters as they weather scandal, trial by combat, suspicious deaths, and rebellious sons.

For show notes for this episode, go to The Exploress website. (If you're dying for a full transcript of the episode, you'll find it over on my Patreon.) To learn about Katherine Pangonis and her book, Queens of Jeruasalem, check out her website.

Ways to support The Exploress:

Buy Kate's novel, NIGHTBIRDS, and pre-order its sequel, FYREBIRDS, out Aug. 27, 2024
Become a patron and enjoy exclusive bonus episodes, including one about the daughters and granddaughters of the stars of this episode
Check out the merch and art at the Exploress shop

The Crusader Queens, Part 1 Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

Season 5, Episode 1. Once upon a time, back in the Middle Ages, four sisters would come to shape the Crusader States called Outremer. One would rebel (several times) against their father; another would come to rule more or less in her own right. All would see a healthy heaping of conflict while living in a chaotic time and place. In Part 1, we'll explore the many roles women played in the Crusades, and we will meet our leading ladies - Alice, Yvette, Hodierna, and Melisende - the daughters of the second Crusader King of Jerusalem.

Ways to support The Exploress:

Buy Kate's novel, NIGHTBIRDS, and pre-order its sequel, FYREBIRDS, out Aug. 27, 2024
Become a patron and enjoy exclusive bonus episodes (and more!)
Check out the merch and art at the Exploress shop

Queens with Swords: Teuta, Amanirenas, and Mavia (Mawiyya) Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

There's something stirring about a warrior woman: one who refuses to bow down to the forces against her, no matter how vast they may be. And when they win out? Even better. Let's talk about three sword-wielding females who went up against the Romans, terrifying all who looked on: Teuta, Amanirenas, and Mavia (Mawiyya).

Want more Exploress bonus episodes? I post them regularly over on Patreon. You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop.

The Black Female Entertainers of the 1920s Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

Season 4, Episode 16. In this last episode of Season 4, we're going to find out more about the Black female entertainers who lit up the stages of 1920s America: who they were, the (many) struggles they faced, and all the ways they absolutely slayed. We'll meet blues singers like Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, and Mamie Smith, as well as dancers like Josephine Baker. (Content warning: brief discussion of lynching).

Want more Exploress while the main feed takes a brief hiatus? I'll be regularly posting bonus episodes over on Patreon. You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop.

Also, did you know: I've got a novel out! NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might just like it. And the sequel's coming out later this year, so there's never been a better time to dive in.

The Female Movie Stars of 1920s Hollywood Feb 08, 2024

Show notes

Season 4, Episode 15. Mary Pickford. Clara Bow. Gloria Swanson. Joan Crawford. Greta Garbo. Let's travel back in time to learn more about the legendary female movie stars behind the most popular silent films of the 1920s. We'll discuss the controlling Hollywood studio machine, glamorous movie palaces, obsessive fandoms, the Max Factor makeup brand, the dark side of celebrity and fame, the flapper and the vamp archetypes, and of course, the rise of the It Girl.

You can buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop. Also, did you know: I've got a novel out! NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might just like it.

You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

America's Fight for Women's Rights: Interview with Elizabeth Cobbs Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

Season 4, Episode 14. Join us for an interview with Professor Elizabeth Cobbs, the author of Fearless Women: Feminist Patriots from Abigail Adams to Beyonce. Her book gives us a panoramic view of the fight for women's rights in America, and today, she'll talk to us about the history of feminism, suffrage, and what rights women really had in the 1920s.

A Lady's Life in the 1920s, Part 4: A Friday Night Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

Season 4, Episode 13. Last time, we found out what stay-at-home wife life was like in the 1920s. Now we're going to go out on the town. Let's explore all the fun we were getting up to: dancing, nightclubs, amusement parks, swimming, and girls in automobiles. We'll even dive into the world on 1920s dating.

You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop. Also, did you know: I've got a novel out! NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might be into it.

You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

The Lady Killers of 1920s Chicago Dec 03, 2023

Show notes

Season 4, Episode 12. Settle in for a tale of passion, jealousy, corruption, and the lady killers who entranced 1920s America. Grab your gun, your best fur coat, and a flask of bootleg gin. Let's go traveling.

You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop. Also, did you know I've got a novel out? NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might like it.

You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Writing the Women of Pompeii: Elodie Harper Interview, Part 2 Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

Remember back in 2021 when the amazing Elodie Harper told us all about the sex workers of ancient Rome, and also her novel The Wolf Den? She's back to talk to us about The Temple of Fortuna, the epic conclusion to her immersive trilogy about a woman just trying to survive in ancient Pompeii. Join us as we talk about courtesans, an ancient queen, female gladiators, and what it might have been like to survive the eruption of Vesuvius. Warning: we WILL be spoiling some aspects of the first two books in the series, so make sure you've read them before you listen.

The Temple of Fortuna is out now! Go forth and grab yourself a copy.

You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop. You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Giulia Tofana, Italy's Poison Queen Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

I hope you enjoy this spooky minisode bonus from the dark days of 2020! Let's meet one of history's most prolific female poisoners.

You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

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