What'sHerName

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.

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?

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.

Frances Marion was one of the most important, influential, and well-paid screenwriters in Hollywood. Her films moved audiences to tears and brought out the best in every actor for whom she ever wrote. And when the switch to 'talking pictures' left most other silent film writers in the dust, Frances continued to astonish, creating dozens of the most famous and beloved films of the first half of the 20th century. So how come nobody remembers her name? Pam Munter is our guest.

Celia Sánchez Manduley was probably the most important woman in the Cuban Revolution - yet outside of Cuba, almost nobody knows her name. The first woman to fire a shot in the revolution, and the brains behind the revolution's complex logistics, she is known in Cuba as the powerful heart of a movement to "make people's lives better."

Some say Tituba was the easy target in 1692, as an enslaved woman of color. But surprise! She confessed to witchcraft, offering elaborate descriptions of a widespread Satanic conspiracy. Her tales launched Salem, Massachusetts into an unparalleled witch mania. No one was safe…except Tituba herself. How did she start it all, and how did she escape? Join Katie on location in Salem, Massachusetts for this year’s Halloween special.   For more of Tituba’s story, this fascinating Smithsonian article is a great resource. Army vet and military historian David Tullis guides off-the-beaten-track tours of Salem and works as a historical pewter smith. Music featured in this episode included:   Your purchases help support the podcast!    

She was the most powerful pirate in the history of the world - and you've probably never heard her name. How did this brilliant, ruthless, utterly unstoppable woman manage to dodge the Chinese, British and Portuguese navies for a decade, and still end up left out of the history books? Dr. Jamie Goodall, author of Pirates of the Chesapeake Bay, introduces us to this enigmatic and fascinating figure.

Come along with us on a virtual version of our September 2021 "Lost Women of England" Tour! Hear highlights from the trip, with context, commentary and other fun bonus content from Katie and Olivia, and "armchair travel" your way around the history of England with us in this special bonus episode.

Rani (Queen) Lakshmibai of Jhansi never wanted to be a rebel. She did everything she could to stay on the right side of the law. But when the British East India Company finally pushed her too far, she took up the sword - literally - to fight for her kingdom, her son, and her life! Guest Pamela Toler is back again to tell us about this incredible, unexpected heroine of Indian Independence.

What if you got to witness the birth of the American Revolution personally... because you were enslaved by one of the founding fathers? Join Katie on location in Williamsburg, Virginia for the astonishing story of Eve, GONE TO THE ENEMY.

Wangari Maathai was the first woman in Central Africa to earn a PhD, the first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize, and the mother of the Ecofeminist movement -- and that's just the beginning!

You’ve heard of the Gold Rush. You’ve maybe even heard of the Comstock Lode. But have you heard of Eilley Bowers, the penniless Scottish lass who headed west, and while running a boarding house, struck the richest silver mine in American history?

Stefania Turkevych was Ukraine's first woman classical composer - then revolution turned her world upside down. With guest Erica Glenn.

In 1895, Annie Cohen embarked on a quest to become the first woman ever to cycle around the world. Did she make it? Yes! Were the newspapers engrossed in her story? Yes! Did she actually… um, cycle? Sometimes! By sheer grit, Annie made her life into something (literally) unbelievable. Peter Zheutlin, author of two books about Annie, shares the tale of a woman who “didn’t run away to join the circus; she became the circus.” Annie Londonderry was given an obituary as part of the New York Times’ “Overlooked” series.   Newsreel and newspaper footage read by James Henderson, Marc Nelson, and Sam Henderson.                 All images courtesy of Peter Zheutlin unless otherwise indicated. Peter Zheutlin is a freelance journalist and author whose work has appeared  in The Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, Parade Magazine, AARP Magazine and numerous other publications. He’s the author of the New York Times best-seller, Rescue Road: One Man, Thirty Thousand Dogs, and a Million Miles on the Last Hope Highway and Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living With Purpose, Loving With Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things and The Dog Went Over the Mountain: Travels with Albie: An American Journey. He’s also the co-author, with his wife Judith Gelman, of The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook: Inside the Kitchens, Bars and Restaurant, of Mad Men and The Unofficial Girls Guide to New York: Inside the Cafes, Clubs, and Neighborhoods of HBO’s Girls. He previously practiced law and taught legal research and writing at the Northwestern University School of Law and the University of Virginia Law School, workeas the Public Affairs Director of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), winner of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize, and was privileged to be part of the IPPNW delegation that traveled to Oslo to receive the prize.   Music featured in this episode includes: All purchases help support the podcast

When most medieval Englishwomen wouldn’t travel more than five miles from home in their lifetime, Margery Kempe left behind her abusive husband and fourteen children to walk from France to Jerusalem and back – in the 1400s! Discover the amazing story of the mysterious “Weeping Mystic” who traveled the world, broke all the rules, and – luckily for us – recorded it all for history! Returning guest Mary Sharratt, author of the new historical novel Revelations, guides us through the astonishing life of this unexpected, under-appreciated visionary.                     Author Mary Sharratt is on a mission to write women back into history. Originally from Minnesota, Mary now lives in Portugal, near the beautiful medieval town of Obidos on the Silver Coast. Her latest novel Revelations, which will be published in April 2021, is drawn from the colorful life of Margery Kempe, 15th century mystic, intrepid world traveler, and author of the first autobiography in the English language. Her books span women’s history from the medieval visionary Hildegard of Bingen to Elizabethan poet Emilia Lanier to the Pendle Witches. Mary’s articles and essays have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Publisher’s Weekly, and Historical Novels Review.         Music featured in this episode included   Your purchase helps support the podcast!