Asterisk History

We are a history(ish) podcast focused on women, their stories, and their culture.

21. Christine Granville: Kickass Spy

Season 2, Episode 10: In the final episode of Season 2, a slightly intoxicated Alex tells a completely sober Jay about Christine Granville, a polish woman who defied the odds to become a English spy. (We apologize for the audio quality for this episode!)

09-10
55:48

20. Yaa Asantewaa: Rebel Queen Mother

Season 2, Episode 9: Jay tells Alex about Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother who led the Ashanti in their final Rebellion against British Colonialism.

08-26
32:52

19. Truganini and Fanny Cochrane Smith: The Last Indigenous Tasmanians

Season 2, Episode 8: In the second switcheroo episode, Alex and Jay discuss Truganini and Fanny Cochrane Smith, two women who bear the title "last Aboriginal Tasmanian" and who worked tirelessly to protect their cultures and their way of life from colonialism. We would like to warn our listeners that we will be using proper names.

08-12
42:05

18. Anne Lister: Traveler, Diarist, Seducer of Widows

Season 2, Episode 7: In the first switcheroo episode, Jay and Alex discuss Anne Lister, the "first modern lesbian" who traveled Europe, managed her own monetary affairs, and wrote four MILLION words in her detailed and encoded diaries.

07-29
38:38

17B. Mary Church Terrell: Spirited Globetrotting Educator

Season 2, Episode 6: In the second part of a two-part episode, Alex finishes telling Jay about Mary Church Terrell, a woman who fought for suffrage, education, and civil rights. 

07-15
50:21

17A. Mary Church Terrell: Spirited Globetrotting Educator

Season 2, Episode 6A: In the first part of a two-part episode, Alex tells Jay about Mary Church Terrell, a woman who fought for suffrage, education, and civil rights. 

07-02
53:44

16. Mitsuye Endo: Quietly Courageous Plaintiff

Season 2, Episode 5: Jay tells Alex about Mitsuye Endo, the only person to successfully sue for Habeus Corpus during the forced internment of Japanese American citizens during WWII.

06-17
58:04

15. Throwback: Phryne: Send (Classical) Nudes

Life's been a bit hectic for Asterisk's hosts, so today we're giving you a throwback episode! We will return to regularly-schedule new episodes on Monday, June 17. In this episode from Season 1, Jay tells Alex about Φρύνη, or Phryne (Phrýnē), a courtesan from Classical Greece who happens to be the model/inspiration for some of the most famous works of art in history.

06-03
38:16

14. Ms. Ophelia Settle Egypt: Harlem Renaissance Adjacent

Season 2 Episode 4: Alex tells Jay about Ms. Ophelia, a sociologist and writer who who stood on the fringes of the Harlem Renaissance and rubbed shoulders with many key players.

05-20
58:49

13. Chiquinha Gonzaga: Choro Maestrina of Brazil

Season 2 Episode 3: Jay tells Alex about Chiquinha Gonzaga, a composer from Brazil who blazed trails, started trends, facilitated scandals, and was always looking for a cause to support.

05-07
48:38

12. Mary Mahoney: The Original RN

Season 2 Episode 2: Alex tells Jay about Mary Mahoney, the first African American woman to be formally trained as a nurse. Also, a small correction: in this episode, Alex refers to the Dred Scott case. She meant the Plessey v. Ferguson case, wherein the Supreme Court's decision lead to the idea of "separate but equal."

04-22
34:55

11. Suor Maria Celeste: a 'Poor Clare' of Florence

Season 2, Episode 1: Jay tells Alex about Suor Maria Celeste, a nun of the impoverished Order of St. Clare of Assisi who was industrious, surprisingly well educated, and whose records survived because she happened to have a famous father.

04-08
01:02:18

10. Stephanie St. Clair: The Queen(ie) of Harlem

Alex tells Jay about "Queenie" Stephanie St. Clair, the classiest mob boss to grace New York City in the 20th Century.

03-25
36:38

9: Marcela Gracia Ibeas and Elisa Sánchez Loriga: Inconsistent Incognito Spouses

Jay tells Alex about Marcela Gracia Ibeas and Elisa Sánchez Loriga, who, through elaborate deception, became the first same-sex couple to be married by the Catholic Church. 

03-11
37:04

8. Elizabeth Freeman and Oney Judge: Self-Freed Women

Alex tells Jay about Elizabeth Freeman and Oney Judge, two women born enslaved, who freed themselves around the time of the American Revolution.

02-25
40:13

We're Back!

Alex and Jay explain their abrupt hiatus and let everyone know what they've been up to lately.

02-21
05:02

7. Molly, Molly, Molly: Three American Revolution Heroines

Jay tells Alex about three heroic women-of-the-army, all nicknamed Molly, from the American Revolutionary War.

05-14
41:49

6B. Lucy Parsons: Firebrand Anarchist

In the second part of this two-part episode, Alex finishes telling Jay about Lucy Parsons, a turn-of-the-century Anarchist and labor reformer whose personal mantra (we assume) was "burn shit down."

04-30
45:07

6A. Lucy Parsons: Firebrand Anarchist

In the first part of a two-part episode, Alex tells Jay about Lucy Parsons, a turn-of-the-century Anarchist and labor reformer who was born into slavery and lived most of her life in Chicago.

04-16
48:49

5. Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade: Pragmatic Romantic Composer

Jay tells Alex about Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade, a Victorian Romantic composer whose music we use for our opening and closing.

04-02
44:24

Happy⚛️Heretic

-There's 24 quality episodes of this history cast.

11-08 Reply

Alex McFerron

thank you!

08-04 Reply

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