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This podcast has
100 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Big Blend Radio NetworkExplicit
No
Date created
2019/10/10
Latest episode
2026/10/15
Average duration
39 min.
Release period
5 days
Description
A Big Blend Radio History Podcast Channel featuring expert interviews and conversations focusing on History, Heritage, Culture, Travel, and The Arts.
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The Quarter Queen: A Mother Daughter Voodoo Story
2026/10/15
Author Kayla Hardy on "The Quarter Queen," her debut historical fantasy reimagining Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, and her rebellious daughter, Ree.
Voodoo queens, secret societies, and the mother-daughter bond that can make or break a family. For National Book Month, Kayla Hardy joins Big Blend Radio’s "Books & Authors" with Books Forward, to talk about The Quarter Queen, a lush, richly researched story of two generations of powerful women in a magically and racially divided 1840s New Orleans.
In the novel, Ree finds her formidable mother, Marie, comatose in the bayou and has to uncover the secrets of Marie’s past to save her. Enemies are circling, including a puritanical Brotherhood of alchemists, the slaveholding mayor of the city, and Ree’s childhood best friend turned witch hunter.
In this conversation, Kayla talks about:
- Growing up between Ohio and Louisiana Creole country, and how childhood summers hooked her on Marie Laveau
- Why slavery itself, the system, is the true villain of the book
- Voodoo’s blend with Catholicism: magic, psychology, or both?
- The Brotherhood’s obsession with purity, secret societies, and alchemy
- Ree’s coming-of-age and mothers and daughters seeing each other as whole people
- Her years of writing and querying before the book deal, and how a TV pilot became a novel
Kayla Hardy is a mythology expert and multi-hyphenate author and screenwriter of Louisiana Creole descent. She earned her PhD in creative writing and African American literature from SUNY Binghamton University, where she is an adjunct professor and an accomplished scholar of Black folklore, mythology, and Voodoo. "The Quarter Queen" (Ballantine) is her first novel, named an Essence Most Anticipated Book of 2026 and a Book Riot Best New Book of March.
Kayla Hardy’s website: https://KaylaHardy.com
Books Forward: https://booksforward.com/
Big Blend Media House: https://www.BigBlendMediaHouse.com
Ninety Six National Historic Site: Star Fort & Tunnel
2026/10/11
Celebrate America 250 in upstate South Carolina! On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Jo Goes Everywhere" Podcast, travel writer Jo Clark takes us to Ninety Six National Historic Site, a backcountry crossroads where 12 roads met and later the site of the longest land siege of the American Revolution, from May 22 to June 18, 1781. This park also turned 50 this year.
Jo walks us through the Star Fort and Kosciuszko’s brick-lined mine tunnel. She also tells the tale of the engineer who got shot in the butt, poses for a selfie with the big replica gun, and explains why the kids’ tunnel is such a hit. She shares what it’s like to hear reenactments and cannon fire (earplugs recommended!) and why Lake Greenwood State Park is worth adding to your trip.
Then it’s time to eat and stay. Jo takes us to Break on the Lake and Indigenous Underground, where Chef Erica “Trudy” McCier serves soul rolls and Black Eye Pea Gumbo. She also stops at Main Street Coffee Co., The Rough House and 96 Pecan Company (don’t miss the Lemon Crunch!), and spends the night at The Veranda on Main. At the end, Jo toasts with her Spooktacular Halloween Cocktail.
RESOURCE LINKS:
- Read Jo’s full article, with all the details, tips and links to every stop: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/ninety-six-national-historic-site
- Get Jo’s Spooktacular Halloween Cocktail recipe: https://recipestravelculture.com/spooktacular-halloween-cocktail/
Follow More of Jo:
- https://www.haveglasswilltravel.com/
- https://recipestravelculture.com/
- Jo Goes Everywhere! Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-podcast
- Jo Goes Everywhere! Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-magazine
100 Men Hall: Music, History & Community in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
2026/10/06
Step inside the 100 Men Hall in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, a 1922 Chitlin' Circuit landmark and Mississippi Blues Trail stop just across from the historic train depot. On location for Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast, this shared episode features travel journalist Terri Guthrie who sits down inside the hall with Rachel Dangermond, the writer and award-winning journalist who purchased it in 2018 and now leads the nonprofit that keeps it alive. It's the perfect episode to celebrate Global Diversity Awareness Month!
Rachel traces the hall's roots to a self-reliant benevolent association formed in the Black community during Jim Crow, and shares the skits, the manless weddings, and the legendary musicians who played here, including James Brown, Ray Charles, Etta James, Guitar Slim, and BB King. She also explains how a Mardi Gras crew began in the hall as the Merrymakers, why the Chitlin' Circuit story is more nuanced than most people know, and how the hall's mission has grown to celebrate every community through A Soulful Christmas, Día de los Muertos, and the Matzo Ball.
You'll also hear about the hall's four annual fundraisers: Rock 'N' Roux in January, Swamp(gr)Ass Get Down in April, Booker Fest over Labor Day weekend, and Cigars Under the Stars benefiting Gulf Coast veterans. Rachel talks about the endowment protecting the hall's future and why visitors from as far as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand keep coming back. Along the way, Terri shares the route of Amtrak's Mardi Gras Train, which runs twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile.
RESOURCE LINKS:
- Plan Your Visit: 100 Men Hall: https://100menhall.com/
- Listen to the previous episode about Amtrak's Mardi Gras Trainwith Knox Ross, Chairman of the Southern Rail Commission: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/mardi-gras-train-gulf-coast-amtrak
TRAVEL WITH TERRI:
Travel with Terri: https://www.travelwithterri.com/
Travel with Terri Podcast: https://www.travelwithterri.com/podcast
Travel with Terri Magazine: https://www.travelwithterri.com/magazine
Thomas Jefferson Survives: What Jefferson Can Still Teach Us at America 250
2026/09/23
As America celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson has been claimed, reshaped, and rejected by every side of the political divide. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Way Back When" History Show, Lisa D. Smith talks with historian Francis D. Cogliano, professor of American history at the University of Edinburgh. He is co-author with Peter S. Onuf of "Thomas Jefferson Survives: American Independence in His Time and Ours" (Liveright, 2026).
This isn't a typical biography. Built from years of teaching seminars for American school teachers, the book's three essays, "Generations," "My Country," and "The People," look at Jefferson in his real historical context. Frank explains how Franklin Roosevelt and Donald Trump each invoked Jefferson toward very different ends. He talks about why the political left has largely stepped away from him this century, and how Jefferson's "Empire of Liberty" came at the expense of enslaved people and Indigenous nations.
The conversation also goes to the heart of the book. Jefferson believed that "the earth belongs to the living." He thought the Constitution should grow with the country, and that every generation must confront its own challenges instead of being held back by the past. Frank shares the story of Jefferson's lukewarm reaction to Madison's Constitution. He also discusses the powerful slave trade clause Congress deleted from Jefferson's draft of the Declaration, and why Jefferson is "America writ small." Lisa brings in the kitchen table conversations the book sparked, including Jefferson's failings on women and the questions that still surround Sally Hemings.
For Big Blend, the conversation hits close to home. The historic Jefferson Highway, the 1915 auto trail from Winnipeg to New Orleans, was named for Jefferson because it runs through the Louisiana Purchase.
Frank also talks about teaching American history from Scotland and the Whiskey Rebellion podcast he co-hosts with fellow historian David Silkenat.
RESOURCE LINKS:
- Thomas Jefferson Survives: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324098072
- Francis D. Cogliano: https://franciscogliano.com
- Check out more history and culture interviews in the Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/history-and-culture
Yellowstone: America's First National Park, Still Wild After 110 Years
2026/09/15
Travel writer and advisor Lisa Evans, host of Big Blend Radio's "Journey Jukebox" Podcast takes us to Yellowstone National Park — America's very first national park, marking 110 years of the National Park Service this year.
This episode picks up right where her Cody, Wyoming visit left off: after basing herself in Cody, Lisa spent a day and a half looping through Yellowstone by chartered bus, and brings back a full rundown — bison herds thick enough to stop traffic for fifty cars, a moose sighting straight out of Lamar Valley, a surprise cinnamon bear, and the bighorn sheep on the way out of the park.
From there we walk through the icons — Old Faithful (which kept everyone waiting an extra thirty minutes), the otherworldly colors of Grand Prismatic Spring and the Midway Geyser Basin, the bubbling mud volcanoes, and dinner at the historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel with a general manager who's spent 40 years working his way up through the park's lodging operation.
We also get honest about the less charming side of visiting a place like Yellowstone: tourists stepping over barriers at Mammoth Hot Springs, walking up to bison for a closer photo, and — in one widely reported case — Pierce Brosnan's own $1,500 fine for wandering off a boardwalk into a restricted thermal area. With national parks already stretched thin on funding and staffing, we talk about why this isn't just about rule-following — it's about keeping the wildlife wild and the parks safe for everyone who visits them.
Along the way, Lisa also looks ahead to her next stops — Clarksville, TN, and a trip up to Anacortes, WA — and shares more of the multi-generational travel trends she's seeing on the road.
🗺️ Plan your own trip: Full Yellowstone travel guide, park links, and resources: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/yellowstone-still-wild-at-110
- Missed her last stop? Catch Lisa's Cody, Wyoming episode & article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/cody-wyoming-western-culture
🎵 Journey Jukebox Music Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7humUf03LIW04t8LiJSSN9?si=71c11c52c77c4596
🎧 More about the Journey Jukebox Podcast:
- New episodes air every 3rd Tuesday at 6pm CST: https://journeyjukebox.podbean.com/
- Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/JOURNEY-JUKEBOX---2026/#p=1
Follow Lisa Evans:
- https://substack.com/@allabouttravelwithlisa
- https://writerlisa.com/
Greensboro, North Carolina: History, Hospitality & Where Cornwallis Lost the War
2026/09/13
On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Jo Goes Everywhere!" Podcast, travel writer Jo Clark takes us to Greensboro, North Carolina — the third-largest city in the state and home to Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, site of one of the most consequential battles of the Revolutionary War.
Jo digs into Greensboro's roots, from the Saura and Keyauwee peoples who lived there first, to the German, Welsh, English Quaker, and Scotch-Irish settlers who followed, to the city's surprising reputation as the "second-holiest city in America."
Then the Revolution arrives: on March 15, 1781, General Nathanael Greene's Continental Army met Lord Cornwallis's British troops at Guilford Courthouse. Cornwallis technically won the battle — but at such a staggering cost in men that it helped set up his eventual defeat at Yorktown.
Along the way, Jo tells the story of the Hoskins family, who fled war-torn Pennsylvania for a fresh start in Greensboro, only to have the British commandeer their farm and turn their home into a field hospital just three years later.
Jo also shares Greensboro's literary and broadcast history (hometown ties to O. Henry and Edward R. Murrow), plus where to eat, drink, and stay if you visit today, including Sàigòn Cuisine, Machete, Lewis and Elm, the O. Henry Hotel, Fainting Goat Spirits, and Angels Bed & Breakfast.
Read Jo's full article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/guilford-courthouse-national-military-park
Plan Your Visit to Greensboro
- Jo's Greensboro Travel Guide: https://recipestravelculture.com/greensboro-1781-battlefield-to-jeansboro/
- Guilford Courthouse National Military Park: https://www.nps.gov/guco/index.htm
Follow More of Jo:
- https://www.haveglasswilltravel.com/
- https://recipestravelculture.com/
- Jo Goes Everywhere! Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-podcast
- Jo Goes Everywhere! Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-magazine
Chief Joseph Trail Ride 2026: Christy Wood and Stephanie Callahan Clark
2026/09/12
In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "ABC's of Horses" podcast, World Champion horse trainer Christy Wood is joined by fellow rider Stephanie Callahan Clark for their annual look at the Chief Joseph Trail Ride — a thirteen-year progressive journey on horseback retracing the Nez Perce National Historic Trail across Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.
They cover this year's route, wildlife encounters, camp community, horse safety, and why living off-the-grid on the trail is part of the adventure — plus a look ahead to 2027, the 150th anniversary of Chief Joseph's flight.
🔗 EXPLORE MORE
🐴 Learn more about the Chief Joseph Trail Ride: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/the-chief-joseph-trail-ride
📚 Connect with Christy & get her books: https://wdnhorse.com/
🏇 Chief Joseph Trail Ride nonprofit: https://chiefjosephtrailride.org/
🎧 Listen to more episodes of the ABC's of Horses Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/abcs-of-horses-podcast
📖Check out the ABC's of Horses Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/abcs-of-horses-magazine
Getting to Know Phyllis Bitner - Miners Hall Museum & the Jefferson Highway
2026/08/27
This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Getting to Know You" series was recorded back in April with Phyllis Bitner, Chair of the Miners Hall Museum Foundation in Franklin, Kansas.
Phyllis shares how Miners Hall Museum grew out of the 2003 tornado that leveled the town's community center, why the museum's twelve exhibit categories focus as much on the immigrant experience as the equipment, and the story behind the Page 618 Walking Dragline — a massive, one-of-eighteen-ever-built machine now being moved piece by piece into a new free public park along the Jefferson Highway. She also talks about the historic 1.7-mile Franklin-Arma sidewalk, the site of the 1921 Amazon Army March, and why the museum's research library keeps surprising visitors with their own family history.
Then Phyllis plays a round of our Lucky Seven Questions — sharing her spirit animal, her NASCAR bucket-list dream, a life lesson from her father, and more.
P.S. — Phyllis will be one of four storytellers at "Night at the Friendly Tavern" on September 3rd, part of Pittsburg, KS's 150th birthday celebration, and Miners Hall Museum is a featured stop on the Jefferson Highway Association's "Miner's Drive" caravan, September 17–19.
Resource Links:
- Miners Hall Museum: https://www.minershallmuseum.com/
- Night at the Friendly Tavern Tickets (Sept 3): https://memorialauditorium.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200542773
- Jefferson Highway "Miner's Drive" Caravan (Sept 17–19): https://jeffersonhighway.org/event-6661501
- Jefferson Highway Travel Guide — Miners Hall Museum page: https://www.jeffersonhighwaytravelguide.com/travel-directory/kansas/miners-hall-museum
Gettysburg's 163rd Battle Reenactment: Experience Living Civil War History
2026/08/25
On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures" Podcast, travel writer Debbie Stone relives the 163rd Gettysburg Civil War Battle Reenactment — held over 4th of July weekend at the historic Daniel Lady Farm, with timing that felt especially fitting during America's 250th birthday year.
Debbie shares what it was like to stand in the summer heat alongside reenactors in full wool uniform, walk through the Union and Confederate camps, and talk with the volunteers — many of them lifelong history buffs — who keep this history alive. They cover the sobering reality of the battle itself (more than 50,000 casualties over three days), a packed-house presentation on Civil War medicine, the Daniel Lady Farm's role as a Confederate staging area and field hospital, and even a kids' reenactment battle that had every adult on the field smiling.
Read Debbie's full article with more of her Gettysburg story:
https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/civil-war-battle-reenactment-in-gettysburg
Follow more of Debbie's travels on Global Adventures:
- https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/global-adventures-with-debbie-stone
- Explore the digital Global Adventures Magazine:
https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/global-adventures-travel-magazine
Libraries Beneath the Sand: Racing Al Qaeda to Save Timbuktu's Ancient Manuscripts
2026/08/25
Nearly thirty years ago, explorer and author James Michael Dorsey traveled to Timbuktu to see its legendary manuscript libraries — and found himself swept into a race against time. As Al Qaeda's presence grew in northern Mali, his Tuareg guide, Halis al Moctar, recruited him to help evacuate centuries-old manuscripts before the extremist group could destroy them.
On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Before They Vanish" Podcast, James shares what it was like to pack and smuggle manuscripts by camel caravan across the Sahara, hiding them under slabs of salt to slip past Al Qaeda patrols, and distributing them to nomadic families who buried them in the desert for safekeeping. He also talks about the Tuareg "Blue Men" of the Sahara, explorer Ernst Aebi's strange attempt to build a luxury resort in the dying village of Araouane, and the ongoing effort to digitize what manuscripts remain today.
📖 Read James's full feature, "Libraries Beneath the Sand," at Hidden Compass: https://hiddencompass.net/story/libraries-beneath-the-sand/
🎙️ Listen to more episodes of Before They Vanish: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/before-they-vanish-podcast
🌍 Learn more about James Michael Dorsey and his books: https://jamesmichaeldorseyauthor.com/
Charles Dickens' England: From Debtor's Prison to Poets' Corner
2026/08/22
Forget the Christmas Carol postcard version of Charles Dickens. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" Podcast, Glynn Burrows digs into the real story — a childhood shaped by his father's debtor's prison, a stint in a blacking warehouse, and a writing career so prolific it basically invented the serialized soap opera decades before television existed.
Along the way, he digs into what Victorian England was really like for the poor, why Dickens' novels mattered as social record as much as entertainment, and the genuine mystery still surrounding his personal life — including a young actress named Ellen Ternan and a sister-in-law who moved in three years after his separation. Glynn also makes the case for why doing your own research matters, whether you're tracing Dickens' story or your own family history.
It all wraps up with where you can actually go in England today to walk in Dickens' footsteps — from his Portsmouth birthplace to his grave in Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner — and a reminder that gratitude looks a little different once you know what people were living through less than 200 years ago.
📖 Read Glynn's article, "A Dickens Tour of England: From Portsmouth to Poets' Corner": https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/dickens-tour-of-england
🌐 Visit English Connection: https://EnglishConnection.uk
📚 Explore Glynn's English Connection Digital Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/english-connection-magazine
🎙️ Listen to more episodes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/english-connection-podcast
Cody, Wyoming: Western Art, Cowboy Culture & the Old West
2026/08/18
In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Journey Jukebox" travel podcast, travel writer Lisa Evans takes us to Cody, Wyoming, a fascinating Western destination where the spirit of the Old West is still very much alive.
Located just outside Yellowstone National Park, Cody combines Western history, art, craftsmanship, music, rodeo, and living history in a destination that's worth more than just a quick overnight stop. Lisa shares her experiences exploring the city's many layers, from the extraordinary Western functional art at By Western Hands to the historic buildings and frontier stories of Old Trail Town.
The episode also takes us to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody Cattle Company, and the Cody Stampede Rodeo, where Lisa experienced her first "real" rodeo. She also discovers the city's lively music scene and talks about the musicians she added to the Journey Jukebox playlist.
With American Adventures Month and America 250 as part of the conversation, this episode is an invitation to explore a destination where American history, Western heritage, artistry, entrepreneurship, and entertainment come together. As Lisa discovered, Cody is much more than a gateway to Yellowstone—it's a destination worth spending several days exploring.
🗺️ Cody, Wyoming Travel Planning Resources
- Lisa's article on By Western Hands:
https://www.seegreatart.art/discovering-cody-wyomings-legacy-of-western-art-at-by-western-hands/
- Irma Emporium: https://www.irmahotel.com/
- The Chamberlin Inn - https://chamberlininn.com/
- Heart Mountain WWII Japanese American National Historic Landmark: https://www.heartmountain.org/
- Buffalo Bill Center of the West: https://centerofthewest.org/
- The Cody Cattle Company: https://thecodycattlecompany.com/
- Cody Stampede Rodeo: https://www.codystampederodeo.com/
- Cody Firearms Experience: https://www.codyfirearmsexperience.com/
- By Western Hands: https://www.bywesternhands.org/
- Old Trail Town: https://oldtrailtown.org/
🎵 Journey Jukebox Music Playlist on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7humUf03LIW04t8LiJSSN9?si=71c11c52c77c4596
Lisa's Cody playlist includes artists such as Righteous Vendetta, Kaylen Beasley, and Luke Bell, giving the episode its own musical Western soundtrack.
🎧 More about the Journey Jukebox Podcast:
- New episodes air every 3rd Tuesday at 6pm CST:
https://journeyjukebox.podbean.com/
- Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/JOURNEY-JUKEBOX---2026/#p=1
Cruising France on the Rosa with European Waterways
2026/08/13
In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Quiltripping Travel with Rose" podcast, travel writer and photographer Rose Palmer takes us aboard the Rosa, a luxury hotel barge operated by European Waterways, for a leisurely journey through the beautiful Gascony region of southern France.
This is slow travel at its best—cruising quietly along France's historic canals, cycling shaded towpaths, exploring medieval villages and UNESCO-listed sites, enjoying exceptional local food and wine, and simply having time to relax and enjoy the scenery. Rose describes the intimate experience of traveling with just six guests and a four-person crew aboard the Rosa, which accommodates a maximum of eight passengers.
The journey begins in the Toulouse area and follows approximately 70 miles of the Canal de Garonne, with excursions into historic towns and the countryside. Rose visits the UNESCO-listed Abbey of Saint Pierre, explores one of France's designated "Most Beautiful Villages," visits a working cheese farm, samples regional Armagnac, and joins the chef at a local farmers market to select fresh ingredients for the day's meals.
Food is a major part of the experience. Rose describes multi-course meals featuring local cheeses, fresh produce, regional wines, and ingredients purchased directly from local farmers—including strawberries, cherries, apricots, meats, vegetables, and more. As Lisa puts it during the conversation, it's "farm to barge."
Rose also explains why barge cruising can be such a wonderful option for solo travelers: you can travel independently without being alone, while leaving the driving, navigation, meals, sightseeing logistics, and daily planning to the crew. The small-group atmosphere makes it easy to form connections with fellow travelers and crew members.
Whether you're looking for a romantic getaway, a friends' or family charter, a solo travel experience, or simply a peaceful way to discover rural France, this episode offers an enticing look at the pleasures of small-ship cruising, authentic cultural experiences, and slow travel.
📖 Read Rose Palmer's Featured Article:
https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/cruising-france-on-the-rosa-barge
🚤 Learn More About European Waterways: https://www.europeanwaterways.com/
🌐 Explore More from Quiltripping: https://quiltripping.com/
📰 Check Out the "Quiltripping Travel" Digital Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/QUILTRIPPING-TRAVEL-WITH-ROSE-MAG/#p=1
🎧 Subscribe to the Podcast on Podbean:
https://quiltripping-travel.podbean.com/
Author Ellen Rachlin on Enheduanna: The World’s First Named Author
2026/08/12
Who was Enheduanna — the woman often recognized as the world’s first known named author?
On this episode of Big Blend Radio’s "Books & Authors" Show with Books Forward, we welcome award-winning poet and debut historical fantasy novelist Ellen Rachlin, author of Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands, coming August 25, 2026 from Histria Fiction.
Set in ancient Mesopotamia around 2300 BCE, "Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands" brings to life Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon the Great and High Priestess of Ur, whose name is associated with some of the earliest known literary works to identify an author. Rachlin discovered Enheduanna while researching overlooked historical figures and was captivated by her poetry, power, struggles and enduring mystery.
In our conversation, Ellen discusses researching ancient Mesopotamia, the challenge of reconstructing a world with limited surviving evidence, and the fascinating process of blending historical fact, mythology and imagination. We also explore Enheduanna's role as a powerful religious and economic leader, her exile and struggle to regain her position, and the importance of reclaiming women's stories that have been overlooked or reduced to historical footnotes.
We also talk about Ellen's transition from poetry to historical fantasy, the importance of preserving women's voices, ancient writing and literature, the mythology surrounding Inanna and Ereshkigal, and why Enheduanna's story still resonates today.
- Check out the Big Blend Book Review by Nancy J. Reid: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/enheduannas-song-from-the-sands
- Learn more about Ellen Rachlin and her books at https://www.ellenrachlin.com/
- Learn more about Books Forward and its authors at https://booksforward.com/
The National Hotel – Oklahoma City’s Historic Art Deco Gem
2026/08/11
Step inside one of Oklahoma City’s most remarkable historic restorations with this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Travel with Terri” Podcast.
In Part 1 of our three-part Oklahoma City series, Travel Journalist Terri Guthrie takes us inside The National Hotel, a luxurious Marriott Autograph Collection property housed within Oklahoma City’s historic First National Center.
Originally opened in 1931 as First National Bank, this Art Deco and Neoclassical landmark has been transformed into a sophisticated hotel while preserving its soaring Great Hall, historic murals, marble columns, original architectural details, and massive bank vault — now home to The Vault cocktail bar.
Recorded on-site at The National, this episode also features Terri’s conversations with Amanda Clark, Director of Sales & Catering, who shares the building’s history and restoration, and Chef Jason Jonilonis, Director of Culinary, who talks about the hotel’s restaurants, dining experiences, Stock & Bond Steakhouse, and the impressive beverage program.
We explore the Great Hall, Tellers, Stock & Bond, The Gilded Acorn, The Vault, the hotel’s guest rooms and Presidential Suite, its weekend high teas, shopping and amenities, and why The National is more than a hotel — it’s a destination within downtown Oklahoma City.
The episode also highlights Oklahoma City as an easy getaway from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and a walkable destination filled with museums, parks, gardens, dining, culture, and entertainment. What a way to celebrate America 250 and American Adventures Month (August)!
Plan your stay: https://www.thenationalokc.com/
Stay tuned for more of Terri’s Oklahoma City adventures!
🏨 Visit The National Hotel: https://www.thenationalokc.com/
🎙️ Travel with Terri: https://www.travelwithterri.com/
📻 Travel with Terri airs every other Tuesday: https://www.travelwithterri.com/podcast
📰 The Luxe Explorer Magazine: https://www.travelwithterri.com/magazine
🌎 Travel with Terri highlights on Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/terri-guthrie
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