Advertise on podcast: Lost Ladies of Lit

Send us a text “Queen of the Dunes” Hazel Hawthorne was a Cape Cod legend who wrote about The Road nearly two decades before her one-time tenant, Jack Kerouac. A uniquely feminine precursor to Beat literature, her novel Salt House captures Bohemian life amid the sand dunes of Provincetown. Though largely dismissed upon its 1934 publication, the book has been re-plucked from obscurity thanks to a new reissue by Provincetown Arts Press. Guests Allison Bass-Riccio and Livia Tenzer join us to discuss the almost transcendental effect Hawthorne’s life and writing has on those who continue to discover her. Mentioned in this episode: Salt House by Hazel Hawthorne Provincetown Arts Tour the Dunes of Provincetown Peaked Hill Trust Writing Residency Three Women by Hazel Hawthorne Edmund Wilson Mary Heaton Vorse Eugene O’Neill The Provincetown Players On the Road by Jack Kerouac Finding Hazel Hawthorne podcast by Inka Leisma Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 150 on Elizabeth Smart Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text In this encore presentation, Kim and Amy take stock by dusting off a "New Year’s" episode from 1921, sharing secrets of what makes their writing partnership work and turning to famous women writers — including Nancy Mitford, Isabelle Allende, Anais Nin and more for advice on setting (and more importantly, accomplishing) one's goals. Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text Virginia Faulkner had no family ties to that other famous Faulkner, but she is connected to another icon of classic American literature. A young flapper who made an authorial splash with the New York literati (earning comparisons to a young Dorothy Parker), Faulkner later switched gears, devoting the second half of her life to shaping The University of Nebraska Press into a powerhouse publishing institution. Her dedication to scholarship on Willa Cather helped solidify Cather in the pantheon of great American writers. We’re joined for this discussion by neglected books champion Brad Bigelow, whose biography Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts was recently published by Bison Press. Mentioned in this episode: Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts by Brad Bigelow 2026 Pilgrimage Reading Group Purchase the Pilgrimage Series by Dorothy Richardson Neglected Books website Friends and Romans by Virginia Faulkner Willa Cather A House is Not a Home by Polly Adler University of Nebraska Press My Hey Day (The “Princess Tulip” Stories) by Virginia Faulkner Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott Eugene Meyer Bernice Slote Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 59 on Gertrude Trevelyon Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 116 on Dorothy Richardson Lost Ladies of Lit Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text Before penning the lyrics to “America the Beautiful,” Katharine Lee Bates shone a spotlight on the invisible (and not so invisible) labor tackled by an unsung Christmas heroine, Mrs. Claus. Bates’s 1888 poem “Goody Claus on a Sleigh Ride” imagines Santa’s spouse setting the record straight about who really does most of the work in preparation for Christmas. In this holiday episode, Amy confesses her own cynical feelings about the Yuletide season and reads this humorous poem with its surprisingly satirical and feminist bent. Listeners who tune in will also receive a special “Lost Ladies of Lit” holiday freebie! Mentioned in this episode: “Goody Claus on a Sleigh Ride” by Katharine Lee Bates Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 237 on Katharine Lee Bates Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text Dark and disturbing, yet strangely redemptive, Djuna Barnes’s 1936 modernist masterpiece Nightwood left even its greatest champion, T.S. Eliot, a bit bewildered. Guest Margaret Vandenburg, an expert in modernism, post-modernism and gender studies, joins us to illuminate Barnes’s tumultuous life and help us decipher her "ultimate breakup novel,” a work that casts its spell by turning the world upside down in subversive defiance of fascism. Mentioned in this episode: Nightwood by Djuna Barnes Craze by Margaret Vandenburg An American in Paris by Margaret Vandenburg Djuna: The Extraordinary Life of Djuna Barnes by Jon Macy The Life and Work of Djuna Barnes by Phillip Herring New York by Djuna Barnes (collected journalism) The Book of Repulsive Women and Other Poems by Djuna Barnes Ladies Almanac by Djuna Barnes “The Antiphon” by Djuna Barnes Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 266 on Radclyffe Hall Zadel Barnes Barnes’s 1922 Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text Likened to a fresh Yorkshire breeze, Malachi Whitaker’s year-in-the-life memoir And So Did I, published in 1939, is a quirky spirit-quest juxtaposing wry humor and contemplative observations amidst the impending threat of global conflict. Valerie Waterhouse, a PhD researcher and executor of Whitaker’s literary estate, joins us to discuss the author’s life and work, as well as her own quest to keep Whitaker’s legacy alive, including securing a commemorative blue plaque for her birthplace and writing a forthcoming biography. Mentioned in this episode: And So Did I by Malachi Whitaker The Journey Home and Other Stories by Malachi Whitker The Oxford Book of English Short Stories edited by A.S. Byatt “Landlord of the Crystal Fountain” by Malachi Whitaker A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf Stevie Smith Elizabeth Bowen Kathleen Raine Gay Taylor “What I Believe” by E.M. Forster “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 3 on E.M. Delafield Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 166 on Alba de Céspedes Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text In this special episode, Kim and Amy recount their recent visit to The Sitting Room, a unique library and literary salon in Sonoma, CA, dedicated to women's literature. Trip highlights included a stay at a Julia-Morgan-designed architectural gem in Berkeley, a private tour of Jack London State Park, and a fascinating tour of The Sitting Room’s extensive collection of books and artifacts. Listeners will also hear snippets from an engaging evening with library co-founder J.J. Wilson, making this episode a heartfelt homage to the preservation and celebration of books by women writers. Mentioned in this episode: Julia Morgan The Berkeley City Club Litquake Jack London State Park Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 27 on Charmian Kittredge London Charmian Kittredge London: Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer by Iris Jamahl Dunkle The Sitting Room J.J. Wilson Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 187 on Kay Boyle Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 162 on Meridel Le Seuer Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 264 on Jessica Mitford Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 140 on Zora Neale Hurston Lyndall Gordon A Luminous Halo: Selected Writings by Virginia Woolf The Life of Violet: Three Early Stories by Virginia Woolf Gorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson’s Envelope Poems Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text Republished this year by Valancourt books, Rosalind’s Ashe’s 1976 gothic thriller Moths is a spine-chilling tale of supernatural seduction featuring a femme fatale who lures men to their deaths like lepidoptera to a flame. Gothic lit expert Lisa B. Kröger joins us to discuss Ashe’s knack for channeling female rage in a novel that’s been compared to Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. Mentioned in this episode: Moths by Rosalind Ashe Monster, She Wrote by Lisa B. Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson Toil and Trouble: A Women’s History of the Occult by Lisa B. Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson Original 1976 cover art of Moths Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 58 on Monster, She Wrote with Lisa B. Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 240 on Angela Carter Lisa Tuttle Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Hurricane Wake by Rosalind Ashe Literary Houses by Rosalind Ashe Dark Runner by Rosalind Ashe Sinister Affirmations Midnight Movie clip Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text Often called “the lesbian Bible,” Radclyffe Hall’s 1928 novel The Well of Loneliness has been sparking debate for nearly a century. Banned in the UK after an infamous obscenity trial, the book remains a lightening rod for readers — some revere it, others can’t stand it. We’ll explore what makes this groundbreaking novel so remarkable (and so divisive) with returning guest Iris Jamahl Dunkle, who found inspiration in Hall’s protagonist for her forthcoming book on strong-bodied women who refuse to conform to society’s standards. Mentioned in this episode: Kim and Amy’s October 14 LitQuake appearance: “Scribbling Women” Strike Back: How Long-Silenced Voices Have Fueled a New Resistance The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (new Oxford Press edition) Iris Jamahl Dunkle’s Substack article on Radclyffe Hall “Bad Gays” podcast episode on Radclyffe Hall Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 27 on Charmian Kittredge London Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 214 on Sanora Babb Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 152 on Janet Lewis Riding Like the Wind: The Life of Sanora Babb by Iris Jamahl Dunkle Charmian Kittredge London: Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer by Iris Jamahl Dunkle Womb House Books Cita Press Loving Sylvia Plath: A Reclamation by Emily Van Duyne Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me by Mimi Pond Havelock Ellis Edith Ellis Djuna Barnes Natalie Clifford Barney Margaret Vandenburg Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text In this follow-up to our 2021 episode on Nancy Mitford, we’re turning the spotlight on her younger sister, Jessica (a.k.a. “Decca”) Mitford, an activist and journalist whom Time magazine called “the queen of the muckrakers.” Her influential 1963 nonfiction title The American Way of Death exposed corruption in the funeral industry and was lauded by David Bowie as one of his “Top 100” favorite books, whereas her 1960 childhood memoir, Hons and Rebels, left her own family seeing red! Joining us in conversation is Mimi Pond, whose recently-published graphic biography Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me adds new color (literally) to the Mitford mythology with wry commentary and artwork perfectly suited to England’s most outrageous debutantes. Mentioned in this episode: Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me by Mimi Pond Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford David Bowie’s Top 100 Favorite Books The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford Life in A Cold Climate by Laura Thompson Decca: The Letters of Jessica Mitford edited by Peter Y. Sussman Lifeitselfmanship: Or, How to Become a Precisely Because Man by Jessica Mitford Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No 39 on Nancy Mitford Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 65 on Lucia Berlin Lost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 187 on Kay Boyle Nancy Mitford: A Portrait by Her Sisters documentary  Asthall Manor Chatsworth House Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text With her witty and self-deprecating takes on dating and the single life, the narrator of Miriam Karpilove’s Diary of a Lonely Girl: Or the Battle Against Free Love is the 1918 Yiddish precursor to Girls’ Hannah Horvath, Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw, and Bridget Jones. Guest Jessica Kirzane’s English translation of the novel was published by Syracuse University Press in 2020. Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text In this encore presentation, we’re reviving a literary suicide scandal that took place among some of the biggest names in the West Coast’s early 20th century bohemian society. Joining us to discuss lost poet Nora May French and her life—and death—is Catherine Prendergast, author of the riveting book The Gilded Edge: Two Audacious Women and the Cyanide Love Triangle That Shook America.  Discussed in this episode:  Nora May French The Gilded Edge: Two Audacious Women and the Cyanide Love Triangle That Shook America by Catherine Prendergast Carmel-by-the-Sea, California  Charles Loomis “The Spanish Girl” by Nora May French George Sterling The Bohemian Club Ambrose Bierce Lost Ladies of Lit episode on Charmian Kittredge London with Iris Dunkle Jack London The Huntington Library  Harry Lafler  “Ave Atque Vale” by Algernon Charles Swinburne “Ave Atque Vale” by Nora May French Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text Originally drafted in 1939, the Prohibition-era gangster novel The Girl by Meridel Le Sueur remained unpublished for nearly 40 years. Le Sueur used the intervening decades to transform her work into a powerful narrative, focusing on the lives of marginalized women in Depression-era America. Joining us is Dr. Rosemary Hennessy, a Professor of English at Rice University, whose most recent book, In the Company of Radical Women Writers, rediscovers the political commitments and passionate advocacy of seven writers, including Le Sueur.  Mentioned in this episode: Meridel Le Sueur The Girl by Meridel Le Sueur “Women on the Breadlines” by Meridel Le Sueur “The Dread Road” by Meridel Le Seur “Annunciation” by Meridel Le Sueur “Women Know a Lot of Things” by Meridel Le Sueur The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Women Talking novel by Miriam Toews Women Talking film by Sarah Polley Kansas City by Robert Altman Badlands by Terrance Malick “Getaway Car” by Taylor Swift “My People are My Home” film by Meridel Le Sueur Lost Ladies of Lit episode No. 106 on Dirty Helen Cromwell’s Good Time Party Girl John Crawford and West End Press Workers Alliance Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text What if we told you that there was an ingenious retelling of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights set in post-war Japan that also has shades of Middlemarch and The Great Gatsby? Minae Mizumura’s A True Novel, first published in 2002, checks all those boxes and more. Joining us to discuss A True Novel is Lavanya Krishnan, co-founder of the literary book subscription Boxwalla. (This episode originally aired in 2023). Discussed in this episode:  A True Novel by Minae Mizumura  Lavanya Krishnan, Boxwalla Alexander Chee Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Middlemarch by George Eliot  “Why I Write What I Write” by Minae Mizumura Writing Routines with Minae Mizumura The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky Light and Darkness, Continued by Minae Mizumura An I Novel from Left to Right by Minae Mizumura A Heart So White by Javier Marías  Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson The Diary of an Invasion by Andrey Kurkov Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a text Woman yearns for child, adopts orangutan instead. Disaster ensues. That's the premise of Gertrude Trevelyan's wonderfully bizarre 1932 novel, Appius and Virginia. We're joined in this encore episode by guest Brad Bigelow, whose obsession with obscure books was celebrated in the 2016 New Yorker profile “The Custodian of Forgotten Books.”  Discussed in this episode:  Appius and Virginia by G.E. Trevelyan Every Which Way But Loose (1978 Film) Black Mirror The Twilight Zone NeglectedBooks.com “The Custodian of Forgotten Books” (The New Yorker) His Monkey Wife by John Collier Dorothy Richardson May Sinclaire Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Room by Emma Donohue Bear by Marian Engel Oxford’s Lady Margaret Hall Newdigate Prize A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf  Hot-House by G.E. Trevelyan “If She Was a Bloke, She’d Still Be In Print” (The Guardian) Virginia Faulkner Lost Ladies of Lit Episode 41 on Edith Lewis with Melissa Homestead Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast