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Once a known Russian poet censored under the Soviets, Sophia Parnok is best remembered for one affair with another Russian poet, and not for the following: dying from a tumultuous other love affair, writing librettos, or even her own poetry. Sources (Used/Consulted/Read Along the Way) Tsvetaeva by Viktoria Schweitzer Sophia Parnok: The Life and WorkContinue reading "Russia’s Sappho – Ep.58"

You’d think we wouldn’t find a way to detour through the Russian Revolution and find a connection to Natalie Barney in the same episode, but you’d be wrong. In the life of Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva, we do just that amid a background of economic ups and downs and the question of ‘do I giveContinue reading "From Russia to Paris and Back – Ep.57"

Lucie Delarue Mardrus once inspired a perfume mixed just for her, while a millionaire had a fortune’s worth of rose essence dumped in the wake of her ship one time she left port. Despite touring, lecturing, and meeting royalty, she is best known today for one line: “In the smell of an apple I heldContinue reading "The Forgotten Poet – Ep.56"

Isadora Duncan, often called the “mother of modern dance”, was known for taking inspiration from ancient Greece, scandalizing the US and Europe, and ending in a tragic accident eerily similar to that of her children. Sources (Used/Consulted/Read Along the Way) Isadora: A Sensational Life by Peter Kurth My Life by Isadora Duncan Wild Heart: AContinue reading "Mother of Modern Dance – Ep.55"

Famous rivalries are not a new phenomenon. At the end of the 19th century, Eleonora Duse and Sarah Bernhardt graced the world stage, and according to critics, theatrically dueled over it. While similar, their acting styles and their stories differed, though some rumors have dogged both their biographies. Come find out why. Sources (Used/Consulted/Read AlongContinue reading "The Italian Bernhardt – Ep.54"

What do you think happens when a woman ambulance driver returns from the Great War only to find herself stuck on a diary farm? Be honest, you didn’t expect her to start a British fascist organization, but that’s what Rotha Lintorn-Orman ended up doing. Sources (Used/Consulted/Read Along the Way) Feminine Fascism: Women in Britain’s FascistContinue reading "Took the Uniform Too Far – Ep.53"

Mary Sophia Allen is known as a suffragette turned pioneer policewoman in the UK, but she swerved onto a detour unlike many of her compatriots from the fight for women’s right to vote. Concerned with communism, nudity, and a narrowed focus on a subset of victims of human trafficking, she became a fascist in spiteContinue reading "The Tip of the Fashy Lesbian Iceberg -Ep. 52"

Radclyffe Hall is best remembered for The Well of Loneliness and the obscenity trials it spawned. This was in addition to supporting same-sex marriage despite hypocrisy. Yet, it could be argued that this all nearly didn’t come to pass until an older woman got a philandering heiress to quit hunting and put pen to paper.Continue reading "The Sapphic Apologist – Ep. 51"

Introvert scandal, exotic menageries as jewelry, costumes that put Lady Gaga to shame, and a resemblance to Elsa von Freytag Loringhoven’s antics, Luisa Casati had them all. Born an heiress and destined for a boring life as the wife of an Italian noble who loved hunting more than her, Luisa created a life that wouldContinue reading "Imagine if She had Instagram – Ep.50"

So, you’re wondering how HD got that moniker? And no, we’re not talking about high definition television. HD, also known as Hilda Doolittle, was an Imagist poet and novelist. She’s known more in connection to other writers like Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams and for an unfortunate kink incident involving early psychologist Havelock Ellis.Continue reading "The Goddess of Imagism – Ep.49"