A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai

Kristen Ghodsee reads Alexandra Kollontai's 1915 essay about World War I–"Who Needs the War?"–and looks for lessons applicable to the present day. This translation is from a 1984 collection of Kollontai's writing published by Progress Publishers in the Soviet Union, which claims that the essay was written while Kollontai was in exile in Norway. She sent it to Vladimir Lenin (th...

Kristen Ghodsee reads Alexandra Kollontai's 1915 essay about World War I–"Who Needs the War?"–and looks for lessons applicable to the present day.  This translation is from a 1984 collection of Kollontai's writing published by Progress Publishers in the Soviet Union, which claims that the essay was written while Kollontai was in exile in Norway. She sent it to Vladimir Lenin (t...

Kristen Ghodsee speaks to Scott R. Sehon, a professor of philosophy, about his new book, Socialism: A Logical Introduction , and why we should use arguments to make a case for socialism and against capitalism.  The first ten U.S.-based listeners to email Alexandra.kollontai.podcast@gmail.com with a name and address will get a free copy of Professor Sehon's new book.  Mentioned in this episode...

For International Women's Day, Kristen Ghodsee reads the Black Trinidadian activist and journalist Claudia Jones's speech for International Women's Day in 1950. This speech, (and the published version which appeared afterwards) led to Jones's arrest and eventual deportation from the United States. Jones was a member of the CPUSA, and believed that women's emancipation and...

Kristen Ghodsee reads a profile of Alexandra Kollontai which appeared in the Washington Post on May 15, 1927 when Kollontai was serving as the Soviet ambassador to Mexico. Mentioned in this episode: The hardcover of Everyday Utopia is on sale at Amazon.com for $14.99 (50% off) Send us Fan Mail Thanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are...

Kristen Ghodsee and her daughter share a conversation about Kollontai's pro-natalism and the current discourse about the BirthStrike. Are the relevant moral imperatives about having or not having children? And how does the climate crisis factor into people's decisions? We also discuss the future of the podcast and the newly discovered fact that it is listened to in 100 countries around t...

Kristen Ghodsee reads the final part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy" to explore Kollontai's arguments for the socialization of the family and the socialist uses of the maternal instinct. Although Kollontai is openly pro-natalist, and emphasizes that motherhood is a social obligation to help produce new workers for the wo...

Kristen Ghodsee reads the second part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy" to explore Kollontai's arguments for the socialization of the family and the socialist uses of the maternal instinct. Although Kollontai is openly pro-natalist, and emphasizes that motherhood is a social obligation to help produce new workers for the w...

Kristen Ghodsee reads the first part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy." A portion of this essay on abortion was discussed on the 6 March 2019 episode, but here Ghodsee digs in to Kollontai's argument for the socialization of the family.  Mentioned in this episode: The eight Season 22 finalists for The Next Big Idea Club cu...

In this bonus episode, Kristen Ghodsee welcomes back her now almost 22-year-old daughter to discuss a theory of fun. What would a society look like if we prioritized the ability of everyone to have as much fun as they wanted (in whatever form that fun might take)? Rather than worrying about the fitness benefits of different human behaviors, maybe all we really need to do is focus on having a good...

Kristen Ghodsee reads the fifth and final part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition." Mentioned in this episode are:  Science Magazine podcast, " Everyday Utopia: In Praise of Radical Alternatives to the Traditional Family Home ," September 28, 2023 Atlas Obscura Podcast, “ Twin Oaks ,” September 25, 2023 Freakonomics Radio, “ When Did Marriage Becom...

Kristen Ghodsee reads the fourth part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition" and moans a bit about joining Instagram: @kristenghodsee Mentioned in this episode are:  WIRED, Have a Nice Future Podcast, “ Maybe you should just join a commune. ” August 23, 2023 Everyday Anarchism, “ Everyday Utopia - Kristen Ghodsee ,” August 23, 2023 The Gray Area Podcast with Se...

Kristen Ghodsee reads the third part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition."  Send us Fan Mail Thanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you'd like to support the work being done here, please spread the word with your networks. Kristen R. Ghodsee is the...

Kristen Ghodsee reads the second part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition."  Check out these upcoming events: Online - How To Academy, August 3 (6:00pm GMT) Online - Second Life Book Club , August 9 (12:00pm Pacific Time) In person - Society for Ethical Culture Sunday Platform , August 13 (11:00am EDT) In person - Half King Reading Series , August 15, (7:00pm...

Kristen Ghodsee reads the first part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition."  Mentioned in this episode are these upcoming events: Online - How To Academy, August 3 (6:00pm GMT) Online - Second Life Book Club , August 9 (12:00pm Pacific Time) In person - Society for Ethical Culture Sunday Platform , August 13 (11:00am EDT) In person - Half King Reading Series ,...

On the eve of a possible UPS strike in the United States, Kristen Ghodsee reads a 1968 introduction to Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 pamphlet written in support of the Workers Opposition. This was a fundamental critique of Bolshevism from within the Party ranks, which was squashed and ended Kollontai's political career in the USSR. Mentioned in this episode:  Total Liberation Podcast with M...

Kristen Ghodsee reads Cathy Porter's 1980 translation of Kollontai's 1922 short story, "Conversation Piece," about a woman having to choose between the man she loves romantically and the man she loves intellectually and spiritually. Mentioned in this episode: Listen to Kristen Ghodsee on the New York Times 's Ezra Klein Show (also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc)...

Kristen Ghodsee reads an April 25, 1982 review of a [then] new English translation of Alexandra Kollontai's collection, "A Great Love," translated by Cathy Porter.  Mentioned in this episode are: A list of utopian summer reading recommendations at Literary Hub.com. A new podcast  interview at Revolutionary Left Radio. An excerpt of Everyday Utopia in Penn Today. Send us Fan Mail Tha...

Kristen Ghodsee reads an article about the creation in 2019 of the Kollontai Vodka Antisessista by a group of self-managed workers in Milan. Sales from this vodka are used to finance a autonomist literary cafe in Bari. The whole project is a wonderful example of the contemporary legacy of Kollontai and her continuing inspiration for feminists and activists around the world. In Italy, buy Kollontai...

Kristen Ghodsee reads the second half of a biographical article written by the American Katharine Anthony and published in The North American Review in September 1930. At this point in time, Kollontai was serving as the Soviet ambassador to Norway, and Katharine Anthony was introducing Kollontai to an American audience as a feminist and women's rights activist, and playing down her connection...

Kristen Ghodsee reads the first half of a biographical article written by the American Katharine Anthony and published in The North American Review in September 1930. At this point in time, Kollontai was serving as the Soviet ambassador to Norway, and Katharine Anthony was introducing Kollontai to an American audience as a feminist and women's rights activist, and playing down her connections...

To celebrate International Women's Day in 2023, Kristen Ghodsee reads an abridged version of Clara Zetkin's article on the official establishment of March 8 as International Communist Women's Day. The article is from International Press Correspondence , Vol. 2 No. 18, published on 8 March 1922.  Clara Zetkin was the leader of the women's section of the Social Democratic Party (...

Kristen Ghodsee reads two news items about Alexandra Kollontai from December 25, 1926 and April 21, 1927, during the time that Kollontai served as the Soviet ambassador to Mexico.  Ghodsee also shares some exciting news about her forthcoming book. Send us Fan Mail Thanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no moneti...

Kristen Ghodsee reads and discusses Alexandra Kollontai's 1918 essay, "The First Steps Towards the Protection of Motherhood." Kollontai saw motherhood as a "obligation" and "sacred duty" of women, and was very pro-natalist in her politics. But many of the policies she implemented between 1917 and 1918 reflected the desires of working women who attended the confer...

In this episode, Kristen Ghodsee speaks with professor Page Herrlinger at Bowdoin College about the political ramifications of Alexandra Kollontai's untimely seizure of the Alexandra Nesky monastery on January 19, 1918. As Commissar of Social Welfare, it was Kollontai's responsibility to find a place for the wounded soldiers returning from the front after the armistice of December 1917....