Blue Stockings

This week, we discuss how the history of NASA was shaped by racial inequality. The stories of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, the three women highlighted in this film by Theodore Melfi, remind us that science has never been a neutral subject. Listen to hear about the civil rights protests against the Cold War space race, NASA's collaboration with Nazi scientists, and what thi...

Marie Antoinette seems to be everywhere these days, but why? In this episode, we unravel the legacy of the French queen through the lens of the iconic Sofia Coppola movie. Listen to learn more about women's role in the French Revolution, fashion scandals, and what Marie Antoinette can teach us about history. References: Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser "Just Another 'Citoyenne?' Mar...

In this episode, we talk about Queen Victoria’s early reign and her marriage to Prince Albert. Listen in to learn about German sausage slander, being cold and emasculated, and our distorted assumptions about female rulers. What did you think of Victoria and Albert’s love story? References: Queen Victoria's Early Letters by John Raymond (ed.) Queen Victoria: A Life of Contradictions by Matthew Denn...

This week, we chat about the movie Sylvie's Love (2020), directed by Eugene Ashe and starring Tessa Thompson and Nnamdia Asomugha. The film poses the question of whether romance stories can be stripped of their political context. We dissect the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, jazz history, and the civil rights movement. In this episode, we reference the following works: ‘Sylvie’s Love’ Nnamdi As...

This week, we're talking about the Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen's 1817 novel Persuasion , starring Dakota Johnson. Join us as we discuss the gendered relations of the era, issues of aristocracy vs. meritocracy in early-nineteenth-century Britain, and the theme of empire that lies just under the surface of Austen's work. P.S. We mention the Victorian period throughout this episode and its stri...

Tizia and Christina chat about the movie Brooklyn (originally a novel written by Colm Tóibín), starring Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen. In this episode, we talk about the difficulties of moving to a new place, the history of Irish and Italian immigration, the romance between Eilis and Tony, and so much more. In this episode, we reference the following works: Forging an Ethnic Identity: The Case of...