Let Genius Burn

Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, has made her life about Louisa's legacy. Whether she is portraying Louisa May Alcott around the world, consulting on Little Women adaptations with A-list actors, or simply showing someone around the house museum, she brings the same level of commitment and enthusiasm for sharing Louisa May Alcott with others. In this...

In the first bonus episode of Let Genius Burn, Jill and Jamie dive into the details of three passages from Louisa's work beyond Little Women. Listeners will learn about the different ways Louisa's life experiences shape her writings. Plus, after twenty months of working together on Let Genius Burn, Jill and Jamie finally meet in person!

At the time of Louisa May Alcott's death, she was known to most as the "children's friend," an author of children's books and particularly books for girls. As time passed and scholars made the connection between Louisa May Alcott and the lurid thrillers she wrote under pen names, Louisa's legacy took on new dimensions. Today, we can appreciate Louisa May Alcott as the...

In Louisa May Alcott's time, strict definitions and expectations of white womanhood permeated Louisa’s society and culture. Marriage and motherhood were the accepted roles for women; voting was inaccessible and illegal, education restricted, and earning a living through a career was limited. Louisa May Alcott defied gender expectations, sometimes through her acting as a way to embody a male c...

When Little Women became a sensation, Louisa May Alcott became the ultimate literary celebrity. Fans were waiting out on her lawn and knocking on her door, and her life was suddenly not her own. Although she had always yearned for fame, she was surprised to find it costly and unpleasant. Still, her celebrity opened new doors for her. It gave voice to her causes, and it may have even spurred her cr...

Louisa devoted her life to the causes she believed in, primarily abolition and women's suffrage. Her political beliefs were handed down from her parents, who were constantly striving for a better world. The Alcotts made their home available to freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad, and Louisa eventually became a nurse during the Civil War, as she was otherwise not allowed to go and figh...

In this episode, we pull back the curtain to take a peek at Louisa at her writing desk. We will trace the development of her writing style, the desires that pushed her to write, and the arc of her professional career. From crafting jolly tales to journaling her worries and struggles, Louisa spent her life meeting herself on the page. Writing, she said, “is my salvation when disappointment or weari...

Before she became an author and celebrity, Louisa May Alcott was a teacher, seamstress, governess, companion, servant, and nurse. Though they were difficult, her experiences gave her material to write for the rest of her life. This week, learn about Louisa May Alcott's relationship with work, which was both her salvation and the bane of her existence. Learn more at letgeniusburn.com Donate to...

Once upon a time, four sisters became immortal. When they were young, the four girls were still flesh and blood, ordinary girls who built towers out of their father’s books and put on plays in the barn for their neighbors and went hungry too many nights. One day, when they were all grown up, the second sister took out her magic pen and began to write down the stories of their adventures: the simpl...

Before Louisa May Alcott grew up to be a famous children's author, she belonged to her parents: Bronson Alcott and Abigail May Alcott. Bronson was an educator whose lofty ideas brought him to the forefront of the Transcendentalist philosophy movement. Abigail May Alcott was a social worker and ardent supporter of women's suffrage. Together, they created a family where their four daughter...

A short biography of Louisa's life lays the groundwork for this series. Meet the hosts of Let Genius Burn and hear about why we believe Louisa May Alcott was a singular genius in her generation. This is Let Genius Burn.

Welcome to Let Genius Burn, a podcast series about the life and legacy of Louisa May Alcott created by Jill Fuller and Jamie Burgess. Louisa May Alcott is best known for her novel Little Women, but her story doesn't begin or end with her famous novel. Learn about the layers of Louisa's life, from her extraordinary childhood as the daughter of a Transcendentalist philosopher to the wealth...