Unruly Figures

In this week's episode of Unruly Figures, we're diving deep into ancient history to cover the Neo-Assyrian queen Shammurammat, better known as the legendary divine queen and conqueror Semiramis.  As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where you can find transcripts of each episo...

This week, we're covering Countee Cullen, the famous Harlem Renaissance poet who broke away from social trends to call himself a poet instead of a Black poet.  As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where you can find transcripts of each episode, photos of each episode's subject...

We're revisiting this episode--more info coming soon. (Updated June 2023) As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where you can find transcripts of each episode, photos of each episode's subject, and behind-the-scenes goodies. So come join us!

This week's episode covers August Landmesser, a man who disobeyed Nazi laws in order to be with the woman he loved.  Hat tip to Peter for suggesting Herr Landmesser. If you'd like to suggest a historical rule-breaker for the podcast, drop their name in the suggestion box !  As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://u...

For those of you who send a holiday card every year, you're going to want to remember the name of today's subject: Sir Henry Cole. In 1843, he invented the Christmas card, then went on to shape public access to art in the UK.  The non-profit I mentioned in the break is Empowering Women as Leaders. Check them out (and help sponsor a woman's college education!) right here . As always, you can g...

On this episode of Unruly Figures, I'm covering Manuela Sáenz, a feminist revolutionary icon and lover of Simón Bolívar. She lived her life on her own terms and it's really inspiring.  A quick trigger warning: Suicidal ideation is discussed a couple of times during the episode, but no one dies this way. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unr...

This week, we've got our very first episode covering an anonymous figure in history. Wondering how? Well, Tank Man is insanely famous, but we don't know his real name. Nevertheless, he has inspired freedom seekers and advocates the world over.  I mentioned a PBS documentary, which you can watch here for free. It's really fascinating and contains the full footage of Tank Man's stand...

Here we are, the second half of the story of Rosa Parks! The work that she continued to do after she refused to get up on a bus in December 1955 is really amazing, and I'm so excited to tell you about it.  As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where you can find transcripts of...

This week, we've got our very first two-part episode going on! Rosa Parks led an amazing life, so I'll be coming back next week to tell you about the rest of it. Until then, enjoy this first part. I do want to include one trigger warning for the episode: R*pe is mentioned twice, but only very briefly each time. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unrul...

To celebrate Halloween, we're covering someone famous that people love to dress in costume as: the female pirate Anne Bonny! Learn all about this swashbuckling woman's life sailing the Caribbean with her lover, plundering treasure and stealing ships.  I do want to include one trigger warning for the episode: The word r*pe does get used, but it does not occur. As always, you can get ad-free ve...

On this episode of Unruly Figures, I'm covering Jean-Michel Basquiat. He's remembered as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, but also for dying suddenly at just 27-years-old. He was the first artist to make the jump from street art to fine art, and he paved the way for a whole new way of looking at and appreciating fine art.  The Art New York interview I mention in the episode ca...

On this episode of Unruly Figures, I'm covering Joe Carstairs. She’s remembered as a World War I ambulance driver, a speedboat racer, a lover of actress Marlene Dietrich, and the owner of an island in the Bahamas.  As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where you can find transc...

Welcome to Unruly Figures, a podcast where I talk about history’s favorite rebellious people. I’m Valorie Clark, I’m a writer and historian, and I’m obsessed with rule-breakers. My favorite part of studying history has always been learning about the people who didn’t fit the mold, who loved to break the rules, and who lived outside of society’s norms. So now I’m using my degree and a microphone to...