Womanica

The Banshee is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member — usually by screaming, wailing, or keening.  For Further Reading: In Search of the Irish Family Banshee, Her Cry Echoing Across Generations The Banshee: The Wailing Fairy Woman of Ireland Exploring Irish Mythology: The Banshee October is the perfect time to delve into all things spooky. So this month, we're...

Shirley Jackson (1916-1965) was an essayist, novelist, cartoonist, and short story writer specializing in horror and fantasy. Her dystopian short story “The Lottery” and “The Haunting of Hill House” are considered some of the greatest works of horror of the 20th century.  For Further Reading:   Laurence Jackson Hyman on his mother Shirley: ‘Her work is so relevant now…’:   The Alternating Identiti...

Betty Friedan (1921-2006) was an American feminist writer and activist. Her first book The Feminine Mystique is often credited with launching the second wave of feminism.  This bonus episode is brought to you by the CBS Original ELSBETH. For Further Reading: Betty Friedan, Who Ignited Cause in 'Feminine Mystique,' Dies at 85 The Powerful, Complicated Legacy of Betty Friedan’s ‘The Feminine Mystiqu...

Kuchisake Onna, or the slit mouthed woman, is an ancient Japanese ghost. She is known as a vengeful woman who was mutilated at the hands of someone she trusted. The folktale says she approaches single travelers in the night and asks them, “Am I beautiful?” If they answer incorrectly, she will mutilate their face to match her.  For Further Reading:  The Terrifying Legend Of Kuchisake Onna , The Sli...

Paula Maxa (1898-1970) was dubbed “The Most Murdered Woman in the World” and “The Princess of Blood” for her many on-stage deaths as a star performer at a Paris theater famed for its reliance on horror and gore.  For Further Reading: The Most Murdered Woman in the World Paula Maxa: The scream queen of the Grand Guignol Why the Grand Guignol was so shocking October is the perfect time to delve into...

Nannie Doss (1905-1964) was an American serial killer who may have been responsible for the deaths of at least 12 people, four of which were her spouses. Journalists gave Nannie the nicknames “The Giggling Granny”  and “the Lonely Hearts Killer.” For Further Reading: Nannie Doss The Story Of Nannie Doss, The ‘Giggling Granny’ Who Spent Decades Murdering Relatives And Husbands Remember the Ladies:...

Eloyce Gist (1892-1974) was a trailblazing African American film director and screenwriter who made educational religious films with her husband. They toured the country with these films, which were used to scare audiences into adopting a Christian way of life. For Further Reading: Oscar Micheaux and his circle: African American filmmaking and race cinema of the silent era Horror Noire: A History...

“La Pascualita,” a mannequin in a bridal shop in Chihuahua, Mexico, has attracted hundreds of visitors and inspired numerous stories, songs, and Internet musings since she was first installed in 1930. According to the legend, she is actually the embalmed corpse of the original shop owner’s daughter, who died of a spider bite shortly before her wedding night. For Further Reading:  Atlas Obscura: La...

Dolly Parton (b. 1946) has worn a lot of hats — or, wigs might be more apt. Country music star. Actress. Philanthropist. Theme park founder. From her roots as a small-time country singer from rural Tennessee to her current status as a household name, she’s made an indelible mark on American pop culture.  This bonus episode is brought to you by the CBS Original ELSBETH. Further Reading:   Dolly Par...

Anne Rice (1941-2021) was a bestselling American author who gained acclaim for her book Interview With the Vampire, which became the first installment in the popular series The Vampire Chronicles.   For Further Reading:  NYT, Novels You Can Sink Your Teeth Into Interview With A Vampire, by Anne Rice Anne Rice, The Official Site You Asked, Anne Answered October is the perfect time to delve into all...

Also known as “The Beautiful, One-Legged Protector of the Andes,” La Patasola is a vengeful spirit that targets men, especially those trying to exploit the natural world  for their own personal gain –  like hunters, miners and loggers. For Further Reading:  The Lonely Duck La Patasola Is the Vengeful Protector of the Andes The Patasola: archetypal roots of the feminine identity in exile in a Colum...

Daphne du Maurier (1907-1989) was an English novelist and playwright whose  gothic romance works have been described as “moody and resonant." Many of her novels and short stories have been adapted into films including: Rebecca, Frenchman’s Creek, My Cousin Rachel, The Birds, and Don’t Look Now. For Further Reading:  Daphne du Maurier  Mistress of menace Daphne du Maurier, 81, Author Of Many Gothic...

The writhing serpent hair. The fearsome gaze that can turn onlookers to solid stone. Medusa is one of the most instantly recognizable monsters of Greek mythology. But her story and image have evolved over the centuries — sometimes a villain, sometimes a victim, sometimes a divine goddess.  For Further Reading:  Medusa | Myth & Story | Britannica Medusa in Ancient Greek Art | Essay | The Metrop...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955). She was a pioneering American educator and education activist, civil rights activist, stateswoman, philanthropist, writer and humanitarian. This month, we’re heading back to school – and we’re taking you along with us! For all of Septem...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Lee Miller (1907-1977). She was legendary for her beauty, which was captured on film by Jean Cocteau, painted by Pablo Picasso, and photographed by Man Ray. However, she was also a talented photographer, writer, and one of the only female war correspondents to be crede...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Harriet Martineau (1802-1876), a journalist and writer. She is often considered the first female sociologist known for popularizing political economy. Over the course of her lifetime, she wrote 35 books and countless essays and articles spanning topics from anti-slaver...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Mamá Tingó (1921-1974). She was an Dominican activist who is often overlooked in historical accounts. She led protests to save her farm — and the farms of 350 other families — from an illegal land seizure. She was assassinated for trying to bring justice to her communi...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Hua Mulan (c. 400-600 AD). She was the hero of an iconic Chinese tale that remains a symbol of courage, familial duty, and national pride. This month, we’re heading back to school – and we’re taking you along with us! For all of September, we’ll be bringing back some o...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Patsy Mink (1927-2002). She was the first woman of color and Asian American woman to serve in Congress, she was also a major author of Title IX. This month, we’re heading back to school – and we’re taking you along with us! For all of September, we’ll be bringing back...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951). She unknowingly shaped modern medicine.  For the last seventy years, scientists have used cells taken from her body–without her knowledge or permission–to develop vaccines, conduct research, and more. This month, we’re heading back to schoo...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Dr. Ruth Westheimer (1928-2024). She helped her listeners, viewers, and readers have more fulfilling sex for over four decades. Her disarming and relatable demeanor endeared her to generations of Americans and made comprehensive sex education more widely available.  Fo...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Katsuko Saruhashi (1920-2007). She was the first woman to receive a PhD in chemistry in Japan. As a geochemist, she notably detected the dangers of radioactive fallout and how far it can travel. This month, we’re heading back to school – and we’re taking you along with...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Mae Carol Jemison (1956-present), engineer, physician and astronaut who became the first Black woman in space. This month, we’re heading back to school – and we’re taking you along with us! For all of September, we’ll be bringing back some of our favorite Womanica epis...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Val Plumwood (1939-2008). She was an environmentalist and philosopher who went against the grain. She was a pioneering thinker in ecofeminism. She believed that the western human-centric approach to life devalued nature, and she advocated for an alternative, more expan...

This back to school season, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed. Today's Womanican is Evelyn Berezin (1925-2018), who built and marketed the first computerized word processor. This month, we’re heading back to school – and we’re taking you along with us! For all of September, we’ll be bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have m...