Episode 29 presents a giant of the Harlem Renaissance: writer, anthropologist and zombie finder Zora Neale Hurston!
Zora may be best known for her 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, but her love of adventure and willingness to re-write her own biography are sure to delight fans old and new.
Writer and scholar Fatin Abbas tells Zora’s tale from the stage in ACUD, and Dead Ladies Show co-founder Katy Derbyshire joins podcast producer and presenter Susan Stone to put things in motion.
Enjoy this rare fieldwork footage Zora shot, which a kind Youtuber has paired with recordings of her voice!
Abache and Cudjoe Kazoola Lewis were among the last group of Africans forcibly transported to the United States aboard the slave ship Clotilde. Zora told Cudjoe’s life story in Barracoon, published only very recently.Zora’s photograph of “zombie” Felicia Felix-Mentor
Episode 28 is a special one, available in English and also in German!
Our talented bilingual presenter is Mary Scherpe, the woman behind Stil in Berlin and co-founder of the Feminist Food Club. Working in that intersection of food and style, Mary’s almost predestined to tell us all about Britain’s extravagant television chef Fanny Cradock, whose life was not quite what you might expect… Recorded live as part of ACUD‘s Backyard Summer.
Plus, producer Susan Stone invites Florian Duijsens and Katy Derbyshire into her very own kitchen to pop some corks and talk turkey, game, raisins, and other festive foodie fun.
Here’s Fanny with her (most) beloved husband Johnny.
And here she is putting on the style earlier in life.
In the BBC studio.
A medley of dishes, original and recreated…
The BBC’s archive offers a wealth of Fanny Cradock Cooks for Christmas episodes for viewers in the UK. Or you could check out the 2006 movie Fear of Fanny, which exposed a new side to the celebrity chef.
But whatever you do, you probably have to watch the eye-rolling incident…
If you have more time on your hands, there’s the bizarre British Gas ad.
Mary recommends Fanny’s autobiography, Something’s Burning, and also Clive Ellis’s Fabulous Fanny. And we’re rather taken with the blog Keep Calm and Fanny On, recreating Fanny’s non-meaty recipes like the blue chestnut cream one above.
On Episode 27, we meet a Dead Lady Lepidopterist! Dead Ladies Show co-founder Florian Duijsens introduces us to Margaret Fountaine, an English explorer and naturalist who collected butterflies and loved love. Her exciting scientific life and world travels were well-known, but her romantic adventures were only revealed when Margaret’s copious diaries were read in 1978, 100 years after she first started them at age 15.
Florian’s talk was recorded live at ACUD (shoutout to sound engineer Hyui Ines Rmi) just two months ago in Berlin. For the podcast, our other Dead Ladies Show co-founder Katy Derbyshire joins podcast producer & presenter Susan Stone to revel in Margaret’s lovely and at times heart-breaking tale.
To show our support for 'International Day of the Girl' and the incredible event being held at the Castle this Saturday 10.30-4pm. we are bringing you inspiring girls & women. Here is Margaret Fountaine a formidable Victorian https://t.co/ZtA8B5BNqL more here at the Castle. #DOTGpic.twitter.com/KteznAWSwM
Episode 26 brings you spooky Dead Lady tales all the way from NYC! First, Claire Carroll introduces us to England’s Doreen Valiente, known as the mother of modern witchcraft. In the UK and beyond, she was key in the spread of modern day Wicca, now a world-wide religion. Doreen also had more than a few secrets under her cape. Then, it’s time for a live lady taxidermist talking about a Dead Lady taxidermist! Divya Anantharaman of Gotham Taxidermy brings us the story of American naturalist and taxidermy pioneer Martha Maxwell.
The talks were recorded live at two separate editions of NYC DLS, which is hosted and curated by Molly O’Laughlin Kemper, with support from Nicolas Kemper and Christopher Neil and Lori Schwarz, general manager of the KGB Bar’s Red Room, where the event is held. Join the NYC newsletter to stay updated on the next ones!
Dead Ladies Show co-founder Katy Derbyshire joins podcast producer & presenter Susan Stone to chat about these spooky wonderful dames and more.
Presenter Divya Anantharaman artfully combines Rihanna lyrics with taxidermy to illustrate Martha Maxwell’s burning desire for knowledge.
Lion of Gripsholm. Copyright: Kungl. Hovstaterna/The Royal Court, Sweden
Taxidermy hasn’t always been done skillfully. The Lion of Gripsholm is an infamous example of what happens when someone who has never seen the animal alive is tasked with recreating it from its skin alone.
Thanks for listening! We’ll be back with a new episode in November. And here’s a link to our Patreon page, in case you’d like to help fund transcripts.
Episode 24 was recorded especially in Berlin, with our co-founder Katy Derbyshire telling us about the blues and R&B singer LaVern Baker. Recorded live at Restaurant März, and produced and presented by Susan Stone in September 2019.
Or look up all those different “Saved” covers on YouTube… Skip Phil Collins to 1:32 to watch LaVern do it in colour just after being rediscovered in 1986, plus a great little interview at the end. And a longer interview is here… But whatever you do, don’t listen to “Think Twice, Version X” at work.
Episode 24 comes fresh from Berlin, where our writer and translation friend Isabel Cole tells us about glamorous Hollywood star-slash-inventor Hedy Lamarr. Recorded live at ACUD, and produced and presented by Susan Stone in June 2019.
If you’d like to read her ghostwritten autobiography Ecstasy and Me, you can buy it online. For more online fun, how about the less-racy-than-you-might-expect movie Ecstasy? Especially good for horse enthusiasts.
Episode 23 is our first from New York City! It showcases two incredible black women who made major achievements in their fields. First off, journalist Amy Padnani tells us about the nurse, wartime inventor, and handwriting analyst Bessie Blount, followed by researcher Deborah Streahle on the radical feminist lawyer Florynce “Flo” Kennedy. Recorded live at KGB’s Red Room, and produced and presented by Susan Stone in May 2019.
A young Bessie Blount, having taught herself to write with her feet and her mouth.
And here she is passing on that knowledge. Elmira Advertiser, April 24, 1958
Bessie’s invention, as patented in 1951
As a handwriting analyst in later life. The Daily Journal
You can read Amy Padnani’s obituary for Bessie Blount in the New York Times‘ Overlooked section, which Amy herself established. We thoroughly approve of this new initiative.
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And on to Florynce “Flo” Kennedy.
Early lawyer years, from her book (see below)
A couple of our favorite pics showing Flo’s confident style
Flo Kennedy at the N.O.W. march in 1972. Photo by Bettye Lane, courtesy of Schlesinger Library
And it looks like there may be a documentary in the works, directed by Keirdra Bahruth.
Our theme music is “Little Lily Swing” by Tri-Tachyon. Special thanks to Molly O’Laughlin Kemper for taking the Dead Ladies Show to New York City… and running with it!
Thanks for listening! We’ll be back with a new episode in June.
Episode 22 features our beloved co-host Florian Duijsens giving us the low-down on the multi-talented entertainer Josephine Baker. Recorded live at ACUD, and produced and presented by Susan Stone in April 2019.
Speaking at the March on Washington in 1963: “I have walked into the palaces of kings and queens and into the houses of presidents. And much more. But I could not walk into a hotel in America and get a cup of coffee, and that made me mad. And when I get mad, you know that I open my big mouth. And then look out, ’cause when Josephine opens her mouth, they hear it all over the world…”
For more gorgeous pics, check out this fancy spread in UK Vogue.
Our 21st episode sees our beloved co-founder Katy Derbyshire tell the stirring story of Noor Inayat Khan, a pacifist who worked as a secret radio operator in occupied Paris. Recorded live at ACUD, and produced and presented by Susan Stone in March 2019.
Our 20th episode features our beloved co-host Florian Duijsens spilling the details on Hollywood actress and Berlin favourite Anna May Wong. Recorded live at ACUD as part of our series on dead Berlin ladies, and produced and presented by Susan Stone in February 2019.
This time we have two guest presenters from New Zealand, recorded live at an edition of the Dead Ladies Show presented as part of LitCrawl Wellington, which was produced by Andrew Laking and Claire Mabey of Pirate and Queen. First, renegade historian Jessie Bray Sharpin talks about pioneering mountaineer and journalist Constance Barnicoat. And then we have playwright, poet, broadcaster, book reviewer & theatre critic Maraea Rakuraku telling us about Dr Irihapeti Ramsden, a Māori nurse, writer, educator & anthropologist.
All put together by producer and presenter Susan Stone in January 2019.
You can also read the Booker Prize-winning novel The Bone People, by Keri Hulme, which Dr. Ramsden published in the first place as part of the feminist collective Spiral.
Maraea provided us with a little background about Captain Cook, who she speaks about in her talk:
Indigenous Māori and indeed most of the Pacific, have a conflicted relationship with British Explorer, Captain James Cook (1728-1779) credited (still) with having ‘discovered’, in 1769, populated for centuries by Polynesians – Aotearoa/New Zealand. This voyage and the two that followed, in (1772-1775) and (1776-1779) were precursors to colonisation, that would overwhelm Indigenous less than 70 years later and lead to the signing of The Declaration of Independence in 1835 followed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi) in 1840. These agreements reinforced the sovereignty and rights of the Indigenous peoples, who at the time were the majority peoples. Introduced disease, combined with the systematic economic, social and spiritual dismantling of cultural systems had a devastating impact upon the Indigenous population, which is still felt to this day.
And here’s a translation of her opening words:
Through my mother, I am Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa
The last part of our 4-part special FRANKENFRAUEN miniseries, produced in December 2018 by Susan Stone.
In a special encore presentation, Dead Ladies Show co-founder Florian Duijsens tells the story of Elsa Lanchester, the actress made famous by her role in 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein. Recorded live at Bard College Berlin.
The full version of Elsa Lanchester’s role as Mary Shelley in Bride of Frankenstein, and as the creature’s eponymous bride
And here’s rare footage of Elsa live onstage later in life.
And here’s Elsa duetting with Elvis in 1967.
Elsa and Elvis in Easy Come, Easy Go (1967)
If you want to read more about and by Elsa Lanchester, check out her marvelous autobiography, Elsa Lanchester, Herself.
And as a special treat, here’s a version of the perennially problematic (and delightful) “Baby It’s Cold Outside” a sung on the radio in 1950 by Elsa and her husband.
Thanks for listening! Our theme music is “Little Lily Swing” by Tri-Tachyon. Check out the first three parts of our FRANKENFRAUEN series for yet more fascinating women involved in some way with the classic story of Frankenstein.
Part 3 of our 4-part FRANKENFRAUEN miniseries, produced by Susan Stone in December 2018.
Professor Laura Scuriatti of Bard College Berlin presents the story of Ada Lovelace, accomplished mathematician. She fits into the Frankenstein puzzle by being the only legitimate child of Lord Byron, who was present at the story’s inception. But of course she achieved a whole lot without ever really meeting him. With a live intro from the Dead Ladies Show at the ACUD Studio.
Thanks for listening! Our theme music is “Little Lily Swing” by Tri-Tachyon. Check out parts 1, 2 & 4 of our FRANKENFRAUEN miniseries for more fascinating women involved in some way with the classic story of Frankenstein.
Part 2 of our 4-part special FRANKENFRAUEN miniseries, produced in December 2018 by Susan Stone.
To top off 2018 and get in one more celebration of the centenary of Frankenstein, beloved DLS co-host Florian Duijsens tells the story of its creator, Mary Shelley.
Lord Byron in a dreamy, posthumous portrait, below is a portrait of his personal physician, John Polidori.
Portrait by F. G. Gainsford
Here are the trailers for the three films about the legendary summer on Lake Geneva when Mary started writing the horror story what would become Frankenstein.
The title page of the first edition of Mary Shelley’s first novel
Portrait by Amelia Curran, 1819
Mary’s third child, William “Willmouse” Shelley, painted just before his death from malaria.
The Funeral of Shelley by Louis Edouard Fournier
Above, a painting depicting Shelley’s funeral pyre; below, locks of Mary and Percy’s hair
Frankenstein first found popularity through a plethora of (unauthorized) stage adaptations.
The first film adaptation, from 1910, recently restored by the Library of Congress
Below, Mary Shelley’s grave at Bournemouth, plus an engraving of the moment to her and Shelley
Thanks for listening! Our theme music is “Little Lily Swing” by Tri-Tachyon. Check out the other three episodes in our FRANKENFRAUEN series for more fascinating women involved in some way with the classic story of Frankenstein.
Part 1 of our 4-part special FRANKENFRAUEN miniseries, produced in December 2018 by Susan Stone.
Your beloved DLS co-host, translator extraordinaire Katy Derbyshire, gives us the low-down on proto-feminist and mother of Mary Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. With lots of live atmo from the stage presentation.
Here’s Mary, painted by John Opie. The studious look at the top of this post is from 1790-1 and the more relaxed portrait below is from 1797 or thereabouts.
For contrast, here’s a fashionable lady with a lapdog from the 1780s, a portrait of Dona Maria Teresa Apodaca de Sisma by Agustín Esteve:
Clearly, you’ll want to read Mary’s classic proto-feminist text, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. We recommend this annotated edition, edited by the excellent Janet Todd.
Follow the progress of – or donate to – the campaign to get a statue of Mary put up on Newington Green, where she first led an independent life. Mary on the Green! And here’s what that statue will look like, designed by Maggi Hambling:
Thanks for listening! Our theme music is “Little Lily Swing” by Tri-Tachyon. Check out parts 2 to 4 of our FRANKENFRAUEN series for more fascinating women involved in some way with the classic story of Frankenstein.
Episode 2 of our new season, produced and presented in November 2018 by Susan Stone.
Translator extraordinaire (and DLS co-founder) Katy Derbyshire tells us all about Aphra Behn, the first woman author who lived off her writing. Additionally, our podcast producer Susan Stone visits a new Berlin exhibition of work by the mysterious photographer Vivian Maier and tries to pin down just who took these pictures and how she would feel about them becoming public.
Here’s a longer version of that Blackadder clip, note the period fashions:
The opening pages of Behn’s Oronoko, in French translation:
Aphra Behn, “The Poetess”, by Peter Lely:
More Behn:
If your interest in milk punch is piqued, try anyofthe delightful recipes out there and serve some Restoration-era cocktails at your next social gathering. And here’s the final extant portrait:
Katy recommends you read Behn’s The Rover, and the excellent biography by Janet Todd, Aphra Behn: A Secret Life. And at this link you can find a picture of Behn’s grave at Westminster Abbey.
On to Vivian Maier. Here she is in a typical selfie:
If you want to see more of her work, check out the show at the Willy Brandt Haus in Berlin (up until January 6, 2019), browse the website dedicated to her work, or check out the fantastic biography by Pamela Bannos.
This episode features music by Dee Yan-Key (“Weep No More“), and our theme music is “Little Lily Swing” by Tri-Tachyon.
Thanks for listening! We’ll be back in December with our next episode.
Episode 1 of our new season, produced and presented in October 2018 by Susan Stone.
Professor Agata Lisiak teaches us all about the world’s most famous physicist, Marie Skłodowska Curie. And writer David Wagner talks briefly about a forgotten German doctor, reformer and writer, Anna Fischer-Dückelmann.
The last in our first season, produced and presented in August 2018 by Susan Stone.
Co-host Katy Derbyshire gives us the low-down on the early-19th-century lesbian diarist and traveller Anne Lister, a dead lady who is having a bit of a moment right now.
Here’s the plaque that Susan and Florian talk about:
The new, updated plaque, dedicated February 28, 2019, says: “Anne Lister 1791-1840 of Shibden Hall, Halifax. Lesbian and Diarist; took sacrament here to seal her union with Ann Walker, Easter 1834.”
And here’s Anne in those two rather different portrayals:
Pages from the famous diary:
And the inside of the house:
You can read all about Anne in the new biography by Angela Steidele. In German, it’s calledAnne Lister. Eine erotische Biographieand in English (in Katy’s translation) Gentleman Jack – out on 1 November. And both of them have gorgeous covers:
A lovely new podcast, produced in July 2018 by Susan Stone, and presented by Katy Derbyshire and Florian Duijsens.
Our podcast producer Susan Stone tells the story of Lotte Reiniger, a true pioneer of animation (and psaligraphy!). At the end, Dead Ladies Show co-founders/hosts Katy and Florian chat with Susan about exciting developments and podcasts.
Her first animated work was called Das Ornament des verliebten Herzens [The ornament of the heart in love] (1919).
This is the Tricktisch she developed, and that’s Carl there at the top, working the camera.
Lotte reveals the Marquise’s secret.
These are some highlights from The Adventures of Prince Ahmed (1926), replete with flying horse, evil magician, and beautiful helpless harem girls.
Lotte in her studio in the Abbey Arts Centre, London, still cutting up a storm.
Lotte remade her German fairytale series for British and US audiences, including the gorgeous Thumbelina below in 1955. She stopped animating in the 1960s after Carl’s death, but returned to her work in 1975, creating three more films before her death.
If you want to know more about Lotte, start with Lotte Reiniger: Pioneer of Film Animation by Whitney Grace, check out that Google doodle, and you can buy a DVD copy of The Adventures of Prince Ahmed here. As for her admirers, check out the trailer for Michel Ocelot’s Tales of the Night, and definitely watch Rebecca Sugar’s Steven Universe, a gorgeous TV show that paid tribute Lotte in their episode “The Answer”.
A lovely new podcast, produced and presented in June 2018 by Susan Stone.
Our co-host Florian Duijsens gives us the low-down on intrepid Victorian explorer and ichthyologist Mary Kingsley. Plus special guest Binnur Çavuşlu on Turkish writer and activist Halide Edip Adivar.
Now here are a couple of images of Halide Edip Adivar, including the surviving bust.
You can read more about Halide in German, written and illustrated by Binnur herself, at Renk magazine. Part one of Binnur’s series on Turkish heroines is also available in English – hooray!
Our latest podcast, produced and presented in May 2018 by Susan Stone.
Listen to the now-familiar tones of co-host Katy Derbyshire telling you all about a dead Berliner, Germany’s first lady balloonist and parachutist Kaethe Paulus. Plus our other host, Florian Duijsens, with some bodacious book tips.
Our latest podcast, produced and presented in April 2018 by Susan Stone.
This time it’s Berlin/Dublin journalist Alix Berber on the original Hollywood vamp Theda Bara. Plus a new short feature highlighting a lovely live lady, singer Pauline Black.
And here are the sisters themselves, Angelina on the left and Sarah on the right.
Frances was partly inspired to talk about the sisters by her mom, Nancy Lunsford, a visual artist and songwriter. Nancy very kindly shared her very own Grimké song with us, “Crazy Angelina” – listen to it right here!
Plus, Susan debuts a new segment, Woman of the Hour, where we hear about a Dead Lady who’s been getting some fresh attention. This one features Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
Our latest podcast, produced and presented in February 2018 by Susan Stone.
This time it’s your beloved co-host Katy Derbyshire again, telling you a lot of things you need to know about the Irish revolutionary Constance Markievicz and how she went from debutante to celebrated freedom fighter.
Here’s Jessica with a self-portrait of Leonora with a hyena
And a drawing Leonora did of the clinic she was put into at Santander
Her great friend Remedios Varo in a mask
Works by Leonora and Remedios
And a link to Leonora’s classic novel, The Hearing Trumpet. ‘This book is so inspiring…I love its freedom, its humour and how it invents its own laws. What specifically do I take from her? Her wig.’ Björk
Our theme music is “Little Lily Swing” by Tri-Tachyon. Thanks for tuning in! Check back in February for Episode 6.
Our fourth and (so far) frothiest and festivest podcast, produced and presented by Susan Stone.
This time it’s your beloved co-host Florian Duijsens revealing some lesser-known sides to the late, great Dorothy Parker. Plus the rest of the gang getting fizzy on a popular Berlin beverage.
The third of our monthly podcasts, produced and presented by Susan Stone.
An episode about the Afro-German poet and activist May Ayim, presented by Dead Ladies Show co-host Katy Derbyshire. Plus Berlin poet Mara Sanaga on how May Ayim influenced her work, and Afro-German life in 2017.
And if you read German, we highly recommend this collection of writing by Afro-German women about May Ayim’s legacy: Sisters and Souls: Inspirationen von May Ayim, Orlanda Verlag, 2016, edited by Natasha A. Kelly.
Our theme music is “Little Lily Swing” by Tri-Tachyon. Thanks for tuning in! Check back in December for Episode 4.
Our second monthly podcast, produced by Susan Stone:
This episode is all about the multiple-medal-winning athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen, presented by Sarah Fisher. Plus co-host Florian Duijsens on Fanny’s fame in the Netherlands and a few extra live voices from our most recent live show.
The very first of our monthly podcasts, produced by Susan Stone:
This episode focuses on the ancient Greek mathematician Hypatia, presented by Karen Margolis. Plus you’ll meet co-hosts Florian Duijsens and Katy Derbyshire, and hear all about how the show came to be and which dead dames we’ve featured so far.
Our 20th episode features our beloved co-host Florian Duijsens spilling the details on Hollywood actress and Berlin favourite Anna May Wong. Recorded live at ACUD as part of our series on dead Berlin ladies, and produced and presented by Susan Stone in February 2019.
L0046616 Mary H Kingsley Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org Portrait of Mary H Kingsley. 1901 West African studies Mary Henrietta Kingsley Published: 1901. Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
