Send us a text In this week’s mini, we’re sharing some of our favorite verbal faux pas and mondegreens. The term mondegreen, which was coined by Sylvia Wright in a 1954 essay for Harper's Magazine, refers to instances where phrases are misheard or misinterpreted, giving them new and often humorous meanings. Amy challenges Kim to identify correct spellings and interpretations of common idiomatic expressions, like "to the manner/manor born," "you've got another thing/think coming," and "champing/c...
Sep 26, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 159
Send us a text Sylvia Townsend Warner's "Lolly Willowes” (1926) holds a coveted spot on The Guardian's list of the top 100 English language novels and acclaimed director Greta Gerwig is also a fan. Author Sarah Watling joins us to discuss how the novel critiques societal constraints placed on single women and its connection to Townsend Warner's activism. Watling's latest work, "Tomorrow Perhaps the Future," is a multi-subject biography that delves into the political stance of literary figures, i...
Sep 19, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 158
Send us a text From Dark Academia trends inspired by Donna Tartt's “The Secret History” to other campus novels like Kingsley Amis' “Lucky Jim” and Philip Roth's “The Human Stain,” we delve into the quirks, challenges, and intrigues of university professor characters and campus settings for this week’s mini. We also touch on classics like Dorothy L. Sayers’ “Gaudy Night” and Mary McCarthy's “The Groves of Academe,” among others. Discussed: Donna Tartt: “The Secret History" Podcast Recommendation:...
Sep 12, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 157
Send us a text When 'Divorcing' was first published in 1969, the critic Hugh Kenner penned a review for the New York Times that dismissed its author, Susan Taubes, as 'a quick-change artist donning the garments of other writers.' Tragically, merely days after the review's publication, Taubes took her own life. However, in recent years, there has been a profound reassessment of her work. In 2020, New York Review Books released a new edition of 'Divorcing,' marking a pivotal point in bringing her ...
Sep 05, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 156
Send us a text In support of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, this week’s mini is focused on lost lady screenwriters. In the early days of Hollywood, more than half of all screenplays copyrighted were written by women, who were pioneers in this field. Discussed in this episode: Anita Loos Frances Marion June Mathis Go West, Young Women: The Rise of Early Hollywood by Hilary Hallet Lost Ladies of Lit episode on Elinor Glyn with Hilary Hallet Lost Ladies of Lit episode on Ursula Parrott ...
Aug 29, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 155
Send us a text Ismat Chughtai was one of the boldest and most outspoken writers of her day. Her cleverly-crafted short story “The Quilt” sparked a years-long obscenity trial, but it also helped establish her as a writer who wasn’t afraid to shine a light on taboo subjects and speak frankly about women’s experiences both in the traditional and modern Indian world. Our guest is author Tania Malik whose most recent book, Hope You Are Satisfied, is a suspense-story set in Dubai. Discussed: “Hope You...
Aug 22, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 154
Send us a text In this week’s mini episode, we’re talking about Anne Askew, a Tudor writer, poet, and Protestant preacher who was condemned as a heretic during the reign of Henry VIII. We’ll also explore the possible connection to Kim’s own family history. Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit . Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast...
Aug 15, 2023•13 min
Send us a text Set in 16th-century France and published in 1941, Janet Lewis’s “The Wife of Martin Guerre” revolves around one woman's struggle to reconcile cold facts with the truth in her heart. Inspired by a real historical incident, the novella delves into the trial of a woman who faces a predicament when her long-lost husband unexpectedly reappears. Our guest is poet, biographer, and UC Davis professor Iris Jamahl Dunkle. Discussed: Yvor Winters Ernest Hemingway Tillie Olsen The Wife of Mar...
Aug 08, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 152
Send us a text In this week’s mini we discuss Elspeth Barker, a Scottish writer raised in Drumtochty Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where her parents ran a prep school for boys. Barker was a close friend of last week’s lost lady, Elizabeth Smart despite the fact that Barker was married to the poet George Barker, Smart’s former lover and the father of her children. We loved Elspeth’s novel “O Caledonia” with its unique coming-of-age narrative and dark academia vibe. Support the show For episode...
Aug 01, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 151
Send us a text When Elizabeth Smart’s 1945 poetic prose novel “By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept” was reissued in 1966, Angela Carter called it "Madame Bovary blasted by lightning," and Morrissey has since credited Smart’s writing as having influenced his lyrics for The Smiths. This week’s guests are biographer Rosemary Sullivan and documentary filmmaker Maya Gallus, both authorities on Smart’s fascinating life and work. Discussed: People: Elizabeth Smart (Canadian author) Angela Cart...
Jul 25, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 150
Send us a text Did you know that a woman wrote the very first novel ever? (We didn’t!) In this week’s mini, we learn more about Murasaki Shikibu's master work “The Tale of Genji.” The novel’s blend of passion, intrigue, and psychological depth has earned this ancient Japanese work comparisons to modern sensations like "Sex in the City" and "50 Shades of Grey," while also drawing parallels to the literary genius of Proust. In this episode: Murasaki Shikibu: Japanese author of "The Tale of Genji” ...
Jul 18, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 149
Send us a text With the re-release of Winnifred Eaton's riveting 100 year-old novel CATTLE, we’re thrilled to be joined by Mary Chapman, director of the Winnifred Eaton Archive. Described as "a curious Canadian mixture of Hardy and Steinbeck” and set in the sweeping landscapes of Alberta, CATTLE is a love story with strong Western vibes. In this episode: You can order a copy of CATTLE from this bookstore: https://asamnews.com/2023/07/11/clean-up-new-york-chinatown-fire-yu-me-books-tenants-reside...
Jul 11, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 148
Send us a text In today’s mini, we look into the fascinating life of Mercy Otis Warren, a hidden wordsmith of American history and the first female reporter of the American revolution. Armed with a pen as her weapon, Warren wrote scathing satirical plays that ignited the revolution and documented the birth of a nation. Discussed in this episode: Mercy Otis Warren John Adams Abigail Adams Thomas Hutchinson George III Thomas Jefferson Thomas Paine Phillis Wheatley Samuel Richardson Plays: "The Adu...
Jul 04, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 147
Send us a text When Jane White’s gripping and unsettling debut novel Quarry was first published in 1967, a review in The Scotsman called it “the most frightening novel of the year.” Joining us is White’s daughter-in-law, Dr. Helen Hughes, of the University of Surrey, who wrote the afterword to the new Boiler House Press edition of Quarry. Discussed: Quarry by Jane White Norfolk Child by Jane White The Lord of the Flies by William Golding Proxy by Jane White Beatrice, Falling by Jane White The Ne...
Jun 27, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 146
Send us a text In this week’s mini episode we uncover the hidden talents of famous writers who ventured into children's literature, including Ian Fleming's surprising connection to Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, Upton Sinclair's whimsical Gnome adventure, and James Joyce's peculiar cat tales. Discussed in this episode: Mental Floss article by Lucas Reilly (“12 Famous Authors Who Also Wrote Children’s Books”) Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang by Ian Fleming The Gnomobile: A Gnice Gnew Gnarrative with Gnonsense b...
Jun 20, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 145
Send us a text In this week's episode, we are joined by critic and author Maud Newton as we delve into Theodora Keogh's enigmatic and haunting 1952 novel, "Street Music," which takes place in post-War Paris. As the granddaughter of an American icon, Keogh's writing possessed a subversive quality that defied easy classification, challenging readers and earning admiration from notable authors such as Patricia Highsmith. Discussed: Street Music by Theodora Keogh Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a ...
Jun 13, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 144
Send us a text The gorgeous book Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life mines the life and musings of famous women authors on subjects such as finding your literary voice, conquering inner demons, dealing with rejection and how to deal with writer’s block. Joining us for this week’s mini is the book’s author, Nava Atlas. Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit . Email us: Contact — L...
Jun 06, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Send us a text With her witty and self-deprecating takes on dating and the single life, the narrator of Miriam Karpilove’s Diary of a Lonely Girl: Or the Battle Against Free Love is the 1918 Yiddish precursor to Girls ’ Hannah Horvath, Sex and the City ’s Carrie Bradshaw, and Bridget Jones. Guest Jessica Kirzane’s English translation of the novel was published by Syracuse University Press in 2020. Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack ...
May 30, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 142
Send us a text Sometimes the most fraught journey is simply making it to adulthood. In this week’s mini, we talk about authors who survived unusual and/or traumatic childhoods and used their experiences to write engrossing, and often healing, works of art. Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit . Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast...
May 23, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 141
Send us a text Zora Neale Hurston’s 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is widely considered to be a masterpiece, yet were it not for a renewed push by author Alice Walker in the 1970s, Hurston and her legacy might well have been lost. We have Melissa Kiguwa, host of The Idealists podcast, joining us to discuss Zora Neale Hurston: A Life in Letters. Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladie...
May 16, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Send us a text In this week’s mini, we discuss Nora Ephron’s 1983 autobiographical novel Heartburn , inspired by the breakdown of her marriage with journalist Carl Bernstein. Plus Amy tries out some of the book’s recipes on her unsuspecting family . Support the show For episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.com Subscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit . Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast...
May 09, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 139
Send us a text This is the Jazz Age novel we should have read in high school! Ursula Parrott’s Ex-Wife was an instant bestseller when it was published anonymously in 1929, and it’s inspired by her own experience as a young divorcée and flapper in New York. Guest Marsha Gordon’s new biography of Parrott, Becoming the Ex-Wife, arrives in bookstores at the same time as a reissue of the dazzling novel from McNally Editions. Links: Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott Becoming the Ex-Wife by Marsha Gordon The G...
May 02, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 138
Send us a text In this week’s mini, we take a look at British writer Jenny Diski and her relationship with famed novelist Doris Lessing, who took a teenaged Jenny into her home. Though Lessing never adopted Diski, they had a long and at times awkward pseudo-familial relationship that Diski explored in her writing. Links: Why Didn’t You Just Do What You Were Told? by Jenny Diski Lost Ladies of Lit with Hilma Wolitzer Skating to Antarctica by Jenny Diski The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing Memoir...
Apr 25, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 137
Send us a text With its speculative plot including an expedition through the desert, a cryptic treasure map, secret chambers, and a run-in with an ancient sacred crocodile, Pauline E. Hopkins’ thrilling afrofuturist 1902 novel Of One Blood; or The Hidden Self calls to mind Black Panther ’s Wakanda and Raiders of the Lost Ark . Hopkins brings up a lot of questions about race and power in the midst of all this thrilling storytelling, reclaiming Black history in her appeal for racial justice. Guest...
Apr 18, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 136
Send us a text Did you know that novelist and iconic flapper Zelda Fitgerald was also an accomplished artist? In 1926, she began creating a series of paper dolls for her daughter, Scottie, and continued working on them for much of the rest of her life. Her granddaughter, Eleanor Lanahan, saved and collected these paper dolls which were recently compiled into a beautiful, 128-page book, The Paper Dolls of Zelda Fitzgerald. Join us as we learn more in our latest mini episode. Discussed in this epi...
Apr 11, 2023•9 min•Season 1Ep. 135
Send us a text Sisters Jane and Anna Maria Porters’ books took Regency-era England by storm just a few years ahead of Jane Austen, and their lives were chock-full of fascinating (and insufferable) characters, intriguing romantic escapades, event-filled interludes at the homes of wealthy acquaintances and desperate gambits to stay one step ahead of the poverty line. Joining us is ASU Regents Professor of English, Devoney Looser, whose new book is Sister Novelists: The Trailblazing Porter Sisters,...
Apr 04, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Send us a text No, we’re not talking about that kind of “dirty,” we’re talking about the germy kind as it relates to stuff that’s been found in the pages of library books over the years. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s poignant, and other times, it’s just plain toxic! Join us as we digress in this week’s mini episode. Discussed in this episode: “ Why Joey Keeps Books in the Freezer ” (From Friends , Season 3, Episode 13, YouTube) “ Why You Should Always Put a Book In the Freezer… ” (Welland...
Mar 28, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 133
Send us a text What if we told you that there was an ingenious retelling of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights set in post-war Japan that also has shades of Middlemarch and The Great Gatsby ? Minae Mizumura’s A True Novel , first published in 2002, checks all those boxes and more. Joining us to discuss A True Novel is Lavanya Krishnan, co-founder of the literary book subscription Boxwalla. Discussed in this episode: A True Novel by Minae Mizumura Lavanya Krishnan, Boxwalla Alexander Chee Wuthering...
Mar 21, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 132
Send us a text Guest Dr. Leah Broad joins us from Oxford University’s Christ Church to discuss Quartet , her acclaimed new biography of four British composers: Ethel Smyth, Rebecca Clarke, Dorothy Howell, and Doreen Carwithen. Three of the four women were celebrities in their own day and all were incredibly talented, yet their captivating life stories and their once acclaimed compositions have been all but forgotten today. We also discuss the film Tár. Discussed in this episode: Our Lost Ladies ...
Mar 14, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 131
Send us a text Born to a Chinese father and a Belgian mother, Han Suyin qualified as a doctor in London before moving to Hong Kong to practice medicine. After her novel A Many-Splendored Thing was adapted into a film in 1955, she became a full-time writer. Join us to learn more about Suyin’s remarkable life and her jewel of a novella, Winter Love , first published in 1962. In it, she tells the story of “Red,” who falls passionately in love with her married classmate, Mara, during the freezing, w...
Mar 07, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 130
