THE POET Hester Pulter

In 1996, a graduate student working in a library in England discovered the manuscript of a novel and 120 poems by completely unknown 17th century woman writer. Hester Pulter had been hiding in plain sight for four centuries. Now a dedicated team of scholars is sharing her work with the world.

“Then being enfranchised, free as my verse,

I shall surround this spacious universe,

Until by other atoms thrust and hurled

We give a being to another world.”

Hear the story of this astonishing discovery, and the astonishing woman behind the words.

Our guest is Dr. Samantha Snively of the Pulter Project. Samantha Snively earned her PhD from the University of California, Davis, and currently works as a proposal writer for UC Davis’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations. Her dissertation focused on experimental knowledge-making in 17th-century England, particularly on the scientific work of female manuscript recipe collection authors and poets like Hester Pulter and Margaret Cavendish. She is the social media manager for The Pulter Project and has been a contributor for the site. Find her on twitter @snsnively where she’s always happy to talk about weird old recipes, lady scientists, or alternative academic careers.

Music for this episode provided by Marc Nelson, Solis Choir of the Sun, and John Michel.

Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices