Shows
Let Genius BurnLittle Women Holiday Bonus EpisodeChristmas wouldn't be Christmas without Little Women, so we are reading aloud from the iconic first chapter, "Playing Pilgrims" and offering our commentary, citing from various annotated editions of Little Women and the film versions to bring you a well-rounded discussion of your holiday favorite.Put on your cozy Christmas pajamas and make your cup of tea; it's time to settle into a classic holiday story.2024-12-231h 15
Let Genius BurnAlcott as EcofeministTravel with us to a Cuban coffee plantation, where Alcott's short story Pauline's Passion and Punishment begins. Written in 1862, this short story predates Alcott's later, more successful fiction, but it contains all the traces of her plot devices and characterization that we love.This is a new episode format where we discuss a single short story in detail. We hope you enjoy this episode!2024-09-031h 21
Let Genius BurnAlcott in the ArchivesMax Chapnick read a line in Louisa May Alcott's journal that pointed to one of her stories, but it turned out to be a dead end. Then, he had an idea. He went back to the archives and searched for the title of the story. He turned up an unexpected result: a story written by E.A. Gould, with characteristics that linked it easily to Louisa May Alcott.He investigated further and discovered more works by E.A. Gould, and has since used computers to analyze the style and see if it matches Alcott's other works--with mixed...2024-08-271h 11
Let Genius BurnLouisa and LaurieWhen readers find out that Louisa May Alcott really lived in a family with four sisters, the next question is almost immediately: "Who was Laurie?"Lis Adams, Director of Education at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, spent years researching in the Alcotts' extensive papers at the Houghton Library at Harvard University, and she has edited a collection that introduces us to one of the real-life inspirations for Laurie: Alf Whitman.Although Alf lived in Concord less than a year, his impact on the Alcott sisters, and Anna Alcott's husband, John, was profound. They kept up...2024-08-201h 02
Let Genius BurnAlcott and IdentityAuthor Peyton Thomas joins Let Genius Burn to speak about queerness and transness in Little Women and other Alcott writings. Peyton Thomas made a significant impact on the Alcott community when he wrote a Twitter thread, and a New York Times op-ed, about understanding Louisa May Alcott as a trans man. His comments sparked a discussion that has opened readers' minds to how Alcott constructed gender both in fiction and in life. We discuss gender dynamics in Little Women, Alcott's fascination with cross-dressing, and a summary and analysis of the short story Enigmas, one of Alcott's thrillers, where gender...2024-08-131h 07
Let Genius BurnAlcott and Sex EducationLouisa May Alcott and her family were social activists who advocated for all types of reforms in their lifetimes: they were concerned with fair labor, women's suffrage, abolitionism, and diet reform. Yet another social concern for Louisa May Alcott was the access to health and wellness education for young women.In this episode, we explore the ways that Alcott included health and sex education in her novels, a subversive act in the face of legislation such as Comstock Law that sought to ban materials related to women's health.We are joined by a scholar who...2024-08-051h 23
Let Genius BurnAlcott in the CityAlthough Louisa May Alcott is most often associated with Concord, Massachusetts, where her family lived in several different homes over the course of her lifetime, Alcott made much of her life in Boston. She was a city person who loved the hustle and movement of the city compared to sleepy, dull Concord.In this episode, we are joined by Michele Steinberg of Boston by Foot tours, who takes us through Beacon Hill and to the Boston Athenaeum to hear many stories about Alcott's different experiences in Boston and her travels there.Let Genius Burn is...2024-07-3046 min
Let Genius BurnA Concord ConversationSit down with Jill and Jamie as they reflect and dissect the week they spent together in Concord. They talk about visits to Orchard House, Fruitlands, Walden Pond, and more. Jill discusses her visit to the Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library, where she saw Louisa's handwritten manuscript pages from Little Women. Jamie talks about her presentation for the Thoreau Society Gathering- the ecofeminist gothic setting of "Pauline's Passion and Punishment." It's an all-about-Alcott final bonus episode of Season 2! 2022-12-1246 min
Let Genius BurnThe Fruitlands EffectOn July 13, 2022, Let Genius Burn was invited to speak at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts, the site where the Alcott family lived--and nearly died--for 9 months in 1843.This episode is the recording of our talk.The Fruitlands Effect: How the Utopian Experiment Influenced Louisa May Alcott’s Life and WorkThe Alcott family spent less than a year living at Fruitlands, but the experience significantly altered their values and family dynamic. Louisa May Alcott would not have been the same woman without the lessons she learned and hardship she faced during her family’s utop...2022-12-0555 min
Let Genius BurnConcord SketchesThis episode features Jill's travelogue from her week in Concord, Massachusetts. Listen as we travel to see Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House for the first time and take a tour of Fruitlands with Trustees Engagement Manager Catherine Shortliffe. We also spend time with other Louisa May Alcott scholars and enthusiasts, sharing stories. In particular, we taste pickled limes, a treat from the 19th century, which is featured in Little Women. Learn about the process to making them and our reactions in this bonus episode of Let Genius Burn.2022-11-2849 min
Let Genius BurnLouisa RevisitedIn our final full episode of Season 8, Jill and Jamie recap the highlights of season two and reflect on what the conversations with Alcott scholars have taught them. Then they both share what they've been reading and researching lately. Jamie, who has been teaching second grade this year, dives into the differences between teaching Little Women and teaching about the Alcotts' lives to young children. She explores picture books and young reader chapter books that feature Louisa.Jill visited a reenactment of a Civil War hospital at the Milton House museum and discusses how it affected her...2022-06-2050 min
Let Genius BurnLouisa as Inspiration: Conversation with Biographer John MattesonJohn Matteson's biography, Eden's Outcasts: the Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father, has become a foundational work in Alcott scholarship. It brings together the best of Alcott studies to show us an empathetic portrait of the Alcotts who feel as real and alive as ever in its pages. In our conversation with John Matteson, we cover Louisa's time in Washington as a nurse during the Civil War and why those three weeks were so influential in the rest of her life. We also discuss John's writing process and how he chose the five figures featured...2022-06-131h 05