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Kristen R. Ghodsee

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A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai150 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Capitalism, Socialism, and Esteem with Prof. Scott SehonKristen Ghodsee revisits her discussion about arguments for socialism with Bowdoin College professor of philosophy, Scott R. Sehon. This conversation focuses on the role of esteem and how it is increasingly commodified in a capitalist society. Mentioned in this podcast:Article in the Wall Street Journal: "$1 Trillion of Wealth Was Created for the 19 Richest U.S. Households Last Year"Interview in Jacobin Magazine: "Tradwives are the harbinger of systemic breakdown"Book by Scott R. Sehon: Socialism: A Logical IntroductionKristen Ghodsee's "Birthday Mediations" newsletter, April 26, 2025Send us a textThanks so much for listening. T...
2025-04-2929 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai142 - A.K. 47 - Who Needs the War? - Part 3 (and a special message for election eve)Kristen Ghodsee reads the third section of Alexandra Kollontai's 1915 essay about World War I–"Who Needs the War?"–and looks for lessons applicable to the present day. This translation is from a 1984 collection of Kollontai's writing published by Progress Publishers in the Soviet Union, which claims that the essay was written while Kollontai was in exile in Norway. She sent it to Vladimir Lenin (then in exile in Switzerland) who also edited it before publication. The final pamphlet was first published in 1916. It went into multiple editions and was distributed widely across Europe and Russia. Ghod...
2024-11-0526 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai140 - A.K. 47 - Who Needs the War? - Part 2Kristen Ghodsee reads Alexandra Kollontai's 1915 essay about World War I–"Who Needs the War?"–and looks for lessons applicable to the present day. This translation is from a 1984 collection of Kollontai's writing published by Progress Publishers in the Soviet Union, which claims that the essay was written while Kollontai was in exile in Norway. She sent it to Vladimir Lenin (then in exile in Switzerland) who also edited it before publication. The final pamphlet was first published in 2016. It went into multiple editions and was distributed widely across Europe and Russia. Ghodsee also discusses the 2024 pres...
2024-10-1321 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai137 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Claudia Jones's 8 March 1950 International Women's Day SpeechFor International Women's Day, Kristen Ghodsee reads the Black Trinidadian activist and journalist Claudia Jones's speech for International Women's Day in 1950. This speech, (and the published version which appeared afterwards) led to Jones's arrest and eventual deportation from the United States. Jones was a member of the CPUSA, and believed that women's emancipation and civil rights required a strong stance against imperialism and militarism. She say capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy are deeply intertwined ideologies. Read the full text of Claudia Jones's speech hereListen to Kristen Ghodsee's IWD guest appearance on the Upstream Podcast...
2024-03-0822 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai134 - A.K. 47 - The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy - Part 3Kristen Ghodsee reads the final part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy" to explore Kollontai's arguments for the socialization of the family and the socialist uses of the maternal instinct. Although Kollontai is openly pro-natalist, and emphasizes that motherhood is a social obligation to help produce new workers for the world's first workers state, she is making these arguments to suspicious men in the Bolshevik government who do not want to expend resources to socialize the domestic labor that Russian women historically did for free. Mentioned in this episode:
2023-12-3117 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai132 - A.K. 47 - The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy - Part 1Kristen Ghodsee reads the first part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy." A portion of this essay on abortion was discussed on the 6 March 2019 episode, but here Ghodsee digs in to Kollontai's argument for the socialization of the family. Mentioned in this episode:The eight Season 22 finalists for The Next Big Idea Club curated by Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Daniel Pink, and Malcolm Gladwell.Just in time for the holidays, the first 15 listeners in the United States who email Alexandra.kollontai.podcast@gmail.com w...
2023-11-1522 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai129 - A.K. 47 - The Workers Opposition - Part 4Kristen Ghodsee reads the fourth part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition" and moans a bit about joining Instagram: @kristenghodseeMentioned in this episode are: WIRED, Have a Nice Future Podcast, “Maybe you should just join a commune.” August 23, 2023Everyday Anarchism, “Everyday Utopia - Kristen Ghodsee,” August 23, 2023The Gray Area Podcast with Sean Illing, “The Benefits of Utopian Thinking,” August 21, 2023Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to...
2023-09-0520 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai125 - A.K. 47 - Introduction to The Workers OppositionOn the eve of a possible UPS strike in the United States, Kristen Ghodsee reads a 1968 introduction to Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 pamphlet written in support of the Workers Opposition. This was a fundamental critique of Bolshevism from within the Party ranks, which was squashed and ended Kollontai's political career in the USSR.Mentioned in this episode: Total Liberation Podcast with Mexie (Livestream), “Building Utopia with Dr. Kristen Ghodsee,” July 7, 2023Upstream Podcast, “Everyday Utopia and Radical Imagination with Kristen Ghodsee,” June 19, 2023RevolutionZ, “Diverse Utopias with Kristen Ghodsee,” June 18, 2023“Gender Oppression isn’t inherent in human nature,” Jacobin Magazine, June 23, 2023
2023-07-1025 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai124 - A.K. 47 - Conversation PieceKristen Ghodsee reads Cathy Porter's 1980 translation of Kollontai's 1922 short story, "Conversation Piece," about a woman having to choose between the man she loves romantically and the man she loves intellectually and spiritually.Mentioned in this episode:Listen to Kristen Ghodsee on the New York Times's Ezra Klein Show (also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc). Full transcript hereRead a 2000-word abstract from Everyday Utopia in Jacobin MagazineWatch the Everyday Utopia book discussion with Arwa Mahdawi at the Free Library of PhiladelphiaWatch the Everyday Utopia book discussion with Juliet Alekseyeva at Politics & ProseListen to Kristen Ghodsee on th...
2023-06-1121 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai119 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Clara Zetkin on the Establishment of 8 March as International Communist Women's DayTo celebrate International Women's Day in 2023, Kristen Ghodsee reads an abridged version of Clara Zetkin's article on the official establishment of March 8 as International Communist Women's Day. The article is from International Press Correspondence, Vol. 2 No. 18, published on 8 March 1922.  Clara Zetkin was the leader of the women's section of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Germany, and a close friend and mentor to Alexandra Kollontai when the latter was in exile in Western Europe. Both Kollontai and Zetkin were in attendance in 1910 at the 2nd International Conference of Socialist Women where the assembled delegates voted to establish a...
2023-03-0819 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai118 - A.K. 47 - Alexandra Kollontai in MexicoKristen Ghodsee reads two news items about Alexandra Kollontai from December 25, 1926 and April 21, 1927, during the time that Kollontai served as the Soviet ambassador to Mexico.  Ghodsee also shares some exciting news about her forthcoming book.Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word, share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links.Check o...
2023-02-2217 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai114 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - 4th Anniversary Interview: "Self care is out; community care is in"Kristen Ghodsee and her daughter discuss the what's in and out for the new year, including Kollontai, Kir Royale cocktails, and community care. Mentioned in the episode are Rebecca Amsellem's podcast, "The Method;" the Palgrave Handbook of Communist Women's Activists around the World, Sophie Lewis's new book, Abolish the Family, Liza Featherstone's forthcoming book, Comrade Kollontai; the socialist feminist glossy Lux Magazine; and Kristen Ghodsee's forthcoming book Everyday Utopia.Praise for Everyday Utopia:“Utopia is back! And it ought to be taken seriously, as history is made by the dr...
2023-01-0824 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai110 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Kollontai and College Sex - Part 2After a three-month hiatus while she dealt with the aftermath of a nasty bout of COVID-19,  Kristen Ghodsee returns for a two-part conversation with her daughter, who is now a junior at her university. These episodes explore questions of contemporary sexual politics on college campuses and whether Kollontai's work on "winged" and "wingless" eros can help to make better sense of the role that "hook-up" culture may or may not play in perpetuating the interests of capital.Mentioned in these episodes is an infamous 2014 column by a Princeton University mother and the responses it elicited. S...
2022-10-2317 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai109 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Kollontai and College Sex - Part 1After a three-month hiatus while she dealt with the aftermath of a nasty bout of COVID-19,  Kristen Ghodsee returns for a two-part conversation with her daughter, who is now a junior at her university. These episodes explore questions of contemporary sexual politics on college campuses and whether Kollontai's work on "winged" and "wingless" eros can help to make better sense of the role that "hook-up" culture may or may not play in perpetuating the interests of capital.Mentioned in these episodes is an infamous 2014 column by a Princeton University mother and the responses it elicited. S...
2022-10-2218 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai108 - A.K. 47 - Women Workers Struggle for their Rights - Part 6Kristen Ghodsee (now dealing with long Covid) reads the second part of the essay, "Forms of Organization of Women Workers in the West ," which is the second essay in the pamphlet, "Women Workers Struggle for Their Rights" published in 1919. Mentioned in this episode is a 50% discount code for the new book from Verso: Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary Women. (Only valid until July 30, 2022)You can also subscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very occasional) free newsletter. You'll get maybe one newsletter every 2 to 3 months.Send us a text...
2022-07-1220 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai107 - A.K. 47 - Women Workers Struggle for their Rights - Part 5Kristen Ghodsee (recovering from Covid) reads the first part of the essay, "Forms of Organization of Women Workers in the West ," which is the second essay in the pamphlet, "Women Workers Struggle for Their Rights" published in 1919. Subscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very occasional) free newsletter. You'll get maybe one newsletter every 2 to 3 months.Also, here is a 50% discount code for the new book from Verso: Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary Women.Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no...
2022-07-0523 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai106 - A.K. 47 - Women Workers Struggle for their Rights - Part 4Kristen Ghodsee (with Covid) reads the fourth part of the essay, "The Socialist Movement of Women Workers in Different Countries," part of the pamphlet, "Women Workers Struggle for Their Rights" published in 1918. Mentioned in this episode is the run-off election for the French National Assembly. President Emmanuel Macron's coalition did lose their parliamentary majority.  The left coalition NUPES (New Ecological and Social Popular Union), led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, could now be the second largest power in the National Assembly. Subscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very occasional) free newsletter. You'll get maybe one newsletter every 2 to 3 mo...
2022-06-2023 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai105 - A.K. 47 - Women Workers Struggle for their Rights - Part 3Kristen Ghodsee reads the third part of the essay, "The Socialist Movement of Women Workers in Different Countries," part of the pamphlet, "Women Workers Struggle for Their Rights" published in 1918. Mentioned in this episode is the article about August Bebel, "Socialists Have Long Fought for Women’s Liberation," in Jacobin Magazine.Subscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very occasional) free newsletter. You'll get maybe one newsletter every 2 to 3 months.Also, here is a 50% discount code for the new book from Verso: Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary Women.Send us a text...
2022-06-0824 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai104 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - The Leaked Supreme Court Opinion, Romania, and Kollontai on AbortionIn response to a leaked Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that guaranteed all American women autonomy over their own bodies, Kristen Ghodsee reflects on the Romanian experience as well as a 1936 interview with Kollontai on the reversal of the 1920 Soviet law that made the Soviet Union the first country in the world to grant women access to abortion. In this interview Kollontai explains: "As long as women or men live under the pressure of unemployment, as long as the level of wages is not sufficient for a family, as...
2022-05-0819 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai103 - A.K. 47 - Women Workers Struggle for Their Rights - Part 2Kristen Ghodsee reads the second part of the essay, "The Socialist Movement of Women Workers in Different Countries," part of the pamphlet, "Women Workers Struggle for Their Rights" published in 1918. Mentioned in this episode is Jodi Dean's great book, Comrade. Subscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very occasional) free newsletter. You'll get maybe one newsletter every 2 to 3 months.Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to...
2022-05-0120 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai102 - A.K. 47 - Women Workers Struggle for their Rights - Part 1Kristen Ghodsee reads Alexandra Kollontai's 1918 pamphlet: "Women Workers Struggle for their Rights."Mentioned in this episode are the blurbs for Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary Women, forthcoming with Verso Books in July.“Written with clarity and zest, Red Valkyries is an illuminating introduction to the extraordinary lives of prominent socialist women in the Soviet Union and Bulgaria.”—Sheila Rowbotham, author of Daring to Hope“In our historical moment, quotas of women in power positions and correct manners or expressions are obfuscating the long historical link between feminism...
2022-04-2320 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai98 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Celebrating the Third Year Anniversary of the PodcastKristen Ghodsee's (now twenty-year-old) daughter interviews Ghodsee about the original idea for the podcast and how it has developed since January 2019 when she posted her first episode. Mentioned in this podcast are these books and articles:Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary Women, Verso Books, 2022“The Most Famous Feminist You’ve Never Heard Of,” Ms. Magazine, March 29, 2020“How the socialist behind paid child care and parental leave was erased from women's history, “ NBC Think, March 7, 2020"Crashing the Party: The radical legacy of a Soviet-era feminist," World Policy Journal, No, 2, Summer 2018Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socia...
2022-01-2026 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai97 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - 100 Years of Kollontai's Work in Yugoslavia and SerbiaKristen Ghodsee records part of a spontaneous chat with Minja Bujakovic and Marta Chmielewska, both Ph.D. researchers at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Over a bottle of wine, Minja discusses her Master's thesis examining the work of Kollontai as it was disseminated in interwar Yugoslavia. Of particular interest is the reported conversation that the French liberal feminist Louise Weiss had with Kollontai when Weiss visited Moscow in 1921. Minja Bujakovic is a first-year Ph.D. researcher at the Department of History and Civilization. In her Ph.D. project titled: Revolutionary Women Transcending Borders...
2021-12-2915 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai96 - A.K. 47 - New Woman - Part 5Kristen Ghodsee discusses two key themes in Kollontai's 1918 essay, "New Woman." The first is the persistence of nostalgia for an imagined traditional family of the past that might save us from the difficulties and loneliness of late capitalism. Kollontai herself understood that many "new women" in the early years of the Soviet Union were nostalgic for the sheltered lives of their mothers and grandmothers. Flaming this nostalgia for a "golden age" of the past is a typical rhetorical strategy of the reactionary,  far right. The second theme is the recent preponderance of anti-capitalist films in the mainstream media, such a...
2021-12-1520 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai95 - A.K. 47 - New Woman - Part 4Kristen Ghodsee reads Part 4 of Alexandra Kollontai's 1918 essay: "New Woman" where Kollontai discusses the relationship between life and art in the representation of female characters in literature.  Kristen Ghodsee's author website: www.kristenghodsee.comPopular Books:Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic IndependenceRed Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary WomenSend us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you w...
2021-12-0723 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai94 - A.K. 47 - Self-Indulgent Bonus Episode of Doom - Mycenaeans, Cancer, and the Omicron VariantIn this episode, Kristen Ghodsee attempts to read the last part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1918 essay, "New Woman," but fails. Instead, she reflects on the sudden appearance of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the end of the Mycenaean civilization and the Greek dark ages, and some bad news about a good friend back home. Mentioned in this episode are the books: Everything was Forever, Until it Was No More by Alexei Yurchak and Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally Rooney.Kristen Ghodsee's author website: www.kristenghodsee.comPopular Books:Why Women...
2021-11-2915 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai93 - A.K. 47 - New Woman - Part 3Kristen Ghodsee reads Part 3 of Alexandra Kollontai's 1918 essay: "New Woman" where Kollontai discusses the relationship between life and art in the representation of female characters in literature.  Kristen Ghodsee's author website: www.kristenghodsee.comPopular Books:Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic IndependenceRed Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary WomenSend us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you w...
2021-11-2019 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai92 - A.K. 47 - New Woman - Part 2Kristen Ghodsee reads Part 2 of Alexandra Kollontai's 1918 essay: "New Woman" where Kollontai discusses the relationship between life and art in the representation of female characters in literature.  You can join Kristen Ghodsee's newsletter here[Note from Kristen Ghodsee: "Apologies for the weird "shushing" sound in the background. I do not have my regularly recording equipment with me in Europe so I have been using my phone. I think the earbuds somehow captured the sound of my hair lightly rubbing against the puffer vest I was wearing when I recorded this episode.  I can't figure out wh...
2021-11-1226 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai91 - A.K. 47 - New Woman - Part 1Kristen Ghodsee reads Part 1 of Alexandra Kollontai's 1918 essay: "New Woman" where Kollontai discusses the relationship between life and art in the representation of female characters in literature.  Kristen Ghodsee's author website: www.kristenghodsee.comPopular Books:Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic IndependenceRed Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary WomenSend us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you w...
2021-11-0419 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai90 - A.K. 47 - Working Woman and Mother - Part 3Kristen Ghodsee reads the third part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1916 essay, "Working Woman and Mother," and discusses reform vs. revolution.Upcoming events - Second World, Second Sex. Socialist Women’s Global Solidarity in the Cold WarVideosFrance 24 English, “Women Under Socialism: A Better Emancipation,” October 6, 2021Second Life Book Club, “Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism,” September 9, 2021 InterviewsJudit Bertan, “Kristen R. Ghodsee: "A las aplicaciones de citas no les interesa que tengas buen sexo" La Provincia, October 11, 2021Guiseppe Pavino, “"El socialisme d’estat va ser t...
2021-10-1420 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai89 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Interview with Rebecca Amsellem in Paris, FranceIn this episode, Kristen Ghodsee interviews the French-Canadian feminist activist and fellow Kollontai aficionado, Rebecca Amsellem in Paris, France. Rebecca is the editor of a well-known feminist newsletter in France, Les Glorieuses,  and she has contributed an essay a forthcoming edited volume about the impact Alexandra Kollontai has had on her life and work. In this conversation, Ansellem discusses Kollontai's views on love and revolution as well as why Kollontai is not better known in France.The edited collection is called: Une bibliothèque féministe, out in October 2021Rebecca will be speaking at 18:30 at the...
2021-10-0515 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai88 - A.K. 47 - Working Woman and Mother Part 2In this episode, Kristen Ghodsee reads Part Two of Alexandra Kollontai's 1916 essay, "Working Woman and Mother." This is an excellent essay to examine Kollontai's rhetorical strategies for reaching literate working class women. In this pamphlet, she starts by telling the stories of four pregnant women named Masha, and how their class positions determine society's different levels of concern for the "sacred" state of motherhood.As mentioned in the last episode, there are three in-person events coming up in Europe (Delta variant willing). Kristen Ghodsee will be speaking at the:Manifiesta in Oostende, Belgium on September 12, 2021Finestres...
2021-09-0120 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai87 - A.K. 47 - Working Woman and Mother - Part 1In this episode, Kristen Ghodsee reads Part One of Alexandra Kollontai's 1916 essay, "Working Woman and Mother." This is an excellent essay to examine Kollontai's rhetorical strategies for reaching literate working class women. In this pamphlet, she starts by telling the stories of four pregnant women named Masha, and how their class positions determine society's different levels of concern for the "sacred" state of motherhood.Also mentioned in this essay are three in-person events coming up in Europe ( Delta variant willing). Kristen Ghodsee will be speaking at the:Manifiesta in Oostende, Belgium on September 12, 2021Finestres Bookstore in...
2021-08-2620 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai86 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Louise Bryant on Alexandra Kollontai, 1923In response to a listener request from the Chicago Teachers' Union, Kristen Ghodsee reads Louise Bryant's chapter on Alexandra Kollontai from Bryant's 1923 book: Mirrors of Moscow. Bryant was a feminist and a journalist who traveled to Russia in 1917 to report on the revolution with her husband, John Reed. This chapter is based on Bryant's personal conversations with Kollontai, and although her biography of Kollontai contains some errors, it is an interesting first hand account from another American woman who met Kollontai in Russia in the years following the October Revolution. Also mentioned in this episode are:
2021-07-2223 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai85 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Was Kollontai Bi?Kristen Ghodsee and her daughter discuss the relationship of Alexandra Kollontai with her lifelong Bulgarian friend, Zoya Shadurskaya.  The two women met when they were six years old and remained friends for their entire lives, often living together and raising Kollontai's son, Misha. Shadurskaya never married, and Kollontai claimed that after her son, Zoya was the most "dear person to her in the world." In this episode, Ghodsee and her daughter discuss the politics of historiography and the prevalence of queer families in the revolutionary circles of Tsarist Russia. Kristen Ghodsee's author website: www.kristenghodsee.com
2021-07-1322 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai84 - A.K. 47 - The War and Our Immediate TasksKristen Ghodsee reads and discusses Alexandra Kollontai’s 1914 essay, “War and Our Immediate Tasks,” which reflects her early commitment to pacifism during World War I.  Mentioned in this episode is Leo Tolstoy’s important book, The Kingdom of God Is Within You, the foundational document of Christian anarchism and a key theoretical elucidation of pacifism which had a profound impact on Mohandas Gandhi (and through Gandhi on Martin Luther King, Jr.)Also mentioned in this episode are several podcasts, articles, and a new book by Kristen Ghodsee:Podcast: National Public Radio, Throughline, “Capitalism: What Is It...
2021-07-0626 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai78- A.K. 47 - International Women's Day - Part 2Kristen Ghodsee reads part two of Alexandra Kollontai's 1920 essay on the history of International Women's Day. Ghodsee also announces some upcoming lectures and events:7 March 2021 (15:00 GMT-5) A special event for the Democratic Socialists of America International Committee (co-sponsored by the socialist feminist working group and Lux Magazine): Love and Sex Behind the Iron Curtain: 20th Century State Socialism in Eastern Europe8 March 2021 (18:00 GMT-5) Jacobin Talks: The Socialist History of International Women's Day9 March 2021 (19:00 GMT-5) A keynote lecture for IWD at the University of Kansas: Women's History Month...
2021-03-0817 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai77 - A.K. 47 - International Women's Day - Part 1Kristen Ghodsee reads part one of Alexandra Kollontai's 1920 essay on the history of International Women's Day. Ghodsee also announces some upcoming lectures and events.5 March 2021 (09:30 GMT-5) Conference Presentation: "Infrastructures of Solidarity: East-South Alliances During the United Nations Decade for Women, 1975-1985," Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London 7 March 2021 (15:00 GMT-5) A special event for the Democratic Socialists of America International Committee (co-sponsored by the socialist feminist working group and Lux Magazine): Love and Sex Behind the Iron Curtain: 20th Century State Socialism in Eastern Europe 9...
2021-03-0118 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai76 - A.K. 47 - Love and the New Morality (Excerpt) and Valentine's Day RantKristen Ghodsee discusses the political economy of Valentine's Day and reads an excerpt from Alexandra Kollontai's 1911 book review of The Sexual Crisis by Grete Meisel-Hess.  In this section of "Love and the New Morality," Kollontai critiques the institution of bourgeois monogamous marriage as it existed in 1911. Ghodsee  also mentions several recent video appearances on Youtube:Youtube: Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Why Women Have Better Sex in SocialismYoutube: Capitalism Hits Home Podcast - Kristen Ghodsee on the Decommodification of Sex - Part 1Youtube: Capitalism Hits Home Podcast - Kristen Gh...
2021-02-1418 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai75 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - What Would Kollontai Think of Bridgerton?In this bonus episode, Kristen Ghodsee discusses the surprise hit series Bridgerton with her daughter and the University of Pennsylvania graduate student, Angelina Eimannsberger. According to a Netflix announcement on January 27th, 2021, 85 million households have streamed the series, making it the most streamed series on Netflix in its history. In this episode, Ghodsee and her guests ask whether Alexandra Kollontai would have loved or hated the show. This episode has SPOILERS for the series, so please do not listen if you have not completed the first season and you care about such things.  
2021-02-0129 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai74 - A.K. 47 - Our Tasks (and shout out to the K-Pop stans)Kristen Ghodsee reads Alexandra Kollontai's 1917 article "Our Tasks," written in the immediate aftermath of the October Revolution. Ghodsee also celebrates the social media activism of the K-Pop stans who took over Twitter on January 22, 2021.FREE STICKERS IF YOU REVIEW THE PODCAST!A Note from Kristen Ghodsee:"January 2021 will be the two year anniversary of the A.K. 47 podcast. To honor this anniversary, my daughter designed the nice three-inch matte stickers seen here.She explained to me that podcasts are recommended by the algorithms based on the number of reviews t...
2021-01-2218 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai73 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - The Capitol Insurrection and "North American Time"Kristen R. Ghodsee reads Adrienne Rich’s 1983 poem, “North American Time,” in which Rich name-checks Alexandra Kollontai. Ghodsee reflects on the events of the January 2021 “Capitol Insurrection,” the influence of political correctness, and the responsibilities of “verbal privilege.” Rich also mentions the amazing Puerto Rican poet Julia de Borgos.You can watch Adrienne Rich read North American Time on YouTube.Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would l...
2021-01-0918 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai72 - A.K. 47 - Letter to Dora Montefiore, January 26, 1921Kristen Ghodsee reads a letter Kollontai wrote to the English suffragist and socialist, Dora Montefiore. It is an update of the work of the revolution, and Kollontai is remarkably candid about the struggles they were facing and the work remaining to be done. The letter is an interesting look at the status of socialist women's activism almost exactly one century ago.FREE STICKER OFFERA Note from Kristen Ghodsee:"January 2021 will be the two year anniversary of the A.K. 47 podcast. To honor this anniversary, my daughter designed...
2021-01-0517 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai71 - A.K. 47 - Lenin Thought of Both Great and Small (Kollontai on Christmas 1917)Kristen Ghodsee reads Alexandra Kollontai's 1946 essay, "Lenin thought of both great and small," which reflects on her memories of Christmas 1917. Nadezhda Konstantinovna refers to Lenin's wife and Maria Ilyinichna is Lenin's sister.  In this article, Kollontai reflects on the importance of small acts of kindness. FREE STICKERS IF YOU REVIEW THE PODCAST!A Note from Kristen Ghodsee:"January 2021 will be the two year anniversary of the A.K. 47 podcast. To honor this anniversary, my daughter designed the nice three-inch matte stickers seen here.She explained to me that podcasts a...
2020-12-2515 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai70 - A.K. 47 - Endnote to The Soviet Woman, A Full and Equal Citizen of Her CountryIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee reads an endnote included with the text of Kollontai's 1946 article The Soviet Woman - A Full and Equal Citizen of Her Country. This endnote was included in 1984 by the Soviet editors of the collection of Kollontai's writing to highlight the real strides the Soviet Union was attempting to make toward true women's equality. Ghodsee discusses the Cold War context for the endnote and whether or not the Eastern Bloc really did live up to its promises with regards to women's rights. FREE STICKERS IF YOU REVIEW THE PODCAST!
2020-12-1918 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai68 - A.K. 47 - Red Love Burn Off and Thanksgiving GreetingsIn this Thanksgiving Day episode, Kristen Ghodsee discusses why she is not going to finish reading Red Love on the podcast, but discusses the overall themes of the novella. Mentioned in this episode are:Alexandra Kollontai, Love of Worker Bees (Translated by Cathy Porter). Cassandra Editions: 1977. The novella is published here as "Vasilisa Malygina."Kristen Ghodsee, The Left Side of History: World War II and the Unfulfilled Promise of Communism in Eastern Europe. Durham: Duke University Press, 2015Revolutionary Left RadioSend us a textThanks so much...
2020-11-2616 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai63 - A.K. 47 - Red Love - Chapter 5.2Kristen R. Ghodsee reads Part Two of Chapter Five of the 1927 English translation of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 novella, Red Love. August Special: All E-books of Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence are only $2.99 for August 2020 in the United States.Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word, share...
2020-08-0620 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai62 - A.K. 47 - Red Love - Chapter 5.1Kristen R. Ghodsee discusses the ongoing protests in Portland, Oregon and reads Part One of Chapter Five of the 1927 English translation of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 novella, Red Love. Mentioned in this episode are: the Wall of Moms, the Mothers of the Disappeared, Women in Black, the women who marched in Russia in February 1917, and the women's march to Versailles in 1789. Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like t...
2020-07-2925 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai61 - A.K. 47 - Red Love - Chapter 4Kristen R. Ghodsee reads Chapter Four of the 1927 English translation of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 novella, Red Love. Mentioned in the episode are the Wobblies, the Industrial Workers of the World.Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word, share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links.Check out Kristen Ghodsee's recent...
2020-07-2020 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai60 - A.K. 47 - Red Love - Chapter 3Kristen R. Ghodsee reads Chapter Three of the 1927 English translation of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 novella, Red Love. Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word, share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links.Check out Kristen Ghodsee's recent books: Everyday Utopia Red Valkyries Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism Second World, S...
2020-07-1328 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai59 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - A discussion of Red Love, Hype Beasts, and Feminism with an 18-year-oldA brief meta-reflection on the 1927 English translation of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 novella, Red Love. Kristen R. Ghodsee pauses in her reading to discuss relationships, Hype Beasts, capitalism, and feminism with her 18-year-old daughter. Mentioned is this episode is this TikTok by Sally as well as this song by Lizzo. Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word, s...
2020-06-2920 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai58 - A.K. 47 - Red Love - Chapter 2.2Kristen R. Ghodsee reads part 2 of Chapter Two of the 1927 English translation of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 novella, Red Love.Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word, share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links.Check out Kristen Ghodsee's recent books: Everyday Utopia Red Valkyries Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism...
2020-06-2220 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai57 - A.K. 47 - Red Love - Chapter 2.1Kristen R. Ghodsee reads part one of Chapter Two of the 1927 English translation of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 novella, Red Love.Mentioned in this episode are the following books:Amis, B.D. African American Radical: A Short Anthology of Writings and Speeches.Andrews, Gregg. Thyra J. Edwards: Black Activist in the Global Freedom Struggle.Davies, Carole Boyce. Left of Karl Marx: The Political Life of Black Communist Claudia Jones.Davis, Angela. Women, Race & Class.De los Reyes Castillo Bueno, Maria. Reyita: The Life of a Black Cuban Woman in the Twentieth Century.Dudziak, Mary. Cold War Civil Rights...
2020-06-1521 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai56 - A.K. 47 - Red Love: Chapter 1Kristen R. Ghodsee reads Chapter One of the 1927 English translation of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 novella, Red Love.Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word, share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links.Check out Kristen Ghodsee's recent books: Everyday Utopia Red Valkyries Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism Second World...
2020-05-3020 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai55 - A.K. 47 - Red Love: IntroductionKristen R. Ghodsee introduces Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 novella, Red Love (full text available at marxists.org) and reads the Foreword to the 1927 English language edition. Also mentioned in the episode is Sally Rooney's novel, Normal People._______"This novel is neither a study in “morals,” nor a picture of the standard of life in Soviet Russia. It is a purely psychological study of sex-relations in the post-war period."I have chosen the environment of my own country and made my own people protagonists, for I know them better and could give a more vivid picture of thei...
2020-05-2418 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai54 - Bonus Episode - On Kollontai and Turning FiftyIn this episode, Kristen Ghodsee reads a passage from Cathy Porter's excellent biography of Alexandra Kollontai about the events of the year 1922 when Kollontai turned 50. Her standing in the Party was at its worst and her marriage to Dubenko was falling apart. It was during this time that she wrote her "Letters to Working Youth," trying to share her experience and advice with the younger generations. On this episode, Ghodsee discusses generational politics with her daughter and why Millennials and members of Generation Z (the Zoomers) are so resentful toward the Baby Boomers and Gen X. Mentioned...
2020-04-2626 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai53 - A.K. 47 - Sisters Part IIIIn this episode Kristen Ghodsee reads the third and final part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 short story, "Sisters." The "Nepmen" in the story are Soviet revolutionaries that take advantage of Lenin's New Economic Policy (NEP) to get rich and return to traditional gender roles. Kollontai herself was very critical of the NEP and especially its effects on Soviet women. Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the w...
2020-04-1720 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai52 - A.K. 47 - Sisters Part IIIn this episode Kristen Ghodsee reads the second part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 short story, "Sisters." The "Nepmen" in the story are Soviet revolutionaries that take advantage of Lenin's New Economic Policy (NEP) to get rich and return to traditional gender roles. Kollontai herself was very critical of the NEP and especially its effects on Soviet women. Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being d...
2020-04-1018 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai51 - A.K. 47 - Sisters Part IIn this episode Kristen Ghodsee reflects on the coronavirus and begins to read Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 short story, "Sisters." Mentioned in this episode are the $2.99 e-book sale for the entire month of April for Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence, as well as Ghodsee's April 6th appearance on the Quarantine Books Club. Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to s...
2020-04-0119 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai50 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Post-IWD Greetings from Wellington, New ZealandIn this episode, Kristen Ghodsee send greetings from New Zealand and shares some exciting news about various articles and interviews that were published in conjunction with International Women's Day and Women's History Month. Please find below a list of links mentioned in this podcast: three in English and two in German. There is also a link to a Spanish translation of the New York Times piece.“How the socialist behind paid child care and parental leave was erased from women's history, “ NBC Think, March 7, 2020“Women’s Unpaid Labor is Worth $10,900,000,000,000” with Gus Wezerek, New York Times, March 5, 2020 [en Español: "...
2020-03-1008 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai49 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - International Women's Day 2020In this episode, Kristen Ghodsee recounts the amazing story of how Alexandra Kollontai saved the lives of one of her colleague's parents in Sweden. After the Nazi invasion of Norway in 1940, Hans Cerf and his wife needed to immediately get out of Europe through Moscow, but the clerk in the Soviet embassy in Stockholm said that it would take six weeks to issue them visas. Enter one "beautiful bosomy lady."Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there...
2020-03-0816 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai48 - A.K. 47 - The Loves of Three Generations Discussion IIIn this episode, Kristen Ghodsee discusses the fraught historical relationship between left movements and women's emancipation. As the case of Kollontai shows us, revolutionary men do not always remain committed to women's issues after the revolution has been accomplished. Mentioned in this essay is this article about August Bebel from Jacobin Magazine.Send us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being done here...
2020-03-0117 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai47 - A.K. 47 - The Loves of Three Generations Discussion IIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee discusses Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 short story, "The Loves of Three Generations," her most controversial piece of fiction and one that caused her terrible amounts of trouble with her Bolshevik colleagues. This story is written as a letter to Kollontai from a revolutionary comrade who is having personal problems and seeks Kollontai's advice. This colleague wants to know if her own feelings of betrayal and jealousy are remnants of the bourgeois past or whether she is justified in her indignation. This story reflects Kollonta's proposal that romantic love will come second to love for work...
2020-02-1418 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai46 - A.K. 47 - The Loves of Three Generations Part VIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee reads the final part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 short story, "The Loves of Three Generations," her most controversial piece of fiction and one that caused her terrible amounts of trouble with her Bolshevik colleagues. This story is written as a letter to Kollontai from a revolutionary comrade who is having personal problems and seeks Kollontai's advice. This colleague wants to know if her own feelings of betrayal and jealousy are remnants of the bourgeois past or whether she is justified in her indignation. This story reflects Kollonta's proposal that romantic love will come second...
2020-02-0918 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai45 - A.K. 47 - The Loves of Three Generations Part IVIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee reads the fourth part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 short story, "The Loves of Three Generations," her most controversial piece of fiction and one that caused her terrible amounts of trouble with her Bolshevik colleagues. This story is written as a letter to Kollontai from a revolutionary comrade who is having personal problems and seeks Kollontai's advice. This colleague wants to know if her own feelings of betrayal and jealousy are remnants of the bourgeois past or whether she is justified in her indignation. This story reflects Kollonta's proposal that romantic love will come second...
2020-01-3018 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai44 - A.K. 47 - The Loves of Three Generations Part IIIIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee reads the third part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 short story, "The Loves of Three Generations," her most controversial piece of fiction and one that caused her terrible amounts of trouble with her Bolshevik colleagues. This story is written as a letter to Kollontai from a revolutionary comrade who is having personal problems and seeks Kollontai's advice. This colleague wants to know if her own feelings of betrayal and jealousy are remnants of the bourgeois past or whether she is justified in her indignation. This story reflects Kollonta's proposal that romantic love will come second...
2020-01-2418 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai43 - A.K. 47 - The Loves of Three Generations Part IIIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee reads the second part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 short story, "The Loves of Three Generations," her most controversial piece of fiction and one that caused her terrible amounts of trouble with her Bolshevik colleagues. This story is written as a letter to Kollontai from a revolutionary comrade who is having personal problems and seeks Kollontai's advice. This colleague wants to know if her own feelings of betrayal and jealousy are remnants of the bourgeois past or whether she is justified in her indignation. This story reflects Kollonta's proposal that romantic love will come second...
2020-01-0718 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai42 - A.K. 47 - The Loves of Three Generations Part IIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee reads the first part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 short story, "The Loves of Three Generations," her most controversial piece of fiction and one that caused her terrible amounts of trouble with her Bolshevik colleagues. This story is written as a letter to Kollontai from a revolutionary comrade who is having personal problems and seeks Kollontai's advice. This colleague wants to know if her own feelings of betrayal and jealousy are remnants of the bourgeois past or whether she is justified in her indignation. This story reflects Kollonta's proposal that romantic love will come second...
2019-12-2517 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai41 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - A Conversation about Kollontai with Angelina EimannsbergerIn this bonus episode, Kristen Ghodsee speaks once again with Angelina Eimannsberger, a doctoral student in Comparative Literature at the University of Pennsylvania, about Alexandra Kollontai and the usefulness of her theories today, particularly with regard to popular culture. Mentioned in this episode are Reese Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine, and the political economy of feminist media today. Also discussed is Kollontai's hierarchy of life priorities for what she calls the "New Woman." First should come some form of meaningful work for the collective progress of society. Second should come friendships, and only third should come love and romance...
2019-12-1317 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai39 - A.K. 47 - Theses on Communist Morality in the Sphere of Marital Relations IIIKristen R. Ghodsee reads and discusses part three of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "Theses on Communist Morality in the Sphere of Marital Relations." This essay is a precursor to "Make Way for Winged Eros" where Kollontai develops her Marxist understanding of marriage and the family as being part of the ideological superstructure, which is determined by the base of economic relations. Kollontai argues that the demise of capitalism will usher forth new definitions of the family. She argues that the end of capitalist economic relations will mean an end to the present definition of the family, but will produce a...
2019-11-1816 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai35 - A.K. 47 - Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman - Discussion IIn this episode, Kristen Ghodsee discusses the title and content of Alexandra Kollontai's 1926 book, The Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman, with her 17-year-old daughter. Particularly salient is the question of trolls and haters in politics, and whether having a lot of critics actually amplifies one's message.This memoir was written as Kollontai began her diplomatic career when she was 54-years-old and a veteran of the revolution. Lenin was already dead, Stalin was seizing power, and Kollontai was reflecting on the achievements of her life thus far. The initial publication of the memoir was heavily censored...
2019-10-2017 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai34 - A.K. 47 - Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman VIIIn this seventh episode of Season Two, Kristen Ghodsee reads the final section of Alexandra Kollontai's 1926 memoir: The Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman.  In this portion of the memoir, Kollontai speaks about her work during and after the Civil War and the beginning of her diplomatic career in Norway. Once again, her ideas on love and sexuality fall afoul of her party comrades and she struggles against the conservatism of Russian society. This memoir was written as Kollontai began her diplomatic career when she was 54-years-old and a veteran of the revolution. Lenin was already de...
2019-10-1116 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai33 - A.K. 47 - Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman VIIn this sixth episode of Season Two, Kristen Ghodsee reads Part VI of Alexandra Kollontai's 1926 memoir: The Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman.  In this portion of the memoir, Kollontai speaks about her work as Commissar of Social Welfare during the early years of the Soviet regime. She again mentions the many attacks against her: the threatening letters and all of the vitriol she dealt with as the only woman in the government. This memoir was written as Kollontai began her diplomatic career when she was 54-years-old and a veteran of the revolution. Lenin was already de...
2019-10-0516 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai32 - A.K. 47 - Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman VIn this fifth episode of Season Two, Kristen Ghodsee reads Part V of Alexandra Kollontai's 1926 memoir: The Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman.  In this portion of the memoir, Kollontai speaks about her work in New York and her return to Russia in March 1917. She also discusses getting trolled by the newspapers in St. Petersburg and the many insults and indignities she suffered as a prominent Bolshevik woman, which attests to the fact that the masses have always despised women in positions of power.This memoir was written as Kollontai began her diplomatic career when she w...
2019-09-2816 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai31 - A.K. 47 - Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman Part IVIn this fourth episode of Season Two, Kristen Ghodsee reads Part IV of Alexandra Kollontai's 1926 memoir: The Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman.  In this portion of the memoir, Kollontai speaks about her time in exile in Western Europe, going to jail in Sweden, lecturing in America, and joining the Bolsheviks in 1915. She also has a short aside on her own love life and the joys and frustrations of being an independent woman. This memoir was written as Kollontai began her diplomatic career when she was 54-years-old and a veteran of the revolution. Lenin was already de...
2019-09-2016 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai30 - A.K. 47 - Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman Part IIIIn this third episode of Season Two, Kristen Ghodsee reads Part III of Alexandra Kollontai's 1926 memoir: The Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman. This memoir was written as Kollontai began her diplomatic career when she was 54-years-old and a veteran of the revolution. Lenin was already dead, Stalin was seizing power, and Kollontai was reflecting on the achievements of her life thus far. The initial publication of the memoir was heavily censored, particularly the passages where Kollontai speaks about her love life and her history of failed relationships with men. At the time, Kollontai was only the third...
2019-09-1516 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai29 - A.K. 47 - Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman Part IIIn this second episode of Season Two, Kristen Ghodsee reads Part II of Alexandra Kollontai's 1926 memoir: The Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman. This memoir was written as Kollontai began her diplomatic career when she was 54-years-old and a veteran of the revolution. Lenin was already dead, Stalin was seizing power, and Kollontai was reflecting on the achievements of her life thus far. The initial publication of the memoir was heavily censored, particularly the passages where Kollontai speaks about her love life and her history of failed relationships with men. At the time, Kollontai was only the third...
2019-09-0816 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai28 - A.K. 47 - Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman Part IIn this first episode of Season Two, Kristen Ghodsee reads Part I of Alexandra Kollontai's 1926 memoir: The Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated Communist Woman. This memoir was written as Kollontai began her diplomatic career when she was 54-years-old and a veteran of the revolution. Lenin was already dead, Stalin was seizing power, and Kollontai was reflecting on the achievements of her life thus far. The initial publication of the memoir was heavily censored, particularly the passages where Kollontai speaks about her love life and her history of failed relationships with men.  At the time, Kollontai was only the third w...
2019-09-0217 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai27 - A.K. 47 - The Social Basis of the Woman Question Part VIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee's reads the fifth and final part of her selections from Alexandra Kollontai's 1909 book, The Social Basis of the Woman Question. This manuscript was written while Alexandra Kolllontai was in exile from Tsarist Russia and affiliated with the German Social Democratic party. This is a key text in the history of socialist feminism, and is seen by many as a foundational document in distinguishing the "bourgeois feminists" from the socialists. In this essay, Kollontai is clearly a social democrat and an advocate for reformist social democratic politics, although by the end of the essay...
2019-08-1718 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai26 - A.K. 47 - The Social Basis of the Woman Question Part IVIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee's reads the fourth part of her selections from Alexandra Kollontai's 1909 book, The Social Basis of the Woman Question. This manuscript was written while Alexandra Kolllontai was in exile from Tsarist Russia and affiliated with the German Social Democratic party. This is a key text in the history of socialist feminism, and is seen by many as a foundational document in distinguishing the "bourgeois feminists" from the socialists. In this essay, Kollontai is clearly a social democrat and an advocate for reformist social democratic politics, although by the end of the essay she begins...
2019-08-1018 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai24 - A.K. 47 - The Social Basis of the Woman Question: Part IIIIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee's reads the third part of her selections from Alexandra Kollontai's 1909 book, The Social Basis of the Woman Question. This manuscript was written while Alexandra Kolllontai was in exile from Tsarist Russia and affiliated with the German Social Democratic party. This is a key text in the history of socialist feminism, and is seen by many as a foundational document in distinguishing the "bourgeois feminists" from the socialists. In this essay, Kollontai is clearly a social democrat and an advocate for reformist social democratic politics. She only becomes a Bolshevik in 1914, and eventually becomes...
2019-07-0916 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai23 - A.K. 47 - The Social Basis of the Woman Question: Part IIIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee's reads the second part of her selections from Alexandra Kollontai's 1909 book, The Social Basis of the Woman Question. This manuscript was written while Alexandra Kolllontai was in exile from Tsarist Russia and affiliated with the German Social Democratic party. This is a key text in the history of socialist feminism, and is seen by many as a foundational document in distinguishing the "bourgeois feminists" from the socialists. In this essay, Kollontai is clearly a social democrat and an advocate for reformist social democratic politics. She only becomes a Bolshevik in 1914, and eventually becomes...
2019-06-2917 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai22 - A.K. 47 - The Social Basis of the Woman Question: Part IIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee's reads the first part of her selections from Alexandra Kollontai's 1909 book, The Social Basis of the Woman Question. This manuscript was written while Alexandra Kolllontai was in exile from Tsarist Russia and affiliated with the German Social Democratic party. This is a key text in the history of socialist feminism, and is seen by many as a foundational document in distinguishing the "bourgeois feminists" from the socialists. In this essay, Kollontai is clearly a social democrat and an advocate for reformist social democratic politics. She only becomes a Bolshevik in 1914, and eventually becomes...
2019-06-2219 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai20 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Report from the Global Socialist Feminist ConferenceIn this episode, Kristen Ghodsee speaks with Julia Mead about reading and discussing Kollontai at the Global Socialist Feminism symposium at the University of Michigan from June 1-3, 2019. Discussed in this episode is Kollontai's 1909 piece, "The Social Basis of the Woman Question," which will be the subject of a future series of episodes.Mentioned in this podcast are two articles:Kristen Ghodsee and Julia Mead, “Debating Gender in State Socialist Women’s Magazines: The Cases of Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia,” History of Communism in Europe, Vol 8, 2018: 15-34 Kristen Ghodsee and Julia Mead, “What Has Socialis...
2019-06-0815 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai18 - A.K. 47 - Decree on Child WelfareIn this episode, Kristen Ghodsee reads the “Decree on Social Welfare” from January 31, 1918, written by Alexandra Kollontai when she was the Commissar for Social Welfare in the first Bolshevik government. There are quite a few external sources mentioned in this episode and they are detailed below.Biographies of Kollontai in English (please note the alternative spellings of her name, which are an artifact of different traditions of the transliteration of the Cyrillic alphabet into Latin letters.)Barbara Evans Clements, Bolshevik Feminist: The Life of Aleksandra Kollontai, Indiana University Press, 1979Isabel de Palencia, Alexandra Kollontaj: Amba...
2019-05-2516 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai16 - A.K. 47 - Make Way for Winged Eros: Discussion III - Angelina EimannsbergerThis is the third episode in a series of discussions that will feature Kristen R. Ghodsee with various guests reflecting on Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay: "Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth." In this essay, Kollontai works out her theories of how love and sexuality will be superior under socialism as compared to the bourgeois capitalist past.  She provides a Marxist history of love and sex as ideals that change depending on how the ruling class uses them to promote their own economic interests. It is an essential essay in terms of thinking about the intersections of s...
2019-05-1116 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai15 - A.K. 47 - Make Way for Winged Eros: Discussion II - A 17-year-old High School StudentThis is the second episode in a series of discussions that will feature Kristen R. Ghodsee with various guests reflecting on Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay: "Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth." Kristen Ghodsee's guest this week is her 17-year-old daughter who reflects on the relevance of Kollontai to high school life in 2019. In this essay, Kollontai works out her theories of how love and sexuality will be superior under socialism as compared to the bourgeois capitalist past.  She provides a Marxist history of love and sex as ideals that change depending on h...
2019-05-0416 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai14 - A.K. 47 - Make Way for Winged Eros: Discussion I - Elisheva LevyThis is the first episode in a series of discussions that will feature Kristen R. Ghodsee with various guests reflecting on Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay: "Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth." Kristen Ghodsee's guest this week is the artist and Penn School of Design grad student, Elisheva Levy.In this essay, Kollontai works out her theories of how love and sexuality will be superior under socialism as compared to the bourgeois capitalist past.  She provides a Marxist history of love and sex as ideals that change depending on how the ruling class u...
2019-04-2616 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai13 - A.K. 47 - Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth, Part VThis is the fifth episode in a series of episodes that will feature Kristen R. Ghodsee's reading and discussion of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay: "Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth." In this essay, Kollontai works out her theories of how love and sexuality will be superior under socialism as compared to the bourgeois capitalist past.  She provides a Marxist history of love and sex as ideals that change depending on how the ruling class uses them to promote their own economic interests. It is an essential essay in terms of thinking about the intersections of sexuality a...
2019-04-2017 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai12 - A.K. 47 - Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth, Part IVThis is the fourth episode in a series of episodes that will feature Kristen R. Ghodsee's reading and discussion of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay: "Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth." In this essay, Kollontai works out her theories of how love and sexuality will be superior under socialism as compared to the bourgeois capitalist past.  She provides a Marxist history of love and sex as ideals that change depending on how the ruling class uses them to promote their own economic interests. It is an essential essay in terms of thinking about the intersections of sexuality a...
2019-04-1316 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai11 - A.K. 47 - Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth, Part IIIThis is the third episode in a series of episodes that will feature Kristen R. Ghodsee's reading and discussion of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay: "Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth." In this essay, Kollontai works out her theories of how love and sexuality will be superior under socialism as compared to the bourgeois capitalist past.  She provides a Marxist history of love and sex as ideals that change depending on how the ruling class uses them to promote their own economic interests. It is an essential essay in terms of thinking about the intersections of sexuality a...
2019-04-0617 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai10 - A.K. 47 - Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth, Part IIThis is the second episode in a series of episodes that will feature Kristen R. Ghodsee's reading and discussion of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay: "Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth." In this essay, Kollontai works out her theories of how love and sexuality will be superior under socialism as compared to the bourgeois capitalist past.  She provides an essential Marxist history of love and sex as ideals that change depending on how the ruling class uses them to promote their own economic interests. It is an essential essay in terms of thinking about the intersections of s...
2019-03-2716 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai9 - A.K. 47 - Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth, Part IHappy Spring!This is the first episode in a series of episodes that will feature Kristen R. Ghodsee's reading and discussion of Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay: "Make Way for Winged Eros: A Letter to Working Youth." In this essay, Kollontai works out her theories of how love and sexuality will be superior under socialism as compared to the bourgeois capitalist past.  She provides an essential Marxist history of love and sex as ideals that change depending on how the ruling class uses them to promote their own economic interests. It is an essential essay in terms of thinking a...
2019-03-2117 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai7 - A.K. 47 - What Has the October Revolution Done for Women in the West?On the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution in 1927, Alexandra Kollontai published an essay titled, "What Has the October Revolution Done for Women in the West?" In this episode, Kristen Ghodsee reads selections of this essay and reflects on the claim that the Soviet attention to women's emancipation acted as a catalyst for Western countries to grant their own women greater rights and privileges. Mentioned in this episode is Ghodsee's new book, Second World, Second Sex: Socialist Women's Activism and Global Solidarity during the Cold War, 1968-1990, which is just out with Duke University Press. More information...
2019-03-0714 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai6 - A.K. 47 - The Labour of Women in the Evolution of the EconomyIn 1920, the Soviet Union became the first country in the world to legalize abortion.  In this episode, Kristen Ghodsee reads a few paragraphs from Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay: "The Labour of Women in the Evolution of the Economy," and then has a discussion with the feminist poet, Annie Finch (www.anniefinch.com), who is working on a literary anthology of writing about abortion, tentatively titled: A Womb of One's Own.More information about Kristen R. Ghodsee can be found at www.kristenghodsee.comSend us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast h...
2019-03-0616 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai5 - A.K. 47 - Sexual Relations and the Class StruggleIn this episode, Kristen R. Ghodsee reads selections from Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "Sexual Relations and the Class Struggle." Here, Kollontai describes the loneliness people feel when they think of sexual and romantic partners as forms of property to be owned and jealously protected. More information about Kristen R. Ghodsee can be found at www.kristenghodsee.comSend us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the...
2019-02-2014 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai4 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode: A radical conversation with a 17-year-oldIn this episode, Kristen Ghodsee discusses the contemporary relevance of Alexandra Kollontai with her 17-year-old daughter. What does a socialist theorist writing over a century ago have to tell young people today?More information about Kristen R. Ghodsee can be found at www.kristenghodsee.comSend us a textThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon-type account and receives no funding. There are no ads and there is no monetization. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word, share with your...
2019-02-1116 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai3 - A.K. 47 - First International Socialist Women's Conference 1907In this second episode, Kristen Ghodsee takes a moment to introduce herself and to give some background on Alexandra Kollontai. Ghodsee then reads the first section of Kollontai's report from the First International Socialist Women's Conference held in Stuttgart, Germany in 1907. This was an historic meeting of socialist women from across Europe. It was attended by 58 delegates from 14 countries, and Kollontai represented Russia.  The congress of socialist women convened to discuss the issue of universal suffrage for the working class, including women, and the need for a special international movement to agitate among women. Kollontai argued that as long a...
2019-02-0214 minA.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai2 - A.K. 47 - Women's Day 1913In this first episode, Kristen Ghodsee provides and introduction and reads an abridged version of Alexandra Kollontai's 1913 article in Pravda. Published on March 8 (February 23 in Russia), this essay addresses concerns that celebrating an international women's day could be seen as a concession to the "bourgeois feminists."Kristen R. Ghodsee is a Professor of Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic Independence. More information about Kristen R. Ghodsee can be found at www.kristenghodsee.comSend us...
2019-01-3014 min