Shows
Books & BloomsWe Got WetWe are still a couple months in the past - early March 2025! Lee recaps the rest of her Cali vacation. Val is out of breath. How do you feel about baby showers? In the Books section, Lee and Val share their literary turnoffs. SHOW NOTES: You can find a pic of Lee in all her Disney ears and taped glasses glory here. The story of the Alcatraz Indian Occupation is actually fascinating and complicated–and there was more than one phase of the occupation. You can read more about it here...
2025-06-241h 03Books & Blooms Trees Aren't RealLee’s in California, and regales Val and the audience with her travel tales. Somehow, from there, they dig into these deep questions. What makes a tree a tree? What would you do if you could change your sex every year? Also, they make a pact. For the Plants segment, it’s a tree episode! Val and Lee don’t know that much about trees though, so they keep it very short. SHOW NOTES:Here’s a photo of the sculpture “Michael Jackson and Bubbles” by Jeff Koons. The Museum of Jurassic Te...
2025-06-0946 minBooks & BloomsEvery Ass Has Its SeatWelcome to Season 2!! We recorded this back in early February. Pregnant Val rates fast food chicken nuggets. Lee presents a haiku about Punxatawney Phil and a fun fact about Snoop Dogg. In the Books segment, our hosts have a conversation about what books have been “spoiled” for them by bad-acting authors, and discuss the question: Is it possible to hate an author and still love their book? SHOW NOTES: The suffrage episode we referenced is from Val’s old podcast, Research Hole, and lives here. Punxataney Phil tiktok song: https://www.tikto...
2025-05-261h 07Books & BloomsAnnouncing Season 2!!We're starting another season! More nonsense to come. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2025-05-2401 min
Word Balloons and other Nerdage PodcastSelecting our favorite BatmanThe IDR podcast crew discusses favorite portrayals of the live-action Batman in this 2018 archive episode. RIP Val Kilmer, who played Batman/Bruce Wayne in 1995’s “Batman Forever.” Panelists for this episode are Anthony Brown, Kade Poulson, Matt Howlett, Chris Borthick and Matthew Price. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewd2t3s.substack.com
2025-04-0748 minBooks & BloomsNothing or NothingFresh off a cleaning jag, Lee comes in hot with lots of energy and a special segment about floral baby names. That's right, if you are having a baby sometime soon OR if you're just a names/name trends enthusiast, Lee has suggestions for you, plus some names she does NOT suggest. Also: Val has life news and Lee begins a woo-woo journey. In our Plants segment, Val tells a whole story about a 'blackberry bush' that was actually a gooseberry bush. Down with Meat Sweats! SHOW NOTES;Foxgloves are, in fact, poisonous....
2025-02-241h 05Books & BloomsVampires All the Way DownDid you watch the new Nosferatu and wonder how it compares to the original, but didn’t have it in you to sit through a silent movie. The Books and Blooms podcast has you covered! Val watched the original Nosferatu. Lee watched the new movie. They compare and contrast. But first, life updates! Lee has seasonal affective disorder, but she’s finding joy where she can. Val has no heat. Justice for Knock, but only in the original.SHOW NOTES: One pioneer in treating childhood leukemia was Emil J...
2025-02-101h 02Books & BloomsHaunt Me!This quick lil ep of Books and Blooms may brighten your day! Lee has a haiku about her self-improvement kick! Val laments about Tinder! In our Plants segment, Val shares decorating tips: three design-forward houseplants that help to elevate a room. Plus: inept dance teachers, Lee's conflicting football feels, and haunted doll shenanigans.SHOW NOTESVolcano was a 1997 thriller about a volcano in L.A.Here is an article about the volcano under part of Yellowstone. Yoga with AdrieneSee all th...
2025-02-0342 minBooks & BloomsLUFYOJIt is a truth universally acknowledged, that a daughter in possession of no other options, will fuck your enemy’s child. That’s right, we have finished Wuthering Heights, and we wrap up our discussion on the book today! But first: ValVal has lots of theories! LeeLee has trivia about Garfield and another cartoon cat! They discuss the pros and cons of being high in an airport, when to reveal curse words to children, and the new movie Nosferatu. SHOW NOTES:video from this years Pop Tarts bowlterrifying sun (masco...
2025-01-2044 minBooks & BloomsThe Complaints DepartmentThey’re here. Get your sword.Is it a sillier than usual episode? Maybe! Val and Lee discuss an important would you rather regarding turtle shells. Lee suggests a sequel idea for Home Alone, and then the two of them wind up recounting the entire plot of Home Alone. Val waxes poetic about the brilliant picture book I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. In our Plants segment, Val provides tips about how to save your holiday amaryllis. We hope you all are surviving January. SHOW NOTES: Office Christmas Part...
2025-01-1359 minBooks & BloomsThe Backwards EpisodeTwo friends wearing orange hoodies spend a Friday night do their best to wuther the heights, i.e. talk about the first half of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This is the backwards episode because they do that first, THEN they shoot the shit and discuss miscellaneous things like: plains verses mountains, super smellers, and what settings are perfect for horror movies. If you, too, enjoy Wuthering Heights in the same way you enjoy reality TV, you'll vibe with this fun ep. SHOW NOTES: Irish travellers vs. RomaniIn the b...
2025-01-0645 minBooks & BloomsThe Hypochondria EpisodeWarning: if you are highly suggestible about potential illness the way LeeLee and ValVal are, take note! Our dynamic but sometimes fearful duo discuss what fingernail ridges could be a sign of, and also listeria. This episode also includes: Lee’s take on the first ten pages of Wuthering Heights, plus trivia about the word of the year, whale fins, and the arugula plant. You weirdo, Nature!SHOW NOTES:Twilight soundtrackBatman Forever soundtrackRomeo & Juliet soundtrackThe Great Gatsby soundtrackVal could find no...
2024-12-3041 minBooks & BloomsWe WutherJust in time for Christmas, we give you Thanksgiving updates! Lee did Bodypump with her dad, Val sat for an anxious dog, and more. ValVal and LeeLee share how they like to leave a gathering, and explore the question: how do you prepare your friends to leave your gathering when you want them to? In our Books segment, we talk cozy reads, and somehow that leads to us deciding to read Wuthering Heights together. Want to read along? We will discuss our hot takes about the first half of the book in two weeks, and we’ll talk about th...
2024-12-2343 minBooks & BloomsThe Medically Gross EpisodeIt’s also a Plants ep! Lee explains deadheading and updates us on her peace lily's progress. Val shares their thoughts on fake plants, and later, tells a plant story about the importance of greenery. CONTENT WARNING: For some reason, Val and Lee also decide to share gross/medical stories, mostly about poop. But it’s only gross from 36:14 to 42:36 and Val pops in to warn you right before. Other than that! Lee waxes poetic about her new watercolor set and the joy of chain restaurants, specifically Chile’s. Val plans to bake a tart...
2024-12-1655 minBooks & BloomsMega-PieA cold snap started and Val and Lee are not handling it well, judging by their haikus. LeeLee gives us trivia about where the word Triscuit comes from and requests a mapping system for the life cycle of her clothing. Both Val and Lee ponder the pros and cons of having snakes as pets and lose their shit over the very idea of a fresh cookie. Plus, it’s a Books episode! Lee and Val share their thoughts and feelings about The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock. Listen to the full ep to find out what...
2024-12-0955 minBooks & BloomsStop Buying Presidents on TemuThis is the episode where Lee and Val have just found Donald Trump was elected. But even on the darkest days, The Yoke of Capitalism is unavoidable. LeeLee and ValVal buy treats they don’t need, consider buying even more treats, and talk about Christmas lists / gift giving. Brace yourselves for the car mats story. Val’s plant story is about the tradescantia (which they keep incorrectly pronouncing as “transcendentia” for some reason), also known as the wandering dude.SHOW NOTES: Whole Foods asparagus waterHow Fetterman’s “Let them eat crudité”...
2024-12-0244 minBooks & BloomsYaboi, CarlIt’s the episode directly after Halloween! LeeLee and ValVal recap the highlights of their candy-giving. Also, Lee went to a haunted house and met a clown with an evocative name and lots of layers. In the Books segment, Val and Lee discuss their recent and current reads. Plus, they choose the next podcast book!SHOW NOTES: The porn star who shot his Tesla is named Dante Colle.You can’t take a train from Philly to Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe, back when it was called Mauch Chunk, used to be ca...
2024-11-2554 minBooks & BloomsRoombas for NothingValVal and LeeLee hate cleaning. LeeLee got a roomba, but the results weren't great. There’s a lot of trivia in this ep! Does the Philly pretzel really belong to Central PA? Do you know the full “no one likes us” Eagles chant? What ingredient was originally in 7Up? What Vice Presidential candidates can you name from 2000 on? Listen to find out! Also, Lee tells Val about the J.D. Vance couch fucking incident, and Val tells Lee a story about tiny succulents. SHOW NOTES:Beloved Philly chants Pretzels were brought over by the P...
2024-11-1840 minBooks & BloomsThe Babysitters Club Time LoopAs part of our nostalgia books series, Lee and I have an important discussion about The Babysitters Club. But first! We give you a highlights reel of Lee’s Taskmaster-themed 40th birthday. From the babysitters, we learn that Lee does not like script fonts, and socialism pushes its own agenda. SHOW NOTES: Google Belgian malinois to get a sense of Nico’s energy. Revenge bedtime procrastination appears more in people who struggle with self-regulation. (Guilty!)I couldn’t find one website that shows all the handwriting fonts in the Ba...
2024-11-1156 minBooks & BloomsThe One True PodcastIn this special ep, ValVal and LeeLee are together! Talking into one mic! They discuss many topics, including: the pitfalls of naming your daughter Belladonna, health food stores, #BlazerLife, Lee’s fascination with pimple popping and earwax, and whether one dress can be as big news as the swan and meat dresses were. Also, Lee went to a hobbit party. Val’s plant story stars a cashier at a witchy store who was like a riddler: he told Val one true fact about the Brassica oleracea species (which includes a surprising amount of veggies you know) and something very fals...
2024-11-041h 00Books & BloomsZappity HandsWelcome to book club with Val and Lee! But first, dog talk! But before that, haikus about the Vice Presidential Debate! We absolutely loved All the Names They Used for God by Anjali Sachdeva and we had fun talking about her stories. If you also read the book and have any takes you want to share, email us at booksandbloomspod@gmail.com. SHOW NOTES: The Penn State Mascot: The Nittany LionVal was wrong about The Great American Baking Show—there is no cash prize. They just compete like there is o...
2024-10-2853 minBooks & BloomsThe Aspartame BiteLet’s talk about pants, baby. In a new segment called “The Yoke of Capitalism,” Lee waxes poetic about the benefits of skinny jeans, muses about shorter-leg shorts, and wonders what to do with a coffee-stained shirt. Val, a conspiracy theorist about Big Seltzer, shares some dahlia facts and a story about a garden lady named Mary. Lee shares the plan for her 40th birthday. (Hint: It’s inspired by the show Taskmasters.)SHOW NOTES: We now have an email! It’s booksandbloomspod@gmail.com! Send us your thoughts, questions, and stories. What m...
2024-10-2149 minBooks & BloomsLow Threshold for ExcitementLee brings her trivia A game by sharing the lore of Colonel Sanders as well as the real names of many cartoon mascots and characters. Val discusses the benefits of Rita’s, being a creature of habit, and adderall. Which childhood book series harmed us more: Sweet Valley or Goosebumps? We weigh in on this and other important questions in our Books segment. Cool baby name of the week: Esme. SHOW NOTES: The Colonel Sanders wikipedia pageThe real name of Shaggy (who wrote the song It Wasn’t Me): Orville Richard Burrel...
2024-10-1455 minBooks & BloomsMad or FloppyAre you the anchor or the kite? Lee and Val recover from their days by venting a little, arguing about cold plunges, and telling dog stories. They read debate-themed haikus and somehow wind up discussing the American Girl series for awhile. Val tells a story about an early fall flower: the zinnia, which is also the baby name of the week! Lee had to buy a new water heater. RIP her back. SHOW NOTES: The author of the Addy books was Connie Porter. The article Val referred to was a fascinating, thorough piece in...
2024-10-0750 minBooks & BloomsThere’s Nobility in TryingHave you put off a medical appointment for several years? Do you want to learn some manatee facts? Either way, you’ll love our new segment “Calming Manatee.” ValVal and LeeLe complain about the hypocrisy of a particular type of children’s theater and about the way people treat retail workers. Book-wise, Lee shares her cozy fantasy recs and Val introduces the first podcast read: All the Names They Used for God by Anjali Sachdeva. Special guest appearance by Nico the dog! SHOW NOTES: The manatee meme generated several versions of this.Here...
2024-09-3042 minBooks & BloomsCurious HimboWelcome to the Books and Blooms podcast! It’s real loose. LeeLee and ValVal do a little art talk and share their feelings on long-haired dogs, furries, and dog rescue email lists. ValVal shares a Plant Story about a single red rose and a very busy Valentine’s Day. Never say we didn’t do nothing for no one! Episode 1 Show Notes: Jeff Koons: https://jeffkoons.comSad Abe Lincoln: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVJuvGiM1zb/?igsh=MWF3ODF1YjN2c3gzMQ==Dog showr: Tender Wasabi (the winner of the 2021...
2024-09-2353 min
Books & BloomsWelcome!What we are all about! Check back here Monday, September 23rd, 2024 for Episode 1.Background music: Snabba Ladda, Snappy beat, Cheerful feeling! by kjartan_abel – https://freesound.org/s/632406/ -- License: Attribution 4.0. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2024-09-1401 min
Pull Up A Bale PodcastThe Making of Miss VT USA! With Jenna HowlettThis week we are chatting with Royalty!! Join me as I chat with Jenna Howlett, the current Miss Vermont USA, and also the daughter of a dairy farmer! Learn more about the great things she is using her platform to speak to people about as well as how the daughter of a dairy farmer set her goals on the crown. You can follow Jenna at @missvtusa and @jenna.howlett on Instagram and @Miss Vermont USA on Facebook!
This episode is brought to you by Down to Earth Jewelry!
Please, if you like...
2023-12-0644 min
Feel This Uplifting Full Audiobook — Perfect While Cooking.Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes by Ebony Stewart, Val Howlett, Anna Drury, Jonathan Kastin, Mercedes Acosta, Sonia Patel, Marcella Pixley, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, James Bird, Rocky Callen, Alechia Dow, Patrick Downes, Isabel Quintero, Karen Bao, Francisco Stork, Nikki GrimesPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/679302to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes
Author: Ebony Stewart, Val Howlett, Anna Drury, Jonathan Kastin, Mercedes Acosta, Sonia Patel, Marcella Pixley, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, James Bird, Rocky Callen, Alechia Dow, Patrick Downes, Isabel Quintero, Karen Bao, Francisco Stork, Nikki Grimes
Narrator: Tamika Katon-Donegal, Vico Ortiz, Sophie Oda, Merissa Czyz, Ana Osorio, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Priya Ayyar, Maxwell Glick
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 10 hours 52 minutes
Release date: August 15, 2023
Genres: Tough Topics
Publisher's Summary:
Sixteen extraordinary authors subvert mental health stereotypes in this powerful and uplifting mix-genre collection...
2023-08-1510h 52Grab the Top Full Audiobooks in Teen & YA, Tough TopicsAb(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes by Ebony Stewart, Val Howlett, Anna Drury, Jonathan Kastin, Mercedes Acosta, Sonia Patel, Marcella Pixley, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, James Bird, Rocky Callen, Alechia Dow, Patrick Downes, Isabel Quintero, Karen Bao, Francisco Stork, Nikki GrimesPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/679302to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories That Smash Mental Health Stereotypes
Author: Ebony Stewart, Val Howlett, Anna Drury, Jonathan Kastin, Mercedes Acosta, Sonia Patel, Marcella Pixley, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, James Bird, Rocky Callen, Alechia Dow, Patrick Downes, Isabel Quintero, Karen Bao, Francisco Stork, Nikki Grimes
Narrator: Tamika Katon-Donegal, Vico Ortiz, Sophie Oda, Merissa Czyz, Ana Osorio, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Priya Ayyar, Maxwell Glick
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 10 hours 52 minutes
Release date: August 15, 2023
Genres: Tough Topics
Publisher's Summary:
Sixteen extraordinary authors subvert mental health stereotypes in this powerful and uplifting mix-genre collection...
2023-08-1510h 52
Research HoleMan O’War and Sea Creature Facts, with Cory McCarthyWhat a treat! In this episode, author and recovering bluebottle Cory McCarthy joined us to talk about research holes from his latest novel Man O’War, a coming-of-age YA about a trans swimmer growing up near Sea Planet, a marine life theme park in small-town Ohio. I fully expected us to mostly talk about sea creatures, and then we had a heart-to-heart about the nuances of writing queer YA, parallels between growing up trans and animals in captivity, and who coming out is really for (*cough dinosaurs cough*). But don’t worry—there are still sea creature facts! Cory gave us tid...
2022-07-111h 25Research HoleInez Milholland Pt 2: Burning the Candle at Both Ends, with Leah Felicity LucciEvery time we say “pneumatic tubes,” take a drink! I continue telling Leah Felicity Lucci the life story of Inez Milholland, from her unpaid job as a PR symbol for suffrage to her uphill battle to become a lawyer. We contemplate the unimaginable horror of millions of bros, how happy Inez looks on a horse, and the dangers of pushing yourself too hard.
SHOW NOTES:
I could not find anything online to support my claim that women weren’t allowed to practice certain types of criminal law in the 1910s. Sorry about that.
In the 1916 election was Woodrow Wilson, who had al...
2022-07-0456 minResearch HoleInez Milholland, Part One: Beautiful Charmer, New England Woman, Outdoors Pal; with Leah Felicity LucciGather ‘round, kids, for another suffrage story: INEZ! Great friend of the pod Leah Felicity Lucci listens to me go on about historical suffragist Inez Milholland. And because I am long-winded, this is a two-parter. Part One covers Inez’s early life through her college years. We get into the idea of The New Women of the early 1900s—her Gibson Girl style, how she was marketed in the media, and how feminism is always complicated. With bonus detours into pneumatic tubes, historical allyship, and how Leah needs to get herself to England.
SHOW NOTES:
Leah’s Skillshare class: https://www.skil...
2022-06-2754 minResearch HolePT 2: Governance in Fiction, with Shauna Gordon-McKeonWhether you think about it or not, many stories we know are chock full of governance. This is the second part of my chat with writer and programmer Shauna Gordon-McKeon. I enjoyed learning about governance in last week’s episode, but the conversation we had in this episode is my favorite. We get into what inspires us to (or to not) take action, the laziness of dictatorship-topple stories, and the ethics and logistics of writing major and minor characters. I also go off on a tangent about Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut because of course I do. If you ha...
2022-06-2151 minResearch HolePt 1: Governance in History, with Shauna Gordon-McKeonBuckle up, anthropology, history, and political philosophy nerds! It’s a two-parter! Shauna Gordon-McKeon, a writer, programmer, and one of the most brilliant, multifaceted people I know, talks about how two books: The Dawn of Everything and Legal Systems Very Different from Ours, inspired her to think differently about progress and the possibilities of governance. In part one, we learn about: the myth of the evolution of civilization, historical seasonal governance structures, and what political egalitarianism and high school yearbook superlatives have in common.
Books referenced:
The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity, by David Graeber and David We...
2022-06-1359 minResearch HoleThe Annual Reminder, with Rebecca FisherWhen most people think of Philly and history, they think about the Liberty Bell. But there’s a tour company that goes way beyond that. Beyond the Bell Tours offers walking tours of women’s and queer history in Philadelphia. Rebecca Fisher, co-founder and tour guide, joins Research Hole to take us on a Pride-themed journey of the queer community’s fight for civil rights in Philadelphia. It ranges from marches of people wearing respectable suits to civil disobedience with giant witch puppets. We talk about Barbara Gittings, pre- and post-Stonewall actions, and how fights over identity politics are endless. Happy...
2022-06-061h 02
The Creators Outlet PodcastCreators Outlet Episode 216 WereWoofsThe Creators of #WereWoofs #BrandonPerlow #JoanneSellner and very probably #ValWiseGlyph Award Winning and Eisner Award-nominated publisher New Paradigm Studios will be releasing a new YA title this winter (ISBN: 978-1-939516-80-0). New Paradigm is a small press publisher who is best known for its reinterpretation of the classic Sherlock story in Watson and Holmes. Werewoofs is a coming-of-age story masquerading as a mystery and will be available in comic stores, Amazon, and digitally on ComiXology and kindle.Title: WerewoofsDescription:In the small Midwestern town of Howlett, navigating...
2022-01-201h 09Research HoleWIKIPEDIA SPECIAL: The Whaleship Essex, with Joey HowlettTHAR she blows! Welcome to our first “Wikipedia Special,” an episode where someone tells us a story that you could otherwise find by reading one wikipedia page. Today’s page: “Essex (whaleship),” a story that features 300 turtles, a really big whale, and some difficult decisions. Historical figures Captain Pollard, Owen Chase, Michael Joy, and asshole Thomas Chapel make up our cast of characters. A fun activity: keep count of the working whale boats, keep count of the survivors. The wiki page is your built-in content warning - read it first if you have trouble with gross or unsavory material.
SHOW NOTES:
Ou...
2021-11-301h 10Research HoleScurvy, with Jane FlettWriter, cellist, and horror enthusiast Jane Flett joins the show to tell all about the literal and metaphorical grotesqueness of scurvy, rendering Val awed and sometimes speechless. The Age of Exploration was full of it! Vasco da Gama and Captain Cook get referenced, and we learn about the many cures that were attempted by James Lind, from good ideas to very bad ones. We also play a fun game: what wounds would open on your body if you had advanced scurvy? Your body, your meat sack: you gotta keep putting stuff in it. Bonus body horror: A fun fact about...
2021-11-161h 03Research HoleThe Bryn Mawr Scandal of 1904, with Marne LitfinA Minnie, a Mamie, and a Mary walk into a complicated, possibly polyamorous romantic friendship. Writer Marne Litfin lets me tell them a story involving M. Carey Thomas: famous suffragette, early Bryn Mawr College president, and complicated, racist historical figure. Mary Garrett, Mamie Gwinn, Alfred and Jessie Hodder, two ill-fated Olives, and even Gertrude Stein make appearances in this old timey scandal. Stay tuned for more about the Friday evening; I’m not done with them yet!
SHOW NOTES:
This episode is presented to you (and is inspired) by To Believe in Women: What Lesbians Have Done for America by Li...
2021-11-0958 minResearch HoleNative Plants, with Joey Howlett"Can I tell you about one more plant?” could be my catchphrase at this point, but thank god I got someone to listen--my brother Joey! After we chat about the wonders of Wikipedia, I explain how I accidentally bought and subsequently learned about native plants. We get into the whole native plant debate as well as the conversation about whether cultivars of natives really count. I name some of my favorite native plants of the East Coast, and we decide that when it comes down to it, we’re all annuals.
SHOW NOTES:
The wikipedia page for Mary Kay Bergman is i...
2021-11-011h 03Research HoleBel canto singing, with Jamie CaporizoMezzo soprano singer and pastoral musician Jamie Caporizo visits the pod to share something a little different: a research hole she would like to go down, but hasn’t started the research part yet. On the way, she teaches us plenty of other things, including the age when a female’s voice fully matures, what the Bel canto style of singing is, and a little bit about Leider. Take a drink every time Jamie says “another research hole” if you want to get tanked.
SHOW NOTES:
The Singer’s Ego: Finding Balance Between Music and Life is a book by profession...
2021-10-251h 04Research HoleSewing, with Blair ThornburghYA author Blair Thornburgh shares the appeal of her special witchcraft skill / future apocalypse job. Blair explains the challenge of planning for a garment and graces us with her Strong Opinions about historical costuming in movies. We learn the technical meaning of the word “notions,” wax poetic about the magical appeal of fabric before use, and detour into classic children’s books that really show their age. It was really fun, and I could’ve talked with her about sewing for three more hours. Hope you enjoy!
SHOW NOTES:
There’s a great video on youtube called “A Dress Historian Explains the...
2021-10-181h 02Research HoleAccessibility in User Experience Design, with Kristin EverhamKristin Everham, hand-lettering artist and card maker @hensonhandmade, is a programmer in her day job life. Today, Kristin shares some of the research holes she falls down at work. We talk about color wheels, the Element Inspector, and parts of websites you never think about that take programmers months to create.
SHOW NOTES:
The twitter thread about color guidelines can be found here: https://twitter.com/DanHollick/status/1417895151003865090
Here is one of Baymard’s articles about why Quick Shop (or “quick views” as they call it) generally showcase usability issues on a site rather than solve them.
Bigotry Encoded: Racial Bias i...
2021-10-1246 minResearch HoleThe Xuanwu Gate Incident, with Julie LeungChildren’s author extraordinaire Julie Leung shares the fascinating story of her work-in-progress, a middle grade series about a Chinese American girl traveling back in time to various Chinese dynasties. The dynasty Julie focuses on in her first book is the Tang dynasty, and in this episode, Julie tells us the story of Emperor Gaozu’s three sons: Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin, and Li Yuanji, and their fight for the throne. We get into other fascinating aspects of Chinese history, as well as the challenges and surprise revelations of learning your own cultural history as an adult.
SHOW NOTES:
You can...
2021-09-2753 minResearch HoleLife in Elevation, with Maria E. AndreuYA author Maria E. Andreu takes us through her process of imagining an island in the sky for her work-in-progress. We talk a bit about real adaptations living things have developed to live at elevation, but mostly we imagine our way through her excellent thought experiment. Bonus topics: Snowpiercer, yaks, and circus fashion! Then we pivot real hard to the ground and share our best road rage stories.
SHOW NOTES:
I don’t know if this is the exact article Maria read, but BBC.com’s The Reason Zoom Calls Drain Your Energy brings up the mental strain of having to b...
2021-09-2042 minResearch HoleSeason 2! Woohoo!We're back with a (w)hole new season of sidequests, tangents, and trivia! How was your summer?
2021-09-2007 minResearch HoleAn Interview with My Dad, Frank HowlettThe invisible star of the “Something I Learned This Week” segment joins me to help close out Season One. We learn: how he fell down some of his mini-research holes, which temporary Jeopardy host he loved best, and what he really thinks of Millennials. Doing my part to make my Dad slightly more traceable online!
SHOW NOTES:
Not many show notes today because we aren’t doing a specific hole! We mainly rehashed some of the Something I Learned This Week segments from the past season. If you’d like to go back to the original writing on these topics, check out...
2021-06-2936 minResearch HoleThe First Tigers in America, with Carmen Maria MachadoAward-winning author, queer visionary, and Val’s wife Carmen Maria Machado reads us fascinating old-timey articles she found while searching for answer to a seemingly simple question: when was the first tiger brought to America? On this long and winding road, we learn about a very old tiger named Jim, two historical badass 70-year-olds in a fight with a big cat, menagerie hippos with very Irish names, and the “panda-monium” of Washington D.C. in 2004. I promise Tiger King is only referenced once.
SHOW NOTES:
Tigers are known to live roughly 8-10 years in the wild. They can live up to 25...
2021-06-211h 15Research HoleAlleged Murderess Lillian Green, with Leah Felicity Lucci[Episode alt. title: Thank You Sky Daddy.] Val tells the incomplete story of “Allentown’s prettiest widow” who was accused of poisoning her husband with strychnine in 1912. Leah asks hard-hitting questions like, “Has historical rat poison ever killed a single rat?” Old-timey snack johnnie cakes and modern food-adjacent items Diet Coke, Lean Cuisine, and Hemotogen candy also get mentions.
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SHOW NOTES:
Jim Thorpe (full name James Francis Thorpe) was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States. He won two--in classic pentathlon and decathlon. In addition to his Olympic stardom, he was also a major-league baseball p...
2021-06-141h 10Research HoleThe Eugenics Movement and The Hapsburgs, with Leah Felicity LucciIt all comes back to the Hapsburgs! Illustrator and graphic designer Leah Felicity Lucci tells Val about her fascination with the genetic story of the Hapsburg royal family, and how that lead to a research hole about eugenics, racism, and anti-Semitism and inspired her sketchbook project These are Not My Ancestors.
SHOW NOTES:
There is an article in The Atlantic about the layered “erased” writing of monks in the Middle Ages called The Age of Erasable Books. A palimpsest is a word for parchment on which the original writing has been effaced to make room for later writing but of whic...
2021-06-071h 08Research HoleAudubon's Enemies and Frenemies, with Mary Winn HeiderVal talks to author Mary Winn Heider about ornithologist (bird scientist) drama from the early to mid 1800s. We get into the gigging lifestyles of Alexander Wilson and John James Audubon. Charles Lucien Bonaparte, George Ord, and a snooty engraver named Lawson also make appearances.
SHOW NOTES:
[All links below can be found on our website researchholepodcast.com.]
Most of this research hole came from a book I read called A Glorious Enterprise: The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and the Making of American Science by Robert McCracken Peck and Patricia Tyson Stroud.
Wilson’s tome was called American Or...
2021-05-3149 minResearch HoleCadaver labs, with Mary Winn HeiderMiddle grade author Mary Winn Heider talks about her gig as a receptionist at a cadaver lab, and how it turned into the setting for her funny, fictional novel The Mortification of Fovea Munson.
SHOW NOTES:
[All links below can be found on our website researchholepodcast.com.]
Mary Winn Heider’s two books for middle grade readers are The Mortification of Fovea Munson and The Losers at the Center of the Galaxy. You can links to purchase the books on her website: www.marywinnheider.com
Also on her website, she has a great FAQ about cadaver labs that is kid-friendly!
Ex...
2021-05-2447 minResearch HoleGerman Chocolate Cake and Terrapin, with Laurie MorrisonMiddle grade writer Laurie Morrison shares some baked goods-related research holes she found in the process of writing her third novel Saint Ivy. Val makes it weird by talking about some random historical Philadelphia dishes, from terrapin to salad customs to scrapple.
SHOW NOTES:
[All links below can be found on our website researchholepodcast.com.]
Visit the Abrams website for links to all the stores where you can buy Saint Ivy. (I said Bookshop.com in the episode but what I meant was Bookshop.org - it’s a site where a small percentage of your purchase goes to indie bo...
2021-05-1650 minResearch HoleGrover Cleveland Bergdoll, with Rebecca JayRebecca Jay, a Brooklyn-based dancer, performer, writer, and dreamer, is back to hear Val's tale of how she found historical draft dodger and reckless rich dude Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, and why she had to learn his whole life story.
SHOW NOTES:
All links below are published on researchholepodcast.com. Or you can just google!
The Foodie Flamingo by Vanessa Howl - order wherever books are sold.
The Bryn Mawr Horse Show no longer exists, the Devon Horse Show is alive and kicking! Check out their website.
Also still online: the Curbed article on the Bergdoll mansion. Titled: Bergdoll Mansion (aka...
2021-05-101h 26Research HoleSailboats, with Rebecca JaySail Tall Ships!! Rebecca Jay, a Brooklyn-based dancer, performer, writer, and dreamer, joins Val to share how her musical-in-progress, Sailing, lead her down a research hole about the physics of sails and boat metaphors.
SHOW NOTES:
Sail Tall Ships! A Directory of Sail Training and Adventure at Sea by the American Sail Training Association: https://www.amazon.com/Sail-Ships-Directory-Training-Adventure/dp/096364839X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=sail+tall+ships&qid=1617392007&s=books&sr=1-1
Bernoulli’s Principle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inh1LY4T7Vo
Congratulations in Portugese: Parabéns
Rebecca Jay’s instagram: rebecca_jayy, https://www.instagram.com/r...
2021-05-0348 min