Castuner

Let Genius Burn

Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller

Louisa May Alcott may be best known for the beloved book Little Women, but her story doesn’t begin or end with her famous novel. On Let Genius Burn, we separate the layers of Louisa’s life to learn more about who she really was--and all the ways her legacy continues to resonate today. We’ll explore the traumatic year of her childhood spent in an experimental utopian community, her service as a Civil War nurse, her final years of wealth and celebrity as a children’s author--and more intimate details and little-known stories of Louisa’s life. Instead of a retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s biography, each episode in the 8-part series examines Louisa's life through a different lens--Louisa as a celebrity, writer, activist, daughter, and more-- highlighting her complexity as a person, woman, and historical figure. Ahead of her time, Louisa railed against the limitations of her gender and fought for women’s suffrage. She craved literary greatness, but was weighed down by the financial need

Podcast website

Listen in your app

Episodes

42 episodes

  1. Alcott by the Book 40:47
  2. Alcott On the Page 1:51:34
  3. Alcott on the Stage 1:33:47
  4. Little Women In Love 1:05:46
  5. Alcott in the World 1:07:51
  6. Alcotts in Paradise 1:43:55
  7. Louisa and Abolition 45:58
  8. Alcott for the Future 1:10:46
  9. Concord in Context 1:08:38
  10. Alcott & Ecotherapy 1:04:38
  11. Louisa and Lydia 1:26:53
  12. Little Women Reimagined 1:08:18
  13. Alcott in Our Own Time 1:12:13
  14. Little Women Holiday Bonus Episode 1:15:23
  15. Alcott as Ecofeminist 1:21:47
  16. Alcott in the Archives 1:11:08
  17. Louisa and Laurie 1:02:39
  18. Alcott and Identity 1:07:40
  19. Alcott and Sex Education 1:23:29
  20. Alcott in the City 46:11
  21. A Concord Conversation 46:01
  22. The Fruitlands Effect 55:41
  23. Concord Sketches 49:06
  24. Louisa Revisited 50:33
  25. Louisa as Inspiration: Conversation with Biographer John Matteson 1:05:12
  26. Little Women in Letters: Conversation with Barbara Heller, Editor of Little Women 44:43
  27. Louisa Through the Ages: Conversation with Daniel Shealy 1:01:40
  28. Louisa in Style: Conversation with Lauren Stern about May Alcott Nieriker and Historical Dress 58:07
  29. Louisa and Maud: Conversation with Stef and Jen, Co-Creators of Maud: Books, Babes, and Barbiturates 47:04
  30. Louisa in Threads: Conversation with Fruitlands Artist-in-Residence Leslie Schomp 51:29
  31. Louisa Into Life: Interview with Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House 46:07
  32. Bonus Episode: Selected Passages 1:05:41
  33. Louisa as Legacy 59:08
  34. Louisa as Woman 53:37
  35. Louisa as Celebrity 52:48
  36. Louisa as Activist 49:33
  37. Louisa as Scribbler 52:30
  38. Louisa at Work 45:09
  39. Louisa as Sister 54:08
  40. Louisa as Daughter 51:31
  41. Louisa May Alcott: An Introduction 31:14
  42. Trailer: Let Genius Burn 2:17