One of the fundamental functions of biography is the preservation of stories. But it also acts to resurrect the stories that may have fallen from view, reinvigorating the tales of people who, with the passage of time, have become merely names on plaques. In La Belle Creole:The Cuban Countess Who Captivated Havana, Madrid, and Paris (Chicago Review Press, 201 ... Show More
Mar 1
Maurice Rafael Magaña, "Cartographies of Youth Resistance: Hip-Hop, Punk, and Urban Autonomy in Mexico" (U California Press, 2020)
In Cartographies of Youth Resistance: Hip-Hop, Punk, and Urban Autonomy in Mexico (U California Press, 2020), based on a decade of ethnographic fieldwork, Maurice Magaña considers how urban and migrant youth in Oaxaca embrace subcultures from hip-hop to punk and adopt creative or ... Show More
1h 4m
Feb 22
Lillian Guerra, "Patriots and Traitors in Revolutionary Cuba, 1961-1981" (U Pittsburgh Press, 2023)
Authorities in postrevolutionary Cuba worked to establish a binary society in which citizens were either patriots or traitors. This all-or-nothing approach reflected in the familiar slogan “patria o muerte” (fatherland or death) has recently been challenged in protests that have ... Show More
1h 35m
Feb 18
Darién J. Davis, "'Black Orpheus' and the Globalization of Afro-Brazilian Culture" (Rutgers UP, 2026)
“Black Orpheus” and the Globalization of Afro-Brazilian Culture (Rutgers UP, 2026) is the first historical study in English to examine the development, production, and reception of the 1958 film Black Orpheus and its legacy in the 1960s and 1970s. It focuses on the making of the ... Show More
55m 42s
Jul 2023
Vivian Nun Halloran, "Caribbean American Narratives of Belonging" (Ohio State UP, 2023)
In Caribbean American Narratives of Belonging (Ohio State University Press, 2023), Vivian Nun Halloran analyzes memoirs, picture books, comic books, young adult novels, musicals, and television shows through which Caribbean Americans recount and celebrate their contributions to c ... Show More
1h 20m
May 2023
Ragers: Henriette Caillaux
Henriette Caillaux (1874-1943) caused chaos on the French political scene when she shot and killed Gaston Calmette, editor of the newspaper Le Figaro. This month, we’re highlighting Ragers: women who used their anger— often righteous, though not always— to accomplish extraordinar ... Show More
6m 7s
Jun 2024
Liz Oliva Fernández
<p><span style="color: #000000;">For the past six years on this show, we've talked to working people from across the United States, from virtually every walk of life, about their lives, jobs, dreams, and struggles. But today, we're going to talk about what it's like to live and w ... Show More
1h 23m
Aug 2023
Folk Heroes: Leonarda Emilia
Leonarda Emilia (c. 1860s) was one of Mexico’s most daring bandits. Riding bareback and cloaked in men’s clothes, she used a pistol and machete to steal from passing travelers, and then redistribute the wealth to the poor. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose ... Show More
5m 46s
Aug 2023
Folk Heroes: Maria Bonita
Maria Bonita (c. 1900 - 1938) was a legendary Brazilian outlaw. This month, we're talking about Folk Heroes. People whose lives and stories took on mythic proportions. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wonder ... Show More
6m 12s
Aug 2023
Folk Heroes: Mother Shipton (Ursula Southeil)
Ursula Southeil (c. 1488-1561), better known as “Mother Shipton,” was an English prophetess and seeress known for her predictions about the future. In the decades following her death, Ursula’s own life became the source of speculation and rumor. She was called Devil’s spawn, a wi ... Show More
5m 38s