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When Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote an exposé of Lord Byron's incestuous affair in 1869, it nearly destroyed The Atlantic Monthly, and threw the reputations of two literary icons into chaos. This is a story about 18th ... Show More
Nov 19
How Protein Muscled Its Way to the Top
Americans are currently besotted with protein. It’s touted as being good for muscle growth, weight loss, skincare, mental acuity, longevity, and much else besides. It’s sold to men, women, children, the elderly— you can even buy protein for your pets. The protein supplement marke ... Show More
44m 50s
Nov 12
The Slate Culture Gift Guide
Hark, the holiday season is upon us—and with it the most solemn of festive traditions: a gift guide! In this video and podcast special, Slate hosts Dana Stevens, Chris Molanphy, and Willa Paskin beam-in from their collective hearths to deliver unto the internet their favorite gif ... Show More
49m 44s
Nov 5
Cozy Autumn Mysteries
Autumn may have more cozy signifiers than any other season—though we all have our own favorites. Maybe for you it’s sweater weather, football games, spooky season, apple picking, leaf peeping, or mainlining candy corn. Whatever it is, in today’s episode we’re looking closely at t ... Show More
55m 1s
Mar 2023
Lord Byron: Incest, Adultery & Daddy Issues
<p>How debaucherous do you have to be to be remembered as the original <em>bad boy</em>? How mad, bad and dangerous to know was Lord Byron? And how much of it did he get from his family?</p><br><p>For this episode, Kate is joined by Emily Brand, the author of ‘The Fall of the Hou ... Show More
47m 14s
May 2022
The Invisible Thread: Life after Slavery in Pompeii (With Elodie Harper)
What happened to people in ancient Rome who were freed from slavery? Turns out there were still invisible threads--economic pressures, imbalances of status, and debts owed to wealthy patrons--that kept many of them in bondage. On the streets of Pompeii, freedom came at a steep pr ... Show More
1h 2m
Oct 2022
452 Charles and Mary Lamb | A Letter To My Transgender Daughter (with Carolyn Hays)
In this episode, Jacke takes a look at two topics. First, the story of Charles and Mary Lamb, whose children's book Tales from Shakespeare (1807) was published more than two hundred years ago and has never been out of print. Part of the literary circle that included Romantic-era ... Show More
59m 50s
Apr 2024
441. Lord Byron: Scandal, Sex and Celebrity (Part 2)
By 1809, Lord Byron found himself untethered and debt-ridden. Disenchanted with politics, frustrated by his literary career and haunted by his illicit homosexuality, he abandoned an oppressive England and set out upon his legendary Eastern adventure. First plunging into a Europe ... Show More
58m 10s