Let Genius Burn Sat, 07 Mar 2026 21:09:15 -0500 https://www.letgeniusburn.com en-us © 2026 Let Genius Burn yes bf5b56a7-7200-5330-8f05-c4545c86e00e Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller serial false 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 needs of her family. Through writing scandalous Gothic thrillers, she found a way to voice her own inner turmoil. In the end, she achieved extraordinary financial success, but creative fulfillment remained elusive.We’ll examine all of this and more on Let Genius Burn. Find more on Instagram and Facebook @letgeniusburn or at letgeniusburn.com. 

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) History, Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, Biography, Women Writers, Writing, Victorian, Authors Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller https://storage.buzzsprout.com/ammrwob5sg686ttrdjimqm0d8btm?.jpg Let Genius Burn https://www.letgeniusburn.com Alcotts in Paradise Alcotts in Paradise In 1843, the Alcott family spent about nine months on a farm in central Massachusetts, a utopian experiment they called Fruitlands. The failure of this project marked a turning point in their lives as a family.

Louisa May Alcott memorialized this experience in a short story called "Transcendental Wild Oats," which was originally published in the New York newspaper The Independent in 1873. The short story was heavily satirical and, though fictionalized, was clearly based on the events of her life.

Edward Rowett, a writer based in Oxford, England has adapted "Transcendental Wild Oats" into an audio drama for BBC Radio 4, released this week. His play, which imagines Louisa May Alcott's early drafts of the story, is a recounting of the events of Fruitlands from the perspective of Louisa herself.

Edward Rowett takes us behind-the-scenes to discuss how the play was researched, written and recorded. We hear about the workings of a professional radio production, and how Rowett brought the Alcotts to life through his story.

To get the most from this episode, we recommend you either reread Transcendental Wild Oats, which is widely available in the public domain, or listen to Rowett’s audio drama, which is available to listeners in the UK on bbc.com. Listeners outside the UK should reach out to letgeniusburn@gmail.com for listening options.

Credits for Transcendental Wild Oats:

Dramatised by Edward Rowett
Original Story by Louisa May Alcott
Directed by Gordon Kennedy and Edward Rowett

Cast:
Louisa May Alcott and Louy Alcott - Louisa Harland
Bronson Alcott - Alistair Petrie
Abigail Alcott - Rebekah Staton
Charles Lane - Mathew Baynton

Christopher Godwin as Joseph Palmer
Tom Moores as Samuel Bower
Edward Rowett as Abraham Wood
Patricia Rodriguez as Ann Page
Jason Barnett as Ralph Waldo Emerson
Victoria Rigby as Anna Alcott

Production Manager - Sarah Tombling
Studio Engineer, Sound Design and Editing - Wilfredo Acosta
Produced by Gordon Kennedy
Recorded at The Soundhouse Studios, London

An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4

]]> In 1843, the Alcott family spent about nine months on a farm in central Massachusetts, a utopian experiment they called Fruitlands. The failure of this project marked a turning point in their lives as a family.

Louisa May Alcott memorialized this experience in a short story called "Transcendental Wild Oats," which was originally published in the New York newspaper The Independent in 1873. The short story was heavily satirical and, though fictionalized, was clearly based on the events of her life.

Edward Rowett, a writer based in Oxford, England has adapted "Transcendental Wild Oats" into an audio drama for BBC Radio 4, released this week. His play, which imagines Louisa May Alcott's early drafts of the story, is a recounting of the events of Fruitlands from the perspective of Louisa herself.

Edward Rowett takes us behind-the-scenes to discuss how the play was researched, written and recorded. We hear about the workings of a professional radio production, and how Rowett brought the Alcotts to life through his story.

To get the most from this episode, we recommend you either reread Transcendental Wild Oats, which is widely available in the public domain, or listen to Rowett’s audio drama, which is available to listeners in the UK on bbc.com. Listeners outside the UK should reach out to letgeniusburn@gmail.com for listening options.

Credits for Transcendental Wild Oats:

Dramatised by Edward Rowett
Original Story by Louisa May Alcott
Directed by Gordon Kennedy and Edward Rowett

Cast:
Louisa May Alcott and Louy Alcott - Louisa Harland
Bronson Alcott - Alistair Petrie
Abigail Alcott - Rebekah Staton
Charles Lane - Mathew Baynton

Christopher Godwin as Joseph Palmer
Tom Moores as Samuel Bower
Edward Rowett as Abraham Wood
Patricia Rodriguez as Ann Page
Jason Barnett as Ralph Waldo Emerson
Victoria Rigby as Anna Alcott

Production Manager - Sarah Tombling
Studio Engineer, Sound Design and Editing - Wilfredo Acosta
Produced by Gordon Kennedy
Recorded at The Soundhouse Studios, London

An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4

]]> Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-18643116 Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500 6235 Louisa May Alcott, Transcendentalism, Bronson Alcott, Abigail Alcott, Fruitlands, utopian experiments, utopia, radio drama, audio drama, radio adaptations, interview, little women, jo march 4 8 bonus false Louisa and Abolition Louisa and Abolition Join us as we explore Louisa May Alcott in the broader context of Concord’s abolitionist movement, including her family’s activism, her interaction with fellow abolitionists, and the importance of Black abolitionist women in shaping the cause that she so passionately devoted herself to.

History 160: Abolitionist Women and Their Worlds is a seminar course made up of Harvard University undergraduates and taught by Professor Tiya Miles and Teaching Fellow Ciara Williams. After reading works by abolitionist women of many different racial and geographic backgrounds, students in the course set out to create a podcast that centers on positioning Louisa May Alcott’s abolitionist work in this broader context. Engaging in thorough primary and secondary source research, students worked together to create a historical narrative of Alcott’s relationship with the abolitionist movement in Concord and beyond while also centering the importance of women such as Maria Stewart, Susan and Ellen Garrison, and other members of the Concord Female Anti-Slavery Society. Through establishing these connections, we hope that this episode will provide an understanding of how Louisa’s activism was distinctly shaped by her historical and geographic contexts.


Professor Tiya Miles
Teaching Fellow, Ciara Williams
Ike Opayemi
Henry Santamaria
Kylan Benson
Sophia Liao
Kawsar Yasin
Tatum Mueller
Jubi Oladipo
Sa’maia Evans
Jade Stanford
Dulce Gonzalez Arias
Debora Ortega-Maldonado
Gabriela Vasquez Rosado
Tosin A.
Yasmeen Khan

This project was made possible by the generous support of the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute, especially Patrice Green, Curator for African American and African Diasporic Collections and Tamar Brown, Head of Education and Outreach. We’d also like to thank the museum staff at Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House and The Robbins House in Concord, MA as well as the museum staff at the Museum of African American History in Boston. Finally, we extend our thanks to the Department of History, the Mindich Program in Engaged Scholarship, and the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University.

For a complete list of sources, visit letgeniusburn.com

]]> Join us as we explore Louisa May Alcott in the broader context of Concord’s abolitionist movement, including her family’s activism, her interaction with fellow abolitionists, and the importance of Black abolitionist women in shaping the cause that she so passionately devoted herself to.

History 160: Abolitionist Women and Their Worlds is a seminar course made up of Harvard University undergraduates and taught by Professor Tiya Miles and Teaching Fellow Ciara Williams. After reading works by abolitionist women of many different racial and geographic backgrounds, students in the course set out to create a podcast that centers on positioning Louisa May Alcott’s abolitionist work in this broader context. Engaging in thorough primary and secondary source research, students worked together to create a historical narrative of Alcott’s relationship with the abolitionist movement in Concord and beyond while also centering the importance of women such as Maria Stewart, Susan and Ellen Garrison, and other members of the Concord Female Anti-Slavery Society. Through establishing these connections, we hope that this episode will provide an understanding of how Louisa’s activism was distinctly shaped by her historical and geographic contexts.


Professor Tiya Miles
Teaching Fellow, Ciara Williams
Ike Opayemi
Henry Santamaria
Kylan Benson
Sophia Liao
Kawsar Yasin
Tatum Mueller
Jubi Oladipo
Sa’maia Evans
Jade Stanford
Dulce Gonzalez Arias
Debora Ortega-Maldonado
Gabriela Vasquez Rosado
Tosin A.
Yasmeen Khan

This project was made possible by the generous support of the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute, especially Patrice Green, Curator for African American and African Diasporic Collections and Tamar Brown, Head of Education and Outreach. We’d also like to thank the museum staff at Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House and The Robbins House in Concord, MA as well as the museum staff at the Museum of African American History in Boston. Finally, we extend our thanks to the Department of History, the Mindich Program in Engaged Scholarship, and the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University.

For a complete list of sources, visit letgeniusburn.com

]]> Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-18572261 Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500 2758 louisa may alcott, abolitionism, underground railroad, harvard university, public history, little women, feminism, history, women's history, concord, thoreau, emerson 4 7 bonus false Alcott for the Future Alcott for the Future For over twenty years, the Louisa May Alcott Society has brought together Alcott scholars from around the world to discuss the work and relevance of Louisa May Alcott’s writing. The Society hosts panels and events at literature conferences and has been the center of Alcott study and scholarship, where ideas about her life and work are nurtured and grown.


In this episode, we are joined by former and current Presidents of the Louisa May Alcott Society: Anne Phillips, Gregory Eiselen, and Marlowe Daly-Galeano, who will share with us the many ways in which the Louisa May Alcott Society preserves and promotes Alcott scholarship.


Anne Phillips is Professor of English at Kansas State University. One of the founding members of the Alcott Society, she has served as Secretary and President of the organization. Along the way, with cherished colleagues, she has edited multiple books and special issues of journals devoted to the work and life of Louisa May Alcott. A highlight of her Alcott service was the opportunity during the Society's 10th anniversary to knock on the front door of Orchard House, be welcomed in by Louisa herself (Jan Turnquist), and take "Louisa's" guided tour of the Alcott home.


Greg Eiselein is Professor of English and University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Kansas State University, where he also serves as the Director of the Program in Cultural Studies. The author or editor of seven books, his research focuses on nineteenth-century U.S. literature and culture. He currently serves as Past President of the Louisa May Alcott Society.


Marlowe Daly-Galeano is the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Lewis Clark State College. She also teaches American literature, writing, and interdisciplinary classes and serves as the faculty advisor for the Ambassador Honor Society. Her research interests include 19th-century American literature, inclusive pedagogy, book and print history, and the Alcott family. She is the current president of the Louisa May Alcott Society.

]]> For over twenty years, the Louisa May Alcott Society has brought together Alcott scholars from around the world to discuss the work and relevance of Louisa May Alcott’s writing. The Society hosts panels and events at literature conferences and has been the center of Alcott study and scholarship, where ideas about her life and work are nurtured and grown.


In this episode, we are joined by former and current Presidents of the Louisa May Alcott Society: Anne Phillips, Gregory Eiselen, and Marlowe Daly-Galeano, who will share with us the many ways in which the Louisa May Alcott Society preserves and promotes Alcott scholarship.


Anne Phillips is Professor of English at Kansas State University. One of the founding members of the Alcott Society, she has served as Secretary and President of the organization. Along the way, with cherished colleagues, she has edited multiple books and special issues of journals devoted to the work and life of Louisa May Alcott. A highlight of her Alcott service was the opportunity during the Society's 10th anniversary to knock on the front door of Orchard House, be welcomed in by Louisa herself (Jan Turnquist), and take "Louisa's" guided tour of the Alcott home.


Greg Eiselein is Professor of English and University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Kansas State University, where he also serves as the Director of the Program in Cultural Studies. The author or editor of seven books, his research focuses on nineteenth-century U.S. literature and culture. He currently serves as Past President of the Louisa May Alcott Society.


Marlowe Daly-Galeano is the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Lewis Clark State College. She also teaches American literature, writing, and interdisciplinary classes and serves as the faculty advisor for the Ambassador Honor Society. Her research interests include 19th-century American literature, inclusive pedagogy, book and print history, and the Alcott family. She is the current president of the Louisa May Alcott Society.

]]> https://letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-18208270 Mon, 17 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500 4246 louisa may alcott, little women, feminism, history, women's history, concord, thoreau, emerson, nature writing 4 6 full false Concord in Context Concord in Context In today’s episode, we welcome Jen Turner, the Executive Director of the Robbins House Museum in Concord, Massachusetts. This historical house museum, situated today at the Minuteman National Park, is the hub of Concord’s African-American history. Through our conversation with Jen, we expand our understanding of Concord’s past and the experience of slavery survivors and free Black people who were part of the Alcotts’ world.

The Robbins House is a Concord-based nonprofit organization focused on raising awareness of Concord’s African, African American, and antislavery history from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Their mission is to reveal the little known African American history of Concord and its regional and national importance. Their vision is to inspire conversation, expand understanding and contribute to a better society.

Jen takes us on a deep dive into the lives of the family who owned this house and the work the museum does to remember them, giving us a richer, more complete picture of the Concord that the Alcotts knew.


Learn more:

https://www.robbinshouse.org/

Give:

https://www.robbinshouse.org/donate/

]]> In today’s episode, we welcome Jen Turner, the Executive Director of the Robbins House Museum in Concord, Massachusetts. This historical house museum, situated today at the Minuteman National Park, is the hub of Concord’s African-American history. Through our conversation with Jen, we expand our understanding of Concord’s past and the experience of slavery survivors and free Black people who were part of the Alcotts’ world.

The Robbins House is a Concord-based nonprofit organization focused on raising awareness of Concord’s African, African American, and antislavery history from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Their mission is to reveal the little known African American history of Concord and its regional and national importance. Their vision is to inspire conversation, expand understanding and contribute to a better society.

Jen takes us on a deep dive into the lives of the family who owned this house and the work the museum does to remember them, giving us a richer, more complete picture of the Concord that the Alcotts knew.


Learn more:

https://www.robbinshouse.org/

Give:

https://www.robbinshouse.org/donate/

]]> https://letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-18160316 Tue, 11 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500 4118 louisa may alcott, little women, feminism, history, women's history, concord, thoreau, emerson, nature writing 4 5 full false Alcott & Ecotherapy Alcott & Ecotherapy Through Alcott’s upbringing amidst the Transcendentalists, ideas about the healing power of nature found their way into her life and her written work. Much of what humans have long known about the connection to nature is now being grounded in scientific research. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Heidi Lawrence, a scholar who studies the intersections of children’s literature with ecopsychology and ecotherapy. 

Dr. Lawrence considers the ways in which such readings allow audiences to re-imagine their connections to the nonhuman world, leading to increased well-being. She has a monograph with Routledge on Madeleine L’Engle and ecopsychology, as well as articles and a book chapter on L.M. Montgomery and a book chapter on Louisa May Alcott. She holds a PhD in English Literature from University of Glasgow, MA degrees in English from Brigham Young University and Medieval Studies from University of Leeds and an MPhil in English Literature from University of York. She works at Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah).

We were first introduced to Heidi’s writing and research when we served on a panel with her at the Thoreau Society Gathering with her in 2023. In today’s episode, we get to take a closer look at the ways in which ecotherapy shows up in many of Alcott’s writings, and in particular her juvenile novels.

In this episode, we focus on Heidi's book chapter: "Cozy Corners" and "Pebbly Beaches": Resolving Emotional Distress Through Nature Connectedness in Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, and Jack and Jill. If you haven't yet had a chance to read beyond Little Women, you'll be inspired by these references to Alcott's lesser-known works, which feature lovable characters and memorable scenes.

Find Heidi's book chapter here:

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-80537-0_9



]]> Through Alcott’s upbringing amidst the Transcendentalists, ideas about the healing power of nature found their way into her life and her written work. Much of what humans have long known about the connection to nature is now being grounded in scientific research. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Heidi Lawrence, a scholar who studies the intersections of children’s literature with ecopsychology and ecotherapy. 

Dr. Lawrence considers the ways in which such readings allow audiences to re-imagine their connections to the nonhuman world, leading to increased well-being. She has a monograph with Routledge on Madeleine L’Engle and ecopsychology, as well as articles and a book chapter on L.M. Montgomery and a book chapter on Louisa May Alcott. She holds a PhD in English Literature from University of Glasgow, MA degrees in English from Brigham Young University and Medieval Studies from University of Leeds and an MPhil in English Literature from University of York. She works at Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah).

We were first introduced to Heidi’s writing and research when we served on a panel with her at the Thoreau Society Gathering with her in 2023. In today’s episode, we get to take a closer look at the ways in which ecotherapy shows up in many of Alcott’s writings, and in particular her juvenile novels.

In this episode, we focus on Heidi's book chapter: "Cozy Corners" and "Pebbly Beaches": Resolving Emotional Distress Through Nature Connectedness in Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, and Jack and Jill. If you haven't yet had a chance to read beyond Little Women, you'll be inspired by these references to Alcott's lesser-known works, which feature lovable characters and memorable scenes.

Find Heidi's book chapter here:

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-80537-0_9



]]> https://letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-18128574 Tue, 04 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500 3878 louisa may alcott, little women, feminism, history, women's history, concord, thoreau, emerson, nature writing 4 4 full false Louisa and Lydia Louisa and Lydia Lydia Olsson (1874-1958) was the daughter of Swedish immigrants, born in Kansas in the late nineteenth century. She moved to Illinois and attended Augustana College, where she kept diaries the documented her experience as a young woman coming of age in an exciting time, one where education and access was opening to women.

During this time, Olsson turned to one book in particular for comfort and direction: Little Women. As she navigated relationships, college, friendship, sisterhood, grief, she saw her own experiences reflected in Alcott's seminal work. Today, we can read Lydia's diaries as a time capsule of the 1890s, but we also see they have extraordinary resonance with our own experience as readers of Little Women.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Lydia Olsson's relationship to Little Women and Louisa May Alcott and the passages she chose to capture in her diaries
  • How Little Women played a role in one immigrant-family's experience of assimilating into American culture and understanding what it meant to be American in the late 19th century
  • Marriage, spinsterhood, queerness, female friendships, and emotional fulfillment in relationships, and how these were evolving and changing in Lydia's time
  • The power of fiction in the lives of women across centuries

More about Rebecca: https://rebeccahopman.com/

More about Lydia: https://lydiaolsson.wordpress.com/

Rebecca Hopman is an archivist and historian who specializes in women’s history and life writing, American culture, and the history of entertainment. Currently, she serves as the Genealogy Services Librarian at the Wisconsin Historical Society, where she helps people discover their family stories. Prior to her work as a genealogy librarian, she specialized in topics as varied as the history of physics (at the American Institute of Physics); the art, science, and technology of glass (at the Corning Museum of Glass); and the groundbreaking career of Barbara Walters (at Sarah Lawrence College). She has a BA in History, English, and German from Augustana College (IL), an MLIS in Archives & Records Management from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an MA in Women’s History from Sarah Lawrence College.

]]> Lydia Olsson (1874-1958) was the daughter of Swedish immigrants, born in Kansas in the late nineteenth century. She moved to Illinois and attended Augustana College, where she kept diaries the documented her experience as a young woman coming of age in an exciting time, one where education and access was opening to women.

During this time, Olsson turned to one book in particular for comfort and direction: Little Women. As she navigated relationships, college, friendship, sisterhood, grief, she saw her own experiences reflected in Alcott's seminal work. Today, we can read Lydia's diaries as a time capsule of the 1890s, but we also see they have extraordinary resonance with our own experience as readers of Little Women.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Lydia Olsson's relationship to Little Women and Louisa May Alcott and the passages she chose to capture in her diaries
  • How Little Women played a role in one immigrant-family's experience of assimilating into American culture and understanding what it meant to be American in the late 19th century
  • Marriage, spinsterhood, queerness, female friendships, and emotional fulfillment in relationships, and how these were evolving and changing in Lydia's time
  • The power of fiction in the lives of women across centuries

More about Rebecca: https://rebeccahopman.com/

More about Lydia: https://lydiaolsson.wordpress.com/

Rebecca Hopman is an archivist and historian who specializes in women’s history and life writing, American culture, and the history of entertainment. Currently, she serves as the Genealogy Services Librarian at the Wisconsin Historical Society, where she helps people discover their family stories. Prior to her work as a genealogy librarian, she specialized in topics as varied as the history of physics (at the American Institute of Physics); the art, science, and technology of glass (at the Corning Museum of Glass); and the groundbreaking career of Barbara Walters (at Sarah Lawrence College). She has a BA in History, English, and German from Augustana College (IL), an MLIS in Archives & Records Management from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an MA in Women’s History from Sarah Lawrence College.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-18077890 Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0400 5213 louisa may alcott, little women, feminism, history, women's history, concord, thoreau, emerson, nature writing 4 3 full false Little Women Reimagined Little Women Reimagined In this conversation with authors Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker, we discuss the authors' individual relationships to Little Women and how it influenced their writing of The Other March Sisters. We also discuss:

  • How the authors made editorial choices and conducted research to include relevant information both about the March sisters and their historical Alcott counterparts
  • The authors cowriting process and how they collaborated to weave the stories together
  • The inclusion of queer characters and storylines in The Other March Sisters
  • What led the authors to ultimately leave so much of Jo March out of the book, and why telling individual stories matters so much

Linda Epstein is a literary agent at Emerald City Literary Agency, freelance editor, and author whose novels include Repairing the World and The Other March Sisters. She lives in upstate New York with her ridiculous designer mutt, Gertie Gertstein. You can find her online at lindaepsteinauthor.com and @lindaepsteinauthor on Instagram.

Ally Malinenko is a poet, librarian, and author whose novels include the Junior Library Guild selection and Bram Stoker finalist This Appearing House, Ghost Girl, and the collaborative historical novel The Other March Sisters. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she works and writes in the early hours of the morning before going to work at the Brooklyn Public Library. She can be found online at allymalinenko.com and @allymalinenko on Instagram.

Liz Parker is an herbalist, witch, and the author whose works include In the Shadow Garden and the collaborative novel The Other March Sisters. She grew up in Tennessee and Nevada, but now lives in California with her husband, dog, and too many houseplants to name. She can be found online at LizParkerWrites.com and on most social media platforms at @LizParkerWrites.

]]> In this conversation with authors Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker, we discuss the authors' individual relationships to Little Women and how it influenced their writing of The Other March Sisters. We also discuss:

  • How the authors made editorial choices and conducted research to include relevant information both about the March sisters and their historical Alcott counterparts
  • The authors cowriting process and how they collaborated to weave the stories together
  • The inclusion of queer characters and storylines in The Other March Sisters
  • What led the authors to ultimately leave so much of Jo March out of the book, and why telling individual stories matters so much

Linda Epstein is a literary agent at Emerald City Literary Agency, freelance editor, and author whose novels include Repairing the World and The Other March Sisters. She lives in upstate New York with her ridiculous designer mutt, Gertie Gertstein. You can find her online at lindaepsteinauthor.com and @lindaepsteinauthor on Instagram.

Ally Malinenko is a poet, librarian, and author whose novels include the Junior Library Guild selection and Bram Stoker finalist This Appearing House, Ghost Girl, and the collaborative historical novel The Other March Sisters. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she works and writes in the early hours of the morning before going to work at the Brooklyn Public Library. She can be found online at allymalinenko.com and @allymalinenko on Instagram.

Liz Parker is an herbalist, witch, and the author whose works include In the Shadow Garden and the collaborative novel The Other March Sisters. She grew up in Tennessee and Nevada, but now lives in California with her husband, dog, and too many houseplants to name. She can be found online at LizParkerWrites.com and on most social media platforms at @LizParkerWrites.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-18045144 Tue, 21 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400 4098 louisa may alcott, little women, feminism, history, women's history, concord, thoreau, emerson, nature writing 4 2 full false Alcott in Our Own Time Alcott in Our Own Time In this episode, where the title nods to a seminal Alcott text, Alcott in Her Own Time, edited by Daniel Shealy, Jamie and Jill reconnect about what has changed since they first began making Let Genius Burn in the winter of 2019-2020. We discuss what we are currently reading and thinking about in regards to Alcott.

For Jamie, that's thinking about the paths for women, including connections to the novel Dream Count by Chimamanda Adichie and Spinster by Kate Bolick. She relates these questions to Taylor Swift's recent engagement, about which she is feeling conflicted. She also speaks about trauma and neurodivergence, particularly in relation to Karyn Valerius's work: "'Is the Young Lady Mad?' Psychiatric Disability in Louisa May Alcott's Fiction," wondering if Alcott's lifelong struggle with "moodiness" would be seen differently by today's standards.

Jill talks about books she has recently been reading, including Little Women at 150, The Afterlife of Little Women by Beverly Lyon Clark, and Alcotts: Biography of a Family by Madelon Bedell. She gives an in-depth look at an article entitled "Family and Fortune: Louisa May Alcott, Inheritance, and the Legacy of Aunts" by Susan S. Williams, talking about economics and aunthood. Jill is excited about the idea of chosen family and an expansive definition of family that puts our ideas of Little Women as a typical-nuclear-family story through a different lens.

We wrap up by talking about Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation, a recent favorite of both hosts, by author and scholar Tiya Miles. The book focuses on women in the outdoors, and it brings into focus athleticism, outdoors(wo)manship, and connections to nature, classifying Alcott as a nature-writer.

Bibliography:
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Dream Count: A Novel. United States, Knopf Canada, 2025.

Bolick, Kate. Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own. United States, Crown Publishers, 2015.

Miles, Tiya. Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation. United States, W. W. Norton, 2023.

Little Women at 150. Ed. Daniel Shealy. United States, University Press of Mississippi, 2022.

Valerius, Karyn. "'Is the Young Lady Mad?': Psychiatric Disability in Louisa May Alcott's Fiction." Literatures of Madness: Disability Studies and Mental Health. Switzerland, Springer International Publishing, 2019.

Williams, Susan S. "Family and fortune: Louisa May Alcott, inheritance, and the legacy of aunts." The New England Quarterly 93.1 (2020): 48-73.

]]> In this episode, where the title nods to a seminal Alcott text, Alcott in Her Own Time, edited by Daniel Shealy, Jamie and Jill reconnect about what has changed since they first began making Let Genius Burn in the winter of 2019-2020. We discuss what we are currently reading and thinking about in regards to Alcott.

For Jamie, that's thinking about the paths for women, including connections to the novel Dream Count by Chimamanda Adichie and Spinster by Kate Bolick. She relates these questions to Taylor Swift's recent engagement, about which she is feeling conflicted. She also speaks about trauma and neurodivergence, particularly in relation to Karyn Valerius's work: "'Is the Young Lady Mad?' Psychiatric Disability in Louisa May Alcott's Fiction," wondering if Alcott's lifelong struggle with "moodiness" would be seen differently by today's standards.

Jill talks about books she has recently been reading, including Little Women at 150, The Afterlife of Little Women by Beverly Lyon Clark, and Alcotts: Biography of a Family by Madelon Bedell. She gives an in-depth look at an article entitled "Family and Fortune: Louisa May Alcott, Inheritance, and the Legacy of Aunts" by Susan S. Williams, talking about economics and aunthood. Jill is excited about the idea of chosen family and an expansive definition of family that puts our ideas of Little Women as a typical-nuclear-family story through a different lens.

We wrap up by talking about Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation, a recent favorite of both hosts, by author and scholar Tiya Miles. The book focuses on women in the outdoors, and it brings into focus athleticism, outdoors(wo)manship, and connections to nature, classifying Alcott as a nature-writer.

Bibliography:
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Dream Count: A Novel. United States, Knopf Canada, 2025.

Bolick, Kate. Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own. United States, Crown Publishers, 2015.

Miles, Tiya. Wild Girls: How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation. United States, W. W. Norton, 2023.

Little Women at 150. Ed. Daniel Shealy. United States, University Press of Mississippi, 2022.

Valerius, Karyn. "'Is the Young Lady Mad?': Psychiatric Disability in Louisa May Alcott's Fiction." Literatures of Madness: Disability Studies and Mental Health. Switzerland, Springer International Publishing, 2019.

Williams, Susan S. "Family and fortune: Louisa May Alcott, inheritance, and the legacy of aunts." The New England Quarterly 93.1 (2020): 48-73.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-17999707 Tue, 14 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400 4333 louisa may alcott, little women, feminism, history, women's history, concord, thoreau, emerson, nature writing 4 1 full false Little Women Holiday Bonus Episode Little Women Holiday Bonus Episode Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Little Women, so we are reading aloud from the iconic first chapter, "Playing Pilgrims" and offering our commentary, citing from various annotated editions of Little Women and the film versions to bring you a well-rounded discussion of your holiday favorite.

Put on your cozy Christmas pajamas and make your cup of tea; it's time to settle into a classic holiday story.

]]> Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Little Women, so we are reading aloud from the iconic first chapter, "Playing Pilgrims" and offering our commentary, citing from various annotated editions of Little Women and the film versions to bring you a well-rounded discussion of your holiday favorite.

Put on your cozy Christmas pajamas and make your cup of tea; it's time to settle into a classic holiday story.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-16327704 Mon, 23 Dec 2024 05:00:00 -0500 4523 louisa may alcott, little women, jo march, scrabble, christmas, holiday 3 7 bonus true Alcott as Ecofeminist Alcott as Ecofeminist Travel with us to a Cuban coffee plantation, where Alcott's short story Pauline's Passion and Punishment begins. Written in 1862, this short story predates Alcott's later, more successful fiction, but it contains all the traces of her plot devices and characterization that we love.

This is a new episode format where we discuss a single short story in detail. We hope you enjoy this episode!

]]> Travel with us to a Cuban coffee plantation, where Alcott's short story Pauline's Passion and Punishment begins. Written in 1862, this short story predates Alcott's later, more successful fiction, but it contains all the traces of her plot devices and characterization that we love.

This is a new episode format where we discuss a single short story in detail. We hope you enjoy this episode!

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-15684671 Tue, 03 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0400 4907 louisa may alcott, little women, history, biography, short fiction 3 6 full false Alcott in the Archives Alcott in the Archives Max Chapnick read a line in Louisa May Alcott's journal that pointed to one of her stories, but it turned out to be a dead end. Then, he had an idea. He went back to the archives and searched for the title of the story. He turned up an unexpected result: a story written by E.A. Gould, with characteristics that linked it easily to Louisa May Alcott.

He investigated further and discovered more works by E.A. Gould, and has since used computers to analyze the style and see if it matches Alcott's other works--with mixed results. What he comes to understand, through this process of discovery, is about much more than how to attribute a given story to a particular author. It's about learning to live with uncertainty as scholars, how to make archival research more accessible, and the worthwhile pursuit of research for its own sake.

]]> Max Chapnick read a line in Louisa May Alcott's journal that pointed to one of her stories, but it turned out to be a dead end. Then, he had an idea. He went back to the archives and searched for the title of the story. He turned up an unexpected result: a story written by E.A. Gould, with characteristics that linked it easily to Louisa May Alcott.

He investigated further and discovered more works by E.A. Gould, and has since used computers to analyze the style and see if it matches Alcott's other works--with mixed results. What he comes to understand, through this process of discovery, is about much more than how to attribute a given story to a particular author. It's about learning to live with uncertainty as scholars, how to make archival research more accessible, and the worthwhile pursuit of research for its own sake.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-15645651 Tue, 27 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400 4268 louisa may alcott, little women, research, archives, history 3 5 full false Louisa and Laurie Louisa and Laurie When readers find out that Louisa May Alcott really lived in a family with four sisters, the next question is almost immediately: "Who was Laurie?"

Lis Adams, Director of Education at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, spent years researching in the Alcotts' extensive papers at the Houghton Library at Harvard University, and she has edited a collection that introduces us to one of the real-life inspirations for Laurie: Alf Whitman.

Although Alf lived in Concord less than a year, his impact on the Alcott sisters, and Anna Alcott's husband, John, was profound. They kept up correspondence with him for over thirty years, chronicling their lives and losses through their letters to him.

This collection is also a valiant feat of transcribing and editing! As Lis describes in the episode, 19th century letters are not always easy to decipher. You'll learn about her process to bring these letters out of the archives and into the light.

Lis Adams is Director of Education at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts, and a graduate of both Brandeis University and the museum studies program at Tufts University. She is a member and former co-chair of the Concord Historical Collaborative, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Museum Education Roundtable, the Greater Boston Museum Educators Roundtable, the Arlington Historical Society, and the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

Lis has presented for the New England Museum Association and the New England Library Association, and has published articles on the Alcotts for the Concord Journal and the Journal of Museum Education. Lis is also an actress and voiceover artist in the greater Boston area, an actor in residence for Playwrights' Platform, and a consultant for the Distinguished Achievements and Special Honors program for the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theaters.

]]> When readers find out that Louisa May Alcott really lived in a family with four sisters, the next question is almost immediately: "Who was Laurie?"

Lis Adams, Director of Education at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, spent years researching in the Alcotts' extensive papers at the Houghton Library at Harvard University, and she has edited a collection that introduces us to one of the real-life inspirations for Laurie: Alf Whitman.

Although Alf lived in Concord less than a year, his impact on the Alcott sisters, and Anna Alcott's husband, John, was profound. They kept up correspondence with him for over thirty years, chronicling their lives and losses through their letters to him.

This collection is also a valiant feat of transcribing and editing! As Lis describes in the episode, 19th century letters are not always easy to decipher. You'll learn about her process to bring these letters out of the archives and into the light.

Lis Adams is Director of Education at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts, and a graduate of both Brandeis University and the museum studies program at Tufts University. She is a member and former co-chair of the Concord Historical Collaborative, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Museum Education Roundtable, the Greater Boston Museum Educators Roundtable, the Arlington Historical Society, and the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

Lis has presented for the New England Museum Association and the New England Library Association, and has published articles on the Alcotts for the Concord Journal and the Journal of Museum Education. Lis is also an actress and voiceover artist in the greater Boston area, an actor in residence for Playwrights' Platform, and a consultant for the Distinguished Achievements and Special Honors program for the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theaters.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-15608990 Tue, 20 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400 3759 louisa may alcott, little women, history, biography, laurie 3 4 full false Alcott and Identity Alcott and Identity Author Peyton Thomas joins Let Genius Burn to speak about queerness and transness in Little Women and other Alcott writings. Peyton Thomas made a significant impact on the Alcott community when he wrote a Twitter thread, and a New York Times op-ed, about understanding Louisa May Alcott as a trans man. His comments sparked a discussion that has opened readers' minds to how Alcott constructed gender both in fiction and in life. We discuss gender dynamics in Little Women, Alcott's fascination with cross-dressing, and a summary and analysis of the short story Enigmas, one of Alcott's thrillers, where gender and identity play a significant role. There is also some childhood nostalgia for American Girl doll books! Peyton Thomas is an author and the creator of the Jo's Boys podcast. His debut novel Both Sides Now won the 2022 International Literacy Association Award for Young Adult Fiction. He's currently at work on a contemporary interpretation of Little Women for adults. His non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Billboard, Pitchfork, and many other publications. 

]]> Author Peyton Thomas joins Let Genius Burn to speak about queerness and transness in Little Women and other Alcott writings. Peyton Thomas made a significant impact on the Alcott community when he wrote a Twitter thread, and a New York Times op-ed, about understanding Louisa May Alcott as a trans man. His comments sparked a discussion that has opened readers' minds to how Alcott constructed gender both in fiction and in life. We discuss gender dynamics in Little Women, Alcott's fascination with cross-dressing, and a summary and analysis of the short story Enigmas, one of Alcott's thrillers, where gender and identity play a significant role. There is also some childhood nostalgia for American Girl doll books! Peyton Thomas is an author and the creator of the Jo's Boys podcast. His debut novel Both Sides Now won the 2022 International Literacy Association Award for Young Adult Fiction. He's currently at work on a contemporary interpretation of Little Women for adults. His non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Billboard, Pitchfork, and many other publications. 

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-15572764 Tue, 13 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400 4060 louisa may alcott, little women, history, gender, identity 3 3 full false Alcott and Sex Education Alcott and Sex Education Louisa May Alcott and her family were social activists who advocated for all types of reforms in their lifetimes: they were concerned with fair labor, women's suffrage, abolitionism, and diet reform. Yet another social concern for Louisa May Alcott was the access to health and wellness education for young women.

In this episode, we explore the ways that Alcott included health and sex education in her novels, a subversive act in the face of legislation such as Comstock Law that sought to ban materials related to women's health.

We are joined by a scholar who knows a great deal about Alcott's contributions to this field, and many other authors and works. Get ready to take notes for a reading list--we certainly did!

Dr. Stephanie Peebles Tavera is the Assistant Professor of English and Director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She is the author of (P)rescription Narratives: Feminist Medical Fiction and the Failure of American Censorship (Edinburgh University Press, 2022), which releases in paperback this May.

She is also the author of the critical introduction for Helen Brent, M.D., an 1892 novel by Annie Nathan Meyer that she recovered with Hastings College Press and for which she won Honorable Mention for the 2021 Society for the Study of American Women Writers Book Edition Award. Dr. Tavera is an expert in the fields of long nineteenth-century American women’s literature, medical humanities, and feminist disability studies.

Her articles have appeared in the top journals in her field, including Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers and Science Fiction Studies, and she currently serves as the Assistant Editor of Utopian Studies academic journal. She was recently on the podcast Lost Ladies of Lit, talking about Zelda Fitzgerald’s Save Me the Waltz (1932), which is how she became introduced to the Let Genius Burn podcast.

We hope this episode inspires you to think critically about access to health and sex education and the issues of censorship we are still managing today.

]]> Louisa May Alcott and her family were social activists who advocated for all types of reforms in their lifetimes: they were concerned with fair labor, women's suffrage, abolitionism, and diet reform. Yet another social concern for Louisa May Alcott was the access to health and wellness education for young women.

In this episode, we explore the ways that Alcott included health and sex education in her novels, a subversive act in the face of legislation such as Comstock Law that sought to ban materials related to women's health.

We are joined by a scholar who knows a great deal about Alcott's contributions to this field, and many other authors and works. Get ready to take notes for a reading list--we certainly did!

Dr. Stephanie Peebles Tavera is the Assistant Professor of English and Director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She is the author of (P)rescription Narratives: Feminist Medical Fiction and the Failure of American Censorship (Edinburgh University Press, 2022), which releases in paperback this May.

She is also the author of the critical introduction for Helen Brent, M.D., an 1892 novel by Annie Nathan Meyer that she recovered with Hastings College Press and for which she won Honorable Mention for the 2021 Society for the Study of American Women Writers Book Edition Award. Dr. Tavera is an expert in the fields of long nineteenth-century American women’s literature, medical humanities, and feminist disability studies.

Her articles have appeared in the top journals in her field, including Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers and Science Fiction Studies, and she currently serves as the Assistant Editor of Utopian Studies academic journal. She was recently on the podcast Lost Ladies of Lit, talking about Zelda Fitzgerald’s Save Me the Waltz (1932), which is how she became introduced to the Let Genius Burn podcast.

We hope this episode inspires you to think critically about access to health and sex education and the issues of censorship we are still managing today.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-15528947 Mon, 05 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400 5009 louisa may alcott, little women, history, biography, sex education 3 2 full true Alcott in the City Alcott in the City Although Louisa May Alcott is most often associated with Concord, Massachusetts, where her family lived in several different homes over the course of her lifetime, Alcott made much of her life in Boston. She was a city person who loved the hustle and movement of the city compared to sleepy, dull Concord.

In this episode, we are joined by Michele Steinberg of Boston by Foot tours, who takes us through Beacon Hill and to the Boston Athenaeum to hear many stories about Alcott's different experiences in Boston and her travels there.

Let Genius Burn is the podcast about the life and legacy of Louisa May Alcott, co-hosted by Jill Fuller and Jamie Burgess. Visit letgeniusburn.com for more information.

]]> Although Louisa May Alcott is most often associated with Concord, Massachusetts, where her family lived in several different homes over the course of her lifetime, Alcott made much of her life in Boston. She was a city person who loved the hustle and movement of the city compared to sleepy, dull Concord.

In this episode, we are joined by Michele Steinberg of Boston by Foot tours, who takes us through Beacon Hill and to the Boston Athenaeum to hear many stories about Alcott's different experiences in Boston and her travels there.

Let Genius Burn is the podcast about the life and legacy of Louisa May Alcott, co-hosted by Jill Fuller and Jamie Burgess. Visit letgeniusburn.com for more information.

]]> Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-15497716 Tue, 30 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0400 2771 louisa may alcott, little women, history, biography, boston 3 1 full false A Concord Conversation A Concord Conversation Sit down with Jill and Jamie as they reflect and dissect the week they spent together in Concord. They talk about visits to Orchard House, Fruitlands, Walden Pond, and more. Jill discusses her visit to the Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library, where she saw Louisa's handwritten manuscript pages from Little Women. Jamie talks about her presentation for the Thoreau Society Gathering- the ecofeminist gothic setting of "Pauline's Passion and Punishment." It's an all-about-Alcott final bonus episode of Season 2! 

]]> Sit down with Jill and Jamie as they reflect and dissect the week they spent together in Concord. They talk about visits to Orchard House, Fruitlands, Walden Pond, and more. Jill discusses her visit to the Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library, where she saw Louisa's handwritten manuscript pages from Little Women. Jamie talks about her presentation for the Thoreau Society Gathering- the ecofeminist gothic setting of "Pauline's Passion and Punishment." It's an all-about-Alcott final bonus episode of Season 2! 

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-11852885 Mon, 12 Dec 2022 04:00:00 -0500 2761 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 11 bonus false The Fruitlands Effect The Fruitlands Effect On July 13, 2022, Let Genius Burn was invited to speak at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts, the site where the Alcott family lived--and nearly died--for 9 months in 1843.

This episode is the recording of our talk.

The Fruitlands Effect: How the Utopian Experiment Influenced Louisa May Alcott’s Life and Work

The Alcott family spent less than a year living at Fruitlands, but the experience significantly altered their values and family dynamic. Louisa May Alcott would not have been the same woman without the lessons she learned and hardship she faced during her family’s utopian experiment when she was on the brink of adolescence. We’ll look at the influence of Fruitlands on Louisa May Alcott’s life and writings, and the ways the ideas of the Fruitlands experiment to continued to permeate her work and ultimately changed her forever.

]]> On July 13, 2022, Let Genius Burn was invited to speak at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts, the site where the Alcott family lived--and nearly died--for 9 months in 1843.

This episode is the recording of our talk.

The Fruitlands Effect: How the Utopian Experiment Influenced Louisa May Alcott’s Life and Work

The Alcott family spent less than a year living at Fruitlands, but the experience significantly altered their values and family dynamic. Louisa May Alcott would not have been the same woman without the lessons she learned and hardship she faced during her family’s utopian experiment when she was on the brink of adolescence. We’ll look at the influence of Fruitlands on Louisa May Alcott’s life and writings, and the ways the ideas of the Fruitlands experiment to continued to permeate her work and ultimately changed her forever.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-11812051 Mon, 05 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0500 3341 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 10 bonus true Concord Sketches Concord Sketches This episode features Jill's travelogue from her week in Concord, Massachusetts. Listen as we travel to see Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House for the first time and take a tour of Fruitlands with Trustees Engagement Manager Catherine Shortliffe. We also spend time with other Louisa May Alcott scholars and enthusiasts, sharing stories. In particular, we taste pickled limes, a treat from the 19th century, which is featured in Little Women. Learn about the process to making them and our reactions in this bonus episode of Let Genius Burn.


]]> This episode features Jill's travelogue from her week in Concord, Massachusetts. Listen as we travel to see Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House for the first time and take a tour of Fruitlands with Trustees Engagement Manager Catherine Shortliffe. We also spend time with other Louisa May Alcott scholars and enthusiasts, sharing stories. In particular, we taste pickled limes, a treat from the 19th century, which is featured in Little Women. Learn about the process to making them and our reactions in this bonus episode of Let Genius Burn.


]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-11768475 Mon, 28 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0500 2946 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 9 bonus false Louisa Revisited Louisa Revisited In our final full episode of Season 8, Jill and Jamie recap the highlights of season two and reflect on what the conversations with Alcott scholars have taught them. Then they both share what they've been reading and researching lately. Jamie, who has been teaching second grade this year, dives into the differences between teaching Little Women and teaching about the Alcotts' lives to young children. She explores picture books and young reader chapter books that feature Louisa.

Jill visited a reenactment of a Civil War hospital at the Milton House museum and discusses how it affected her reading of Hospital Sketches with her son. She also talks about her deep research into queer interpretations of Little Women and of Louisa's characters, as well as Louisa's exploration of gender in scholarly writings.

We'll be back in the fall after Jill's visit to Massachusetts!

]]> In our final full episode of Season 8, Jill and Jamie recap the highlights of season two and reflect on what the conversations with Alcott scholars have taught them. Then they both share what they've been reading and researching lately. Jamie, who has been teaching second grade this year, dives into the differences between teaching Little Women and teaching about the Alcotts' lives to young children. She explores picture books and young reader chapter books that feature Louisa.

Jill visited a reenactment of a Civil War hospital at the Milton House museum and discusses how it affected her reading of Hospital Sketches with her son. She also talks about her deep research into queer interpretations of Little Women and of Louisa's characters, as well as Louisa's exploration of gender in scholarly writings.

We'll be back in the fall after Jill's visit to Massachusetts!

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-10817320 Mon, 20 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400 3033 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 8 full false Louisa as Inspiration: Conversation with Biographer John Matteson Louisa as Inspiration: Conversation with Biographer John Matteson John Matteson's biography, Eden's Outcasts: the Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father, has become a foundational work in Alcott scholarship. It brings together the best of Alcott studies to show us an empathetic portrait of the Alcotts who feel as real and alive as ever in its pages.

In our conversation with John Matteson, we cover Louisa's time in Washington as a nurse during the Civil War and why those three weeks were so influential in the rest of her life. We also discuss John's writing process and how he chose the five figures featured in his newest book, A Worse Place Than Hell. We compare and contrast Louisa May Alcott and Margaret Fuller, as well as hearing about John's most interesting research discoveries.

Beyond these concrete topics, John offers us a vision of the Alcotts that is connected to our present-day world and where our future is headed. His conversation focuses on why we study history and why we write. It will resonate with anyone who looks for meaning in life, who sees connections and wonders where they come from.

John Matteson is Distinguished Professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the City University of New York. He was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for his biography Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father. He is also the author of The Lives of Margaret Fuller and the editor of The Annotated Little Women. His most recent book, A Worse Place Than Hell, was chosen by Civil War Monitor as one of the outstanding Civil War books of 2021.

]]> John Matteson's biography, Eden's Outcasts: the Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father, has become a foundational work in Alcott scholarship. It brings together the best of Alcott studies to show us an empathetic portrait of the Alcotts who feel as real and alive as ever in its pages.

In our conversation with John Matteson, we cover Louisa's time in Washington as a nurse during the Civil War and why those three weeks were so influential in the rest of her life. We also discuss John's writing process and how he chose the five figures featured in his newest book, A Worse Place Than Hell. We compare and contrast Louisa May Alcott and Margaret Fuller, as well as hearing about John's most interesting research discoveries.

Beyond these concrete topics, John offers us a vision of the Alcotts that is connected to our present-day world and where our future is headed. His conversation focuses on why we study history and why we write. It will resonate with anyone who looks for meaning in life, who sees connections and wonders where they come from.

John Matteson is Distinguished Professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the City University of New York. He was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for his biography Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father. He is also the author of The Lives of Margaret Fuller and the editor of The Annotated Little Women. His most recent book, A Worse Place Than Hell, was chosen by Civil War Monitor as one of the outstanding Civil War books of 2021.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-10781077 Mon, 13 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400 3912 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 7 full false Little Women in Letters: Conversation with Barbara Heller, Editor of Little Women Little Women in Letters: Conversation with Barbara Heller, Editor of Little Women If you’re anything like us, you’ve watched the Little Women film adaptations looking for the props and pieces that really bring the book to life–the vivid renderings of your own thoughtfully-imagined ephemera. 

Barbara Heller worked on movie set designs for feature films for many years, bringing all kinds of stories to life through location scouting and other roles. Then, she was rereading Pride and Prejudice when she had a sudden and visceral desire to hold characters' letters to each other in her own hands. She set out to find the right artists, paper, and materials to make that dream come true.

After the success of her edition of Pride and Prejudice, Barbara turned her focus to Little Women, another novel that uses letters within the story. Again, she worked with artists to bring these pieces of writing into removable replicas that are tucked into the book itself. The reader feels the thrill of unfolding a letter as if they are from real, dear friends.

In this episode, Barbara discusses the research, process, and design behind these familiar letters, now turned into beloved works of art.

Barbara Heller's career in film and television encompasses finding furnishings and props for many shows including The Americans and When They See Us; location managing films for Francis Coppola, Nancy Meyers, and Barbet Schroeder; and directing award-winning short films that have played at festivals around the world (Cannes, Berlin, Sundance). To satisfy her curiosity, she reported on why hotels fold the end of the toilet paper into a point for NPR. She graduated from Brown University with a degree in English Literature and lives with her son in New York City. 

See the book and purchase your own copy at https://www.barbaraheller.org/little-women or at your local bookstore.


]]> If you’re anything like us, you’ve watched the Little Women film adaptations looking for the props and pieces that really bring the book to life–the vivid renderings of your own thoughtfully-imagined ephemera. 

Barbara Heller worked on movie set designs for feature films for many years, bringing all kinds of stories to life through location scouting and other roles. Then, she was rereading Pride and Prejudice when she had a sudden and visceral desire to hold characters' letters to each other in her own hands. She set out to find the right artists, paper, and materials to make that dream come true.

After the success of her edition of Pride and Prejudice, Barbara turned her focus to Little Women, another novel that uses letters within the story. Again, she worked with artists to bring these pieces of writing into removable replicas that are tucked into the book itself. The reader feels the thrill of unfolding a letter as if they are from real, dear friends.

In this episode, Barbara discusses the research, process, and design behind these familiar letters, now turned into beloved works of art.

Barbara Heller's career in film and television encompasses finding furnishings and props for many shows including The Americans and When They See Us; location managing films for Francis Coppola, Nancy Meyers, and Barbet Schroeder; and directing award-winning short films that have played at festivals around the world (Cannes, Berlin, Sundance). To satisfy her curiosity, she reported on why hotels fold the end of the toilet paper into a point for NPR. She graduated from Brown University with a degree in English Literature and lives with her son in New York City. 

See the book and purchase your own copy at https://www.barbaraheller.org/little-women or at your local bookstore.


]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-10742197 Mon, 06 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400 2683 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 6 full false Louisa Through the Ages: Conversation with Daniel Shealy Louisa Through the Ages: Conversation with Daniel Shealy Most Alcott scholars cannot imagine what it would be like to do research without the Selected Letters and Selected Journals of Louisa May Alcott, these two seminal works that make Alcott's work so accessible.

Dr. Daniel Shealy, however, knows exactly what it's like--because he was part of the team that edited these two publications, bringing together hundreds of letters from around the country and compiling them into the legible, useful edition that Alcott scholars depend on for their work. This is the work that has enabled other professors, writers, and filmmakers to shift their perception of Louisa May Alcott, from the famed children's writer to a more serious, scholarly study.

Daniel Shealy shares his experiences working with Joel Myerson, Madeleine Stern, and Leona Rostenberg, giving us a glimpse into the early days of Alcott scholarship. We discuss Louisa's changing legacy over the years, and Daniel even gives his opinion on Little Women films.

Daniel Shealy is Professor of English at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where he teaches American literature.  He has published thirteen books on Louisa May Alcott, including co-editing Alcott’s Selected Letters and Journals.   He also edited Little Women Abroad: The Alcott Sisters’ Letters from Europe, 1870-71, which recounts May Alcott’s first journey to Europe.  His most recent book is Little Women at 150.

]]> Most Alcott scholars cannot imagine what it would be like to do research without the Selected Letters and Selected Journals of Louisa May Alcott, these two seminal works that make Alcott's work so accessible.

Dr. Daniel Shealy, however, knows exactly what it's like--because he was part of the team that edited these two publications, bringing together hundreds of letters from around the country and compiling them into the legible, useful edition that Alcott scholars depend on for their work. This is the work that has enabled other professors, writers, and filmmakers to shift their perception of Louisa May Alcott, from the famed children's writer to a more serious, scholarly study.

Daniel Shealy shares his experiences working with Joel Myerson, Madeleine Stern, and Leona Rostenberg, giving us a glimpse into the early days of Alcott scholarship. We discuss Louisa's changing legacy over the years, and Daniel even gives his opinion on Little Women films.

Daniel Shealy is Professor of English at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where he teaches American literature.  He has published thirteen books on Louisa May Alcott, including co-editing Alcott’s Selected Letters and Journals.   He also edited Little Women Abroad: The Alcott Sisters’ Letters from Europe, 1870-71, which recounts May Alcott’s first journey to Europe.  His most recent book is Little Women at 150.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-10701743 Mon, 30 May 2022 06:00:00 -0400 3700 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 5 full false Louisa in Style: Conversation with Lauren Stern about May Alcott Nieriker and Historical Dress Louisa in Style: Conversation with Lauren Stern about May Alcott Nieriker and Historical Dress Meet Lauren Stern: a researcher interested in social and material history. She has been a staff member at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House since 2006, where she has worked to bring New England history alive through summer camps, museum tours, and living history programs.

In this episode, Lauren discusses her experiences at Orchard House as well as her research on the life of May Alcott Nieriker. As an expert in historical fashion, Lauren also discusses the fashion trends during the decades of Louisa May Alcott's adulthood, from Victorian sleeve trends and bustles, to corsets and the Alcott's involvement in dress reform.

Lauren is also a dance historian and performer with the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers, where she gets to wear all those ball dresses she makes. She blogs about her research and experiments at plaidpetticoats.blogspot.com, and makes short-form dance history videos on tiktok (@plaidpetticoats). She has also made her own pickled limes.

In addition to Lauren's personal website, she recommends the following resources: 

]]> Meet Lauren Stern: a researcher interested in social and material history. She has been a staff member at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House since 2006, where she has worked to bring New England history alive through summer camps, museum tours, and living history programs.

In this episode, Lauren discusses her experiences at Orchard House as well as her research on the life of May Alcott Nieriker. As an expert in historical fashion, Lauren also discusses the fashion trends during the decades of Louisa May Alcott's adulthood, from Victorian sleeve trends and bustles, to corsets and the Alcott's involvement in dress reform.

Lauren is also a dance historian and performer with the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers, where she gets to wear all those ball dresses she makes. She blogs about her research and experiments at plaidpetticoats.blogspot.com, and makes short-form dance history videos on tiktok (@plaidpetticoats). She has also made her own pickled limes.

In addition to Lauren's personal website, she recommends the following resources: 

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-10663529 Mon, 23 May 2022 04:00:00 -0400 3487 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 4 full false Louisa and Maud: Conversation with Stef and Jen, Co-Creators of Maud: Books, Babes, and Barbiturates Louisa and Maud: Conversation with Stef and Jen, Co-Creators of Maud: Books, Babes, and Barbiturates Maud: Books, Babes, and Barbiturates is a podcast about the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. The co-creators, Stef Drummon and Jen MacLennan, tell Maud's story with empathy, intelligence, and depth. This week, they join us on Let Genius Burn to talk about our two favorite literary women.

Gender and sexuality, fame, and family influence and history- we talk about it all. We discuss the respective scholarly approaches to each author, and how their legacies have changed over time.  We noticed so many similarities between Louisa and Maud: both women valued their art but struggled with the fame it brought them. They had complex family relationships that influenced their writing. They were artists and geniuses, but sometimes were relegated to "children's lit."

But we also noticed great divergences that made us want to dive deeper. Louisa's nuclear family shaped her entire existence, but Maud was an orphan. Maud became a mother; Louisa never really did. How did this influence their writings? Their characters?

Learn more about Maud the Pod on Instagram: instagram.com/maudthepod and at maudthepod.com.

For more information about L.M. Montgomery:
The L.M.Montgomery Literary Society & their annual periodical The Shining Scroll https://lmmontgomeryliterarysociety.weebly.com

L.M.Montgomery Online: https://lmmonline.org

]]> Maud: Books, Babes, and Barbiturates is a podcast about the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. The co-creators, Stef Drummon and Jen MacLennan, tell Maud's story with empathy, intelligence, and depth. This week, they join us on Let Genius Burn to talk about our two favorite literary women.

Gender and sexuality, fame, and family influence and history- we talk about it all. We discuss the respective scholarly approaches to each author, and how their legacies have changed over time.  We noticed so many similarities between Louisa and Maud: both women valued their art but struggled with the fame it brought them. They had complex family relationships that influenced their writing. They were artists and geniuses, but sometimes were relegated to "children's lit."

But we also noticed great divergences that made us want to dive deeper. Louisa's nuclear family shaped her entire existence, but Maud was an orphan. Maud became a mother; Louisa never really did. How did this influence their writings? Their characters?

Learn more about Maud the Pod on Instagram: instagram.com/maudthepod and at maudthepod.com.

For more information about L.M. Montgomery:
The L.M.Montgomery Literary Society & their annual periodical The Shining Scroll https://lmmontgomeryliterarysociety.weebly.com

L.M.Montgomery Online: https://lmmonline.org

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-10623451 Mon, 16 May 2022 04:00:00 -0400 2824 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 3 full false Louisa in Threads: Conversation with Fruitlands Artist-in-Residence Leslie Schomp Louisa in Threads: Conversation with Fruitlands Artist-in-Residence Leslie Schomp In this episode, we are talking with Leslie Schomp, who served as an artist-in-residence at Fruitlands in 2021. Leslie drew inspiration from Louisa’s diaries to create textile pieces that embodied and expressed Louisa May Alcott’s time there. Her samplers capture the dichotomy of this place: the distance between the restrictive ideals of the community and the vibrant, free spirit of young Louisa.

Leslie Schomp’s open heart captured another layer of Louisa May Alcott that has not yet been fully explored on Let Genius Burn: the tender pre-adolescent she was at Fruitlands, the fear she felt at becoming herself, and how she tried to tame it. These works express the full range of Louisa’s emotional self.

We discuss what it means to be a young girl growing up with ambitions, how we relate to Louisa's particular struggles, and how to capture visual elements while remaining in the ideals of an extreme utopian community.

Leslie received her MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and her BFA from Florida State University.  She is a senior lecturer who primarily teaches drawing in the Visual Arts department at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester (Wooster), Massachusetts, where she has taught since 2000.  Her work consists of drawings and sculptures created with textiles. Each piece is an investigation into how she sees herself as ”part of” instead of “apart from” nature. 

To support Fruitlands Museum, visit thetrustees.org

You can view images of Leslie's artwork on her website: leslieschomp.com

]]> In this episode, we are talking with Leslie Schomp, who served as an artist-in-residence at Fruitlands in 2021. Leslie drew inspiration from Louisa’s diaries to create textile pieces that embodied and expressed Louisa May Alcott’s time there. Her samplers capture the dichotomy of this place: the distance between the restrictive ideals of the community and the vibrant, free spirit of young Louisa.

Leslie Schomp’s open heart captured another layer of Louisa May Alcott that has not yet been fully explored on Let Genius Burn: the tender pre-adolescent she was at Fruitlands, the fear she felt at becoming herself, and how she tried to tame it. These works express the full range of Louisa’s emotional self.

We discuss what it means to be a young girl growing up with ambitions, how we relate to Louisa's particular struggles, and how to capture visual elements while remaining in the ideals of an extreme utopian community.

Leslie received her MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and her BFA from Florida State University.  She is a senior lecturer who primarily teaches drawing in the Visual Arts department at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester (Wooster), Massachusetts, where she has taught since 2000.  Her work consists of drawings and sculptures created with textiles. Each piece is an investigation into how she sees herself as ”part of” instead of “apart from” nature. 

To support Fruitlands Museum, visit thetrustees.org

You can view images of Leslie's artwork on her website: leslieschomp.com

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-10582677 Mon, 09 May 2022 04:00:00 -0400 3089 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 2 full false Louisa Into Life: Interview with Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House Louisa Into Life: Interview with Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, has made her life about Louisa's legacy. Whether she is portraying Louisa May Alcott around the world, consulting on Little Women adaptations with A-list actors, or simply showing someone around the house museum, she brings the same level of commitment and enthusiasm for sharing Louisa May Alcott with others.

In this episode, Jan shares the story of how she started portraying Louisa May Alcott for the public and how it transformed her life. She also discusses working with Greta Gerwig, Maya Hawke, and Annie Leibovitz through her role at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House. She discusses how connection is at the heart of her preservation work, and how individual stories about Louisa's influence have shaped her life.

Learn more about Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House at louisamayalcott.org

]]> Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, has made her life about Louisa's legacy. Whether she is portraying Louisa May Alcott around the world, consulting on Little Women adaptations with A-list actors, or simply showing someone around the house museum, she brings the same level of commitment and enthusiasm for sharing Louisa May Alcott with others.

In this episode, Jan shares the story of how she started portraying Louisa May Alcott for the public and how it transformed her life. She also discusses working with Greta Gerwig, Maya Hawke, and Annie Leibovitz through her role at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House. She discusses how connection is at the heart of her preservation work, and how individual stories about Louisa's influence have shaped her life.

Learn more about Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House at louisamayalcott.org

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess, Jill Fuller, Jan Turnquist Buzzsprout-10537337 Mon, 02 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400 2767 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 2 1 full false Bonus Episode: Selected Passages Bonus Episode: Selected Passages In the first bonus episode of Let Genius Burn, Jill and Jamie dive into the details of three passages from Louisa's work beyond Little Women. Listeners will learn about the different ways Louisa's life experiences shape her writings. Plus, after twenty months of working together on Let Genius Burn, Jill and Jamie finally meet in person!

]]> In the first bonus episode of Let Genius Burn, Jill and Jamie dive into the details of three passages from Louisa's work beyond Little Women. Listeners will learn about the different ways Louisa's life experiences shape her writings. Plus, after twenty months of working together on Let Genius Burn, Jill and Jamie finally meet in person!

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-9467067 Mon, 01 Nov 2021 04:00:00 -0400 3941 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 1 9 bonus false Louisa as Legacy Louisa as Legacy At the time of Louisa May Alcott's death, she was known to most as the "children's friend," an author of children's books and particularly books for girls. As time passed and scholars made the connection between Louisa May Alcott and the lurid thrillers she wrote under pen names, Louisa's legacy took on new dimensions. Today, we can appreciate Louisa May Alcott as the feminist and forward-thinking woman who is also the author of a famous novel called Little Women. This episode discusses Louisa's legacy and how it has changed over time.

Support Elsewhere Studios: https://www.elsewherestudios.org

Learn more: www.letgeniusburn.com

]]> At the time of Louisa May Alcott's death, she was known to most as the "children's friend," an author of children's books and particularly books for girls. As time passed and scholars made the connection between Louisa May Alcott and the lurid thrillers she wrote under pen names, Louisa's legacy took on new dimensions. Today, we can appreciate Louisa May Alcott as the feminist and forward-thinking woman who is also the author of a famous novel called Little Women. This episode discusses Louisa's legacy and how it has changed over time.

Support Elsewhere Studios: https://www.elsewherestudios.org

Learn more: www.letgeniusburn.com

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-9145243 Mon, 06 Sep 2021 04:00:00 -0400 3548 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 1 8 full false Louisa as Woman Louisa as Woman In Louisa May Alcott's time, strict definitions and expectations of white womanhood permeated Louisa’s society and culture. Marriage and motherhood were the accepted roles for women; voting was inaccessible and illegal, education restricted, and earning a living through a career was limited. Louisa May Alcott defied gender expectations, sometimes through her acting as a way to embody a male character and through her dress, language, and active lifestyle. From a topsey-turvey girl to a self-made woman, she wore her own version of womanhood like a badge of honor.

Learn more at www.letgeniusburn.com

Donate to Sojourner Family Peace Center: https://www.familypeacecenter.org/

]]> In Louisa May Alcott's time, strict definitions and expectations of white womanhood permeated Louisa’s society and culture. Marriage and motherhood were the accepted roles for women; voting was inaccessible and illegal, education restricted, and earning a living through a career was limited. Louisa May Alcott defied gender expectations, sometimes through her acting as a way to embody a male character and through her dress, language, and active lifestyle. From a topsey-turvey girl to a self-made woman, she wore her own version of womanhood like a badge of honor.

Learn more at www.letgeniusburn.com

Donate to Sojourner Family Peace Center: https://www.familypeacecenter.org/

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-9107007 Mon, 30 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400 3217 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 1 7 full false Louisa as Celebrity Louisa as Celebrity When Little Women became a sensation, Louisa May Alcott became the ultimate literary celebrity. Fans were waiting out on her lawn and knocking on her door, and her life was suddenly not her own. Although she had always yearned for fame, she was surprised to find it costly and unpleasant. Still, her celebrity opened new doors for her. It gave voice to her causes, and it may have even spurred her creativity. In this episode, we unpack how Louisa's celebrity status defined the last twenty years of her life, whether it's possible to separate the artist from their art, and how Louisa's celebrity has continued into the 21st century.

Learn more at letgeniusburn.com

Support Mass Audubon this week: https://www.massaudubon.org/.

]]> When Little Women became a sensation, Louisa May Alcott became the ultimate literary celebrity. Fans were waiting out on her lawn and knocking on her door, and her life was suddenly not her own. Although she had always yearned for fame, she was surprised to find it costly and unpleasant. Still, her celebrity opened new doors for her. It gave voice to her causes, and it may have even spurred her creativity. In this episode, we unpack how Louisa's celebrity status defined the last twenty years of her life, whether it's possible to separate the artist from their art, and how Louisa's celebrity has continued into the 21st century.

Learn more at letgeniusburn.com

Support Mass Audubon this week: https://www.massaudubon.org/.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-9070043 Mon, 23 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400 3168 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 1 6 full false Louisa as Activist Louisa as Activist Louisa devoted her life to the causes she believed in, primarily abolition and women's suffrage. Her political beliefs were handed down from her parents, who were constantly striving for a better world. The Alcotts made their home available to freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad, and Louisa eventually became a nurse during the Civil War, as she was otherwise not allowed to go and fight. She was also the first woman registered to vote in Concord. Learn about food reform, dress reform, and more in Louisa as Activist.

Learn more at letgeniusburn.com

Support the Robbins House this week: https://robbinshouse.org/.

]]> Louisa devoted her life to the causes she believed in, primarily abolition and women's suffrage. Her political beliefs were handed down from her parents, who were constantly striving for a better world. The Alcotts made their home available to freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad, and Louisa eventually became a nurse during the Civil War, as she was otherwise not allowed to go and fight. She was also the first woman registered to vote in Concord. Learn about food reform, dress reform, and more in Louisa as Activist.

Learn more at letgeniusburn.com

Support the Robbins House this week: https://robbinshouse.org/.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-9034047 Mon, 16 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400 2973 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 1 5 full false Louisa as Scribbler Louisa as Scribbler In this episode, we pull back the curtain to take a peek at Louisa at her writing desk. We will trace the development of her writing style, the desires that pushed her to write, and the arc of her professional career.

From crafting jolly tales to journaling her worries and struggles, Louisa spent her life meeting herself on the page. Writing, she said, “is my salvation when disappointment or weariness burden and darken my soul…” Through introspection and observation, she explored herself and the world she struggled to fit into, while her vivid imagination allowed her to express what was unvoiced inside of her. Through her writing, Louisa strove to prove her existence to herself, to claim a right to her thoughts and desires in a world that expected women to stay silent. Fortunately, her words still exist for us today, as luminous as ever.

Learn more at letgeniusburn.com

Support the UW Odyssey Project: https://odyssey.wisc.edu/


]]> In this episode, we pull back the curtain to take a peek at Louisa at her writing desk. We will trace the development of her writing style, the desires that pushed her to write, and the arc of her professional career.

From crafting jolly tales to journaling her worries and struggles, Louisa spent her life meeting herself on the page. Writing, she said, “is my salvation when disappointment or weariness burden and darken my soul…” Through introspection and observation, she explored herself and the world she struggled to fit into, while her vivid imagination allowed her to express what was unvoiced inside of her. Through her writing, Louisa strove to prove her existence to herself, to claim a right to her thoughts and desires in a world that expected women to stay silent. Fortunately, her words still exist for us today, as luminous as ever.

Learn more at letgeniusburn.com

Support the UW Odyssey Project: https://odyssey.wisc.edu/


]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-8990360 Mon, 09 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400 3150 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 1 4 full false Louisa at Work Louisa at Work Before she became an author and celebrity, Louisa May Alcott was a teacher, seamstress, governess, companion, servant, and nurse. Though they were difficult, her experiences gave her material to write for the rest of her life. This week, learn about Louisa May Alcott's relationship with work, which was both her salvation and the bane of her existence.

Learn more at letgeniusburn.com

Donate to Educational Opportunities Fund: https://www.educationalopportunitiesfund.org/donate/

]]> Before she became an author and celebrity, Louisa May Alcott was a teacher, seamstress, governess, companion, servant, and nurse. Though they were difficult, her experiences gave her material to write for the rest of her life. This week, learn about Louisa May Alcott's relationship with work, which was both her salvation and the bane of her existence.

Learn more at letgeniusburn.com

Donate to Educational Opportunities Fund: https://www.educationalopportunitiesfund.org/donate/

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-8958773 Mon, 02 Aug 2021 04:00:00 -0400 2709 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 1 3 full false Louisa as Sister Louisa as Sister Once upon a time, four sisters became immortal. When they were young, the four girls were still flesh and blood, ordinary girls who built towers out of their father’s books and put on plays in the barn for their neighbors and went hungry too many nights. One day, when they were all grown up, the second sister took out her magic pen and began to write down the stories of their adventures: the simple yet profound drama of growing up into women and forging their own paths. Like a spell, she transformed her sisters with paper and ink into characters who would live forever: from Anna, Louisa, Elizabeth, and May into Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. This is the story of the sisterhood behind Little Women. This is Louisa as Sister.

Visit our website to learn more: www.letgeniusburn.com/learn-more.

This week, we're asking for support for Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House museum. Please give if you're able: https://louisamayalcott.org/donate.

]]> Once upon a time, four sisters became immortal. When they were young, the four girls were still flesh and blood, ordinary girls who built towers out of their father’s books and put on plays in the barn for their neighbors and went hungry too many nights. One day, when they were all grown up, the second sister took out her magic pen and began to write down the stories of their adventures: the simple yet profound drama of growing up into women and forging their own paths. Like a spell, she transformed her sisters with paper and ink into characters who would live forever: from Anna, Louisa, Elizabeth, and May into Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. This is the story of the sisterhood behind Little Women. This is Louisa as Sister.

Visit our website to learn more: www.letgeniusburn.com/learn-more.

This week, we're asking for support for Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House museum. Please give if you're able: https://louisamayalcott.org/donate.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-8915363 Mon, 26 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0400 3248 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 1 2 full false Louisa as Daughter Louisa as Daughter Before Louisa May Alcott grew up to be a famous children's author, she belonged to her parents: Bronson Alcott and Abigail May Alcott. Bronson was an educator whose lofty ideas brought him to the forefront of the Transcendentalist philosophy movement. Abigail May Alcott was a social worker and ardent supporter of women's suffrage. Together, they created a family where their four daughters were encouraged to be active, creative individuals. This is the story of Louisa May Alcott as a daughter.

Visit our website to learn about the references in this episode: https://www.letgeniusburn.com/learn-more

If you can, please support Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org.

]]> Before Louisa May Alcott grew up to be a famous children's author, she belonged to her parents: Bronson Alcott and Abigail May Alcott. Bronson was an educator whose lofty ideas brought him to the forefront of the Transcendentalist philosophy movement. Abigail May Alcott was a social worker and ardent supporter of women's suffrage. Together, they created a family where their four daughters were encouraged to be active, creative individuals. This is the story of Louisa May Alcott as a daughter.

Visit our website to learn about the references in this episode: https://www.letgeniusburn.com/learn-more

If you can, please support Feeding America: https://www.feedingamerica.org.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-8884578 Mon, 19 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0400 3091 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 1 1 full false Louisa May Alcott: An Introduction Louisa May Alcott: An Introduction A short biography of Louisa's life lays the groundwork for this series. Meet the hosts of Let Genius Burn and hear about why we believe Louisa May Alcott was a singular genius in her generation. This is Let Genius Burn.

]]> A short biography of Louisa's life lays the groundwork for this series. Meet the hosts of Let Genius Burn and hear about why we believe Louisa May Alcott was a singular genius in her generation. This is Let Genius Burn.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com/listen Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-8842840 Mon, 12 Jul 2021 04:00:00 -0400 1874 History, Biography, Writing, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, Literature 1 1 full false Trailer: Let Genius Burn Trailer: Let Genius Burn Welcome to Let Genius Burn, a podcast series about the life and legacy of Louisa May Alcott created by Jill Fuller and Jamie Burgess.

Louisa May Alcott is best known for her novel Little Women, but her story doesn't begin or end with her famous novel. Learn about the layers of Louisa's life, from her extraordinary childhood as the daughter of a Transcendentalist philosopher to the wealth and celebrity of her later years as a children's author.

Let Genius Burn launches July 12, 2021. In the meantime, learn more about Louisa's life on Facebook and Instagram @letgeniusburn and on our website letgeniusburn.com.

]]> Welcome to Let Genius Burn, a podcast series about the life and legacy of Louisa May Alcott created by Jill Fuller and Jamie Burgess.

Louisa May Alcott is best known for her novel Little Women, but her story doesn't begin or end with her famous novel. Learn about the layers of Louisa's life, from her extraordinary childhood as the daughter of a Transcendentalist philosopher to the wealth and celebrity of her later years as a children's author.

Let Genius Burn launches July 12, 2021. In the meantime, learn more about Louisa's life on Facebook and Instagram @letgeniusburn and on our website letgeniusburn.com.

]]> https://www.letgeniusburn.com Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller Buzzsprout-8772629 Sun, 27 Jun 2021 20:00:00 -0400 137 History, Biography, Writing 1 trailer false