Author Alena Dillon joins us for this week’s mini to discuss the medical treatment of women and mothers and how it’s evolved over time. We’ll touch on hysteria, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and some of the things that surprised us about giving birth.  Discussed in this episode:  Eyes Turned Skyward by Alena Dillon Amy Schum

Following her straight-laced Edwardian-era upbringing, “Dirty” Helen Cromwell became a call girl-turned-madame, bootlegger, and legendary speakeasy owner. The life of every party, she counted Al Capone among her many famous friends. Our guest is Christina Ward, who reintroduced the world to Cromwell’s unputdownable mem

Simone de Beauvoir’s lost novella The Inseparables was once deemed “too intimate” to publish. Newly found, it’s been released to great critical acclaim and we have Lauren Elkin, the translator of the UK Penguin Random House edition, with us to discuss the book and its fascinating author. Support the show For episodes a