Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

Tracy talks about the mixed bag nature of Elizabeth Bisland, and the hosts talk about their own travel experiences. Holly shares the less-than-noble character trait that she shares with Flaubert.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

When Madame Bovary was written in the 1850s, it fell under the accusing eye of the French government for its perceived immorality. Flaubert recognized that the trial would only stoke interest, and that it would set the tone for his career. Research: Barzun, Jacques. “Gustave Flau ...  Show more

Poet Emily Dickinson has often been painted as a recluse and an oddball by history, though she had a passionate nature and a rich inner life. She wrote some of the most beloved and enduring poetry in the world during her introspective lifetime, but her audience didn't find her un ...  Show more

Bitterly lonely and abandoned by her family, Anna Ivanovna grew to hate love. And when she became the unlikely Empress of Russia she used her power to build an ice palace that was both a spectacle and a torture chamber. 

Hortense Mancini is perhaps most famous for being a royal mistress, but her life was a series of adventures and scandals. Hortense was willing to do whatever it took to be a woman who lived on her own terms in the 17th century.

Isadora was the purest of unconventional free spirits and one of history's most unique dance innovators. Many people only know how she died, but how she lived is a much more inspiring and fascinating story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices