Unruly Figures
Valorie Castellanos Clark
This is about the rebels.
This is about the ne’er-do-wells.
This is about the mutineers, the agitators, the subversives.
Unruly Figures is a celebration of history’s biggest rule-breakers.
Twice a month, I’m going to dive into the life and times of the greatest rebels the world has known. I will talk about their lives, the society they lived in, the decisions they made, and how their refusal to play by the rules changed the world.
Join me as I nerd out and get inspired by history’s favorite risk-takers.
This is about the ne’er-do-wells.
This is about the mutineers, the agitators, the subversives.
Unruly Figures is a celebration of history’s biggest rule-breakers.
Twice a month, I’m going to dive into the life and times of the greatest rebels the world has known. I will talk about their lives, the society they lived in, the decisions they made, and how their refusal to play by the rules changed the world.
Join me as I nerd out and get inspired by history’s favorite risk-takers.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 7, 2025 • 40min
Bonus Episode: 11 Historical Moments Scary Enough To Be Horror Movies
Launching the new season of Unruly Figures--it's a frightfest in here!
Oct 3, 2025 • 4min
#GRWM for Season 5 of Unruly Figures
Are we ready for the next season of Unruly Figures? Get ready with me—very literally—for season 5!Some of the women I will be covering this season include Jane Austen, Assata Shakur (RIP), Maria Tallchief, Empress Dowager Ling, and Julie d’Aubigny. It’s going to be a really great season, and I’m so excited to dig in. First episode drops Tuesday.
May 6, 2025 • 13min
#52 - Zhang Jue
This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering the tale of Zhang Jue, the leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in China in 184 CE.If you liked this story, check out Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of.
Apr 22, 2025 • 24min
#51 - Freddie Oversteegen
This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering the tale of Freddie Oversteegen, a Dutch Resistance fighter who seduced and killed Nazis during World War II. If you liked this story, check out Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of.
Apr 15, 2025 • 30min
Unruly Interviews: Alex Lyras
On this week's episode of Unruly Figures, host Valorie Castellanos Clark is joined by Alex Lyras, the award-winning director of Aristotle/Alexander. They talk about the play, the craft of writing historical fiction, and why this meeting of the minds from 2,000 years ago is still relevant today.
Mar 25, 2025 • 33sec
A Short Announcement
As you all have heard above, I lost my recording space suddenly (and with no warning, I might add). My home is not really equipped to record in at the moment (echoey, nearby construction), so I have been hunting for an affordable new spot all around Los Angeles. I hope to be back to recording our regularly scheduled episodes soon! Right now it’s looking like I’ll be outfitting a home recording studio, which might take a bit of time. But I am working on it—I’m not ready to give up this project yet!
Mar 11, 2025 • 19min
#50 - Edythe Eyde
This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Edythe Eyde, creator of the first lesbian magazine in the US. Eyde is better known by her penname Lisa Ben.If you liked this story, check outUnruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of.
Feb 26, 2025 • 35min
#49 - Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba
This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering the incredible warrior queen Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba, a woman who resisted Portuguese colonization of her homeland for decades. If you liked this story, check outUnruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of.
Feb 11, 2025 • 19min
#48 - Harriet Bell Hayden
This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Harriet Bell Hayden, one of the heroes of Boston's abolitionist movement.If you liked this story, check outUnruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of.
Sep 24, 2024 • 33min
#47 - Lillian Frances Smith
In this week's episode of Unruly Figures, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark covers the story of Lillian Frances Smith, a sharpshooter, trick rider, and formidable woman who outshot Annie Oakley in the Wild West.If you like this episode, check out Valorie's bookUnruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries!
