Unruly Figures

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Welcome to season four of Unruly Figures! In this episode, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark tells the tale of Rani Lakshmi Bai, the queen of Jansi who rebelled against British colonial rule.

In this week's episode, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Dr. Margaret "Mom" Chung, the first American-born Chinese woman to become a medical doctor.Want more info about Dr. Margaret Chung? Check outDoctor Mom Chung of the Fair-Haired Bastards: The Life of a Wartime Celebrityby Judy Tzu-Chun Wu.If you liked this story, you will love my book,Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of.

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Saint Valentine, the ancient Roman rebel and martyr who has given his name to our modern romantic holiday. Order your copy of the Unruly Figures book now⁠⁠⁠⁠! This podcast is sponsored by Audible. Get a free trial of Audible, including one free audiobook, by visiting ⁠⁠⁠audibletrial.com/unruly⁠⁠⁠. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://unrulyfigures.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ There, you can find transcripts of each episode, photos of each episode's subject, and behind-the-scenes goodies. So come join us!

The book based on this popular podcast is almost out! Just in time for the book's release, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark has recorded an excerpt of a chapter. Amelio Robles Ávila is not covered in any other episode of the podcast, so to learn how his story ends, pick up a copy of Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries in bookstores starting March 5, 2024.