

Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff
Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 29, 2025 • 50min
Part Two: Druids: Because the Past is Metal as Hell
Margaret continues her talk with Sophie about the philosophers of the celts. Sources: https://irishfolklore.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/blacksmiths-and-the-supernatural/https://folklorethursday.com/folklore-of-archaeology/ferrous-friend-foe-iron-became-enemy-fairy-folk/https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/28y8zwazfxaq2tsb933b54wf0slfcj https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/05/02/woodhenge-is-just-as-fascinating-and-mysterious-as-its-famous-neighbor-stonehenge/ https://irishmyths.com/2022/04/29/female-druids/ Barry Cunliffe, Druids: A Very Short Introduction Peter Berresford Ellis, The DruidsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 27, 2025 • 51min
Part One: Druids: Because the Past is Metal as Hell
Margaret talks to Sophie about the philosophers of the celts. Sources: https://irishfolklore.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/blacksmiths-and-the-supernatural/https://folklorethursday.com/folklore-of-archaeology/ferrous-friend-foe-iron-became-enemy-fairy-folk/https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/28y8zwazfxaq2tsb933b54wf0slfcj https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/05/02/woodhenge-is-just-as-fascinating-and-mysterious-as-its-famous-neighbor-stonehenge/ https://irishmyths.com/2022/04/29/female-druids/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 26, 2025 • 26min
CZM Book Club: F*ck This Sh*t Manor, by Laurel Hightower
Margaret reads you a haunted house story about real estate desirability.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 22, 2025 • 31min
Crisis Hotlines: Of Course Queers Invented Them, Part Two
Margaret talks to you about the history of suicide prevention hotlines and the complications of state intervention in emergency mental health care.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 20, 2025 • 35min
Crisis Hotlines: Of Course Queers Invented Them, Part One
Margaret talks to you about the history of suicide prevention hotlines and the complications of state intervention in emergency mental health care. Sources- https://translifeline.org/about/history/https://translifeline.org/response-to-988-cuts/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/10/27/359434925/bernard-mayes-nprs-first-chairman-founder-of-suicide-hotline-dieshttps://www.sfgate.com/living/article/Bernard-Mayes-to-be-honored-as-lifeline-to-3516576.phphttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11447250/Bernard-Mayes-priest-obituary.htmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20141026134947/http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2014/10/24/bernard-mayes-kqed-fms-first-general-manager-dies-at-85https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45106/sonnet-116-let-me-not-to-the-marriage-of-true-mindshttps://www.sfsuicide.org/about/https://translifeline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/The-Problem-With-988-Report-November-2024-Text.pdfhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11733462/https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/data.html https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6978712/ https://www.psychiatry.org/News-room/APA-Blogs/Marking-Two-Years-of-988-The-Suicide-and-Crisis-Lihttps://behavioralhealthlink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/988-History-Journal-Article_JohnDraper.pdf https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/blog/suicide-mental-health-crisis-resources-not-police https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/her-death-sparked-transgender-day-remembrance-22-years-later-still-n1233809https://www.them.us/story/rita-hester-trans-remembrance-visibility-memorial https://translifeline.org/why-no-non-consensual-intervention/https://www.them.us/story/trans-lifeline-report-988-police-interventions https://madattheinternet.substack.com/p/online-censorships-institutional https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32121226 https://glaad.org/tdor/ https://web.archive.org/web/20250107195548/https://cohost.org/lizthegrey/post/1520523-some-philanthropy-thSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 19, 2025 • 36min
CZM Book Club: Two Tales of Classic Horror, by Saki and Bierce
Dive into two classic horror tales as Margaret explores the mischief in Saki's 'The Open Window,' unveiling its clever twist. Then, journey into the eerie landscapes of Bierce's 'An Inhabitant of Carcosa,' where a disoriented narrator meets a chilling fate. The discussion touches on horror's evolution from gothic ghosts to psychological and cosmic tensions. Learn how these stories shaped the genre and influenced iconic writers like Lovecraft. It's a captivating ride through the shadows of classic terror!

Oct 15, 2025 • 1h 2min
Part Two: Secret Societies and Leftism: The Odd Origins of Revolution
Sarah Marshall, a journalist and host of the upcoming miniseries The Devil You Know, dives into the fascinating world of secret societies. She reveals that much of what we think about the Illuminati is skewed, tracing its origins back to Freemasonry and Enlightenment ideals. The duo explores Masonic rituals, the exclusionary nature of its teachings, and how government suppression created modern conspiracy theories. They also discuss the connections between Masonic symbols and revolutionary movements, and how today's organizing differs from these secretive structures.

Oct 13, 2025 • 1h 5min
Part One: Secret Societies and Leftism: The Odd Origins of Revolution
Margaret talks to Sarah Marshall about how everything you've heard about the Illuminati is entirely upside down. The Devil You Know with Sarah Marshall: https://link.mgln.ai/rAmTZp Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eleusinian-Mysterieshttps://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federaci%C3%B3n_Regional_Espa%C3%B1ola_de_la_AITOccult Features of Anarchism, by Erica Lagalissehttps://www.thecollector.com/cult-of-pythagoras/http://gnosis.org/hermes.htmhttps://www.rosicrucian.org/historySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 12, 2025 • 31min
CZM Book Club: Hollywood Werewolf Conspiracy, by Hailey Piper
Margaret reads you a story about werewolves, polyamory, and cycles of trauma.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 8, 2025 • 1h 6min
CZM Rewind: Baba Yaga: Everyone's Favorite Witch From Folklore, Part Two
In part two of this week's episode, Margaret continues her talk with Jamie Loftus about Baba Yaga, the Slavic legend who eats children and occasionally helps people. Original Air Date: 11.9.2022See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


