
Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff
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.
Latest episodes

Nov 7, 2022 • 1h 9min
Part One: Baba Yaga: Everyone's Favorite Witch From Folklore
Margaret talks with comedian and podcaster Jamie Loftus about Baba Yaga, the Slavic legend who eats children and occasionally helps people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 2, 2022 • 43min
Halloween Fiction Special: It Bleeds, It Burrows, It Breaks the Bone
In this extra-special Halloween fiction special presentation, Margaret reads a ghost story from her new book, We Won't Be Here Tomorrow, to Sophie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 31, 2022 • 1h 12min
Part Three: Sholem Schwarzbard: The Jewish Assassin Who Ruled
In the finale of this special reverse episode, Miriam concludes her conversation with Margaret about Sholem Schwarzbard, the radical Jewish assassin. Special thanks goes to Anna Elena Torres. Her forthcoming book, With Freedom in Our Ears can be found here. Thanks to Eliui Damm, whose work can be found in There's Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart, available from AK Press, With Freedom in Our Ears and Tohubavohu, a zine available here.Thank you to Ciarán Finlayson.And thank you to Kelly Johnson, whose 2012 dissertation Sholem Schwarzbard: Biography of a Jewish Assassin was indispensable to the research for this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 26, 2022 • 52min
Part Two: Sholem Schwarzbard: The Jewish Assassin Who Ruled
In part two of this special reverse episode, Miriam continues her conversation with Margaret about Sholem Schwarzbard, the radical Jewish assassin. Special thanks goes to Anna Elena Torres. Her forthcoming book, With Freedom in Our Ears can be found here. Thanks to Eliui Damm, whose work can be found in There's Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart, available from AK Press, With Freedom in Our Ears and Tohubavohu, a zine available here.Thank you to Ciarán Finlayson.And thank you to Kelly Johnson, whose 2012 dissertation Sholem Schwarzbard: Biography of a Jewish Assassin was indispensable to the research for this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 24, 2022 • 55min
Part One: Sholem Schwarzbard: The Jewish Assassin Who Ruled
In this special reverse episode, Miriam talks with Margaret about Sholem Schwarzbard, the radical Jewish assassin. Special thanks goes to Anna Elena Torres. Her forthcoming book, With Freedom in Our Ears can be found here. Thanks to Eliui Damm, whose work can be found in There's Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart, available from AK Press, With Freedom in Our Ears and Tohubavohu, a zine available here.Thank you to Ciarán Finlayson.And thank you to Kelly Johnson, whose 2012 dissertation Sholem Schwarzbard: Biography of a Jewish Assassin was indispensable to the research for this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 19, 2022 • 1h 3min
Part Two: The Vampires are on Our Side: Antifascism in Film
In part two of this week's episode, Margaret continues her conversation with Caitlin Durante about the antifascist filmmaking in Germany and Hollywood that laid much of the foundations for modern cinema.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 17, 2022 • 1h 9min
Part One: The Vampires are on Our Side: Antifascism in Film
Margaret talks with Caitlin Durante about the antifascist filmmaking in Germany and Hollywood that laid much of the foundations for modern cinema.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 12, 2022 • 60min
Part Two: Crime Pays: The Sophie Lyons Story
In part two of this week's episode, Margaret continues her conversation with Prop about how one immigrant woman navigated the 19th century American criminal underworld, robbed the rich, retired rich herself, gave back to her community, and kind of was terrible also.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 10, 2022 • 57min
Part One: Crime Pays: The Sophie Lyons Story
Margaret talks to Prop about how one immigrant woman navigated the 19th century American criminal underworld, robbed the rich, retired rich herself, gave back to her community, and kind of was terrible also.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 5, 2022 • 1h 4min
Part Two: The Modern School & Francisco Ferrer: School Shouldn't Be Terrible
In part two of this week's episode, Margaret continues her conversation with James Stout about the turn of the century educators who fought--and sometimes died--for a reasonable education for the working class.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.