More Than A Muse: Recent Episodes
Sadie Anderson, Stauney Hansen
Join us, Stauney (a graphic designer) & Sadie (a singer-songwriter) every Monday as we explore the life & legacy of female artists, musicians, authors, actresses (and more!) that history ignored. You can expect in-depth discussions, pop culture chats, feminist insights & lots of interesting facts about what it involved to be a female artist over 100 years ago… as well as what’s the same and different for artists today!
Women's sexuality and their purity seem to be a topic that follows us throughout time. In this episode, Stauney and Sadie explore how societal views on women's sexuality and purity are reflected in classic literature like 'The Scarlet Letter,' 'The Virgin Suicides,' and 'Lolita.' These novels serve as mirrors to the complexities of purity culture, where women's bodies and desires are closely scrutinized. The novels are all notably written by men, whose intentions have been twisted over time to emphasize harmful perspectives that the original authors never intended. We dissect the nuances of womanhood, societal judgments, and the interplay between purity and perspective that shapes these stories. Join us as we navigate these narratives, shedding light on how they contribute to our understanding of women's roles in a world focused on their virtue and sensuality, and how it harms us all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Often in music, the prominence is placed on the title stars, without much regard to the people behind the scenes that help make the magic happen. This week, Sadie sheds light on a hidden part of the music industry: backup vocalists. We delve into the extraordinary careers of Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, and the unsung backup vocalists who have famous harmonies featured on some of our favorite songs, often remaining hidden in plain sight. We discuss their careers, the times they have been uncredited or misrepresented, their humility, their time with the stars, and many of the other voices that played this vital role including Judith Hill, Lisa Fischer, Tata Vega, and Jo Lawry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Step aside wolves of wall street, this summer has been a tidal wave of economic girl power. Two big examples of this are Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour," expected to make an amazing 5 billion worldwide, and the Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, which has already made over a billion dollars in sales, the biggest profit of a movie by a solo female director ever. These successes, along with the upcoming U.S. leg of the Beyoncé Renaissance tour that's already boosting local economies, show just how powerful women's interests and stories are. Economists are predicting that women will have 30 trillion dollars to spend in the next 10 years, showing how they're shaping businesses, and entertainment in a way that can no longer be ignored. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the dazzling annals of cinema's history, there exists a remarkable figure whose name remains too often obscured by the shadows of time. Today, Stauney brings to light the unparalleled contributions of Alice Guy-Blaché, the world's first (and for a while, the ONLY) female film director. Pioneering the art of storytelling through moving pictures, her innovative vision shaped cinema's landscape at the brink of its innovation. Despite facing historical obscurity, her enduring impact remains an inspiration, with a 20-year career and catalog of over 1,000 films that make the industry what it is today, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, Sadie takes us into the enchanting world of Ursula Parrott, a mysterious and talented writer of the Jazz Age, whose famous novel "Ex-Wife" unveils the complexities of love, marriage, and society's shifting norms. Amidst the glitz and glamour of 1920s New York City, Parrott's presence among literary luminaries like F. Scott Fitzgerald left an indelible mark, but beneath the fame lies a hidden story of personal struggles that helped aid her art that left a legacy. We talk about her life, her fame, her complete obscurity, and how that colored her journey through a time of roaring change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's a Barbie world! This week, in our part two episode, we're diving headfirst into the enchanting world of the Barbie Cinematic Universe, especially those beloved animated movies from the 2000s. From heartwarming tales of friendship to thrilling musical escapades, these animated gems have left a lasting impression on audiences of all ages... especially us. And hold onto your seats because we're not done! We'll be exploring the newly released Barbie movie that stars none other than Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie, with the talented Greta Gerwig directing. As Barbie's cinematic journey unfolds, it continues to inspire and empower viewers, spreading the message of inclusivity and girl power worldwide. So, let's buckle up and get ready for a magical adventure through Barbie's cinematic world! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's time for our most anticipated episode of the year! This week, Stauney and Sadie dive deep into the rich history of Barbie, tracing her origins from the visionary mind of Ruth Handler in 1959 to her present-day status as an iconic figure. Despite sparking controversies surrounding her portrayal of beauty, Barbie has undergone significant transformations, emerging as a symbol of progress and empowerment. Over time, the brand has actively embraced inclusivity by expanding the range to represent diverse skin tones, hair textures, and body shapes, and responding constantly to criticism. As Barbie ventured into various career paths, she defied traditional gender roles and encouraged girls to pursue their dreams fearlessly. Join us as we unveil the fascinating history of Barbie, explore her invention, the controversies she has faced, and the brand's ongoing commitment to inclusivity and empowerment, revealing the profound impact she has made on popular culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the realm of landscape architecture, one name stands out as a true pioneer and visionary. This week Stauney introduces us to Beatrix Farrand, known for breaking barriers and reshaping the field during a time when it was predominantly male-dominated, Farrand's remarkable contributions have left an indelible mark on the world of design. With her exceptional talent, unwavering dedication, and environmental stewardship, she transformed gardens into breathtaking works of art that harmonized with the natural world. Join us as we delve into the life, legacy, and extraordinary achievements of Beatrix Farrand, whose green thumb genius and innovative spirit continue to inspire generations of landscape architects. Episodes like this: Marion Mahoney Griffin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Amidst the chaos of war, one daring woman stood fearlessly behind the camera, capturing the untold stories and unyielding spirit of conflict—and then history completely erased her. This week, Stauney and Sadie are joined by Lorissa Rinehart, the author of "First to the Front: The Untold Story of Dickey Chapelle, Trailblazing Female War Correspondent" which will be released on JULY 11th. We discuss her journey to uncovering Chapelle, our personal love of the book, why it's more relevant today than ever before, and our adoration for the stories of women coming forward into history once more. Chapelle is truly a force of humility, courage, fearlessness, and compassion and we can't wait for all of you to adore her as much as we do after reading Rinehart's biography. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Imagine writing a book that was so obviously gay that the censorship committees couldn't even tell what it was. This week, Sadie brings us up to speed on Djuna Barnes, a fascinating and influential figure of the 20th-century modernist literature movement. Known for her provocative and experimental writing style, Barnes pushed boundaries through her life and writing with an unapologetic embrace of her queerness. With an unconventional childhood, a career in journalism, poetry, and writing, and her unique blend of modernism, feminism, and social critique, Barnes left a lasting impact as a trailblazer in the literary world. Also, check out our Provincetown Players episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We're no strangers to talking about "the male and female gaze" but do we know what this means and represents for the art and media we consume? This week on the podcast, Stauney and Sadie are talking about the history of the male and female gaze. We discuss how it has existed in art, especially depicted in female nudes and depictions in modern media. We also discuss the difference between a female and male gaze, how different they are, the implications of the male gaze, and how we can hold ourselves accountable for how we view men and women in the stories we enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, we're talking about the early origins of a community experimental theatre group called "The Provincetown Players" that produced some of America's best theatrical works and thrived in the Greenwich Village of New York City. They also were extremely progressive by bringing women playwrights, directors, and actresses to the forefront of the theater scene, with many of them winning Pulitzer prizes and other awards for their works. We talk about the founding and fall of The Provincetown Players and the many esteemed women who took part in it including Susan Keating Glaspell, Neith Boyce, Djuana Barnes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Louise Bryant, and Mary Heaton Vorce.
Episodes Like This One: Aphra Behn, History of Western Feminism, Was Shakespeare a Woman?
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This week, Sadie introduces us to "The Mother of Modern Dance," Isadora Duncan. Known for her free-flowing dancing and choreography that began the modern and contemporary dance movement, she was truly an incredible pioneer in the evolution of dance and movement. She traveled across Europe and the Soviet Union dancing to great acclaim, taught a group of students, and raised and adopted many children before her sudden and traumatic death in France. We discuss her childhood, career, relationships, philosophy, and impact on the world.
Episodes Like This One: Loie Fuller, Misty Copeland
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We all heard the drama of 'Don't Worry, Darling' with rumors of spitting on co-stars, affairs with the director, phone calls about "Miss Flo" and much more leaking their way into the press for an entire year. But what about the plot of this movie (that's a real movie)? The story of a man setting his wife in an idealistic 50-style "traditional" home against her knowledge is not a new one. Its connection to the mid-70s book and movie 'The Stepford Wives' by Ira Levin is impossible to ignore. Today we are talking about all the iterations of this horrific tale and how it relates to the gender roles of the time period, from the 1970s of the first book and movie to the early 2000s remake, and the present-day box-office bomb. We also discuss different expectations of women over time, what men want in a woman, body image, inequality, and sexual assault.
TW: some of the topics might be a bit triggering.
Episodes Like This One: History of Feminism, Riot Grrrl
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This week, Stauney introduces us to the personal portrait artist of Marie Antoinette, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. Vigée Le Brun was an early French painter known for her close associations with the famous aristocracy of Paris, and later - most of the European royals. We talk about her early tutelage under her father, her rise to fame and career at the early age of 14, her tastemaking "It girl" status in Paris, her exile from her home country right before the execution of the Royals, and the remaining years and historic mark she left on the history of France.
Episodes Like This One: Female Political Leaders, Sofonisba Anguilsola, Artemesia Gentileschi
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Reading is trendy again! Since the Harry Potter and Twilight craze, we haven't seen the internet as obsessed with books as they have been in the past two years with the rise of #booktok, a subset of TikTok focused on book recommendations, authors, booksellers and anything else of the literary sense. From the publishing and printed book industry to believed to have been completely dying out, to now making more money than ever before, and celebrities and influencers being spotted holding books everywhere they go, today Stauney and Sadie talk about the BookTok sensation and what it's doing for the female authors and book industry, and why we should all be excited about the reading renaissance.
Episodes Like This One: Romance Novels Aren't Trashy
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Presents and the patriarchy? Misogyny under the mistletoe? Santa and... sexism? Today we're talking about Christmas and the unfair division of holiday labor that happens during this season of merriment. In "traditional households" most of the holiday chores, decorating, Christmas cards, present shopping, gift wrapping, treats and dinners, and hosting, all tend to fall to one individual: the woman. Why does it happen today even in our more progressive society? How are some couples able to escape it? Why do some women not really want it to stop? What do the men have to say about it all? Today we discuss it all with some humor and also dive into what one area in Ireland is doing to celebrate the extra holiday labor that women tend to take on every year during December.
Episodes Like This One: Misogyny and Marriage, Christmas Music Charts
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Another monthly bonus book episode and this one is NOT to be missed with the cutest Christmas romance that filled Stauney and Sadie with absolute yuletide glee. "Faking Christmas" by Cindy Steel is a highly rated and self-published adorable new release this year that details a cute Christmas romance and we adored it. We discuss our love for the book, our Romance Novel episode that is criminally underrated, and also discuss the immense empire of hallmark movies that are unpretentious fun - something we could all use a bit more of during this holiday season.
Listen to our Romance Novel Episode
Read Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel
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Although she was one of the first recipients of the Triple Crown, the first actress ever to win a Tony and Oscar for the same role, and one of the most awarded Broadway actresses of all time, Shirley Booth is largely forgotten and often only remembered for her role on a sitcom. This week, Sadie reminds us of this award-winning actress whose life was not an easy one, being estranged early from her family and dealing with many of the complications of the early age of Hollywood, even lying about her age and pretending to be TEN years younger than she was, but nonetheless going on to be a Broadway legend. She also voiced Mrs. Claus in "The Year Without a Santa Claus."
Episodes Like This One: Julie Andrews, Hollywood Starlets, Betty White, When Women Invented Television
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Every year in December, you can expect to hear the same classic Christmas songs that cue you into the beginning of the holiday season. Whether it's the 13 opening notes of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" or the melodic melodies of Christmas classics like "Silent Night" or "White Christmas," it seems that the same songs have been around... well forever. Today we dive into the LONG history of Christmas carols, starting with the early 14th century, up to the 90's Mariah Carey hit, and also discuss WHY Christmas music is well... old, and the chart toppers in December never seem to make it anywhere near the top 100 any other time of the year.
Episodes Like This One: Eartha Kitt, Karen Carpenter
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Stauney talks about a beloved American painter, Anna Mary Robertson Moses, also known as "Grandma" Moses. With a 20 year farming career alongside her husband and ten children, Moses didn't start painting for profit until her late 70's. However, her climb to acclaim was fast paced thereafter with her being featured in Times Magazine for her 100th birthday, selling paintings for $5 to $10,000 within ten years, and even being honored by two U.S. Presidents. Her beloved folk art depicts holiday scenes of a simpler time that you won't be able to prevent yourself from falling in love with.
Episodes Like This One: Miss Alma Thomas, Kenojuak Ashevak, Maria Prymachenko
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In this month's bonus book episode, we sat down to chat with Ruth from @eveningcrickets who recommended this month's book "This Woman's Work: Essays on Music" edited by Kim Gordon and Sinead Gleeson on her TikTok account. This book is a beautiful collection of essays from different women about the musicians that inspired and fascinated them throughout their lives. We discussed the collection of essays from the book, some of her favorites, and all about music.
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Today Sadie introduces us to one of the most accomplished women in history. Maya Angelou is one of those women who have been quoted so many times, it almost overshadows the incredible woman and her marvelous life behind the memorable words. Known for her famous memoirs, Maya Angelou's life has been riddled with lessons and accomplishments that could fill multiple lives, including being the first female train operator, a dancer, an actor, an author, a poet, the first black woman on the quarter, the first black women to recite poetry at a presidential inauguration and even had her likeness and name used for a barbie doll. She has also been honored with Grammy's, a lifetime achievement award, a Spingard medal, a Pulitzer prize, two NCAPP awards, numerous poetry awards, almost 50 honorary degrees, and even the presidential medal of freedom. Her notoriety is worthy of remembering forever.
Trigger Warning: Slight mention of sexual assault
Episodes Like This One: Anna May Wong, Emily Dickinson, Miss Alma Thomas, Josephine Baker
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If you think of cave paintings, you think of animals and handprints and dark caves. But have you ever wondered who was behind those prehistoric works of art? You probably immediately assumed men, and you wouldn't be alone in that. However, recent studies have found that nearly 75% of the handprints found in most primitive caves were women leading to immediate outrage from many researchers... and why? Why is the default always believed to be men? Today we talk about the reasons women are believed to be pre-historic artists, why they haven't, gender roles throughout history, and also talk about the subjects of cave paintings and the famous female venus figurines.
Article by Hall Rockefeller
Episodes Like This One: Kenojuak Ashevak, Angel de Cora, Gertrude Käsebier, Why have there been no great women artists?
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You probably haven't heard of Angle De Cora, (or Hinook-Mahiwi-Kalinaka) but this artist and designer from the Winnebago/Ho-chunk indigenous community and once was considered "The First Great Indian Artist," (which today we're able to see as a twisted, backhanded, and incorrect compliment), but shows how prominent her creative work was at the time, with her even being referred to as a genius by educators and professionals who admired her work. Although the grand-daughter of the Chief, she was horrifically kidnapped at a young age from her tribe, educated in Western-European standard schools, and yet was able to return to her culture through her art and leave a lasting legacy in native rights, education, and art history.
Letterform Archive Article
Episodes Like This One: Kenojuak Ashevak, Anna May Wong, Gertrude Käsebier
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On October 21st the world was graced by THREE killer pop albums from three pop icons. Taylor Swift released her 10th studio album 'Midnights' breaking around 15 records within only a week of release. Meghan Trainor is topping TikTok with her 5th studio album 'Takin' it Back' and Carly Rae Jepsen isn't far behind with her 6th studio album 'The Loneliest Time.'
We talk about the TikTok relevancy of Meghan Trainor and the blueprint she's setting for pop artists' album releases, the "embracing the cheesy moments" that Carly Rae Jepsen is adapting into her tours and music, and our thoughts on both of their most recent album releases. Then we dive into ALL things 'Midnights' discussing our favorite songs, why we think it's so good, some of the controversy, her history of petty pop, how it ranks with our favorites, and what's next for Miss Swift.
Episodes Like This One: Is it unbearable to be a female pop star?, Taylor Swift Part One, Taylor Swift Part Two, Men we hate in Art and Music, Yes, A Whole Episode for Sour
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It's a bonus episode perfect for the end of this spooky month and we're wrapping up with our thoughts after reading the iconic monster novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. If you've been watching our Instagram lives where we've been recapping the books, then you know the ultimate sorrow we feel for the darling monster and the utter horror at the neglect of Frankenstein. Join us for an episode as we dive into the complexities of this gothic novel by this legendary author.
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It's Halloween and the last official episode of More Than A Muse Monster month! Have you ever noticed modern monsters are mostly men... or some form of man? The creatures of mythology are often similarly afflicted... and yet, hidden history is riddled with the stories of women who turned into monstrous forms... but maybe for good reason? This week we are diving into the deep mythology and folklore surrounding legendary women monsters. From harpies, sirens, and furies to Medusa, La Llorona, and Black Annis. We're talking about the legends surrounding women of mythos, and the misogyny behind their lore that shows how deep the fear of women runs throughout our history and attempts to answer questions like "what is the world's obsession with women being pretty even when they're "evil"?" and "Are any of these female monster myths rooted in anything other than sexism?"
Episodes Like This One: 19th Century Gothic Horror Authors, Mary Shelley, Feminine Rage
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It's another installment of More Than A Muse Monster month! Today we're talking about the woman behind arguably the most famous gothic monster ever created, Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, which also happens to be the first science fiction novel ever written, AND the first monster story. Mary Shelley was a true goth icon with many spooky life events perfect for October including - losing her virginity on her mother's grave, writing Frankenstein late at night at Lord Bryon's house from a ghost story challenge, and even keeping her husband's calcified heart in the drawer of her writing desk. We discuss her early feminist education, her controversial family relationships, the fact that we might start a Percey Shelley hate club, and much more. You won't regret learning about this woman, we guarantee you'll be just as fascinated as us by every aspect of her life.
Episodes Like This One: Virginia Woolfe and Vanessa Bell, 19th Century Gothic Horror Authors, Jane Austen, Shirley Jackson, Pearl Lenore Curran,
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If you've ever watched a Halloween classic, you've seen one of the most iconic spooky leading ladies ever - the extremely talented Winona Ryder. From her recent popularity in Stranger Things to her earlier roles in Beetlejuice, Heathers, Dracula, Edward Scissorhands... Should we continue? Her birthday is even only TWO nights before the iconic spine-chilling holiday.
We talk about the early life of this iconic actress, from growing up in a commune, being bullied in school for her blockbuster hits, her relationship with Johnny Depp, the shoplifting scandal, and of course Stranger Things. By the end, we promise you're guaranteed to have a new respect and love for Hollywood's undisputed Halloween ingenue.
Episodes Like This One: The Science of Women in Horror, Female Horror Film Tropes, The Cultural Impact of Twilight, Fanny Brice
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Are You Smarter than the Podcast Hosts? It's our podcast birthday and we're back with the second year of our trivia, to test our knowledge on all of the female artists we've discovered and covered in the past 12 months! If you've listened to all of our episodes, this is a great chance to show us how much smarter you are than us (we can't remember everything and DEFINITELY get some wrong). If you haven't listened or are a new listener, consider this the perfect chance to learn more about which episodes you need to dive right into! Thanks for a great year! Here's to the next!
Episodes Like This One: One Year Pop Quiz, 100 Episodes
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IT'S SPOOKY SEASON!!! We're so excited to kick off October with Stauney talking about Milicent Patrick, the only female movie monster maker, most known for her design of the Gill-man from the Universal classic horror flick, "The Creature of the Black Lagoon." From growing up on the major architectural site of Hearst Castle to being a part of the first round of female animators ever hired at Disney Animation studios and working on the Chernebog segment of Fantasia, to her work as a special effects makeup artist at Universal, this gorgeous woman, artist, actress, and creator had an incredible artistic legacy that was horrifically cut short by a jealous man with a giant ego... (a horror story all too familiar to us) that left her in obscurity for years!
The book talked about in the episode is "The Lady from the Black Lagoon" by Mallory O'Meara
Episodes Like This One: The Science of Women in Horror
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This week, we're talking FUNNY GIRL. Did you know that Fanny Brice was an actual female performer and comedian? We talk about the original inspiration for the now famous show, the constant setbacks and drama it faced since its inception, and the star Barbara Streisand became on the show's set. Then we get to sit down with the Lovely Lena, a co-host of the podcast 'Recovering Gleek,' and a New York City actress to discuss the show being brought back to the stage, the Beany Feldstein performance (which Lena actually saw in person!), and the Lea Michele controversy of it all, including the drama from Glee, internet comments, costume changes and so much more.
Check out Lena at @lenallyblonde and Recovering Gleek at @recoveringgleek_podcast
Episodes Like This One: Amanda Frisby Johnson, Minnie Pearl
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This week, Sadie memorializes the stunning Olivia Newton-John who just recently passed away. Although most famous for her starring role in Grease, the Australian actress had a long and pretty successful country music career before settling on the screen for her iconic role opposite Travolta, as well as Xanadu and a slew of other films, and then releasing the MOST popular song of the eighties 'Physical.' We talk all about her long and stunning career, her charity work and philanthropy, her long battle with breast cancer, and all the things that made her such a stunning and talented woman worth remembering.
Episodes Like This One: The ______ Girl, Julie Andrews, Women in Country Music
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You've probably heard of the recent Elvis biopic that came out this year, but do you know more about the man behind the screen... or even more so, the women that stood behind him, were overshadowed by him, and even inspired him? Today we're talking about the women BEHIND Elvis. From Big Mama Thorton to Priscilla Presley, Ann-Margret Olsson, and beyond, we discuss the controversial relationships with the talented women that stood behind the King of Rock and Roll throughout his tumultuous life.
TW: We do mention (very briefly) at different points, different types of abuse (physical, emotional), and grooming as well as drug and alcohol abuse and harmful dieting.
The King's Troubling Obsession
Episodes Like This One: Men We Hate in Art & Music, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Marni Nixon
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This week, Stauney is talking about one of her personal inspirations, Bea Feitler, a groundbreaking graphic designer from the sixties and seventies who wasn't afraid to embrace the bizarre and unconventional. Feitler was one of the youngest art directors ever when she took her co-director position with her contemporary Ruth Ansel and the two took the major magazine world by storm winning award after award. She would go on to have a flourishing and fulfilling career, constantly pushing the envelope and using her signature neon colors every chance she got and friends continued to describe her as an "unstoppable creative force."
Episodes Like This One: Gail Anderson, The Art of the Olympics
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We made it to 100 Episodes!! We get to be all reflective and reminisce on our favorite people, topics, and more that we covered that have inspired and helped shape us into the women and artists we are. We also talk about female friendships and the difference they make.
Want to check out some of our favorite books? Check out our booklist
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This week, we're spending our time in 18th and 19th century Paris with four great ladies and fundamental artists of Impressionism: Marie Bracquemond, Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, and Eva Gonzalès. All four spent significant amounts of time in the Paris inner circles, with many (if not all) of them related to the most prominent figures in impressionism. They also all overcame family obstacles, gender discrimination, criticism of the movement they believed in, and much more to rise to the top of the impressionist art scene. Although very similar upbringings, these women all created unique and stunning works of art that are the pinnacles of the movement and significant to all of art history.
Want to check out some of our favorite books? Check out our booklist
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This week, Sadie introduces us to a Nashville country icon, Minnie Pearl. A significant character of comedic history, Pearl was a fixture at the Grand Ole Opry (and the first solo female member) for more than 50 years and was the first female comedian inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She also starred for a short time on a country television show and even had a short stint in the fried chicken business. Her small childhood town served as inspiration for her stage persona and her frilly dress with a price tag hanging from her floral floppy hat became an instantly recognizable symbol.
Episodes to check out after this one: Betty White, Working 9 to 5, Patsy Cline, Women in Country Music
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You may think you know what Hula is, but you might want to rethink your concept of it. From its origins as a spiritual practice for Hawaiian culture, the Hula has been used by tourism to exploit and promote a "Hula girl" image that is in real life not accurate at all. We talk about the history of this dance as an art form and cultural tradition and discuss the exploration and misperceptions of the "hula girl" that was created by tourism and capitalism. It's everything from mythology to misogyny and how we can be better advocates and tourists in Hawaii.
Misperceptions of the Hula Girl by Noah Dolim
Episodes to check out after this one: The Political Power of Dance, Margaret Keane, Anna May Wong
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This week, Stauney brings us up to speed on Marion Mahony Griffin, one of the first female licensed architects in the whole world, and a major pioneer of the prairie school architectural style. She also carried a lifelong grudge against the famous Frank Lloyd Wright after working with him closely for over 15 years. Not only did he steal some of her drawings without attributing her, but he also disparaged the work of her and her later husband and business partner, and continued to take sole credit for the prairie style despite its many contributors. We discuss her childhood, work with the aforementioned Wright, and her later partnership, marriage and fame with her husband Walter Burley Griffin as they designed the capital and many neighborhoods in Australia.
Episodes to check out after this one: Beatrice Ward, Hilma Af Klint
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This week, Stauney talks about Beatrice Wood, otherwise known as the "Mama of Dada" due to her influential role in the early Dada art movement in New York. Although she grew up in a wealthy affluent household, she ran away to become a painter and actress against her family's wishes, mingling with the early avant-garde artists of New York Society before joining the theoreticism movement and landing in Ojai California as a sculptor. She lived 105 years, and every single one of them was filled with absolutely humorous and legendary moments that created such an iconic artist, and would even go on to inspire a character from the major hit film, Titanic.
Episodes to check out after this one: Hilma Af Klint
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This week, Sadie introduces us to the only known female artist (and founder) of the British pop art movement - Pauline Boty. Despite being a woman in a man's world, Boty was never afraid to express her femininity, and sexuality and became a true icon of 1970s feminism. Despite early childhood disapproval of her stepping outside the gender norms (painting was a very masculine career), she went on to become a major player in the British art scene and make a lasting impact despite her tragic and early death.
Episodes to check out after this one: A Brief History of Western Feminism,
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This week, we are giving an overview of the movement of feminist art and its power for modern protest. We discuss what feminist art is, the beginning of its movement in the 60s and 70s, and then we discuss some different works of art that made major headway in the feminist art movement and how it continues today.
Episodes to check out after this one: A Brief History of Western Feminism, Vanessa Bell & Virginia Woolfe, Guerilla Girls, Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists, Artemesia Gentileschi
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It's our monthly bonus episode and this month, we're talking about the book "When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today" by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong.
This book focuses on the stories of four women who pioneered soap operas, talk shows, family sitcoms, and television variety shows. Irna Phillips was a single mother who took her successful soap radio shows to television, Gertrude Berg was a Jewish writer who took her radio family sitcom show to television inventing the family sitcom format, Betty White was a young, independent female who created a daytime talk show and became America's sweetheart, and Hazel Scott, a black performer who pioneered the evening variety shows that were popular of the time.
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This week, we're talking about a MAJOR history conspiracy theory surrounding the gender of the most famous playwright of all time. Although it's a major debate, often shrouded in polarizing opinions, the true identity of the Bard is still one of significant mystery with lots of ideas on whether or not the man we know as William from Stratford-Upon-Avon could actually have been the author behind the most famous plays in history. We discuss a controversial article from The Atlantic that sparked a debate about whether or not Shakespeare could have been a female author under a pseudonym (such as Emilia Bassano), as well as the resulting response articles supporting or debunking the theory. We also talk about the knowledge that went into the works, the people suspected of being the true author, and what it was like to be a woman in the 16th-century world of Shakespeare.
Articles: Was Shakespeare a Woman? by Elizabeth Winkler, Shakespeare Wrote Insightfully About Women. That Doesn’t Mean He Was One by James Shapiro, Shakespeare Didn’t Write Alone by David Scott Kastan, The Hidden Women Writers of the Elizabethan Theater by Phyllis Rackin, Keep Questioning Shakespeare’s Identity by Mark Rylance
Episodes to check out after this one: The Forgotten Female Horror Writers of the 19th Century, Vanessa Bell & Virginia Woolfe, Aphra Behn
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This week, Sadie is diving into the creator of a 1985 song that unexpectedly hit the top 5 of the charts this summer 37 years after its release. That's right, it's time to talk about Kate Bush, the experimental British rock artist with a cult-like following despite many years of being hidden from the public eye. We get to discuss how streaming is changing the modern music scene for new AND old music. Then we discuss her early life, her early career, her beautiful and unexpected storytelling, contemporary dancing, crazy stage shows with over 50 costume changes, and her insane influence on the world of music in ways that we never expected.
Episodes to check out after this one: The Forgotten Female Horror Writers of the 19th Century, Vanessa Bell & Virginia Woolfe
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This week, we get a chance to dive into a personal project. Sadie, aka Dasie, has been working on her debut EP for the past year and after its release, we're talking all about it! The story that's told throughout the 6 tracks, the design graphics Stauney got to help out with, some fun moments that come with writing an EP about past relationships, and much more!
Episodes to check out after this one: Introducing More Than A Muse, Fulfilling our Childhood Dreams, The Source of Artistic Inspiration
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This week, Stauney introduces Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Long ignored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and most of contemporary rock culture, Tharpe was one of the fundamental starts to the entire Rock & Roll music movement and one of the main influences for its lasting legacy. We discuss her beginnings as a childhood guitar and musical prodigy in her pentecostal gospel music group, her touring across the country, her start in the secular music scene, numerous relationships and intrigue surrounding them, and the lasting legacy she so richly deserves.
Episodes to check out after this one: Hilma Af Klint, Karen Carpenter
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This week, Sadie is bringing us to speed on the famed Italian director Lina Wertmüller. Wertmüller is known for many things, with careers as a puppeteer, actress, stage manager, and writer, but becoming most well known for her Italian Art House films were critically acclaimed, earning her the title of the first female director to be nominated for an Oscar and an Academy Award. She also is quite famous for her extensively long movie titles and to this day holds the Guinness Book World Record for the longest title of a film, which fits perfectly with her birth name which is quite a mouthful in itself. With a childhood of being expelled from numerous catholic schools and a career of satirical witty comedies, her life is anything but boring and cemented her as a legacy in the world of film.
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It's part two, and once again we're breaking down the iconic and groundbreaking life of Beyoncé, a woman with so many accomplishments, record-breaking moments, and a legacy that is sure to continue beyond what we've covered. Today we're talking about the release of her 4th album up to her part in The Lion King, her relationships, controversy with music credits and much more!
Back for another living legends episode, we're breaking down the iconic and groundbreaking life of Beyoncé, a woman with so many accomplishments, record-breaking moments, and a legacy that is worthy of a part one and two. Today we're talking all about her early childhood, Destiny's Child, and the successful start of her career up to the release of her Sasha Fierce album.
This week, Stauney introduces us to the first Asian-American movie star, the first Asian woman to appear in technicolor, earn a Hollywood walk of fame star, and a million other firsts. As an Asian in a very racist 1950s America, Wong faced a variety of extremely harmful stereotypes and rules that continued to push back against her early dream to be a star. We talk all about the context of her life in Los Angeles, her early dreams and career, her tours in Europe, her film career, and so much more. Prepare to fall in love with the story of a courageous woman who stopped at nothing to accomplish her dreams, and created a space where younger girls could find someone who looked like them up on the silver screen.
Episodes to check out after this one: Josephine Baker, Film Tropes, Hollywood Starlets
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It's our monthly bonus episode and this month, we've read the book "The Women Who Revolutionized Fashion: 250 Years." This may be a short episode, but don't underestimate the importance of this incredible and absolutely beautiful book. It covers over 100 different female fashion designers throughout all time, showing incredible photos and genuine essays all covering how women invented and revolutionized fashion again and again.
It's the first Monday in May, which means tonight in New York City, the most exclusive and fashionable party of the year is taking place. But why does it happen? Who created it? and Why is it such a big deal? We're diving into the history of the MET Gala, and exploring the influential women who fashioned the MET into the incredible spectacle it is today. From its early start as a simple costume museum to a $ 30,000-a-head event, we explore every aspect of what makes this Gala what it is.
Episodes to check out after this one: History of The Grammy's
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Today we're talking about a beloved top-grossing comedy film: "9 to 5" which was released in the 1980s. Starring Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, and Lily Tomlin, the movie not only was the film debut of Dolly Parton and introduced her Grammy Award-winning song by the same name but it also was inspired by true events of working women in Boston and Cleveland (primarily) who had started a movement in the '60s-'70s petitioning for better work environments for the women that made up 70% of the workforce at the time. We discuss the documentary on Netflix about the movement and union, the actual film itself and the process of writing and producing it, the beloved song by our country queen Dolly, and the impact it had on the future of female office workers.
Episodes to check out after this one: History of Western Feminism
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Emily Dickinson is a name many of us know, but very few of us can tell you much about. This week Sadie brings us up to speed on a legendary American poet shrouded in mystery. We discuss her early life with her parents and education, the rumors of a forbidden love affair surrounding her and her best friend and sister-in-law, her cottage-core aesthetic that she was completely dedicated to, the strange and mysterious way she completely hid from the public towards the end of her life, and the stacks and stacks of poems her sister found in a locked box after her death, cementing her legacy as one of America's greatest poets.
Episodes to check out after this one: 19th Century Horror Writers, Jane Austen, Hilma af Klint
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We get to talk all about the Grammys today!! We give a little bit of everything from fashion and performances, Taylor Swift's absence, to our thoughts on the winners (Hooray for Olivia right?) and who would have won the big four if we were in charge. This episode is just a fun little pop culture chat so grab a snack and come join us as we discuss all the fun 2022 moments from this year's biggest music award show.
Episodes to check out after this one: A History of the Grammy's
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Today Stauney talks about Gertrude Käsebier, one of the first women in the United States to become an accomplished commercial photographer, and the first woman to be known for her portrait photography! We talk about her early childhood in the Colorado Gold Rush, her unhappy marriage, career rise in her late thirties, her controversial opinions, portraits of the Sioux people that toured with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and much more! She's also our first photographer, so it's fun to dive into a new medium.
Episodes to check out after this one: Camille Claudel
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We're so excited to have Rachael McKee on the podcast as she introduces her Kickstarter project "Messages from Her," a 44-card deck and historical guidebook created to bring inspiration to your daily life while also paying tribute to some of the most world-changing women of the last century! Rachael shares her inspiration for the project, the process of creating the deck and selecting the women, and then shares what the Kickstarter involves and how you can be included! Be sure to check it out at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rachaelmckee/messages-from-her
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Welcome to More than a Muse University! Today the topic is broad but we love a challenge, so we're giving a brief overview of 3,000 years of western history in one episode! Stauney and Sadie discuss the history and each of the waves of feminism, diving into women's suffrage, marital rights, sexual liberation, the #metoo movement, early feminist writing, art, and music, the things that defined our feminist paths and the women before us that have repeatedly fought for the right to be treated as humans. We can't cover it all, but enjoy this introduction to the beginning of more to come as we round out Women's History Month!
Episodes to check out after this one: Aphra Behn, Virginia Woolf & Vanessa Bell, Sofonisba Anguilsola, Jane Austen, Riot Grrrl
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Today Sadie steps us back into the Hollywood Golden Age to discuss their worst kept secret, the ghost singer Marni Nixon! Known most famously for being the female lead vocalist behind "My Fair Lady," "The King and I," and "West Side Story," she made her mark on the ears of Hollywood audiences while being sworn to secrecy over her involvement, and never being professionally credited. We discuss what little we know of her personal life, the transitions in Hollywood that led to ghost-singers, the hidden role she played, and her remaining legacy today.
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This week, we're covering everything about the most uncomfortable emotion for women to talk about: anger. We discuss the different ways men and women are raised to talk and behave around anger, the science behind male and female anger, how female anger influences media and art (including tropes of the angry black woman, and spicy Latina), and also how many modern pop stars are finding freedom in writing more angry and explicit music that they previously weren't allowed to share. We get a bit personal and even a bit angry, so please enjoy!
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This last week, a museum in Ukraine was set ablaze by Russian invaders. That museum carried over two dozen pieces by one of the most celebrated Ukrainian artists of all time. Today, Stauney introduces us to Maria Prymachenko, a self-taught artist known for her naive style of Ukrainian folk painting. After talking about Ukrainian art styles Prymachenko was surrounded by from birth, We talk about her early life as a peasant, her growing notoriety as her art progressed and developed, (including Picasso "bowing down" to the magnificence of her work), the lasting legacy of her influence memorialized on streets, stamps, coins, and more, and of course, her art, which is without a doubt, a gem of Ukrainian culture and history.
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It's our monthly bonus episode and this month, we're about the book "Women Can't Paint: Gender, the Glass Ceiling and Values in Contemporary Art" by Helen Gørrill. We talk about the interview that inspired the whole project, the research provided, and just discuss general misogyny and patriarchal structures that still exist in modern art institutions, organizations, and throughout all of art history.
The Olympics may have ended, but it's still a chance to reflect back on how music and art are involved in these biennial games in a huge way. We discuss the Olympic games division of Art Competitions and the complications that eventually ended them and then move into how modern Olympic competitions still involve the arts in many ways, going over the fashion of the Olympics, including notable female designers like Bonnie Cashin, Stella McCartney, Vera Wang, and Kim Kardashian. Then we talk about the music of the Olympics (opening ceremonies and performance numbers) touching on The Chicks and Leanne Rhymes, Björk, and Jennifer Thomas. Lastly, we end with the Graphic Design of the Olympics including the invention of pictograms, the medals, wayfinding systems, and Deborah Sussman's iconic 1984 LA Summer Olympic Identity design. Just because it's sports doesn't mean there isn't art involved in every step!
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This week on the podcast, Sadie is introducing us to a legendary and beloved artist, Alma Thomas. Although Thomas was truly an artist of every kind throughout the course of her life, she didn't reach the art world acclaim she is now known for until after she retired. Along with her stunning work sweeping across the world by storm at the end of her life, she also has reached major acclaim in death, her artwork being famously added to the White House collection during Obama's residence there. We discuss her early career and artistic exploration, her legacy at the end of her life, and much more!
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This week on the podcast, we're revisiting one of our most popular episodes from last year and touching on what happens when art and marriage mix. (It's now an annual anti-valentine episode perfect for all you cynics out there!) We go over a few art history couples, discuss the different ways that women are overshadowed by their husbands and discuss some pop culture couples as well! We also discuss some studies about how men respond to wives that are smarter than them and discuss pay gaps for couples in pop culture as well.
Listen to Misogyny and Marriage Part One
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This week on the podcast, Stauney introduces us to Martha Wash, an incredible vocalist known for her duo The Weather Girls with their hit single "It's Raining Men" as well as her insanely amazing lead vocal in "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)." We discuss her early career, the process of "It's Raining Men," the legal cases and outrage from when her voice was repeatedly stolen and lip-synced by other vocalists, her iconic dance music, lgbtq+ advocacy, and much, much more! We also get to talk about the history of disco music, the day disco died, and everything else that made the 70's such an iconic time for BIPOC musicians and communities!
The Day Disco Died blog post by Blk Girl Culture
Rolling Stone's Article on Martha Wash
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TW: We do briefly mention and discuss the various disgusting behaviors of many of these men including sexual assault, predatory behavior, abuse, racism, narcissism, necrophilia, sexual addiction, pedophilia, and more. We don't go into detail, but briefly mention different allegations and accounts of these behaviors.
This week on the podcast, Sadie and Stauney dive into the deep and sordid world of male musicians and artists who achieved fame despite being horrible people. We talk about Dr. Luke and allegations against him, Picasso's ego and misogyny, Ryan Adam's past relationships driven by his ego, Dali's literal insanity, and Gauguin's predatory behavior. We also have a discussion about the viral quote this week from Damon Albarn saying that Taylor Swift doesn't write her own songs. This isn't really a fun episode, but it's a very informative one about people that are given lots of clearance for behavior that is literally criminal.
Article about separating art and artists
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Today on the Podcast, Stauney, and Sadie discuss three major television shows: Friends, Gilmore Girls, and New Girl, all created, written (and even mostly produced) by women! We talk about the writers and creators behind each show, how they each changed the face (and future) of television, the wins and downfalls of them all, how they do on the Bechdel test, and much, much more!
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Today on the Podcast, Sadie introduces us to Fanny Mendelssohn, an 18th-century composer, and pianist. Although Fanny is often overshadowed by her brother who was able to pursue music, Fanny was able to rise above the gender constraints of the time period and become a recognized prodigy and composer. We talk about her wealthy family and her early life as a prodigy. We also discuss her slow-burning career, her marriage to a painter, her brief friendship with Clara Schumann, and much more!
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Today on the Podcast, Stauney and Sadie talk about Betty White and her century-long career and legacy of laughter. Although Betty White has frequently been brought up or appeared, it's easy with her almost 90-years of fame to forget about the early days, relationships, and career that molded her into the hilarious woman we all adore. We talk about her radio career, her army service, her three marriages, television career, all her award and cameos, and much much more. It's the perfect set-up for her 100-year birthday celebration coming out next week and is our best memorial to this woman of legacy.
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Today on the Podcast, Stauney introduces us to Sofonisba Anguilsola, who is one of the earliest recorded female artists we know of. At the height of the Italian Renaissance, she studied under some of the best-known artists of her time and created a path in the field of painting that allowed many female painters to step further out into the professional artistic field than would have ever been possible before her. We talk about her progressive childhood, her artistic education, her pen-pal Michaelangelo, her time in the Spanish court as a lady-in-waiting, and her forbidden love affair with a sea captain!
Want to check out some of our favorite books? Check out our booklist
Check out our Artemesia Gentileschi Episode
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In this month's bonus episode, we got to chat with Amanda Frisby Johnson, a professional actress, and singer about her career, what musical theatre professional life is like, singing the Phantom of Opera at Abravanel Hall and so much more! It's the perfect peek into the dramatic world of theatre and tied in nicely with this month's book "Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical" by Stacy Wolf. It was a wonderful conversation, and Amanda is up to so much in her life!
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This week, Sadie introduces us to Ruth Wakefield, the inventor of the famous chocolate chip cookie! Wakefield inventor her classic cookie while experimenting in her kitchen at Tollhouse Inn, which she owned and operated with her husband. Not only would it go on to be an American classic, but it also would inspire the invention of chocolate chips themselves! We talk about her famous meals, cookbook, her deal with Nestle chocolate, and much more!
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In this special holiday episode, Stauney and Sadie dissect 10 different Christmas leading ladies of Legend, from Santa Lucia to Mrs. Santa Claus. We cover multiple different countries and their legendary Christmas tales, the scare tactics used by parents for centuries to have well-behaved children, and the traditions that have helped shape our modern-day holiday season.
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In this episode, we are discussing Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, and Mary Magdalene, the first woman to see the resurrected Chris, and how they've been depicted in artwork throughout time. We discuss the different symbolism used in religious art, the two women and their reputations, and how that influenced their artwork, more concepts found in religious art, and more!
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This week, Stauney introduces us to one of the most incredible, unique, and famous contralto vocalists of all time: Karen Carpenter! Although she has been associated mainly with her early death and her eating disorder, there was so much more to the talented musician. We focus on her early life, the formation of the Carpenters, her lesser-known drumming career, her solo album, and so much more. Although her music may be well known, this episode is a great chance to explore more of the nuances of her life, career, and the legacy she left behind.
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LET'S GO GIRLS. This week we're talking all things country music and how women have a hard time of it in that entire genre. We discuss country music radio reigning supreme, record label and listening numbers, the CMA's, objectification of women, and how the problem of women in country can be solved.
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This week Sadie introduces us to the famed Paris singer, Edith Piaf. Most well-known for her famous song "La Vie En Rose," she was a stunning Paris songbird who came from a very tragic past and yet made her mark as one of France's most beloved singers. We talk about her childhood in a brothel, her struggles with motherhood, street performing, her first big performances, and the songs that made her famous, along with her record-breaking Funeral and lasting legacy in the world of music. After listening, you'll fall in love with this "little sparrow" and will probably listen to La Vie En Rose on repeat for the rest of the day.
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This week, we are talking all about literal queens. We are discussing six prominent female political leaders and the role they have played in pop culture even leading up to today. Society has a habit of changing powerful women into objects of adoration or scorn, and these women, Cleopatra, Theodora, Mary I, Esther, Catherine the Great, and Marie Antoinette are no exception.
We briefly discuss their lives, their legacies, and the lasting impact the media's opinion of them made on our history. Be prepared to change your mind about a lot of misconceptions and ideas you may have had!
This week, Stauney introduces us to the Inuit artist, Kenojuak Ashevak. Although there is little information on her life, it wasn't without struggles. Growing up in a tribe that has long been plagued by colonization, along with the struggles of disease and death, her artistic career was forged in fire and yet she came out as the most influential Inuit artist, and a contemporary creator who is still widely praised today. This episode is definitely shorter, but it will give you plenty of time to dive into the Inuit tribe, Ashevak's work, and much more!
It's time for another bonus book episode! This month we read "The Science of Women in Horror" by Meg Hafdahl & Kelly Florence, the co-hosts of the Horror Rewind Podcast. This book is a great overview of a bunch of horror films and the impact they make on feminism and cinema within the horror genre. We discuss a few of the horror film tropes the book outlines including The Mother, The Final Girl, Sex, Hysteria, The Baby Sitter, Women in a Man's World, and Kick-ass women, and get a chance to dive into some iconic and memorable horror films including "Jennifer's Body," "Ghostbusters," "GingerSnaps," "Prevenge" and much much more.
Purchase "The Science of Women in Horror" here
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This week we dive into one of the most hated and most controversial, and yet also some of the top best-selling and most lucrative series of books and movies We're talking all about Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series! We aren't die-hard fans, but did Twilight deserve all the hate it got in the mid-200's? We talk all about the books, the inspiration, the controversy, and most importantly the cultural impact of this series that changed cinema, media, and young adult fiction for the better. Plus we get to dive into more things like fangirls, female interests, and the misogyny that always seems to surround things that women enjoy. Whether you love or hate Twilight, this episode is for you!
Check out our Fangirls Episode
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This week Stauney introduces us to an strange pairing, a woman and the ghost she claimed was using her to write poetry and novels. Before this incident, Pearl Lenore Curran lived a very normal and ordinary life, with dreams to work in music and be a singer. However, after an "encounter" with an ouija board, she soon begins to claim that she is communicating directly with a ghost named Patience Worth and that Patience is using Pearl as a tool in order to write her poetry and novels from the other side of the grave. This throws Pearl into the limelight, as well as a bunch of controversies around the spirituality movement. We talk about Pearl's early life, what we know about Patience Worth, Ouija board history, and debate whether or not this encounter with Patience was fact or fiction.
Check out our Hilma Af Klint Episode
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We're One!!! We are officially ONE YEAR OLD as of tomorrow and to celebrate we did a whole episode quizzing each other and ourselves on all of our past episodes. From Artemesia Gentileschi to Shirley Jackson, let's see how well we know all of the artists we've talked about, and reminisce on all of the topics and people we've talked about in this past year!
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This week Sadie introduces us to an author with a class of works perfect for October. Shirley Jackson is well known for her work of fiction "The Haunting of Hill House" recently made into a Netflix adaptation, along with her best-selling story "The Lottery" gaining lots of attention for its controversial publication. However, long before that, her spooky class of works gained her a reputation of being a particularly clever and talented author. Sadly her personal life was about as haunted as the books she wrote with their own class of personal tormentors, her mother, and husband, being harder to vanquish than the ghosts that riddled her novels. We talk about her early childhood, marriage, career, and her famous body of work.
Want to read The Haunting of Hill House? Check out the link here
Read Jackson's biography here
Check out our 19th Century Horror Writers Episode
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It's time for another bonus book episode! This month we read "Women Artists: The Linda Nochlin Reader" by Linda Nochlin, Edited by Maura Reily. To help us digest and discuss this collection of essays by Linda Nochlin, we are joined by Hall W. Rockefeller, founder of Less than Half and art historian. We talk about Linda Nochlin's impact, her commentary on the art world, and the different ways in which women artists have it better or worse than when Nochlin's "Why have there been no great women artists" essay was first released.
You can purchase the Linda Nochlin Reader here
Purchase next months book of the month here
Follow along with Hall W. Rockefeller at her lessthanhalf.org and @all.the.lady.artists
Check out our Why have there been no great women artists episode
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This week we got to dive into a very underrepresented area of the arts and its influence on political protest. Throughout history, dance has been used as a tool for political power and protest, even though it's also been laced with controversy and sometimes outlawed in countries and communities (even today). We talk about a myriad of cultures and societies that have been influenced by this political power of dance. From Zimbabwe warriors, plantation slaves, 17th-century French Courtiers, Soviet Communists, LGBTQ+ activists, to the counterculture scene of Sao Paulo, dance has been used as a way to express unity, power, and protest. We also talk about the myriad of issues that have used dance as a catalyst for change including protests against the economy during The Great Depression, the refugee crisis, gender equality, human trafficking, and most recently police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. This episode will definitely make you rethink dance... and also the movie Footloose.
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Today on the Podcast, Stauney introduces us to Josephine Baker. Often referred to as "The Black Venus" or "The Black Pearl" she was a Paris showgirl with a shocking routine that took the world by storm (often joined on stage by her pet cheetah Chiquita). She also was an accomplished actress (the first black woman to star in a major motion picture), a singer, and a American Civil Rights activist, speaking and marching alongside Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. She also was well-known for her adopted children, a large crowd of 12+ kids from different countries and cultures across the world, called "The Rainbow Tribe." Add in a close personal relationship with Princess Grace Kelly and so much more, and she is truly a collective of a million accomplishments and abilities that surpass all expectations.
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This week, we're doing a full pop culture (specifically pop music) episode, diving right into a Guardian article "Billie, Lorde, Lizzo: has being a female pop star in 2021 become unbearable?" and talking all about recent talk and trends in the music industry, where we think it's headed and controversy that has risen up against the music labels, or the pop stars they represent. We also talk about the mental health and hate comments that pop stars face, and the toxicity of fame that may be making them unrelatable to their audience.
THEN we talk all about recent releases in music! What we're loving, hating, and what we're excited for, including Halsey, Billie Eilish, Lorde, Lana del Rey, Marina, Doja Cat, Kasey Musgraves, ABBA, and more!
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For this month's bonus book episode, we briefly go over the book expounding on the Riot Grrrl movement, "Girls to the Front" by Sara Marcus, and the impact it made on us this month before we are joined by two wonderful guests!
We had the absolute pleasure of talking to the co-founders of Grrrl Music, Kelsey, and Ashley. With an organization named after the iconic punk riot grrrl music movement, it ties in beautifully to our recent topic and book. We talk all about how they started, the music industry, the modern-day effects of the riot grrrl movement, and much much more! Kelsey & Ashely are an absolute joy and this chat we had with them is such a fun and relaxed, music-filled conversation we know you'll enjoy.
Check out the playlist Grrrl Music made for us
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This week we're talking about the jazz instrumentalist, Lillian Hardin Armstrong. Often referred to as the "First Lady of Jazz," she was mostly known for her connection to her husband, the famous Louie Armstrong. However, with a very impactful career and jazz presence long before Louie, she is worthy of the deep dive this episode provides. We also dive a little into the potential conspiracy surrounding her sudden death, and what little we have left of her legacy today.
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TW: We are discussing mental health, mental disorders, unfair medical practices that basically qualify as torture, and other topics that are more adult and serious. We also briefly mention suicide and eating disorders. We don't focus too much on them but they will be mentioned, so if you don't want to listen, we completely understand!
This week we're talking about the comparison between Camille Claudel and Britney Spears, who although were born more than a century and nearly 5,000 miles apart, share the similarity of having their mental health used against them unjustly for the majority of their lives. We'll also dive into the history of women's mental health, the lack of understanding about it through time, medication, institutionalization, and other women who dealt with similar injustices, and how that can be a threat to women artists throughout history.
Some of the articles we reference:
Britney Spears’s conservatorship alludes to an older story of controlling women artists
How Victorian Women Were Oppressed through the use of Psychiatry
The Dark American History of Silencing Women Through Psychiatry
Women Who Defied Gender Roles Were Once Imprisoned In Asylums
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This week we're talking all about the sculptor Camille Claudel. Most famously known for her love affair with her mentor Auguste Rodin, she is frequently overlooked and underrepresented. With a long legacy of art overshadowed by her lover, a large amount of critiques who declared her on no unnecessary terms, a pure genius, and a tragic end due to an unsupportive and unloving family, she truly is the epitome of everything in our title: more than a muse.
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In November 1918 Amy Beach (aka Mrs. H. H. A. Beach) wrote an article for Etude magazine titled "To the Girl Who Wants to Compose." In this episode, we dissect the article and talk about technical skills and how that relates to art, education, taking your art seriously, different types of music classification that Beach outlines, and her best advice on how to compose. This is a great episode that relates to way more than just music composition, and especially if you're searching for inspiration!
Read the Article by Amy Beach
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This week Sadie introduces us to Amy Beach, the American music Composer. First widely known for her piano performance, and then later her compositions, with a vast library of works, Beach was definitely not underrated during her lifetime (although history loves to overlook her now.) We discuss the nuances of relationships back then, roles of women in society, the idea of "being one of the boys" and more as we talk about her accomplishments, success, and lasting impact on the history of American music.
The Article about Amy Beach
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Surprise!!! In honor of the Olympics we’ve been spotlighting some of female artists behind the Olympics on our Instagram This week. We figured since we already had those three mini-pods recorded, we’d throw them together on here for you!
We’re talking about Bonnie Cashin, the designer behind American sportswear and the first designer of Olympic uniforms, Deborah Sussman, the graphic designer behind the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics and the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic opening ceremony with Leanne Rimes and the Chicks.
For our July book, we read "More Than a Muse: Creative Partnerships that Sold Talented Women Short" by Katie McCabe. In this episode, we discuss the book, the different industries, and art movements, and toxic partnerships! Whether or not you've read the book, this is a super fun discussion that you'll all enjoy!
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In this episode, we talk about The Riot Grrrl Movement, which was the culmination of feminist punk rock music in the nineties. We dive into the reasoning behind the movement (including the toxic world of punk pre-riot grrrl), the bands and zines that started it all, and the lasting effects it had on the future of alternative music.
Riot Grrrl Started Girl Power Article
JSTOR Article
NY Times Article
NY Public Library Article
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TW: We discuss sexual abuse and mental health including suicide in this episode.
In this episode, we dive into the lives of the two famous sisters of the revolutionary Bloomsbury Group, Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell. Woolf as many of you may know, is a famed author known for her many novels and writings, along with her many love affairs with women. Her older Sister Bell is less known but still carries a lot of weight in influence through her paintings as some of the first female experiments in abstraction, and with early feminist work that made its mark. These two are notable and definitely worth knowing more about.
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Romance Novels are continuously referred to as "trashy" books and are probably the most controversial genre in literature. But why is that? Although there may be a slew of reasons we give ourselves, in reality, it's mostly sexism. In this episode, we dive into the history, stigma, criticism, and praise surrounding the romance novel genre, and all the reasons we should love them for what they are, and stop describing them as something they are not.
Read the article "The Romance Publishing Industry.." by Lauren Cameron
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In this Episode, Sadie introduces us to the little-known Loie Fuller (also known as Louie Fuller or Loïe Fuller), a pioneer for modern dance, theatrical lighting, and began the discussion and advocacy of artists owning their art. We dive into the little that is known of her life, her creation and the performance of the Serpentine Dance, her many imitators, and more. We also dive a lot into the tricky world of copyright and "owning your work" that surrounds the art world and how it relates to dancers, artists, designers, and musicians.
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For our June book, we read "Fangirls: Scenes from Modern Music Culture" by Hannah Ewens. In this episode, we are joined by Emily from The New Nine, to discuss the book, fangirls, the future of fangirls, and the music industry! Whether or not you've read the book, this is a super fun discussion that you'll all enjoy!
Check out Emily's interview with Hannah Ewens here
Follow @thenewnine9
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We've all heard of the Starlets from the Hollywood Golden Age and they've reached a level of icon that is completely unheard of and unmatched even today. However, do we know about their lives? Do we ever consider the nuances of the way they're perceived? In this episode, we dive into the lives of four of the world's biggest stars, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Doris Day. We also talk about how these four women were shoved into stereotypes, with contracts stricter than the Disney channel, and how they're consistently screwed over by the media, even today.
Check out the blog we referenced here
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This week we talked about the COMPLETELY underrated Sonia Delaunay. Not only is she the star of a lovely backstory with a charming relationship, but she also is the mother of the Orphism art movement that would go on to inspire the future of abstract art. If that wasn't enough, she also became a set, costume, and fashion designer, starting multiple companies and even creating textiles that most likely influenced the Bauhaus school weaving style that became famous.
The blog post about Sonia Delaunay
Another great article about Sonia Delaunay
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In this episode, Stauney and Sadie dive into the history of textile design and designers from the medieval ages (and earlier) up to the famous Bauhaus School program. We also talk about the implications of craft vs art, high vs low art, and how sexism has seeped into our very definitions of art itself.
Here are some of the articles referenced:
https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/textiles-the-art-of-womens-work
https://www.frieze.com/article/artificial-divide-between-fine-art-and-textiles-gendered-issue
https://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/in_depth/the-other-art-history-the-forgotten-women-of-bauhaus-55526
Watch the Youtube Video
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In this week's episode, we dive into the life and accomplishments of the beloved Dame Julie Andrews. With an early start in broadway to groundbreaking roles in Mary Poppins and the Sound of Music, to her numerous awards and accomplishments, she truly is a dazzling and phenomenal woman, worthy of all the attention of the week! Although you may have seen her in a movie, you probably don't know much about her personal life. We dive into her life, accomplishments, movie roles, books, health, and more.
We couldn't help ourselves. Here's a whole episode dedicated to our thoughts on Olivia Rodrigio's debut album "Sour." We talk through each song, our favorites that we've had on repeat, her musical influences, our hopes for her future releases and career, and the impact this debut album is already having on our culture and society. I've you've been listening as much as we have, you don't want to miss it!
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In this episode, we discuss the popular and classic romance author, Jane Austen. We dive into the mysterious history of the woman herself, the publishing of her novels during her life, and post-humorously, as well as a little about the movies and books themselves, and why Austen is able to claim such notoriety now as an author and taste-maker for the turn of the century.
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In this episode, we're talking all about the common tropes of women in television and movies. From the cool girl to the manic pixie dream girl, we talk all about these different tropes, how they've evolved, what makes them sexist or empowering, and more.
Check out the youtube channel "The Take" for their trope playlist
Film Theorists High School Musical video
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This week, we talk about the phenomenal country/pop singer Patsy Cline! Although she died early in a plane crash, her legacy was long-lasting and very influential for the future of all country/pop artists to follow, paving the way for women in country music for decades to come. We talk about her early childhood, her resilience in starting and continuing her career despite numerous setbacks, and more!
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In this episode, Stauney walks through her project on Artistic Inspiration and the different theories and facets throughout history that contribute to our ideas about art and the source of inspiration.
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In this episode, Stauney and Sadie are joined by the TikTok sensation, Chef Kelsey! Not only is Kelsey an extremely talented Chef with various degrees from culinary school and years of professional training and experience, but she also is an incredible content creator, building her platform of 400k followers after losing her job during the pandemic. We had a lovely conversation about various topics with her, and know you'll all enjoy it!
In this episode, we're talking about Nadia and Lili Boulanger, two sisters from 19th Century France who made their mark on the history of music composition. Lili was the first female winner of the Prix de Rome composition prize, with her sister Nadia not only being the first woman to conduct many major orchestras in America and Europe but also spending a lifetime teaching music to some of the most notable composers in history.
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In this episode, we are joined by Brina Kay, a Nashville Based Singer and Songwriter. We discuss how she got into songwriting, her impromptu move to Nashville and the music scene there, women in country music, her recent song releases, upcoming EP, and more! This is a great episode to inspire you to follow your dreams, just take the chances you've been hoping to take and continue to be inspired to create art.
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No title can do this one justice. Hilma Af Klint was a Swedish painter whose abstract paintings, a collection of 2000 works, were kept hidden (per her request) until 20 years after her death. Her mystic religious practices and divinely inspired painting techniques were unheard of and unknown at the time, leaving her as the earliest abstract painter known to humankind, outdating even Kadinsky himself who is often referred to as the pioneer of abstract art. Join us in learning more about this famous artist and the origins of her life's work.
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In this episode, we discuss Britney Spears, the pop princess icon who has been in the news recently due to the Hulu Documentary discussing her conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement. However, in this episode, we dive into Spears's long legacy and career in the pop music industry with her first record at only age 15 and the numerous title, acclaim, awards, and records she has accumulated, making her one of the main reasons pop music exists the way it does today.
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This week, Stauney and Sadie talk about the Grammy's! We cover the top awards received, a brief history of this major award show, some of their controversies, how nominations work, and more! It's a great episode full of lots of talk about sexism and the music industry as a whole.
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In this episode, we talk about Aphra Behn, a fascinated and underrated female playwright and poet from England in the 1600s. As one of the first women to make a living wage off her writings, and a career full of calling out sexism, racism, and other political scandals, she is a phenomenal character from history that is too often overlooked. We dive into her works, their effect, the inherent sexism that caused so many of her works to be criticized, and her lasting impact today.
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Happy International Women's Day! With every episode dedicated to celebrating women in the arts, we couldn't be happier to continue doing what we do. In this episode, we went a little of a different route and decided to talk about our "journey" to where we are now within the arts. We dive a bit deeper into how we got started in music and design, the steps we took, how we decided to go to college, and more. If you're simply curious about why we chose our careers, maybe debating art school yourself, or just like listening to stories, this is the episode for you!
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In this episode, we talk about the Guerrilla Girls, the anonymous group of women known for their protest art devoted to fighting racism and sexism in the art world. The group formed in the 1980s to campaign for changes that needed to be made. We talk about why they felt they needed to form, some of their most famous pieces, the effective methods they used to share their message, and some of the inner-group controversies.
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In this episode, we highlight some of the ideal couples from different periods throughout all of the arts. We talk about the tumultuous, but the still aspirational relationship of Deigo Riveria and Frida Khalo, the ADORABLE life-long love between Johnny Cash and June Carter, and some other artists and celebrity couples we can't get enough of.
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In this episode, we introduce a gem of the Harlem Renaissance, Nora Holt! Holt was an American singer, composer, and music critic, who was born in Kansas and was actually the first African American to receive a master's degree in the United States. She is known for composing over 200 musical compositions that were stolen, as well as her wild social life that was often the talk of the town. She was married 5 times, performed across the world, and eventually was the first African American woman to be elected to the Music Critics Circle of New York.
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Slight Trigger: We do discuss a very unhappy and an emotionally abusive marriage.
In this BONUS episode, we expand on Margaret Keane's insane story of her husband taking credit for her work for many many years that resulted in a lawsuit and a paint-off in the courtroom to prove she was the real artist. We discuss her early life, the whole scandal and scam of it all, and the truth and lies behind the movie directed by Tim Burton about her story.
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In this episode, we talk about some of the art/historic couples that were not very lucky when it came to sexism within their marriage. We start off with a brief discussion about a scientist duo, Albert Einstein, and his wife Mileva Marić Einstein. We also discuss Françoise Gilot and Pablo Picasso, and Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock. We also briefly overview many other women from the arts and more industries who were severely uncredited or even stolen from by their male counterparts.
Here are some articles we reference
Lee Krasner, the artist formally known as Mrs. Pollock
Brilliant Women, Greedy Men
The Forgotten Life of Einstein's First Wife
Famous Artist Couples Massive Pay Gaps
Men Taking Credit for Women Throughout History
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In this episode, we discuss Gail Anderson, a graphic designer, writer, and educator. Gail Anderson is by far one of the most notable black graphic designers and is responsible for continuing to push the design career field forward into what it is today. We talk a lot about the short history of graphic design, its many issues with diversity, Gail Anderson's life, career, legacy and more.
Want to check out some of our favorite books (including Gail Anderson's)? Check out our booklist
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Interested in Sadie's songwriting workshop? Check out the link HERE
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In this episode, we discuss Tamara de Lempicka, the main artist of the art deco movement whose self-portrait in a green Bugatti was famously on the cover of Die Dame, a Paris fashion magazine. We discuss her early life, her family, her infamous partying among the elite, and her impressive career and legacy.
Want to buy books about Tamara de Lempicka? Check out our booklist
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In the episode, Sadie and Stauney are joined by Becky Willard, owner, and producer of Vox Fox Productions! Becky shares how she started producing music, her tops tips for future music producers or artists working with a producer for the first time, what it's like being a female music producer, and more!
Check out Becky Willard and Vox Fox @voxfox2
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In this episode, Stauney and Sadie dive into the history of the word 'muse,' the nine muses of Greek Mythology, and how the idea of a muse has changed over time. We are obviously not Greek Mythology experts, but we hope you enjoy this nice conversation as we talk more about how women are viewed in different periods of time, and how we can empower ourselves and others to be "more than a muse."
Want to check out some books about the muses? Check out our booklist
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Although well known for her beloved tale and illustrations of "Peter Rabbit," Beatrix Potter had a long life of different interests that led her to her place as a renowned illustrator, author, mycologist, and farmer.
In this episode, Stauney and Sadie discuss Potter's early life, her passion for animals and the outdoors, her parent's wealth and their refusal of her engagements, and her eventual death and the legacy she left behind.
Want to buy books by/about Beatrix Potter? Check out our booklist
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On this episode, Sadie and Stauney talk about the life of Eartha Kitt, the original singer of Santa Baby and "the most exciting woman alive." Eartha Kitt lived a very extraordinary and inspiring life, not getting nearly enough credit in her life (or death) for the iconic role she played in American pop culture and society. As we talk about her accomplishments, setbacks, and the truly amazing life she lived, we hope you also fall in love with her.
Rejuvenate!:(It's Never Too Late) by Eartha Kitt
*We may get some profit from this links
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Check out our Christmas Gift List
Check out our Christmas Playlist
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Part 2 of our Taylor Swift talk from reputation to the surprise album Evermore.
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Check out our Christmas Gift List
Check out our Christmas Playlist
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For our 13th Episode, Stauney and Sadie talk about a truly revolutionary female music artist, Taylor Swift. She may get a lot of hate, but there is no denying the record-breaking influence she has had on music and pop culture. In our first episode of this two-part special, we discuss her early days and success, the release of her Taylor Swift album, as well as the Speak Now, Fearless, and 1989 Eras. Along the way, we share our commentary about the top hits, her branding and business strategies, and some of the criticism she receives as well.
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Check out our Christmas Gift List
Check out our Christmas Playlist
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**Content Warning: We talk about Misty's struggle with her body image and eating disorder from 49:00-55:15
This week on the podcast, Stauney and Sadie talk about Misty Copeland: A Ballet Prodigy and Diversity Advocate. Misty Copeland was the first black female principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, and is also our first modern female artist! We talk about her early talent in dance, her family and some of the struggles she went through early in her career, setbacks from injuries, body image, and her race, and the lasting impact and inspiration she is for Ballet today!
You can follow Misty Copeland on Instagram @mistyonpointe
Books by Misty Copeland
Bunheads by Misty Copeland
Firebird by Misty Copeland
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina (Young Reader Version) by Misty Copeland
Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger, and More Graceful You by Misty Copeland
You can read the Article from Her Campus Here
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*we are amazon affiliates and might make a small profit from some of these links
In this week's episode, we're joined by Hall Rockefeller, the founder, and director of the organization "Less than Half." Hall is not only extremely passionate about women in the arts, she also has a bachelor's and master's degree in art history! Even though she's currently in Germany, we were able to talk to her about her organization "Less than Half", her current "50 Women" project, how she was inspired to start her current organization and projects, sexism, her favorite female artists, and more! This truly is an incredible interview, person, and organization to follow and learn more about. You can find Hall's organization on Instagram @all.the.lady.artists and online at lessthanhalf.org
You can follow us on Instagram @morethanamuse.podcast
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Hall’s recommended book "The Short Story of Women Artists" by Susie Hodge
*Note: we are amazon affiliates and may make some commissions off these links
Just in time for Christmas shopping, we have a BONUS EPISODE with a whole list of books and other things we love and know you will too! *all links are Amazon Affiliate links which will give us a small percentage of profit from your purchase so we can keep making cool things happen for the podcast!
Also in this episode, we announce our new PATREON! We want to move forward with cooler things and bigger events to honor female artists from the past and present and any contributions will be very helpful! Plus there are rewards in it for you!
LINKS
Google Doc Book List (also included below, but this one will be frequently updated for new episodes)
JOIN OUR PATREON
IG @morethanamuse.podcast
Book/Art Supplies List
Books from our Podcast Episodes
Artemisia Gentileschi
Artemisia Gentileschi by Mary D. Garrard
https://amzn.to/3nH3IOp
Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann: The Artist and the Woman by Nancy Reich
https://amzn.to/2IQwcWQ
Why have there been No Great Women Artists?
Women Artists: The Linda Nochlin Reader by Linda Nochlin, Maura Reilly
https://amzn.to/3nBET6j
Women, Art, And Power And Other Essays by Linda Nochlin
https://amzn.to/3kOfRz4
Female Horror Writers of the 19th Century
Weird Women: Classic Supernatural Fiction by Groundbreaking Female Writers: 1852-1923 by Leslie S. Klinger
https://amzn.to/3kSrpBD
Augusta Savage
GRAVEN IMAGES: The Tumultuous Life and Times of Augusta Savage by Gail Tanzer
https://amzn.to/3nDoIFw
Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman Hardcover by Jeffreen M. Hayes
https://amzn.to/35JKaTb
Let's Talk About Fangirls
Fangirls: Scenes from Modern Music Culture by Hannah Ewens
https://amzn.to/32Yl7dp
Interview with Rachel Jennie
Frida Kahlo, I Paint My Reality by Christina Burrus
https://amzn.to/2KwZoTp
Maria Anna Mozart
For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart Hardcover by Elizabeth Rusch
https://amzn.to/36NGMGr
Interview with Hall Rockefeller
The Short Story of Women Artists by Susie Hodge
https://amzn.to/32Wjg8Z
Other Female Artist BooksThe Expanding Discourse: Feminism And Art History by Norma Broude and Mary Garrard
https://amzn.to/33gLxqZ
Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical by Stacy Wolf
https://amzn.to/33ziy1V
Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History (in That Order) by Bridget Quinn and Lisa Congdon
https://amzn.to/366gBf1
Men to Avoid in Art and Life by Nicole Tersigni
https://amzn.to/3fyslK6
Art of Feminism: Images that Shaped the Fight for Equality, 1857-2017 by Helena Reckitt , Maria Balshaw
https://amzn.to/366p6GH
Reclaiming Female Agency: Feminist Art History after Postmodernism by Norma Broude, Mary D. Garrard
https://amzn.to/39hRY0K
Revenge of the She-Punks: A Feminist Music History from Poly Styrene to Pussy Riot by Vivien Goldman
https://amzn.to/2V9a3Wl
She Bop: The Definitive History of Women in Popular Music by Lucy O'Brien
https://amzn.to/3q3TnOz
Towards a Twenty-First-Century Feminist Politics of Music by Sally Macarthur
https://amzn.to/2V2hwqn
Women in Art: 50 Fearless Creatives Who Inspired the World (Women in Science) by Rachel Ignotofsky
https://amzn.to/37aYhAu
Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics Hardcover by Dolly Parton
https://amzn.to/3ldFERG
Women Can't Paint: Gender, the Glass Ceiling and Values in Contemporary Art by Helen Gorrill
https://amzn.to/3o18nKX
Great Women Artists by Phaidon Editors
https://amzn.to/2JhugXG
Pre-Raphaelite Sisters by Jan Marsh, Charlotte Gere
https://amzn.to/2JesfLy
The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic by Jessica Hopper
https://amzn.to/33e6cvK
https://amzn.to/363lWDJ
Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
https://amzn.to/33l9I7M
The Artist's Way Workbook by Julia Cameron
https://amzn.to/3m2rxzE
A Natural Woman: A Memoir by Carole King
https://amzn.to/2V4xKPC
Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me by Pattie Boyd
https://amzn.to/39gCb2f
Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock N' Roll by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
https://amzn.to/3l72w58
Paula Scher: Maps By Paula Scher
https://amzn.to/3q4yrXt
Paula Scher: Twenty-Five Years at the Public, A Love Story by Paula Scher
https://amzn.to/2UZCYfA
Make It Bigger: (illustrated monograph on the design process and work of Paula Scher) by Paula Scher
https://amzn.to/3fBKzdQ
Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking by Annie Atkins
https://amzn.to/3fDyLIa
Meggs' History of Graphic Design 6th Edition by Philip B. Meggs, Alston W. Purvis
https://amzn.to/39gN0S0
New Retro: Graphic LOGO with Retro Designs By Victionary
https://amzn.to/3fA4klQ
Logo Modernism By Müller, Jens
https://amzn.to/3m2kgjn
Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students by Lupton, Ellen
https://amzn.to/364wjqM
Art SuppliesLemome A5 dotted Notebook
https://amzn.to/33eKS9h
Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens
https://amzn.to/368txky
Uni-Ball Signo Broad Point Gel Impact Pen White Ink
https://amzn.to/3lfI7ep
Sakura Pigma 30067 Micron Blister Card Ink Pen Set, Black, 8/Set
https://amzn.to/367V9G8
Faber-Castell Clic & Go Artist Water Cup - Dark Green
https://amzn.to/2HAmVSi
In today’s episode, we talk about Maria Anna Mozart, the first Mozart Prodigy. While Wolfgang Mozart is a widely known composer and childhood prodigy, there was another Mozart child that was also declared a prodigy, his older sister Maria Anna. We talk about Maria’s early talent, her family situation, her and Wolfgang’s touring and performances, why she was forced to stop performing music, her later life, why her legacy and music has been erased from history so completely, and how her true story will always be shrouded in myth. We also touch on the women in famous men’s life and how much talent is credited to them.
Check out the picture book about Maria Anna Here
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disclaimer: We are an Amazon affiliate and may make some profit from some of these product links.
Rachel Jennie has developed a close-knit Instagram community with her oceanic oil paintings and a gorgeous room full of plants and light. In this episode, we talk all about how she started painting oceans, the other ways she loves to create, being an artist on a budget, how she stays inspired to paint, her goals for the future, selling her art, and more. Not only is Rachel an incredible artist, but she is also just a beautiful and creative human being. In so many ways, she truly is just lovely. She is a great example of perseverance, creativity, life, and friendship. Her art is also absolutely breathtaking and worthy of so much attention! This all-around is just a very inspiring interview for emerging artists and anyone who needs a little inspiration today to be creative!
You can follow Rachel on Instagram @racheljennieart
You can follow us on Instagram @morethanamuse.podcast
In this week's Episode, Stauney and Sadie discuss the topic of Fangirls. They dive into their own fangirl pasts (or lack there-of), the history of fangirls - from Franz Litz and The Beatles all the way up to One Direction and KPOP Stars, female hysteria as a whole, the stigma of Fangirls over time, and more!
Check out the Fangirl Book Here
Check out a Ted Talk on Fangirls Here
Follow us on Instagram at @morethanamuse.podcast
disclaimer: We are an Amazon affiliate and may make some profit from some of these product links.
In this episode, Stauney and Sadie discuss Augusta Savage, a civil rights activist and Harlem Renaissance Sculptor in New York City during the height of the Civil Rights movement. Unlike other artists we've covered so far, Augusta didn't have the support of her family from an early age (despite her early talent) and faced a variety of obstacles for her artistic career. We discuss the variety of those issues including sexism, racism, and also finance struggles, as well as the crucial part she played in the Harlem Renaissance. Augusta went on to create well-remembered pieces, and although we don’t have many of her pieces now, her legacy carries on through various art students she had over the years, who help carry her memory today.
Check out a recommended book about Augusta here
Follow us on Instagram @morethanamuse.podcast
disclaimer: We are an Amazon affiliate and may make some profit from some of these product links.
In this special Halloween Episode, Sadie and Stauney dive into the 19th-century popularization of gothic/horror fiction and how women dominated the genre as the main storytellers of the movement, despite the fact that history has forgotten them. We also just chat about our past Halloweens, costumes, scary movies, ghosts, the creepy stories we were forced to study in high school, and more!
Check out the 'Weird Women' book here
Follow us on Instagram at @morethanamuse.podcast
disclaimer: We are an Amazon affiliate and may make some profit from some of these product links.
In this episode, we interview Kyndal of Kyndal Mckenzie Photo, a Utah Wedding Photographer. She shares her early love for photography and starting her business, pricing, thriving in a saturated market, her top tips for creative business owners, training for American Ninja Warrior, sexism, and more!
In this episode, we also introduce a new segment, MUSE NEWS to celebrate the accomplishments of female artists out in the world today.
Follow Kyndal at @kyndalmckenziephoto
Follow us at @morethanamuse.podcast
Today we talk about Clara Schumann, a piano prodigy, virtuoso, and a romantic composer. Clara was an early piano talent with a groundbreaking legacy in the piano performance world. Despite her talent as a performer, she is best remembered for her husband Robert Schumann and his well-known compositions that she helped popularize after his death. We discuss the era she grew up in, her early talent and performances, her father's refusal of her marriage (and consequent legal case), her role as a wife and mother, her struggle as a female composer, her husband's tragic death, her professional success, and how the world views her today.
Listen to Clara Schumann's music Here
Read the New York Times Article about her Here
Check out our recommended book about Clara Here
And follow us on Instagram @morethanamuse.podcast
disclaimer: We are an Amazon affiliate and may make some profit from some of these product links.
In this episode, we discuss an article from ArtNews by Linda Nochlin from 1971 titled "Why have there been no great women artists?" and discuss the disparity of female artists throughout history books and records, the idea of "feminine" or "girly" art and how women are viewed in the art industries as a whole.
You can read the article by Nochlin here
Check out more collected essays by Nochlin here
Follow us on Instagram at @morethanamuse.podcast
disclaimer: We are an Amazon affiliate and may make some profit from some of these product links.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode does contain details of sexual assault including rape and details of some torture within the criminal justice system during a rape trial. (Skip to about 30:43 to our break if you want to avoid that part).
Today we talk all about Artemisia Gentileschi, a baroque painter and a 17th-century feminist who surpassed gender norms to become known as a monumental female artist. She encountered a variety of obstacles, including a harrowing rape and consequent trial of her rapist that reached a level of notoriety for that time that has continued on today. We discuss the era she grew up in, her early talent and education, the rape and trial, her professional success, and her most notorious works of art and the context behind them.
Follow us on Instagram @morethanamuse.podcast
Check out our recommended book on Artemisia here
disclaimer: We are an Amazon affiliate and may make some profit from some of these product links.
Stauney & Sadie, our co-hosts, introduce themselves & their background in the arts, the inspiration behind "More Than A Muse Podcast" and what listeners can expect from this new podcast!
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/morethanamuse.podcast/