Lost Ladies of Lit

Send us a textVirginia Faulkner had no family ties to that other famous Faulkner, but she is connected to another icon of classic American literature. A young flapper who made an authorial splash with the New York literati (earning comparisons to a young Dorothy Parker), Faulkner later switched gears, devoting the second half of her life to shaping The University of Nebraska Press into a powerhouse publishing institution. Her dedication to scholarship on Willa Cather helped solidify Cather in the pantheon of great American writers. We’re joined for this discussion by neglected books champion Brad Bigelow, whose biography Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts was recently published by Bison Press.Mentioned in this episode:Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts by Brad Bigelow2026 Pilgrimage Reading GroupPurchase the Pilgrimage Series by Dorothy RichardsonNeglected Books websiteFriends and Romans by Virginia FaulknerWilla CatherA House is Not a Home by Polly AdlerUniversity of Nebraska PressMy Hey Day (The “Princess Tulip” Stories) by Virginia FaulknerEx-Wife by Ursula ParrottEugene MeyerBernice SloteLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 59 on Gertrude TrevelyonLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 116 on Dorothy RichardsonLost Ladies of Lit Support the showFor episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.comSubscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a textBefore penning the lyrics to “America the Beautiful,” Katharine Lee Bates shone a spotlight on the invisible (and not so invisible) labor tackled by an unsung Christmas heroine, Mrs. Claus. Bates’s 1888 poem “Goody Claus on a Sleigh Ride” imagines Santa’s spouse setting the record straight about who really does most of the work in preparation for Christmas. In this holiday episode, Amy confesses her own cynical feelings about the Yuletide season and reads this humorous poem with its surprisingly satirical and feminist bent. Listeners who tune in will also receive a special “Lost Ladies of Lit” holiday freebie!Mentioned in this episode:“Goody Claus on a Sleigh Ride” by Katharine Lee BatesLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 237 on Katharine Lee BatesSupport the showFor episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.comSubscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a textDark and disturbing, yet strangely redemptive, Djuna Barnes’s 1936 modernist masterpiece Nightwood left even its greatest champion, T.S. Eliot, a bit bewildered. Guest Margaret Vandenburg, an expert in modernism, post-modernism and gender studies, joins us to illuminate Barnes’s tumultuous life and help us decipher her "ultimate breakup novel,” a work that casts its spell by turning the world upside down in subversive defiance of fascism.Mentioned in this episode:Nightwood by Djuna BarnesCraze by Margaret VandenburgAn American in Paris by Margaret VandenburgDjuna: The Extraordinary Life of Djuna Barnes by Jon MacyThe Life and Work of Djuna Barnes by Phillip HerringNew York by Djuna Barnes (collected journalism)The Book of Repulsive Women and Other Poems by Djuna BarnesLadies Almanac by Djuna Barnes“The Antiphon” by Djuna BarnesLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 266 on Radclyffe HallZadel BarnesBarnes’s 1922 Support the showFor episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.comSubscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a textLikened to a fresh Yorkshire breeze, Malachi Whitaker’s year-in-the-life memoir And So Did I, published in 1939, is a quirky spirit-quest juxtaposing wry humor and contemplative observations amidst the impending threat of global conflict. Valerie Waterhouse, a PhD researcher and executor of Whitaker’s literary estate, joins us to discuss the author’s life and work, as well as her own quest to keep Whitaker’s legacy alive, including securing a commemorative blue plaque for her birthplace and writing a forthcoming biography.Mentioned in this episode:And So Did I by Malachi WhitakerThe Journey Home and Other Stories by Malachi WhitkerThe Oxford Book of English Short Stories edited by A.S. Byatt“Landlord of the Crystal Fountain” by Malachi WhitakerA Room of One’s Own by Virginia WoolfStevie SmithElizabeth BowenKathleen RaineGay Taylor“What I Believe” by E.M. Forster“Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor ColeridgeLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 3 on E.M. DelafieldLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 166 on Alba de CéspedesSupport the showFor episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.comSubscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast

Send us a textIn this special episode, Kim and Amy recount their recent visit to The Sitting Room, a unique library and literary salon in Sonoma, CA, dedicated to women's literature. Trip highlights included a stay at a Julia-Morgan-designed architectural gem in Berkeley, a private tour of Jack London State Park, and a fascinating tour of The Sitting Room’s extensive collection of books and artifacts. Listeners will also hear snippets from an engaging evening with library co-founder J.J. Wilson, making this episode a heartfelt homage to the preservation and celebration of books by women writers.Mentioned in this episode:Julia MorganThe Berkeley City ClubLitquakeJack London State ParkLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 27 on Charmian Kittredge LondonCharmian Kittredge London: Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer by Iris Jamahl DunkleThe Sitting RoomJ.J. WilsonLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 187 on Kay BoyleLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 162 on Meridel Le SeuerLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 264 on Jessica MitfordLost Ladies of Lit Episode No. 140 on Zora Neale HurstonLyndall GordonA Luminous Halo: Selected Writings by Virginia WoolfThe Life of Violet: Three Early Stories by Virginia WoolfGorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson’s Envelope PoemsSupport the showFor episodes and show notes, visit: LostLadiesofLit.comSubscribe to our substack newsletter. Follow us on instagram @lostladiesoflit. Email us: Contact — Lost Ladies of Lit Podcast