Shows / Let Genius Burn
Let Genius Burn
Louisa May Alcott may be best known for the beloved book Little Women, but her story doesn’t begin or end with her famous novel. On Let Genius Burn, we separate the layers of Louisa’s life to learn more about who she really was--and all the ways her legacy continues to resonate today. We’ll explore the traumatic year of her childhood spent in an experimental utopian community, her service as a Civil War nurse, her final years of wealth and celebrity as a children’s author--and more intimate…
Episodes
Let Genius BurnAlcott by the Book
A single, red, leather-bound book is the little beating heart of Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Little Women, which was released in 2019. Clutched to Jo's body…
Let Genius BurnAlcott On the Page
Alcott was a master of multiple genres–from domestic fiction to psychological thrillers–and forms–from full-length novels to novellas and short stories. Her…
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Alcott on the Stage
Louisa May Alcott loved the theatre: she wrote and staged plays both at home and with amateur theatre groups; she attended plays and recorded her thoughts…
Let Genius BurnLittle Women In Love
Lauren M. Gunderson’s adaptation of Little Women is still in draft form, though it is already being staged by theaters across the country. This new play…
Let Genius BurnAlcott in the World
In this special anniversary episode of Let Genius Burn, Jamie and Jill reflect on the past five years of creating this project and what it has meant to them…
Let Genius BurnAlcotts in Paradise
In 1843, the Alcott family spent about nine months on a farm in central Massachusetts, a utopian experiment they called Fruitlands. The failure of this project…
Let Genius BurnLouisa and Abolition
Join us as we explore Louisa May Alcott in the broader context of Concord’s abolitionist movement, including her family’s activism, her interaction with fellow…
Let Genius BurnAlcott for the Future
For over twenty years, the Louisa May Alcott Society has brought together Alcott scholars from around the world to discuss the work and relevance of Louisa May…
Let Genius BurnConcord in Context
In today’s episode, we welcome Jen Turner, the Executive Director of the Robbins House Museum in Concord, Massachusetts. This historical house museum, situated…
Let Genius BurnAlcott & Ecotherapy
Through Alcott’s upbringing amidst the Transcendentalists, ideas about the healing power of nature found their way into her life and her written work. Much of…
Let Genius BurnLouisa and Lydia
Lydia Olsson (1874-1958) was the daughter of Swedish immigrants, born in Kansas in the late nineteenth century. She moved to Illinois and attended Augustana…
Let Genius BurnLittle Women Reimagined
In this conversation with authors Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker, we discuss the authors' individual relationships to Little Women and how it…
Let Genius BurnAlcott in Our Own Time
In this episode, where the title nods to a seminal Alcott text, Alcott in Her Own Time, edited by Daniel Shealy, Jamie and Jill reconnect about what has…
Let Genius BurnLittle Women Holiday Bonus Episode
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Little Women, so we are reading aloud from the iconic first chapter, "Playing Pilgrims" and offering our commentary…
Let Genius BurnAlcott as Ecofeminist
Travel with us to a Cuban coffee plantation, where Alcott's short story Pauline's Passion and Punishment begins. Written in 1862, this short story predates…
Let Genius BurnAlcott in the Archives
Max Chapnick read a line in Louisa May Alcott's journal that pointed to one of her stories, but it turned out to be a dead end. Then, he had an idea. He went…
Let Genius BurnLouisa and Laurie
When readers find out that Louisa May Alcott really lived in a family with four sisters, the next question is almost immediately: "Who was Laurie?" Lis Adams…
Let Genius BurnAlcott and Identity
Author Peyton Thomas joins Let Genius Burn to speak about queerness and transness in Little Women and other Alcott writings. Peyton Thomas made a significant…
Let Genius BurnAlcott and Sex Education
Louisa May Alcott and her family were social activists who advocated for all types of reforms in their lifetimes: they were concerned with fair labor, women's…
Let Genius BurnAlcott in the City
Although Louisa May Alcott is most often associated with Concord, Massachusetts, where her family lived in several different homes over the course of her…
Let Genius BurnA Concord Conversation
Sit down with Jill and Jamie as they reflect and dissect the week they spent together in Concord. They talk about visits to Orchard House, Fruitlands, Walden…
Let Genius BurnThe Fruitlands Effect
On July 13, 2022, Let Genius Burn was invited to speak at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts, the site where the Alcott family lived--and nearly…
Let Genius BurnConcord Sketches
This episode features Jill's travelogue from her week in Concord, Massachusetts. Listen as we travel to see Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House for the first…
Let Genius BurnLouisa Revisited
In our final full episode of Season 8, Jill and Jamie recap the highlights of season two and reflect on what the conversations with Alcott scholars have taught…
Let Genius BurnLouisa as Inspiration: Conversation with Biographer John Matteson
John Matteson's biography, Eden's Outcasts: the Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father, has become a foundational work in Alcott scholarship. It brings…
Let Genius BurnLittle Women in Letters: Conversation with Barbara Heller, Editor of Little Women
If you’re anything like us, you’ve watched the Little Women film adaptations looking for the props and pieces that really bring the book to life–the vivid…
Let Genius BurnLouisa Through the Ages: Conversation with Daniel Shealy
Most Alcott scholars cannot imagine what it would be like to do research without the Selected Letters and Selected Journals of Louisa May Alcott, these two…
Let Genius BurnLouisa in Style: Conversation with Lauren Stern about May Alcott Nieriker and Historical Dress
Meet Lauren Stern: a researcher interested in social and material history. She has been a staff member at Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House since 2006, where…
Let Genius BurnLouisa and Maud: Conversation with Stef and Jen, Co-Creators of Maud: Books, Babes, and Barbiturates
Maud: Books, Babes, and Barbiturates is a podcast about the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. The co-creators, Stef Drummon and…
Let Genius BurnLouisa in Threads: Conversation with Fruitlands Artist-in-Residence Leslie Schomp
In this episode, we are talking with Leslie Schomp, who served as an artist-in-residence at Fruitlands in 2021. Leslie drew inspiration from Louisa’s diaries…
Let Genius BurnLouisa Into Life: Interview with Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House
Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, has made her life about Louisa's legacy. Whether she is portraying Louisa May Alcott…
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Bonus Episode: Selected Passages
In the first bonus episode of Let Genius Burn, Jill and Jamie dive into the details of three passages from Louisa's work beyond Little Women. Listeners will…
Let Genius BurnLouisa as Legacy
At the time of Louisa May Alcott's death, she was known to most as the "children's friend," an author of children's books and particularly books for girls. As…
Let Genius BurnLouisa as Woman
In Louisa May Alcott's time, strict definitions and expectations of white womanhood permeated Louisa’s society and culture. Marriage and motherhood were the…
Let Genius BurnLouisa as Celebrity
When Little Women became a sensation, Louisa May Alcott became the ultimate literary celebrity. Fans were waiting out on her lawn and knocking on her door, and…
Let Genius BurnLouisa as Activist
Louisa devoted her life to the causes she believed in, primarily abolition and women's suffrage. Her political beliefs were handed down from her parents, who…
Let Genius BurnLouisa as Scribbler
In this episode, we pull back the curtain to take a peek at Louisa at her writing desk. We will trace the development of her writing style, the desires that…
Let Genius BurnLouisa at Work
Before she became an author and celebrity, Louisa May Alcott was a teacher, seamstress, governess, companion, servant, and nurse. Though they were difficult…
Let Genius BurnLouisa as Sister
Once upon a time, four sisters became immortal. When they were young, the four girls were still flesh and blood, ordinary girls who built towers out of their…
Let Genius BurnLouisa as Daughter
Before Louisa May Alcott grew up to be a famous children's author, she belonged to her parents: Bronson Alcott and Abigail May Alcott. Bronson was an educator…
Let Genius BurnLouisa May Alcott: An Introduction
A short biography of Louisa's life lays the groundwork for this series. Meet the hosts of Let Genius Burn and hear about why we believe Louisa May Alcott was a…
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Trailer: Let Genius Burn
Welcome to Let Genius Burn, a podcast series about the life and legacy of Louisa May Alcott created by Jill Fuller and Jamie Burgess. Louisa May Alcott is best…