Inspiring Excitement and Passion about History and the Humanities
I’ve been on a bit of a Boat Craze over on the Renaissance English History Podcast for the past few months. I did an episode on the Rise of the Tudor Navy, the Iron Industry of the Weald (which helped propel the navy forward with the blast iron furnace that made artillery so much cheaper),…
In about a week and a half I’m going back to London to attend (and write about) the launch of the ORA Singers, a new choir that is based on commissioning contemporary composers write reimagined reflections of Tudor masterworks. Full disclosure – I know Suzi Digby, the founder. About 5 years ago I met her via…
I just spent the morning recording and pushing out a new podcast episode on the summer of 1588 when England successfully defended her borders from the Spanish Armada, intent on invading and overthrowing Protestant Elizabeth. At the same time, my babygirl is transitioning from her crib into a big girl bed. These two things are…
I had this idea that January would be a good time to journey to the wilds of Northumberland to commune with my internal monks and vikings in the magical Holy Island, Lindisfarne. And I was right. Lindisfarne is a small island off the coast of Northumberland near Berwick upon Tweed, accessible via a causeway that…
I’m ashamed of how much I love Francis Drake. His daring badassery appeals to the baser sense of myself. The same part that watches Donald Trump’s campaign just because I keep wondering if he’s serious. Francis Drake is famous for being on the second man to captain a ship that circumnavigated the globe, but he…
It’s winter. Even here in Andalusia, the nights are bitterly cold, and the rain we got at the beginning of the week soaked through my bones and practically froze me. It’s time for big pots of chili and hot cocoa. Now that the holidays are over, we can get thoroughly immersed in the winter-ness of…
So I’ve been negligent in posting lately (I’m getting back on top of that – thanks for sticking with me). I got back from a week in London with a 2 year old, which is no small feat, let me tell you. And on top of it all, the first day my wallet got nicked….
So I just posted a fresh podcast on the Iron industry in the Weald of Kent in the 16th century. It’s an area I’m interested in, as I explain in the podcast, because one of the things that I really find most fascinating about the 16th century is the movement from an agrarian medieval society…
It’s here! Advent! The time when we light candles on advent wreaths and open calendars with chocolate! Woot! If you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate the Holiday, might I invite you to sign up for my newsletter, and I’ll send you a fun digital Advent Calendar with fun goodies to open every day…
I just put up another Renaissance English History Podcast on Friday (I’ve been sticking to my schedule of putting out two a month – proud of that) on Henry VIII’s Navy. I’ve been wanting to podcast on this for a while, mostly because I wanted to learn about it for myself. Henry VIII is remembered…