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 details and little-known stories of Louisa’s life. Instead of a retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s biography, each episode in the 8-part series examines Louisa's life through a different lens--Louisa as a celebrity, writer, activist, daughter, and more-- highlighting her complexity as a person, woman, and historical figure. Ahead of her time, Louisa railed against the limitations of her gender and fought for women’s suffrage. She craved literary greatness, but was weighed down by the financial needs of her family. Through writing scandalous Gothic thrillers, she found a way to voice her own inner turmoil. In the end, she achieved extraordinary financial success, but creative fulfillment remained elusive.We’ll examine all of this and more on Let Genius Burn. Find more on Instagram and Facebook @letgeniusburn or at letgeniusburn.com.
Episodes
Alcott & Ecotherapy
Louisa and Lydia
Little Women Reimagined
Alcott in Our Own Time
Little Women Holiday Bonus Episode
Alcott as Ecofeminist
Alcott in the Archives
Louisa and Laurie
Alcott and Identity
Alcott and Sex Education
Alcott in the City
A Concord Conversation
The Fruitlands Effect
Concord Sketches
Louisa Revisited
Louisa as Inspiration: Conversation with Biographer John Matteson
Little Women in Letters: Conversation with Barbara Heller, Editor of Little Women
Louisa Through the Ages: Conversation with Daniel Shealy
Louisa in Style: Conversation with Lauren Stern about May Alcott Nieriker and Historical Dress
Louisa and Maud: Conversation with Stef and Jen, Co-Creators of Maud: Books, Babes, and Barbiturates
Louisa in Threads: Conversation with Fruitlands Artist-in-Residence Leslie Schomp
Louisa Into Life: Interview with Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House
Bonus Episode: Selected Passages