Author Interview: Molly Greeley (Marvelous: A Novel)

Molly Greeley’s new historical fiction novel, MARVELOUS, is based on the real-life story of Petrus Gonsalvus and his wife, Catherine. Petrus aka Pedro had a condition called hypertrichosis which meant his body was covered in hair. This caught the attention of the French Queen (a certain CATHERINE DE’MEDICI), who liked having unusual people around her. And so, Petrus/Pedro was well educated and raised in the royal court. Petrus/Pedro’s wife, Catherine, did not have this condition and then most of their children inherited it. The story of Petrus/Pedro and Catherine may have inspired a version of the Beauty & the Beast fairy tale (and maybe the prosthetics used on the Beast in the recent live-action adaptation)?

Learn more about Molly and her book at mollygreeley.com

Buy a copy of MARVELOUS using this bookshop link to help support Vulgar History

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Tune in to watch VULGARPIECE THEATRE LIVE at youtube.com/@vulgarhistory on March 4 at 5pm Pacific/ 7pm Central/ 8pm Eastern.

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Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store – use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

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Author Interview: Jac Jemc (Empty Theatre)

It’s the 100th episode** of Vulgar History, and who better to chat with than author Jac Jemc! Jac is the author of the new book EMPTY THEATRE, which is a story mostly about Empress Sisi and her Cousin “Mad King” Ludwig II, but also talks about Lola Goddamn Montez, Ludwig “nature or art” I, and is an overall delightful romp through this part of history.

Learn more about Jac and her upcoming events at jacjemc.com and follow her on Instagram @jacjemc and Twitter @jacjemc

Buy a copy of EMPTY THEATRE from bookshop.org and support Vulgar History at this link: bookshop.org/a/1419/9780374277925

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And tune in to watch VULGARPIECE THEATRE LIVE at youtube.com/@vulgarhistory on March 4 at 5pm Pacific/ 7pm Central/ 8pm Eastern.

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Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store – use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

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Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.

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** depending on if you count the super special episodes, which I do

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So This Asshole: Napoleon Bonaparte (with Allison Epstein)

This episode of So This Asshole used to live behind a paywall on Patreon, but now is free for all to hear! In it, friend of the pod Allison Epstein takes the lead to discuss a person they hate very much: Napoleon Bonaparte.

We also talk about Allison’s upcoming new book, LET THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD, and how Napoleon is involved in it (he is not literally in the book, but his presence looms large).

Learn more about Allison and their new book at allisonepstein.com and follow them on Twitter @rapscallison and IG @rapscallison and subscribe to their newsletter rapscallison.substack.com/

Want to hear more episodes of So This Asshole? Support Vulgar History on Patreon at the $5/month+ level here: patreon.com/annfosterwriter

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Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store – use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

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Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Interview: Emran Iqbal El-Badawi (Queens and Prophets How Arabian Noblewomen and Holy Men Shaped Paganism, Christianity and Islam)

This week, I’m sharing my chat with Emran Iqbal El-Badawi, Program Director and Associate Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Houston, where he is also Chair of Modern and Classical Languages. He’s here to talk about his new book: “Queens and Prophets: How Arabian Noblewomen and Holy Men Shaped Paganism, Christianity and Islam.”

He’s here to talk all about ancient Arabia, why other scholars in the field challenged him about writing this book, the role of women in this culture, and to explain how he’s able to research people who lived so long ago there is very little written historical record (it helps he’s able to read in a multitude of languages!)

“Queens and Prophets” is available everywhere, including through bookshop.org. Click here to buy a copy using the Vulgar History affiliate link.

Follow Imran on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/emrane 

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Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store – use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

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Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.

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Author Interview: Flora Fraser (Pretty Young Rebel: The Life of Flora MacDonald)

This week, I’m sharing my chat with author Flora Fraser about her newest historical biography: Pretty Young Rebel: The Life of Flora Macdonald.

Flora Macdonald was a Scottish woman who lived in the 18th century, and kind of accidentally became a heroine of the Jacobite rebellion. As Flora Fraser discovered in her research, Macdonald’s life also included involvement in the American Revolution, and she and her family passed through parts of Atlantic Canada before she wound back up in Scotland.

Learn more about Flora Fraser and her work at florafraser.com 

“Pretty Young Rebel” is available everywhere, including through bookshop.org. Click here to buy a copy using the Vulgar History affiliate link.

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Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store – use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

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Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.

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Author Interview: Joanna Hickson (The Queen’s Lady)

This week I got to talk with Joanna Hickson, author of seven books (so far!) about 15th-century English women, mostly from the Tudor era.

The occasion for our chat is the paperback release of her latest book, The Queen’s Lady, which is about a very interesting Tudor-era woman I’d never heard of before named Joan Vaux.

Keep up with Joanna and her books at twitter.com/joannahickson and facebook.com/joannahickson

You can buy a copy of The Queen’s Lady (or any of Joanna’s other books) at any bookseller near you, and/or by using the Vulgar History link at bookshop.org bookshop.org/a/1419/9780008305659

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Support Vulgar History on Patreon

Get merch at http://vulgarhistory.store – use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOUT10 for 10% off your order

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Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.

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So This Asshole: Charles Dickens

A special treat for you! This episode of used to only live behind the paywall on Patreon, but Charles Dickens was simply too much of a dirtbag to keep the story from you all.

** Note that this was originally recorded in December 2021, for Patreon, so some of the chit-chat is that of a younger me, so long ago, so bear that in mind. **

If you’d like to hear me talk about more terrible men from history, you can subscribe to my Patreon at the $5/month level! You can join up here: patreon.com/annfosterwriter

And you can learn more about Catherine Hogarth Dickens in the book The Other Dickens by Lillian Nayder

Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices