The Profess-Hers Podcast Profess-Hers

In our 50th episode, we celebrate a woman so talented, kind, sincere, and funny that many people call her “Saint Dolly.” That’s right - it was long past time that we dedicate an episode to singer, actress, philanthropist, and Christmas-enthusiast Dolly Parton. 
We’ll discuss her history, her rise to fame, some of our favorite Dolly songs and films, her charitable work and giving, and how she became the best thing about 2020 and just about the only thing all Americans can agree on. 
Want extra reading? Check out our sources:
NYT: The Grit and Glory of Dolly Parton
LA Times: Country Stars 'Break the Silence' on AIDS : Campaign: Clint Black, Tammy Wynette, Wynonna Judd, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson are among 35 performers who will appear in print, radio and television ads beginning Jan. 13.
Guardian: Working-class women are too busy for gender theory – but they're still feminists 
CNN: Dolly Parton learned she funded the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine when the rest of us did
The Boot: Dolly Parton and Charity Work
NPR: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Delivers 100 Millionth Book : NPR Ed
Tennessean: Obama says it was a 'screw up' not awarding Dolly Parton the Presidential Medal of Freedom 
PARTON, DOLLY, and Karen Jaehne. "CEO and Cinderella: AN INTERVIEW WITH DOLLY PARTON." Cinéaste 17, no. 4 (1990): 16-19. Accessed December 1, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41692590.
Hoppe, Graham. "Icon and Identity: Dolly Parton’s Hillbilly Appeal." Southern Cultures 23, no. 1 (2017): 49-62. Accessed December 1, 2020. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26391677.
Pennisi, Elizabeth, and Nigel Williams. "Will Dolly Send in the Clones?" Science 275, no. 5305 (1997): 1415-416. Accessed December 1, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2892255.
Profess-Hers is presented by Misty, a History professor, and Allegra, an English professor, both of whom are here for having a serious, fun conversation about looking at literature, history, current events, pop culture, and media through a feminist lens.
Find the Profess-Hers Podcast on Twitter and Instagram @Professhers.
Profess-Hers is written and created by Allegra Davis Hanna and Misty Wilson-Mehrtens. We produce the show ourselves, with help from Austin Haynes.

In our second episode celebrating and discussing Women’s Suffrage and the 100th-anniversary of the 19th Amendments, we interview best-selling authors Fiona Davis and MJ Rose, who edited the short story collection Stories from Suffragette City. 
Their book focuses on one day in the history of women’s suffrage in the United States - October 23, 1915 - the day of the suffrage parade in New York City (about 25,000 women marched). Many of the stories include historical figures, such as Ida B. Wells, Alice Paul, and Mabel Ping-Hau Lee, who were also on our recent episode. This book, which is available as of last month, includes short stories by Fiona and MJ, as well as 10 other authors.
Fiona and MJ were also gracious enough to share with us their writing processes, and advice for writing students. 
To see the colorized footage of NYC from 1911 that MJ Rose refers to: https://youtu.be/hZ1OgQL9_Cw
To find the book Stories from Suffragette City: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250241337
For more about MJ Rose: https://www.mjrose.com/content/
For more about Fiona Davis: https://fionadavis.net/
To see more images from the 1915 NYC Suffrage Parade: https://nyheritage.org/exhibits/recognizing-womens-right-vote/parades 
Profess-Hers is presented by Misty, a History professor, and Allegra, an English professor, both of whom are here for having a serious, fun conversation about looking at literature, history, current events, pop culture, and media through a feminist lens.
Find the Profess-Hers Podcast on Twitter and Instagram @Professhers.
Profess-Hers is written and created by Allegra Davis Hanna and Misty Wilson-Mehrtens. We produce the show ourselves, with help from Austin Haynes. 

In our third (!) Halloween episode, we discuss cults - how they affect women, how they work, and historical and modern American cults. 
What do silverware, self-help groups, and science fiction actors have to do with cults? You’ll find out!
Misty discusses the Oneidas - their surprising beliefs on gender roles and their dangerous approach to communal living. Allegra shares an overview of how Keith Raneire built NXIVM on misogyny. 
Whether it’s a doomsday cult or a utopia gone wrong, cults are dangerous, sometimes especially for women. 
Want extra reading? Check out our sources:
The Vow, HBO
Dr. Janja Lalich “Why Do People Join Cults?”: Ted Talk
On the Oneidas: http://www.nyhistory.com/central/oneida.htm  
The Oneida handbook: https://library.syr.edu/digital/collections/h/Hand-bookOfTheOneidaCommunity/
Women and Cults: https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/power-female-cult-leaders
“Holy Shit, We’re In a Cult” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3ess8txBX0&feature=youtu.be
“I Grew Up in a Cult. It was Heaven - and Hell” (Ted Talk) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS7mBbXxJYA&t=396s
Nice Try! Podcast, Episode 4 “Oneida”
The Truth About True Crime Podcast, Season 1 (Terror in the Jungle, about Jonestown)
The Truth About True Crime Podcast, Season 2 (Ministry of Evil, about the Alamos)
Uncover Podcast: Season 1: Escaping NXIVM
“The ‘Not Me’ Myth,” by Margaret Thaler Singer. Published by IDEA: http://www.ideajournal.com/authors.php?id=4
“NXIVM leader found guilty,” NPR: https://www.npr.org/2019/06/19/734116183/nxivm-leader-keith-raniere-found-guilty-of-all-charges-in-sex-cult-case
Lost Women of NXIVM - Investigation Discovery
Seduced - Starz
Profess-Hers is presented by Misty, a History professor, and Allegra, an English professor, both of whom are here for having a serious, fun conversation about looking at literature, history, current events, pop culture, and media through a feminist lens.
Find the Profess-Hers Podcast on Twitter and Instagram @Professhers.
Profess-Hers is written and created by Allegra Davis Hanna and Misty Wilson-Mehrtens. We produce the show ourselves, with help from Austin Haynes.

In this episode, we discuss the fight for women’s suffrage, the imperfect history of suffragists, and what it means for women to vote. Misty gives us the history (of course), Allegra recommends some books, and both share insights about voting patterns, voter suppression, and important women in the battle for universal suffrage. 
Women gained and lost the right to vote a few times in American history, and even when we achieved the victory of the 19th Amendment in 1920, not all women were able to vote. This is the story of how women fought for suffrage, and then of how women have accessed and used that right. In a future episode, we will talk even more about some of the suffragists who did the work, and some literature about that fight. 
Want extra reading? Check our sources:
What We Mean When We Talk About 'Suburban Women Voters' - NPR
Mattel adds Susan B. Anthony to its Barbie lineup - CBS
Don't Mess With the Jiu-jitsu Suffragettes
Women's Suffrage Reads for Fiction Lovers | The New York Public Library
Ida B. Wells-Barnett - National Women’s History Museum
The 1913 Women's Suffrage Parade - The Atlantic
This Day in History: The 1913 Women's Suffrage Parade - White House Archives
Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment - National Archives
Books we recommended in this episode:
Why They Marched by Susan Ware
The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
Saving Savannah byTonya Bolden
Profess-Hers is presented by Misty, a History professor, and Allegra, an English professor, both of whom are here for having a serious, fun conversation about looking at literature, history, current events, pop culture, and media through a feminist lens.
Find the Profess-Hers Podcast on Twitter and Instagram @Professhers.
Profess-Hers is written and created by Allegra Davis Hanna and Misty Wilson-Mehrtens. We produce the show ourselves, with help from Austin Haynes. 

We’re back! In this episode, we discuss women in Social Media, including some famous women from social media and internet history, a recent social media whistleblower, and facts and research about what happens to women online (it’s not all bad, but it’s mostly bad). 
Women are more active on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, though they are less likely to be listened to and more likely to be harassed. Allegra shares some history about Radia Perlman, whose inventions helped make the internet possible, and Joan Ball, who was the first person to make computer-based dating successful. Misty discusses Facebook whistleblower Sophie Zhang, and what Facebook has been up to (it’s almost entirely bad). 
We’re inspired by all three women. Plus, we talk about what we’ve been up to since March. 
Want extra reading? Here’s where we did our research:
A brief history of Facebook | Technology- The Guardian
Facebook Is Failing in Global Disinformation Fight, Says Former Worker - NYT
Whistleblower Says Facebook Ignored Global Political Manipulation - Buzzfeed
How Social Media Has Reshaped Feminism - Council on Foreign Relations
Twitter still failing women over online violence and abuse - Amnesty International
Women equal men in computing skill, but are less confident - The Conversation
Toward a cyberfeminist future: A new study centers African women as protagonists online - Global Voices
15 of the most important women in tech who changed the world - Mashable
Radia Perlman: Don't Call Me the Mother of the Internet - The Atlantic
The Mother of All Swipes - About Joan Ball - Logic Magazine
Rewind - Before Tinder, there was Dateline | 1843 magazine - The Economist
Women have about half the followers of men on Twitter and otherwise diminished influence - IHE
Profess-Hers is presented by Misty, a History professor, and Allegra, an English professor, both of whom are here for having a serious, fun conversation about looking at literature, history, current events, pop culture, and media through a feminist lens.
Find the Profess-Hers Podcast on Twitter and Instagram @Professhers.
Profess-Hers is written and created by Allegra Davis Hanna and Misty Wilson-Mehrtens. We produce the show ourselves, with help from Austin Haynes. 

In our first of three episodes about Unstoppable Texas Women, we discuss two women who were great friends, awesome political forces, and very funny Texas women: Ann Richards (our 45th governor) and Molly Ivins (reporter and writer). We’ll get into what made them unstoppable, some favorite quotes from each, ordeals they overcame, and their best barbs aimed at the Bush family.
We’re inspired by Ann Richards and Molly Ivins because they told the truth, worked hard for others, and weren’t afraid to be themselves on a public stage. 
We start the episode with a round-up of other women notable in Texas history, like Ma Ferguson and Clara Driscoll.
Want extra reading? Here’s where we did our research:
A Texas Monthly article about the legacy of Ann Richards: https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/the-renaissance-of-ann/
Ann Richards’s bio from the Texas Politics Project: https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/archive/html/exec/governors/31.html
Info and photos of Ann Richards, from the Austin Public Library: https://library.austintexas.gov/ahc/ann-richards-54629
Ann Richards’s Keynote Address to the DNC, 1988: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtIFhiqS_TY
“The Price of Being Molly Ivins”: https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/the-price-of-being-molly/
“Why We Need Molly Ivins’s Wisdom Now More Than Ever”: https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/molly-ivins-raise-hell-film-janice-engel-politics/
Profile of Molly on “Americans Who Tell The Truth”: https://www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/portraits/molly-ivins
Profess-Hers is written and created by Allegra Davis Hanna and Misty Wilson-Mehrtens. We produce the show ourselves, with help from Austin Haynes.