In this special episode of 1-800-1800, Madeline and Mabel discuss Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights as well as Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. The girls cover impossible naming conventions, mysterious heritage, and awful set design in this discussion. Listen now!

Good morning starshine! President James Garfield says hello!

This week on 1-800-1800, Mabel and Madeline discuss the Netflix limited series Death by Lighting, which tells the story of James Garfield’s assassination. We finally have an answer to a long standing question, “how did people in the back hear before electrical amplification,” and some questions…

This week on 1-800-1800, Julia Carpenter, who writes the brilliant Substack “A Woman to Know,” joins us to discuss the Bavarian princess who was convinced that she had swallowed a glass piano. Our conversation covers everything from the fluctuating definitions of delusion to medieval nuns and the curative powers of spanking. Happy listening!

Notes:

Read Julia’s original newsletter about Princess Alexandra here (all of the images we discussed are also here!!) and check out Julia’s website and follow her on instagram to read more of her amazing work!

The books we mentioned are:

Victoria Shepherd’s A History of Delusions: The Glass King, A Substitute Husband and a Walking Corpse

Mike Jay’s A Visionary Madness: The Case of James Tilly Matthews and the Influencing Machine

Jon Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven

and Jacqueline Jung’s chapter in History in the Comic Mode: Medieval Communities and the Matter of Person

Other images and links:

The Windsor Beauties

The Hall of Beauties at Nymphenburg Palace

The Visitation (Mary and Elizabeth with rock crystal wombs) at The Met

Last week, Mabel and Madeline braved a blizzard to go see The Testament of Ann Lee in theaters. In this episode, hear their discussion of the film’s stylistic choices, the actual history of the Shakers, and why there’s so much more to them than beautiful chairs.

On the first episode of the new year, Mabel and Madeline consider the tortoise and discuss the sweatshirtification of Hokusai’s The Great Wave. We go deep on Prussian Blue, Japanese wood-block printing and its influence on the history of modern painting. Listen, like, rate, subscribe, share, love, kiss kiss, bang bang.

HAPPY NEW YEAR LOVERS <3

Madeline & Mabel

This week Madeline and Mabel read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and discuss Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation for Netflix. We ask and answer the big questions about AI, monsters, pregnancy, and whether Oscar Isaac is hot. Until next time <3

This week on 1-800-1800, Madeline guides us through the horrifying world of early 19th century meat batteries and an experiment to raise a malefactor hanged at newgate prison from the dead. Listen for all the facts on nicotine enemas, the “apparently” drowned, and an alternative reality where frogs legs were a necessary component of consumer electronics.

<3 AS ALWAYS,

Madeline & Mabel

This week on 1-800-1800, Mabel and Madeline discuss their new book Elsie Venner with a VERY special guest: Mabel’s dad!! David, a psychiatrist in practice for over thirty years, joins the girls to discuss the novel and help answer the question that preoccupies the characters in the book: What the hell is wrong with Elsie? Tune in for Freud, theology, an…

Today a man told me that pugs are “inherently naked” and now I can’t think about anything else for long enough to write an episode description. I hope you listen to the podcast anyway, it’s a doozy <3

Mabel and Madeline

In this special episode of 1-800-1800, the Mandylion girls discuss, debate, and fawn over their new book, The Hill of Dreams! Welcome to the Mandylion Book Club. Let this episode guide and inspire you on this journey through Arthur Machen’s singular novel, about a young man named Lucian Taylor trying (and failing?) to become a great writer. The book can…