We continue our discussion of Naomi Alderman's haunting sci-fi novel, "The Power."  The story of a dystopian future where women rule, in part two we discuss the dark slide into brutality that the women take once their power spreads.

Deliberately erased from history, the story of the women of the Mongol Empire was one of tremendous achievement.  Genghis Khan encouraged equality of the genders and his daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law took advantage of that to great success.  Prof. Jack Weatherford is one of the foremost scholars of Mongol history and a New York Times Best Seller author.  He has recovered the stories of these powerful women and shares the tales of their amazing lives with Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden. 

Professor Walter Penrose returns to discuss the life and work of one of the most famous literary women in history-- Sappho. 

One of the most original works of the last few decades, Naomi Alderman's "The Power," is a sci-fi dystopian masterpiece.  What sets it apart is that in this dystopia, it is the women who seize control and the men who are in fear.  There is so much to unpack in this wonderful book, that we are going to stretch the discussion over multiple episodes.  Joins Dawn "Sam" Alden and Sean Marlon Newcombe as they discuss "The Power."

Controlling female sexual behavior is one of the foundations of patriarchy.  In cooly efficient Ancient Rome, it was through law, of course, that the restriction of women's sexuality was achieved.  Join us as we explore the history and nature of what have been called "The Julian Laws," a series of legislation in the 1st century BC that were meant to promote "family values" by controlling women's bodies. 

Join Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden as they talk with two women in the world of sports: Jill Morely, a former professional boxer and Emily Halpern, a former professional basketball player (and current jiu-jitsu black belt). 

What are the challenges that sportswomen face today?  Are distorted notions of femininity still affecting how we perceive women who devote their focus to athletic pursuits?  Women have been athletes for thousands of years, but what is the state of women's sports today?

Join us for a very revealing and eye-opening episode!

Please check out Jill's women boxing web site:
https://www.flagboxingla.com/

Oh, this was a spirited one!  Join Dawn "Sam" Alden and Sean Marlon Newcombe as they discuss a modern romance novel and what it says about gender in entertainment today.  A passionate and fun discussion reveals many insights into gender relations in culture and the entertainment that reflects it. 

What to Expect When You're Expecting doesn't tell you everything to expect! Two very recent 1st time Moms share stories of the things that happened that they didn't expect.  Don't worry, though, they both have happy endings! 

The sine qua non of this podcast: Matriarchy.  What is it and why is it desirable.  Dawn "Sam" Alden and Sean Marlon Newcombe have an open and frank discussion on the topic of "matriarchy."  This is sure to be a defining episode for this series. 

A fascinating exploration of the wonderful ancient sagas of the peoples of the Black Sea region and the powerful women that their stories extol. Join us as we talk with John Colarusso, linguistic professor and translator of the Nart Sagas. 

The "Nart Sagas" are a collection of heroic tales from the Caucasus which are notable for their stories of warrior women and mystical matriarchs.  In the Classical World, Caucasia was known as the land of the fearsome female fighters whose name would pass into history as "Amazons."  

The history of these people, their languages, their stories and their powerful women will amaze.

Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.