Current Fixation

Most people are familiar with the story of Medusa, the gorgon killed by Perseus. A stepping stone in his path toward greatness. But have you ever wondered what the story looks like from Medusa’s side? Her story, when told through the historical male lens, is frightening and sad. But in the wake of the #MeToo movement, there is a push to retell and reimagine Medusa’s story.

Follow along as Mythology Super Fan Katie infodumps about:

• The historical mythos surrounding Medusa and her famous snake hair and stone sight
• Exploring a more modern take to Medusa’s story, acknowledging the wrong done to her and giving her some of her agency back
• Last but not least, an early shout out to my new favorite musical, Epic: the Musical. A retelling of the story of the Odyssey by composer Jorge Rivera-Herrans. Check it out on Spotify or at the link below.

Content Warning: Mentions of a non-consensual sexual act in a historical/mythological context.

Epic: The Musical on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3sdEH7HfFE3d4xry5RnnLr?si=XtHf-lOrS2ymGEOaVNn8Aw

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Time travel has featured heavily in science fiction stories since the calendar read BCE. But what if science fiction became a little less… fictional? When visiting the Palace of Versailles in 1901, Charlotte Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain experienced what they believed to be a time slip, ending up in 18th Century France, days before the start of the French Revolution.

In our third episode, Sarah infodumps about:

• Charlotte and Eleanor’s trip through time
• Something something patriarchal academia
• Possible explanations for the time slip experience

Content Warning: Slight content warning for misogyny and racism, because history.

In the Mind of Marie: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/an-adventure/ - Note, it is not 60 pages, as I thought - it’s 240!

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Have a green thumb but tired of growing nothing but tomatoes, potatoes, and green beans? Get inspired by one of the many morbid pastimes popularized in the Victorian Era, curating a garden of death!

In our second episode, history-fanatic Katie infodumps about:

• A history of Poison Gardens, from apothecary gardens to today
• The unassuming but deadly flowering plants you might already have in your garden
• A glimpse into the Alnwick Poison Garden, the world’s most famous contemporary garden of death

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Let’s face it, planning a wedding is stressful. Sometimes you need a break from all the budgeting and planning, and sometimes that break includes deep diving into the history of weddings and marriage. 

In our inaugural episode, newlywed Sarah infodumps about:

• Weddings and marriage in ancient societies
• Interesting wedding traditions, both historical and modern
• Their new belief that weddings and marriage may, in fact, be kinda cultish

Content Warning: kidnapping, sexual violence.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.