Dawn usually records around her kitchen table, but as guest, Kristal Adams, recently had her cars stolen, she instead packed up the recording equipment and headed to Kristal's place near downtown Los Angeles. As it turns out, the quietest and most comfortable place to record was smack in the middle of Kristals bed. Tres bien. 

00:03:55 - Dawn goes through Kristal's most exciting credits including as a writer on Legomasters, and The Circle on Netflix, and she promotes her hilarious comedy album Aint I A Wombat. 

00:05:12 - Kristal explains to Dawn that her lack of car has been part of the decision to move to New York City - where you don't need one! Dawn likes the idea but gives her some food for thought as she heads into living in her first 'winter climate' state. 

00:09:42 - We learn a little bit more about Kristal's French husband, Fabrice, and how he has spurred both her interest in French Literature and her desire to ask ANYONE BUT HIM to tell her about it. Voila! Moi!  Dawn explains that since 'French Literature' is such a huge subject, she focused her attention on The Three Musketeers and it's author Alexander Dumas... but of course it all begins with The French Revolution. 

00:12:46 - The French Revolution has to precede any in-depth conversation about French Literature because for so much of our most-loved figures it was a central event. From Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, through the Reign of Terror and past the execution of Robespierre - we give Kristal a lot to chew on around the ol' Fromage Tray. 

00:22:52 - Lots of sources generally say the French Revolution ended with the execution of Robespierre in 1794 but in fact there were several more revolutions and, of course, the Emperor Napoleon. 

00:30:00 - With some general French History and some specific French Revolution History in our back pocket, we move on to the author of The Three Musketeers, Alexander Dumas... well, we begin with his grandparents actually: A rich white nobleman living in Haiti and an enslaved woman, named Marie-Cesette. Alexander Duma's half-black father has a incredible story of his own - one that led him to glory fighting for France aboard during the Revolution, and earned the ire of none other than Napoleon.

00:37:04 - Always feeling in the shadow of his father's greatness, and enduring the rampant racism in Paris himself, Alexander Dumas strived always to be remembered and be loved. Perhaps this is why he had no less than 4 illegitimate children and an estimated 40 mistresses. He attained some fame and wealth -experimented with drugs in a very interesting club with Victor Hugo among others - but ultimately died rather poor in the care of his son. 

--BREAK--

Listen to HIGHTAILING THROUGH HISTORY hosted by Laurel and KT

00:41:56 - After the break, we welcome into bed with us The Three Musketeers, D'Artagnan and you, of course - with a quick summary of the swashbuckling tale that has stood the test of time and had some good (and bad) movie versions over the years. 

00:55:24 - As the original subject that Kristal assigned Dawn was 'French Literature' they wrap up the conversation with a couple of quick booty calls - one on Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables. It turns out that the musical had a rather outsized impact on both Kristal and Dawn's youth. 

00:59:25 - Dawn wraps up with a tip of the hat to The Marquis de Sade, the man from whom we get the phrase 'sadist' and oh so much more. 

01:03:22 - Before extracting herself from Kristal's marital sheets, Dawn leaves her with one last story from the French Revolution - that of the assassination of the bathtub-bound invalid, Jean-Paul Marat at the hands of Charlotte Corday. Not only is it a bloody and interesting story, but it is the inspiration for a play written in the 1970's called: The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade. I know, right?

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Our themesong was composed and performed by (legendary) Kat Perkins @katperkinsmusic. 

If you want to reach out to HILF, please do! We are on social media @HILFPODCAST, or @DAWN_BRODEY  or you can email us [email protected].