The Tales We Tell

In this two-part episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by the family patriarch and fan of the Homeric epic, David Manasian to discuss female interpretations of the epic poems of The Iliad and The Odyssey. In part one we examine the women of Greek Myth and both the male and female views of the stories that surround them. We ask whether women really were so oppressed in Ancient Greece and if a woman's view of war is underrepresented in literature.

In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Horror fan Rosie Powell to discuss the TV series Penny Dreadful. We examine the female characters of the show, the themes of sex, death and Victorian morals. We ask whether women are well represented in the Horror genre and if there is room for improvement.

In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by L. M. Montgomery expert Jessica Young to discuss the many adaptations of Anne of Green Gables. We discuss why some adaptations are more successful than others, why Montgomery is less well known than her own literary creation and how Anne continues to appeal to new generations of audiences.

In this episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Sacramento native Ashley Bouchard to discuss Greta Gerwig's critically acclaimed film 'Lady Bird.' We discuss what it is like to grow up in a small city, move far away from home and how important it is to accurately represent female adolescence on screen.

In part two of our two-part episode on The Handmaid's Tale, host Clara Cook is once again joined by Natalie Joanes and Kelechi Ehenulo to discuss the men of Gilead, the creative aspects of the show, our obsession with dystopias and the trope of female suffering in television.

In this two-part episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by Natalie Joanes and Kelechi Ehenulo to discuss the TV adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale. We discuss the characters of June and Serena, the women of Gilead and their relationships both with each other and the men that surround them.

In this first episode of The Tales We Tell, Clara Cook is joined by X Files fan Natalie Joanes to discuss the character of Dana Scully, FBI Agent and Medical Doctor. We discuss the effect the character has had on female viewers, her development throughout the series and whether male script-writers can ever write realistic female characters.