Rachel talks about the American Civil war and the effect it had on Christmas. The winter holiday wasn't always in favour and was even banned by the Pilgrims in the 1600s. 

Michael tells Rachel the story of Siddhartha's journey towards becoming the Buddha or enlightened one. Rachel talks about Lama Itigilov, a monk who has been in a meditative state since 1927... or is just dead and well preserved.

The first of my mini-episodes or "Art History Sips" Rachel gives an overview of the radical and innovative Gutai, a group of experimental artists from post WWII Japan. They played with material, performance, boundaries and much more. Music by mathgrant

The writer, the country girl, the fascist, the nazi, the communist and the duchess... ladies and gentlemen, the Mitford sisters! The Second half of our two part episode on this fascinating British family. We find out what happens to Unity and how the family copes during and after WWII. We learn about how the sisters produced many successful books later in life, and much more. We referenced many books in these episodes, here are a few- The Six:The Lives of the Mitford Sisters- Laura Thompson The Mitfords: Letters between Six Sisters- Charlotte Mosley The Pursuit of Love- Nancy Mitford Love in a Cold Climate- Nancy Mitford A Life of Contrasts- Diana Mitford Hons and Rebels- Jessica Mitford The American way of Death- Jessica Mitford 

The writer, the country girl, the fascist, the nazi, the communist and the duchess... ladies and gentlemen, the Mitford sisters! In the mid 20th century this eccentric and charming brood was the talk of the European gossip rags. Join Rachel and Louise as they discuss what made Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah so scandalous and fascinating.  

During the 18th dynasty, the Pharaoh Akhenaten said goodbye to tradition and turned Egypt upside down. He created a new cult, which some refer to as the first monotheistic religion, a new capital and a whole new art style. Rachel and Rissy discuss how this shocked society and the ramifications of Ahkenaten's rule. The music I've used is actually probably from morocco, which is pretty off base. I found a cache of recordings from the 1920s and 1930s from northern Africa. I couldn't find anything specifically Egyptian in the free music archive that worked, but i still liked the feel of this song.

Rachel and Erin compare the image of Richard the Lionheart, gallant hero king to the real dude. Was he actually a decent king? did he sleep with the king of France? Was the third crusade a success?  also... I'm sorry! I called Richard Henry by accident a couple times... too many Henrys...

Rachel and Vikki discuss the hot debate over the Parthenon sculptures also known as the Elgin Marbles. Should they stay in the British Museum or should they go home to Athens?

Rachel Lige and artist Chanel Bode discuss the high priestess of polka dots Yayoi Kusama and her infinity rooms. Chanel shares her recent experience of visiting the exhibition at the Broad gallery in LA. We also talk about repetition, obliteration, art and mental health and feelings of being a small polka dot in the universe while sipping on saki sangria. music by action davis.

This week features an interview Rachel did with her mother, Canadian artist Sara McDonald. Sara discusses her artistic process, her art school experiences and her research and work with artists with developmental disabilities.  https://saramcdonald.ca/