Season 2, Episode 10: In the final episode of Season 2, a slightly intoxicated Alex tells a completely sober Jay about Christine Granville, a polish woman who defied the odds to become a English spy. (We apologize for the audio quality for this

20. Yaa Asantewaa: Rebel Queen Mother

Aug 26th, 2019 32m 52s

Season 2, Episode 9: Jay tells Alex about Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother who led the Ashanti in their final Rebellion against British Colonialism.

19. Truganini and Fanny Cochrane Smith: The Last Indigenous Tasmanians

Aug 12th, 2019 42m 5s

Season 2, Episode 8: In the second switcheroo episode, Alex and Jay discuss Truganini and Fanny Cochrane Smith, two women who bear the title "last Aboriginal Tasmanian" and who worked tirelessly to protect their cultures and their way of life f

18. Anne Lister: Traveler, Diarist, Seducer of Widows

Jul 29th, 2019 38m 38s

Season 2, Episode 7: In the first switcheroo episode, Jay and Alex discuss Anne Lister, the "first modern lesbian" who traveled Europe, managed her own monetary affairs, and wrote four MILLION words in her detailed and encoded diaries.

17B. Mary Church Terrell: Spirited Globetrotting Educator

Jul 15th, 2019 50m 21s

Season 2, Episode 6: In the second part of a two-part episode, Alex finishes telling Jay about Mary Church Terrell, a woman who fought for suffrage, education, and civil rights.

17A. Mary Church Terrell: Spirited Globetrotting Educator

Jul 2nd, 2019 53m 44s

Season 2, Episode 6A: In the first part of a two-part episode, Alex tells Jay about Mary Church Terrell, a woman who fought for suffrage, education, and civil rights.

16. Mitsuye Endo: Quietly Courageous Plaintiff

Jun 17th, 2019 58m 4s

Season 2, Episode 5: Jay tells Alex about Mitsuye Endo, the only person to successfully sue for Habeus Corpus during the forced internment of Japanese American citizens during WWII.

15. Throwback: Phryne: Send (Classical) Nudes

Jun 3rd, 2019 38m 16s

Life's been a bit hectic for Asterisk's hosts, so today we're giving you a throwback episode! We will return to regularly-schedule new episodes on Monday, June 17. In this episode from Season 1, Jay tells Alex about Φρύνη, or Phryne (Phrýnē), a

14. Ms. Ophelia Settle Egypt: Harlem Renaissance Adjacent

May 20th, 2019 58m 49s

Season 2 Episode 4: Alex tells Jay about Ms. Ophelia, a sociologist and writer who who stood on the fringes of the Harlem Renaissance and rubbed shoulders with many key players.

13. Chiquinha Gonzaga

May 7th, 2019 48m 38s

Season 2 Episode 3: Jay tells Alex about Chiquinha Gonzaga, a composer from Brazil who blazed trails, started trends, facilitated scandals, and was always looking for a cause to support.

12. Mary Mahoney: The Original RN

Apr 22nd, 2019 34m 55s

Season 2 Episode 2: Alex tells Jay about Mary Mahoney, the first African American woman to be formally trained as a nurse.Also, a small correction: in this episode, Alex refers to the Dred Scott case. She meant the Plessey v. Ferguson case, wh

11. Suor Maria Celeste: a 'Poor Clare' of Florence

Apr 8th, 2019 1h 2m

Season 2, Episode 1: Jay tells Alex about Suor Maria Celeste, a nun of the impoverished Order of St. Clare of Assisi who was industrious, surprisingly well educated, and whose records survived because she happened to have a famous father.

10. Stephanie St. Clair: The Queen(ie) of Harlem

Mar 25th, 2019 36m 38s

Alex tells Jay about "Queenie" Stephanie St. Clair, the classiest mob boss to grace New York City in the 20th Century.

9: Marcela Gracia Ibeas and Elisa Sánchez Loriga: Inconsistent Incognito Spouses

Mar 11th, 2019 37m 4s

Jay tells Alex about Marcela Gracia Ibeas and Elisa Sánchez Loriga, who, through elaborate deception, became the first same-sex couple to be married by the Catholic Church.

8. Elizabeth Freeman and Oney Judge: Self-Freed Women

Feb 25th, 2019 40m 13s

Alex tells Jay about Elizabeth Freeman and Oney Judge, two women born enslaved, who freed themselves around the time of the American Revolution.

Bonus

We're Back!

Feb 21st, 2019 5m 2s

Alex and Jay explain their abrupt hiatus and let everyone know what they've been up to lately.

7. Molly, Molly, Molly: Three American Revolution Heroines

May 14th, 2018 41m 49s

Jay tells Alex about three heroic women-of-the-army, all nicknamed Molly, from the American Revolutionary War.

6B. Lucy Parsons: Firebrand Anarchist

Apr 30th, 2018 45m 7s

In the second part of this two-part episode, Alex finishes telling Jay about Lucy Parsons, a turn-of-the-century Anarchist and labor reformer whose personal mantra (we assume) was "burn shit down."

6A. Lucy Parsons: Firebrand Anarchist

Apr 16th, 2018 48m 49s

In the first part of a two-part episode, Alex tells Jay about Lucy Parsons, a turn-of-the-century Anarchist and labor reformer who was born into slavery and lived most of her life in Chicago.

5. Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade: Pragmatic Romantic Composer

Apr 2nd, 2018 44m 24s

Jay tells Alex about Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade, a Victorian Romantic composer whose music we use for our opening and closing.

4. Annie Turnbo Malone: Slayer of Hair

Mar 19th, 2018 36m 14s

Alex tells Jay about Annie Turnbo Malone, an African American entrepreneur and philanthropist whose business empire was ultimately destroyed by outside forces.

3. Phryne: Send (Classical) Nudes

Mar 5th, 2018 38m 16s

Jay tells Alex about Φρύνη, or Phryne (Phrýnē), a courtesan from Classical Greece who happens to be the model/inspiration for some of the most famous works of art in history.

2. Harriet Chalmers Adams: Badass Explorer

Feb 20th, 2018 48m 14s

Alex tells Jay about Harriet Chalmers Adams, an incredible woman with a passion for geology, culture, and exploring.

Bonus

1.5. Lai Choi San: The Other Chinese Pirate Queen

Feb 20th, 2018 12m 34s

In this bonus mini-episode, Jay tells Alex about Lai Choi San, the other Chinese pirate queen who sailed the South China Sea in the 1920's and 1930's.