Episode Details

History and Historic Fiction with Janet Todd The Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast - Episode 158 with Heather Rose Jones

A chat with historian and historical novelist Janet Todd.

In this episode we talk about:

• ”Masks” and performativity among 17th century writers
• Does the concept of “bisexuality” make sense in earlier centuries?
• How the ability to write about desire changed over the centuries
• Parallels between Aphra Behn and Mary Wollstonecraft
• Other authors of interest
  • Frances Sheridan
  • The Bluestockings
• Passionate friends, romantic friends, intimate friends, and lovers: the long tradition of same-sex friendship
• Class and “lesbian celebritites” between the world wars
• Is it possible to write historic fiction that’s true to the setting and appealing to the modern reader?
• Fashions in historical fiction and historical movies
• Janet Todd’s advice to aspiring historical novelists
• Books mentioned
  • Don’t You Know There’s a War On? by Janet Todd
  • Aphra Behn: A Secret Life by Janet Todd
  • Counterfeit Ladies: The Life and Death of Moll Cutpurse and the Case of Mary Carleton by Elizabeth Spearing and Janet Todd
  • Mary: A Fiction by Mary Wollstonecraft
  • Clarissa by Samuel Richardson
  • Women’s Friendship in Literature by Janet Todd
  • Lady Susan Plays the Game by Janet Todd (Jane Austen fan-fic)
  • The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Charlotte Brontë fan-fic)
  • The Mirror and the Light (Wolf Hall #3) by Hilary Mantel
• This topic is discussed in one or more entries of the Lesbian Historic Motif Project here: Aphra Behn

A transcript of this podcast may be available here. (Transcripts added when available.)

Links to the Lesbian Historic Motif Project Online

• Website: http://alpennia.com/lhmp
• Blog: http://alpennia.com/blog
• RSS: http://alpennia.com/blog/feed/
• Twitter: @LesbianMotif
• Discord: Contact Heather for an invitation to the Alpennia/LHMP Discord server
• The Lesbian Historic Motif Project Patreon

Links to Heather Online

• Website: http://alpennia.com
• Email: Heather Rose Jones
• Twitter: @heatherosejones
• Facebook: Heather Rose Jones (author page)

Links to Janet Todd Online

• Website: