The Reading Renaissance (and it's all thanks to #BookTok)

This week, Stauney explores the life and legacy of Sylvia Plath, a poet renowned not only for her poignant works that emerged around the time of her untimely death but also for her profound struggles with depression. Inspired by a TikTok that highlighted similarities between the imagery in Taylor Swift's latest album and Plath's poetry, Stauney and Sadie delve into Plath's artistic genius, her battles with mental health, her complex personal relationships, and the enduring impact of her literary contributions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Stauney and Sadie are indulging, and celebrating the release of a new favorite album. We HAD to do a recap on the latest Taylor Swift release and talk about how much we love it, as well as taking some time to appreciate some of the members of the Tortured Poets Department mentioned in her anthology. We discuss the criticism and different aspects of being an artist in the public eye that would influence your creativity and work. Then we take some time to talk about the Patti Smith and Stevie Nicks references, as well as explain the history of Clara Bow, the mythology of Cassandra and Diana of Ephesus, and the women from the podcast that we think would be members of the TPD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Stauney and Sadie are honored to have Laura Veltz join us! Veltz is a four-time Grammy-nominated songwriter, known for her work with some of our generation's most notable artists, including Kelly Clarkson, Lady A, Maren Morris, Demi Lovato, Idina Menzel, and Dan & Shay. We discuss how she found her way into songwriting behind the scenes, the struggles of the industry, the sexism of the country music charts, what it's like to write with/for singers, how it feels to have a song hit the charts, and the mentorship she hopes to pass on to young songwriters with her podcast, Songwriter Soup. We ADORED having Laura Veltz on and hope all of you will find the same inspiration, joy, and kinship with her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our LAST episode of March Madness and to celebrate, Stauney and Sadie and diving deep into a topic they're passionate about: Girlhood. It's a "coming of rage" story as we discuss the myth behind "girls mature faster," talking about the language we use with girls vs boys, periods and boobs, skincare and makeup, the "Sephora teens" from this year, dress codes, anti-aging, plastic surgery, menopause, virginity, divorce, finding joy in childhood interests, fitting into "life stages" and all the other incredible, messed-up, unfair and strange things that change us from women into girls. We talk about the challenges of being forced to grow up too soon and then told our whole lives that we need to "look younger." We also get personal talking about our own experiences growing up, coming into our own, discovering who we are, and reclaiming the parts of us we lost along the way. Losing your girlhood is a violent, angry experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Stauney and Sadie talk about the popular short story by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, "The Yellow Wallpaper" about a woman's descent into madness after her husband locks her in the home's nursery to "cure her" of a nervous breakdown. We start by briefly discussing the Hulu special "I Was a Child Bride: The Untold Story" and discuss the plight of young women in the United States. We then talk about the author of the story, her personal reasons behind writing the narrative, the effect it had on the public, and how we felt about the story itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sadie walks us through the important literature and musical works that show the simmering of feminine rage throughout history in various ways. Stauney and Sadie discuss Sylvia Plath, Margaret Atwood, Dolly Parton, The Chicks, and many many many more! Join us as we learn about the different mediums of artwork celebrating women and their rage throughout the ages and continuing today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Stauney and Sadie are joined by Emily Treadgold of 'The New Nine' to talk about the evolution of rage within women's music and the state of it today. Emily shared some of the songs and artists that stand out to her the most about feminine rage and also shared her thoughts on the music industry today, and her personal feelings about feminine rage. Who most exemplifies feminine rage in music to you? Do you feel it's getting more or less popular as time goes on? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stauney and Sadie continue our March Madness by giving an overview of works of art and movies that help encapsulate the themes and ideas behind feminine rage. They discuss works of art as early as the Baroque period and then move forwards with artists like Elisabetta Sirani, Marina Abramovic, and Ana Mendieta. Then they dive into the modern media scene that shares feminine rage statements like Promising Young Woman, Black Swan, The Wilds, and Ready or Not. They cover how deep the vein of feminine rage goes from the past until today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Stauney and Sadie are joined by Hall Rockefeller of 'Less Than Half' to talk about the evolution of rage within women's art and the state of it today. Hall shared some of the pieces and people that stand out to her the most about feminine rage, and also shares her thoughts on the art market today, and her personal feelings about feminine rage. Are we allowing women to be angry in their art? Or are we only trying to give voices to the more marketable emotions? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Building on our conversation from earlier this week, Sadie and Stauney delve into the historical treatment of young women, often mere children, across different eras and contexts. We explore the enforced labor within the Magdalene Laundries, the coercion of women into prostitution as "Comfort Women," and the widespread issues of femicide, gender-based violence, and homicide that persist in contemporary society. Our discussion extends to the connections between these historical abuses and present-day challenges, examining the ways societal perceptions of women have influenced our culture. We confront the reality that our world, burdened by shame over its historical errors, struggles to amend the ongoing injustices. TW: abuse, rape, sexual assault, murder, homicide, death (no heavy details, but may still be triggering to some listeners. Take care of yourselves!) Check out our merch: morethanamusepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices