Best Valorie Clark Podcasts (2024)

1
#44 - Mary Carleton 24:38

6M ago24:38

24:38

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Saint Valentine, the ancient Roman rebel and martyr who has given his name to our modern romantic holiday. Order your copy of the Unruly Figures book now⁠⁠⁠⁠! This podcast is sponsored by Audible. Get a free trial of Audible, including one free audiobook, by visiting ⁠⁠⁠audibletria…

1
Amelio Robles Ávila 7:19

7M ago7:19

7:19

The book based on this popular podcast is almost out! Just in time for the book's release, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark has recorded an excerpt of a chapter. Amelio Robles Ávila is not covered in any other episode of the podcast, so to learn how his story ends, pick up a copy of Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers…

1
#43 - Kheir-ed-Din (Barbarossa) 36:48

7M ago36:48

36:48

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Kheir-ed-Din, better known in Anglophone countries as Barbarossa. He was a Corsair, or pirate, in the Mediterranean in the 15th and 16th century--his tale is full of excitement on the high seas. ⁠⁠⁠Pre-order the Unruly Figures book now⁠⁠⁠! Out March 5, 2024. This podcast is sponsor…

1
#42 - Saint Valentine 15:55

7M ago15:55

15:55

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Saint Valentine, the ancient Roman rebel and martyr who has given his name to our modern romantic holiday. ⁠⁠⁠Pre-order the Unruly Figures book now⁠⁠⁠! Out March 5, 2024. This podcast is sponsored by Audible. Get a free trial of Audible, including one free audiobook, by visiting ⁠⁠…

1
#41 - Owain Glyndŵr 37:25

8M ago37:25

37:25

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Owain Glyndŵr, the last Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales. ⁠⁠Pre-order the Unruly Figures book now⁠⁠! Out March 5, 2024. This podcast is sponsored by Ritual. Try Ritual or expand your subscription, go to ⁠⁠⁠ritual.com/unruly⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. As always, you can get ad-free…

1
#40 - Noor Inayat Khan 1:16:36

9M ago1:16:36

1:16:36

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Noor Inayat Khan, a princess, a children's story author, and an uncover agent for the British during WWII. ⁠⁠Pre-order the Unruly Figures book now⁠⁠! Out March 5, 2024. This podcast is sponsored by Audible. Get a free trial of Audible, including one free audiobook, by visiting ⁠aud…

1
#39 - Alfred Carlton Gilbert 37:40

9M ago37:40

37:40

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Alfred Carlton Gilbert, the man who saved Christmas. ⁠Pre-order the Unruly Figures book now⁠! Out March 5, 2024. This podcast is sponsored by Ritual. Try Ritual or expand your subscription, go to ⁠⁠ritual.com/unruly⁠⁠ to learn more. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the ep…

1
#38 - Lepa Svetozara Radić 12:38

10M ago12:38

12:38

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Lepa Svetozara Radić, an icon of Nazi resistance and teenaged hero in the Balkans. ⁠Pre-order the Unruly Figures book now⁠! Out March 5, 2024. This podcast is sponsored by Audible. Get a free trial of Audible, including one free audiobook, by visiting audibletrial.com/unruly. As al…

1
#37 - Petra Herrera 18:27

10M ago18:27

18:27

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Petra Herrera, the oft-forgotten cross-dress, bridge-destroying hero of the Mexican Revolution. She was wildly successful but never received any credit. Pre-order the Unruly Figures book now! Out March 5, 2024. This podcast is sponsored by Ritual. Try Ritual or expand your subscrip…

1
#35 - Hatshepsut 1:02:14

10M ago1:02:14

1:02:14

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering the Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut, the woman who peacefully took power for herself in ancient Egypt. She broke every rule of how royal women were supposed to behave and we still remember her for her incredible success almost 4,000 years later. This podcast is sponsored by Ritual. Try…

1
#36 - Grigori Rasputin 1:21:44

11M ago1:21:44

1:21:44

This week, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering the mad monk Rasputin, who is credited with singlehandedly destroying the Russian monarchy by sleeping with the Russian queen. But did he though? We explore the legend and truth of Rasputin in this juicy episode. This podcast is sponsored by Audible. Get a free trial of Audible, in…

1
#34 - Princess Alfhild 18:42

12M ago18:42

18:42

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the legendary pirate Princess Alfhild, who ran away from her betrothed to become a pirate with a gang of girls who also wanted to escape marriage. This podcast is sponsored by Audible. Get a free trial of Audible, including one free audiobook! Go to audibletrial.com/unruly to learn more. As al…

1
#33 - Yasuke 58:00

1y ago58:00

58:00

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the incredible life of Yasuke, the first known Black samurai in Japan. This podcast is sponsored by Ritual. Try Ritual or expand your subscription, go to ritual.com/unruly to learn more. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: …

1
#32 - Blanche Ames Ames 43:14

1y ago43:14

43:14

Welcome to season 3 of Unruly Figures! We have a couple of exciting changes to the show: New backing music! Huge thanks to Danny Wolf of Wolf and Love for creating this! The Unruly Figures shop is now open! All merch is 15% off until September 10 2023 to celebrate--use code LAUNCH15 This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the incred…

1
Bonus Episode: What Happened to the Sphinx's Nose? 7:19

1y ago7:19

7:19

To get more bonus content like this one, become a paying subscriber on Substack! unrulyfigures.substack.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unruly-figures/support

1
#31 - Mekatilili wa Menza 45:20

1y ago45:20

45:20

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the rebellious life of Mekatilili wa Menza, a key figure in the grassroots fight against British colonization in Kenya. This podcast is sponsored by Audible. Get a free trial of Audible, including one free audiobook! Go to audibletrial.com/unruly to learn more. As always, you can get ad-free v…

1
#30 - Sarah Bernhardt 1:03:36

1y ago1:03:36

1:03:36

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the amazing life of Sarah Bernhardt, the incredible French actress of the nineteenth century. She was not only an impressive stage actress, she was also a great sculptor and a pioneer of modern celebrity. Want to hear Bernhardt's ethereal and incredible voice? Bernhardt reciting Racine in 1902…

1
#29 - Sylvia Rivera 31:36

1+ y ago31:36

31:36

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the amazing life of Sylvia Rivera, an icon of queer history. She was at Stonewall (maybe), started the first activist group working for trans rights, and more. This podcast is sponsored by Audible. Get a free trial of Audible, including one free audiobook! Go to audibletrial.com/unruly to lear…

1
#28 - Alan Turing 1:12:11

1+ y ago1:12:11

1:12:11

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the amazing life of Alan Turing, who you might remember as the computer genius that Benedict Cumberbatch played in The Imitation Game. In this episode, Valorie dives deep into the inspiration behind Turing's biggest breakthroughs in computing technology, the questions that occupied him after W…

1
#27 - Hans Christian Andersen 1:31:17

1+ y ago1:31:17

1:31:17

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the amazing life of Hans Christian Andersen, who you might remember as the author behind "The Little Mermaid." Though Ariel and The Ugly Duckling are probably two of Andersen's most famous characters, he was an incredibly prolific writer who wrote hundreds of stories during his life. In this e…

1
#26 - Polly Adler 1:10:23

1+ y ago1:10:23

1:10:23

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the amazing tale of the Polly Adler, remembered as New York's greatest madam. She immigrated to the US from Russia, destined for a life of poverty and struggle, but rose above it to dizzying heights of money and glamour--and crime. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and mu…

1
#25 - Lucy Schell 1:11:53

1+ y ago1:11:53

1:11:53

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the amazing tale of the 1930s race car driver and Grand Prix team owner, Lucy Schell. She was the first ever female Grand Prix team manager, and in the 1938 season, she fielded a revolutionary car driven by a talented Jewish driver to beat the Nazis. Listen to learn more about their under-dog …

1
Bonus: Answering Your AMA Questions! 3:14

1+ y ago3:14

3:14

Today, host & historian Valorie Clark is finally getting around to answering your questions from the first ever Unruly Figures AMA! If you want to ask questions in the next AMA (or listen to the full version of this bonus episode) you can do that on the Unruly Figures Substack. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unrul…

1
#24 - Catherine de Medici, Part 3 1:16:57

1+ y ago1:16:57

1:16:57

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the third and final part of the story of Catherine de Medici, the famous Florentine Queen of France who would go on to be remembered as the Serpent Queen. Is her historical reputation fair or not? Listen to find out. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on…

1
#23 - Catherine de Medici, Part 2 1:10:29

1+ y ago1:10:29

1:10:29

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering the second part of the story of Catherine de Medici, the famous Florentine Queen of France who would go on to be remembered as the Serpent Queen. Is her historical reputation fair or not? Listen to find out. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unru…

1
#22 - Catherine de Medici, Part 1 1:15:52

1+ y ago1:15:52

1:15:52

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering Catherine de Medici, the famous Florentine Queen of France who would go on to be remembered as the Serpent Queen. Is her historical reputation fair or not? Listen to find out. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unru…

1
#21 - Zheng Yi Sao 41:56

2y ago41:56

41:56

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark is covering Zheng Yi Sao, the Chinese Pirate Queen and the greatest pirate to have ever lived. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where you can find transcripts of each episode, photos of each episode's sub…

1
#20 - Herman the Recluse 25:47

2y ago25:47

25:47

In this episode, historian and host Valorie Clark covers the mysterious and harrowing tale of Herman the Recluse, the monk who might have done a deal with the devil to save his own life. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where yo…

1
#19 - Qamar-ol-Moluk Vaziri 23:14

2y ago23:14

23:14

In this episode, historian and host Valorie Clark covers Qamar-ol-Moluk Vaziri. Better known as simply Qamar, this singer became known as the Queen of Persian Music, and is still beloved by people today. But to become the queen, she had to break the rules--like singing in public and performing without a hijab in front of men. As always, you can get…

1
#18 - Queen Kubaba 14:50

2y ago14:50

14:50

In the season 2 premiere, historian and host Valorie Clark covers the earliest known female ruler in history: Queen Kubaba. She rose from brewing beer to ruling a city-state in ancient Sumer, an ascent historians are still trying to figure out. This podcast is sponsored by Ritual. Visit ritual.com/unruly for 30% off your new Ritual subscription. As…

1
Season Two: Trailer 0:57

2y ago0:57

0:57

Season two is coming on September 20, 2022! Tune in with historian and host Valorie Clark to learn more about what to expect for the new season of Unruly Figures right here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unruly-figures/support

1
#17 - Sophie and Hans Scholl 1:05:02

2y ago1:05:02

1:05:02

In the season 1 finale, historian and host Valorie Clark covers two famous rebel siblings: Sophie and Hans Scholl. These two college students in Munich rebelled against the Nazi regime by publishing pamphlets and leading the resistance group The White Rose. They, along with several others, ended up giving up their lives for their beliefs and are re…

1
#16 - Marquis de Lafayette 42:12

2y ago42:12

42:12

This week, historian and host Valorie Clark covers the Marquis de Lafayette, the famous French aristocrat known as the father of two worlds for his defining roles in both the American and French revolutions. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com T…

1
#15 - Nobuko Yoshiya 21:59

2y ago21:59

21:59

This week, your host Valorie Clark is covering Nobuko Yoshiya, one of modern Japan's most famous and beloved female novelists. In addition to living a publicly queer life in early 20th century Japan, she was a pioneer of Class S fiction and a foundational writer for today's popular shōjo manga. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode…

1
#14 - Stormé DeLarverie 23:20

2+ y ago23:20

23:20

This week your host Valorie Clark is covering Stormé DeLarverie, the queer, biracial drag king who threw the first punch at the Stonewall Uprising. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where you can find transcripts of each episode,…

1
#13 - Jane 37:47

2+ y ago37:47

37:47

This week on Unruly Figures I'm covering Jane, better known as the Jane Collective. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where you can find transcripts of each episode, photos of each episode's subject, and behind-the-scenes goodies…

1
#12 - Shammurammat 18:23

2+ y ago18:23

18:23

In this week's episode of Unruly Figures, we're diving deep into ancient history to cover the Neo-Assyrian queen Shammurammat, better known as the legendary divine queen and conqueror Semiramis. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always …

1
#11 - Countee Cullen 20:11

2+ y ago20:11

20:11

This week, we're covering Countee Cullen, the famous Harlem Renaissance poet who broke away from social trends to call himself a poet instead of a Black poet. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where you can find transcripts of ea…

1
#10 - Edward VIII 2:26

2+ y ago2:26

2:26

We're revisiting this episode--more info coming soon. (Updated June 2023) As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That's always where you can find transcripts of each episode, photos of each episode's subject, and behind-the-scenes goodies. So come …

1
#9 - August Landmesser 40:46

2+ y ago40:46

40:46

This week's episode covers August Landmesser, a man who disobeyed Nazi laws in order to be with the woman he loved. Hat tip to Peter for suggesting Herr Landmesser. If you'd like to suggest a historical rule-breaker for the podcast, drop their name in the suggestion box! As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on …

1
#8 - Sir Henry Cole 25:37

2+ y ago25:37

25:37

For those of you who send a holiday card every year, you're going to want to remember the name of today's subject: Sir Henry Cole. In 1843, he invented the Christmas card, then went on to shape public access to art in the UK. The non-profit I mentioned in the break is Empowering Women as Leaders. Check them out (and help sponsor a woman's college e…

1
#7 - Manuela Sáenz 49:14

3y ago49:14

49:14

On this episode of Unruly Figures, I'm covering Manuela Sáenz, a feminist revolutionary icon and lover of Simón Bolívar. She lived her life on her own terms and it's really inspiring. A quick trigger warning: Suicidal ideation is discussed a couple of times during the episode, but no one dies this way. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the…

1
#6 - Tank Man 30:27

3y ago30:27

30:27

This week, we've got our very first episode covering an anonymous figure in history. Wondering how? Well, Tank Man is insanely famous, but we don't know his real name. Nevertheless, he has inspired freedom seekers and advocates the world over. I mentioned a PBS documentary, which you can watch here for free. It's really fascinating and contains the…

1
#5 - Rosa Parks, part two 59:02

3y ago59:02

59:02

Here we are, the second half of the story of Rosa Parks! The work that she continued to do after she refused to get up on a bus in December 1955 is really amazing, and I'm so excited to tell you about it. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack.com That…

1
#4 - Rosa Parks 48:23

3y ago48:23

48:23

This week, we've got our very first two-part episode going on! Rosa Parks led an amazing life, so I'll be coming back next week to tell you about the rest of it. Until then, enjoy this first part. I do want to include one trigger warning for the episode: R*pe is mentioned twice, but only very briefly each time. As always, you can get ad-free versio…

1
#3 - Anne Bonny 36:12

3y ago36:12

36:12

To celebrate Halloween, we're covering someone famous that people love to dress in costume as: the female pirate Anne Bonny! Learn all about this swashbuckling woman's life sailing the Caribbean with her lover, plundering treasure and stealing ships. I do want to include one trigger warning for the episode: The word r*pe does get used, but it does …

1
#2 - Jean-Michel Basquiat 45:54

3y ago45:54

45:54

On this episode of Unruly Figures, I'm covering Jean-Michel Basquiat. He's remembered as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, but also for dying suddenly at just 27-years-old. He was the first artist to make the jump from street art to fine art, and he paved the way for a whole new way of looking at and appreciating fine art. The Art Ne…

1
#1 - Joe Carstairs 56:37

3y ago56:37

56:37

On this episode of Unruly Figures, I'm covering Joe Carstairs. She’s remembered as a World War I ambulance driver, a speedboat racer, a lover of actress Marlene Dietrich, and the owner of an island in the Bahamas. As always, you can get ad-free versions of the episode, and much much more on the Unruly Figures Substack: http://unrulyfigures.substack…

1
Trailer 1:07

3y ago1:07

1:07

Welcome to Unruly Figures, a podcast where I talk about history’s favorite rebellious people. I’m Valorie Clark, I’m a writer and historian, and I’m obsessed with rule-breakers. My favorite part of studying history has always been learning about the people who didn’t fit the mold, who loved to break the rules, and who lived outside of society’s nor…

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