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Let Genius Burn

Let Genius Burn

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Let Genius Burn is a history podcast hosted by Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller. It has 37 episodes, with the latest published February 2026.

Louisa May Alcott may be best known for the beloved book Little Women, but her story doesn’t begin or end with her famous novel. On Let Genius Burn, we separate the layers of Louisa’s life to learn more about who she really was--and all the ways her legacy continues to resonate today. We’ll explore the traumatic year of her childhood spent in an experimental utopian community, her service as a Civil War nurse, her final years of wealth and celebrity as a children’s author--and more intimate details and little-known stories of Louisa’s life. Instead of a retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s biography, each episode in the 8-part series examines Louisa's life through a different lens--Louisa as a celebrity, writer, activist, daughter, and more-- highlighting her complexity as a person, woman, and historical figure. Ahead of her time, Louisa railed against the limitations of her gender and fought for women’s suffrage. She craved literary greatness, but was weighed down by the financial need

history ·en-us ·37 episodes

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Title
1

Alcotts in Paradise

2

Louisa and Abolition

3

Alcott for the Future

4

Concord in Context

5

Alcott & Ecotherapy

6

Louisa and Lydia

7

Little Women Reimagined

8

Alcott in Our Own Time

9

Little Women Holiday Bonus Episode

10

Alcott as Ecofeminist

11

Alcott in the Archives

12

Louisa and Laurie

13

Alcott and Identity

14

Alcott and Sex Education

15

Alcott in the City

16

A Concord Conversation

17

The Fruitlands Effect

18

Concord Sketches

19

Louisa Revisited

20

Louisa as Inspiration: Conversation with Biographer John Matteson

21

Little Women in Letters: Conversation with Barbara Heller, Editor of Little Women

22

Louisa Through the Ages: Conversation with Daniel Shealy

23

Louisa in Style: Conversation with Lauren Stern about May Alcott Nieriker and Historical Dress

24

Louisa and Maud: Conversation with Stef and Jen, Co-Creators of Maud: Books, Babes, and Barbiturates

25

Louisa in Threads: Conversation with Fruitlands Artist-in-Residence Leslie Schomp

26

Louisa Into Life: Interview with Jan Turnquist, Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House

27

Bonus Episode: Selected Passages

28

Louisa as Legacy

29

Louisa as Woman

30

Louisa as Celebrity

31

Louisa as Activist

32

Louisa as Scribbler

33

Louisa at Work

34

Louisa as Sister

35

Louisa as Daughter

36

Louisa May Alcott: An Introduction

37

Trailer: Let Genius Burn

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