Let Genius Burn

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, a new podcast series coming July 12, we’re separating 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 needs of her family. Through writing scandalous Gothic thrillers, she found a way to voice her own inner turmoil. In the end, she achieved extraordinary financial success, but creative fulfillment remained elusive.We’ll examine all of this and more on Let Genius Burn. Find more on Instagram and Facebook @letgeniusburn or at letgeniusburn.com.

All Episodes

Let Genius Burn

Alcott in the Archives

August 27, 2024 • Jamie Burgess & Jill Fuller • Season 3 • Episode 5

Max Chapnick read a line in Louisa May Alcott's journal that pointed to one of her stories, but it turned out to be a dead end. Then, he had an idea. He went back to the archives and searched for the title of the story. He turned up an unexpected result: a story written by E.A. Gould, with characteristics that linked it easily to Louisa May Alcott.

He investigated further and discovered more works by E.A. Gould, and has since used computers to analyze the style and see if it matches Alcott's other works--with mixed results. What he comes to understand, through this process of discovery, is about much more than how to attribute a given story to a particular author. It's about learning to live with uncertainty as scholars, how to make archival research more accessible, and the worthwhile pursuit of research for its own sake.