PODCAST

Unruly Figures

Valorie Clark

A show about history"s favorite rebels. Releasing every other Tuesday. unrulyfigures.substack.com

history

All Episodes

51:28

Unruly Interviews: Adam Morgan on Margaret C. Anderson

Unruly Figures ·

2025/11/18

Hello everyone,Welcome to another unruly interview! This week I’ve sat down with Adam Morgan to discuss his forthcoming biography of Margaret C. Anderson, editor of The Little Review and first publisher of James Joyce’s Ulysses in the US, which earned her a day in court under the Comstock Act and other morality laws. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

20:03

#54 - Juana Azurduy de Padilla

Unruly Figures ·

2025/10/28

This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering the tale of Juana Azurduy de Padilla, a revolutionary fighter from 19th-century Bolivia. If you liked this story, check out my book, Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revoluationaries You've (Probably) Never Heard Of. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

49:24

Unruly Interviews: Janet Lewis Saidi on Jane Austen's...

Unruly Figures ·

2025/10/21

Hello friends,Last week I covered Jane Austen—I hope you had as much fun with that as I did! This week, I’ve got author Janet Lewis Saidi on to talk about her new book, Jane Austen: The Original Romance Novelist.If you’ve been on Substack a while, I hope you’ve run across Janet’s work on The Austen Connection. For a few years now, she has been expanding not just how we talk about Jane Austen, but who gets to be a part of the conversation.Check out Janet’s new book on…FYI, these links are affiliate

39:33

Bonus Episode 18: 11 Historical Moments That Sound...

Unruly Figures ·

2025/10/07

Hey friends,Welcome to another season of Unruly Figures! Thank you to all the listeners who have been with me for a while now, and thank you to everyone who is just joining us! Because of some scheduling wonkiness, I am starting the new season with a bonus episode, so I’m going to make it free for everyone for a week. Enjoy! It’s Halloween season, which means all things creepy, crawly, and scary are fair game again. Horror movies are everywhere, all of which I’m too big of a baby to see in theatres

13:17

#52 - Zhang Jue

Unruly Figures ·

2025/05/06

This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering the tale of Zhang Jue, the leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in China in 184 CE.If you liked this story, check out⁠⁠ Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of⁠⁠. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

24:23

#51 - Freddie Oversteegen

Unruly Figures ·

2025/04/22

This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering the tale of Freddie Oversteegen, a Dutch Resistance fighter who seduced and killed Nazis during World War II.If you liked this story, check out⁠ Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of⁠. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

30:05

Unruly Interviews: Alex Lyras

Unruly Figures ·

2025/04/15

On this week's episode of Unruly Figures, host Valorie Castellanos Clark is joined by Alex Lyras, the award-winning director of Aristotle/Alexander. They talk about the play, the craft of writing historical fiction, and why this meeting of the minds from 2,000 years ago is still relevant today. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

0:34

A Short Announcement

Unruly Figures ·

2025/03/25

As you all have heard above, I lost my recording space suddenly (and with no warning, I might add). My home is not really equipped to record in at the moment (echoey, nearby construction), so I have been hunting for an affordable new spot all around Los Angeles. If you know of a good spot with booths available by the hour for less than $50/hour, please drop it in the comments below. I hope to be back to recording our regularly scheduled episodes soon! Right now it’s looking like I’ll be outfitting a

19:17

#50 - Edythe Eyde

Unruly Figures ·

2025/03/11

This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Edythe Eyde, creator of the first lesbian magazine in the US. Eyde is better known by her penname Lisa Ben.If you liked this story, check out Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

34:46

#49 - Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba

Unruly Figures ·

2025/02/26

This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering the incredible warrior queen Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba, a woman who resisted Portuguese colonization of her homeland for decades.If you liked this story, check out⁠⁠ Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of⁠⁠. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

18:40

#48 - Harriet Bell Hayden

Unruly Figures ·

2025/02/11

This week, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Harriet Bell Hayden, one of the heroes of Boston's abolitionist movement.If you liked this story, check out Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

32:33

#47: Lillian Frances Smith

Unruly Figures ·

2024/09/24

In this week's episode of Unruly Figures, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark covers the story of Lillian Frances Smith, a sharpshooter, trick rider, and formidable woman who outshot Annie Oakley in the Wild West.If you like this episode, check out Valorie's book Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

24:51

#46: Rani Lakshmi Bai

Unruly Figures ·

2024/09/10

Welcome to season four of Unruly Figures! In this episode, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark tells the tale of Rani Lakshmi Bai, the queen of Jansi who rebelled against British colonial rule. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

59:22

#45: Dr. Margaret "Mom" Chung

Unruly Figures ·

2024/06/05

In this week's episode, historian and host Valorie Castellanos Clark is covering Dr. Margaret "Mom" Chung, the first American-born Chinese woman to become a medical doctor. Want more info about Dr. Margaret Chung? Check out Doctor Mom Chung of the Fair-Haired B******s: The Life of a Wartime Celebrity by Judy Tzu-Chun Wu.If you liked this story, you will love my book, Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of. This is a public episode

22:22

Unruly Interviews: Being Unruly in Texas in the Early...

Unruly Figures ·

2024/04/16

I’m really excited to share this bonus episode with you all today. Usually it’s me interviewing someone else, but last week interviewed me for her Substack and now I have the recording up for anyone interested! We had a great conversation about how this podcast gets made, how it was turned into a book, and what it means to be a rebellious woman now versus fifty years ago. If you are not intrested in the recording, no worries—check out our conversation over on Iris’s ‘stack.Check out Iris's upcoming

0:45

Bonus Episode: Recording of Valorie & Elizabeth Held...

Unruly Figures ·

2024/04/02

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit unrulyfigures.substack.comA few weeks ago I had a delightful conversation with Elizabeth Held from What To Read If... all about my new book, Unruly Figures. Today I’ve got a (lightly edited) recording of that event to share! Enjoy!

23:42

#44: Mary Carleton

Unruly Figures ·

2024/03/26

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 is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

7:20

Bonus Episode: Amelio Robles Ávila

Unruly Figures ·

2024/03/01

An excerpt from the upcoming book, Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries!Preorder your copy on Amazon. Preorder your copy on Bookshop.Preorder your copy everywhere else. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

35:20

#43: Kheir-ed-Din (Barbarossa)

Unruly Figures ·

2024/02/28

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 is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit unrulyfigures.substack.com/subscribe

0:34

Bonus Episode: The Soldadera to Adelita Pipeline

Unruly Figures ·

2024/02/21

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit unrulyfigures.substack.comIn this bonus episode, historian and author Valorie Castellanos Clark looks at the erasure of the stories of women fighting in the Mexican Revolution.

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