Attending conferences can be rewarding and exciting. It can also be stressful and terrifying. And it is almost always exhausting. While each one on its own sounds like a good idea, I already know by the time the last one ends for the year I will be ready to pull a blanket over my head and sleep until 2025. I'd prefer not to feel that way, though. I'd like my conference experiences to be more on the fun side and less about being anxious or stressed. To help with this, I'm giving myself some tips for having the best time I possibly can at each and every conference, and I'm sharing them here in case maybe you, too, could use some help moving from surviving conferences to conquering them: Study the program in advance. I admit I'm not the best at going into events without a game plan. In fact, it fills me with anxiety. Reading the program before arriving at the conference helps orient the brain and provides at least a modicum of feeling in control and like I can navigate with a bit of ease. Not only does it help me prioritize what I'll attend, but if there are maps, it helps me figure out where I need to be and when so I don't get overwhelmed during the conference. Skip sessions. The fastest route to burnout is the one where you attempt to attend every session of any day of the conference. Identifying my must-attend events, and picking out the best times for breaks makes everything feel more manageable. Being at my best when I am there is more important than running myself into the ground. Only buy what you want to buy. Going to a conference is expensive, especially for independent scholars (*raises hand*) who have to pay entirely out of pocket. There are going to be a lot of tempting things at the conference to purchase (I'm a sucker for the book area!) but remember, your money is yours alone and only you know what you can and can't afford. Don't feel bad saying no to someone who is trying to sell you something. Carry snacks and stay hydrated. No one should ever have to be subjected to me when I am hungry or thirsty. Similarly, I don't really want to be subjected to hangry colleagues. Also, you never know what will be available for consumption or when you'll have the time to eat it. If at all possible, carry something with you, just in case. Leave your most uncomfortable clothing at home. I love to look good (at least in my own head) when I attend events. I also like to still be able to feel my feet at the end of the day and not want to crawl out of my clothes with a dread of having to dress up again in the morning. Aim for professional but also wear something you are comfortable in for many hours at a time (I write this as I think about my favorite pairs of flats and not the heels I would wear for a short event). Know it's okay to not retain every single thing you learn. Take notes in whatever way works best for you, and don't obsess over making sure you have committed every single thing every person you hear speak has said to memory. For me, my hand is usually about to fall off by the third panel I attend, and it took me a long time to realize that not every paper was going to be something I needed to take copious notes on, because there would be no exam at the end. (Old habits die hard.) Meet new people - when you're ready, if you ever are. Networking stresses me out. I always joke that I could hold a conversation with a brick wall, and it's true, but I have a terrible time if I have to initiate the conversation with a stranger. For me, conferences are full of pressure to go up to people and introduce yourself. Sometimes I can do it, sometimes I can't. It's important to go into an event like this realizing the world won't end if you don't meet a specific number of people by the time the event concludes. Be unapologetic about your priorities. Everyone has an agenda when they come to a conference, even if it seems like they don't. You're allowed to have one, too. I occasionally have to remind myself that it is just as good of an idea to go to panels simply because I think the topic is interesting as it is because I know someone on it or feel I need to go because it is my field. Your choices are valid, whatever they are - assuming of course, you aren't blowing off a commitment you already made. Accept that your plan might change. On Legends of Tomorrow, Leonard Snart (played by Wentworth Miller) once explained the four rules of planning as: "Make the plan. Execute the plan. Expect the plan to go off the rails. Throw away the plan." In my experience, he isn't wrong and there can be something liberating about accepting in advance that even the plans you're sure will work out, might not. After all, your changed plans might be better than the one you intended at the start. Know that you belong there. Conferences can bring out the worst in some people, making them feel like it is a stage on which they must show their superiority. People like that will take every chance they get to make others feel like they don't belong. Guess what? It isn't up to them. It's up to you. If you want to be there, you should be, whether or not you're presenting. Conferences are a great place for the dissemination of knowledge, and those who believe others don't qualify for access to that knowledge are the ones who truly don't deserve to be there. And, if you want to make the conference experience better for everyone: Take hygiene seriously. "Con Crud" is not fun, for anyone, ever. Many people at conferences (or conventions, when I first learned the term) are tired and have been traveling extensively to get there. Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and be conscious of your own hygiene, both to protect against the germs of others and prevent your own from spreading. Only stand up to ask a question at a panel when you actually have a question to ask. No matter what I attend, whether it's a conference, a convention, or a SAG-AFTRA Q an A, there is always someone (or two or three) who stands up to ask a question, but in reality just wants to either make a statement or simply have everyone hear them talk. Don't be that person. Make sure whatever you have to say is a question that will actually contribute to the conversation started by the panelists. Everyone will love you for it. Treat everyone like they deserve to be there and have something to teach you. You'll be surprised what you can learn and how much better your experience will be if you are open to it. I hope that these tips and reminders help you as much as you help me this year, and every year moving forward. I also hope that I'll see some of you at a conference in the future - and if you see me, I hope you'll say hello! May your conferences be fun, your travels safe, and your adventures many.

It's a few days after Christmas and despite it being my "week off" I am sitting in my house reading, watching television, and thinking about Footnoting History. As the new year grows ever closer, it's hard to believe that the sweet baby podcast started in 2013 and is still going strong. As proud of the podcast as I am, there are always ways to improve, and I've spent a lot of time pondering how to make it happen. So, this year, instead of considering whether or not to make a personal resolution (I see you, folks who will aggressively show up at the gym, but only for a month - I was once like you!) I am going to work on several podcasting ones. If you're like me and seeking ways to improve in the new year (or, any time really) today is your lucky day, because I've done much of the work for you. Here are 15 potential resolutions I have come up with to help you choose one (or more!) way to enhance your podcasting life before January 1st: Try a new topic. Do you have a podcast about history but also love music? Is there some area you never usually cover - or one that scares you - that you would love to talk about? Use this year to find a way to incorporate these tangential loves or curiosities into your podcast. It'll make you happier and keep the interest of your listeners as they see how you stretch your skills. Interact more with other podcasters. It's easy to podcast in isolation. You literally can create and release a podcast without ever speaking to another living being. It doesn't have to be that way. Make an effort to speak to other podcasters, whether it is through Twitter, by joining a Facebook group, attending a conference, or some other method. The people who will best understand your highs and lows are other podcasters. Work on building your community of support. Schedule (and take) time off. Avoid burn out by going into the new year with a plan. Choose a month that you will take off and use that time to create multiple episodes you can air in the future. This way when you get busy, you won't have to stress out about recording because you will already have something done. Revisit old episodes. Is there a topic you wish you had done better? Create an episode revisiting it or expanding it. Love what you did but realize your editing skills have improved vastly since you began? Re-edit and re-release the episode. Help yourself feel better about the bumpy beginning almost every podcaster experiences. Collaborate. If you usually podcast solo, seek crossovers and collaborations with other podcasters. It'll be good fun and help you both reach new audiences. If you work on a podcasting team (like we do) pair up with someone you don't usually record with and test out the chemistry - it'll be new for you and your listeners, sparking interest in a new combination. Build relationships with your listeners. Take some time away from advertising yourself and creating content to partake in exchanges with your audience. Whether this means answering your listener emails in an episode or wading into the conversations had by podcast lovers on social media, the best way to know what your listeners like is to engage with them and a rapport with them will only help you in the long term. Create new merch. Always dreamed of seeing people walking around with your podcast's logo on a shirt or hoodie? Maybe want one for yourself? Already have merch but been thinking about a new design? The time to launch is now. People can't buy what you don't offer! Refresh (or revamp) your brand. Every brand needs to grow and adapt. Maybe your website needs a face lift or you have a logo that no longer feels like it suits you. Many times what we think our podcast will be before we start it isn't the same as what it settles into once we've established ourselves. This upcoming year change your visual presentation to match who you are now, not who you thought you would be, or who you were when you began. Host a contest. Amp up the fun by hosting a contest for your listeners - the prize could be anything from a piece of merch to a shout out on your podcast to, heck, letting the winner choose the topic for one of your episodes. The possibilities are endless, but everyone likes the feeling of winning, no matter the prize. Focus your social media game. Juggling multiple social media accounts for a podcast can be a major headache, but in truth you don't need to be on every platform. Examine your social media presence, find which platforms work for you, and put your effort into those. Don't forget to close out your other accounts though - a neglected account looks worse than no account at all. Listen to more podcasts. Every day someone, somewhere begins a podcast. Make it a goal to listen to a new one every month. This will not only help you keep abreast of podcasting trends, but it will tune your ear to things you feel work and don't work in the podcasting world. Become a better editor. Read up on the newest trends in audio and content editing and try something new. Dedicate a certain amount of time to bettering your production value. Enhance your show notes. It is my belief that educational - and especially history - podcasts should always have easily-accessible show notes. If you don't have them, this year is a good time to start, and if you do them already - why not enhance them? Expand your bibliographies, include more-detailed descriptions, add links to related episodes. Check out notes for other shows and incorporate the things you like in theirs into yours. What feels like extra work at first will be routine after a few episodes. Spread the love. What podcasts do you enjoy? Make a point of reviewing and rating them positively, or contact their creators and tell them how you feel, or take advantage of having your own social media channels to share your favorite podcasts with your listeners. Do for other podcasts what you want your listeners to do for you. Be a mentor. Podcasters come in all shapes, sizes, and ages but one thing is true across the board: everyone starts somewhere. Check social media (I know, always with the social media! but it's the easiest way to tap into the community) and if people are asking questions about podcasting, help them out. Offer your services to help someone else avoid the pitfalls you experienced. In addition to aiding them, you'll learn more about how you work when you have to explain it to someone else, and it'll lead to a greater understanding of your own methods. How will you make your podcast - and your life as a podcaster - better in the new year?

Thanksgiving is fast approaching here in the United States and I cannot wait. For me it signals fun family time and the beginning of the end of the year when no one can roll their eyes at my constant playing of Christmas music. It is also a time when my Footnoting History work traditionally enters a (very) brief hiatus as we prepare for the new year. In fact, my last episode of 2019 (The UnQuiet Afterlife of Elizabeth Siddal) was already released! For this post, I've decided to combine the tradition of expressing what one is thankful for at Thanksgiving time with my constant occupation of podcasting. There are very few areas of my life that podcasting neglects to touch at this point, and I have posted here many times about the positives and negatives of being a podcaster, but I have never paused to simply state all that I have gained and learned from being a part of this world for almost seven years. This entry seeks to remedy that oversight. Thank you, podcasting, for... Keeping me humble (Few things will keep you grounded like having to listen to your voice on loop to edit a recording) Broadening my horizons (I had no idea, when Footnoting History began, that I would spend significant amounts of time researching topics like murdered Swedish kings or censorship on the New York stage) Helping me appreciate social media (I complain about social media as much as the next person - and often it can feel like incessant noise - but it also is a place of connection and learning if you choose to make it one) Establishing me as a historian (I never wanted to be a traditional teacher, but I always wanted to continue working with history, and this allows me to do so every single day) Giving me new friends (Never did I imagine how many people I would meet, both online and in person, as a result of becoming a podcaster) Pushing my limits (Whenever I think I will not get something done on time, I magically find a way to complete the task, and then I feel magnificent) Strengthening my research, writing, and performance skills (If I ever stagnate or stop working hard, it will show in the final product, so I am constantly motivated to do more and be better) Holding my group of friends together (After grad school, we all went our separate ways, physically, and it would have been easy to drift apart, but working together on Footnoting History keeps us close, and I love it for that) Building my confidence (I suffer from Impostor Syndrome on a regular basis, but I would be a liar if I didn't admit that whenever someone compliments me on my podcasting work I glow a little bit on the inside) Inspiring my adventures (Whether it is visiting a new historic place because I plan to create an episode about it - or already have - or traveling for a podcasting conference, I am always excited by where podcasting leads and the fun I have when I am there) Making me a business woman (I am very much still learning, but every step we take with Footnoting History teaches me more about management, marketing, production, and teamwork) Creating new opportunities (I am thankful every day for each interview, article, blog post, and conference I get to take part in or write) Stoking my curiosity (Not a week goes by where I don't discover some new idea I'd love to research and add it to my list - I probably have enough potential topics stored away for twenty years of episodes!) Forcing Elizabeth to always answer my texts because we work together (This last one is only half in jest - if my dear friend Elizabeth Keohane-Burbridge had not come up with the idea for Footnoting History, I would not be writing this today. She is one of my absolute favorite people on this planet and deserves to be in my Best-for-Last slot) Fellow podcasters and podcast lovers, what has this medium given you? Please, don't hesitate to let me know. Podcasting is hard and relentless and exhausting, but it should also be rewarding. I truly hope that whatever you do, even when it gets hard, you have reasons you love it - and therefore reasons to be thankful.

(September is PCOS Awareness Month. I regularly meet people who barely know what it is, let alone what it is like to live with it, so I decided to pause my normal history and podcasting blogging to discuss life with PCOS.) I first learned that I had PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, defined by the Mayo Clinic as “a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age”) over a decade ago. I mentioned to my mother that I had not gotten my period in months and she insisted that I visit a gynecologist. I insisted my doctor be a woman, because if we were going to talk about private ovary/hormonal things, I wanted to have that conversation with someone who might understand what I was going through personally. You will see that I quickly learned shared womanhood does not guarantee empathy. Doctor #1 was a middle-aged woman who was slightly heavyset. My mother went to her without issue, but she and I immediately chafed. She pronounced that I had PCOS (my two later doctors did similar testing with the same results) , which manifests differently for every person who has it. You can find a full list of PCOS Symptoms here, but for me (so far) it mostly involves weight gain, losing the weight being impossible, missed periods, anxiety, and a need to pay attention to hair maintenance more than I’d like. Doctor #1 refused to acknowledge my weight gain concerns, telling me that I was in my 20s and merely needed to hit the gym more, and prescribed The Pill (as in, a birth control pill) to force my period and hopefully balance my hormones. The result was not what I hoped. Immediately I became starving. I don’t mean merely hungrier than usual. I mean fierce hunger pangs at all hours of the day and even waking me up at night. I gained nearly 15 lbs in the first week and returned to her office. She shrugged it off and told me that as someone who was overweight herself she didn’t want to talk to me about weight because it was make her a hypocrite. I insisted that I wanted to nip this in the bud. She told me it was a mere weight fluctuation and she would not address it until I gained at least 30 to 40 lbs and was squarely in the obese category. I knew my body, was certain she was wrong, took myself off of the pill, and dropped her as my gynecologist. Doctor #2 was a few years later, when enough time had passed that I could stand to try again. She came as a recommendation from a family friend and gave me a good feeling because she had a pleasingly crisp accent and reminded me of Clair Huxtable – elegant, strong, and smart. She gave me a prescription for another form of The Pill after hearing about my bad experience with Doctor #1. I went home cautiously hopeful, trusting she knew what she was doing, and prepared for the adjustment period she warned me about. What came next was the single worst medical experience of my life. This version of the pill triggered every negative emotional side effect possible. I cried everywhere, all the time. I couldn’t sleep. I would think I was fine then suddenly be overcome with an intense feeling of hopelessness. One night, my parents had to sit up with me to make sure I didn’t do anything unfortunate because I could not stop sobbing over how useless my life was, how I was a disappointment to the world, and how nothing would ever get better. I told myself this was the adjustment period, but it continued unabated for over a month. As the second month wore on, I reached my breaking point. I could hardly stand to leave the house. I had a very close friend (I love you Samantha!) who was moving across the country and when I walked into the bathroom to put makeup on before leaving to say goodbye to her, I broke down weeping without any understanding as to why. I had to cancel my plans, yet again. This could not continue. You might think, Dear Reader, that Doctor #2 would help me here. She did not. My frantic phone call was met with the following response: I was wrong about what was happening. My bad experience with the adjustment period of the first month put it into my head that it would happen again and I was bringing it upon myself. Again, I took myself off the pill and abandoned this gynecologist. I felt like a regular human again within the week. At this point the idea of ever seeing another gynecologist again did not appeal, but then my period stopped coming. I went six months without it. That meant going through all the delights of PMS (bloating, moodiness, etc) without ever having it end. The bloat just increased, and with it the misery. I trekked to Doctor #3, again recommended by a friend. This one was a young woman who reminded me a lot of another friend also named Samantha, who you might know from her Footnoting History episodes. She got an even longer tale of woe, and she actually listened to me! She tested me to make sure there was nothing building up in my body that required immediate action and when she saw there was not, she promised me she would not give me any form of The Pill unless I asked to try it again. She gave me two options: First, she could give me something that would immediately bring on my period just to make sure I got it after six months without it and then we could see if that kicked my body into gear. If it didn’t, we could try again. Second, I could start looking at my sugar intake. If I limited my sugar, she suggested, my body might start functioning normally again. This was the first time anyone mentioned a natural method of coping with my PCOS. Even writing about it, I get angry again, because I cannot believe Doctor #1 and Doctor #2 pulled out their prescription pads, told me The Pill was how it was treated, and never once gave me other options. I was overcome with emotions because I felt like finally – finally! – a doctor actually listened to me. I went home and began meticulously tracking my sugar intake. Within a few weeks I got my period naturally and I have not had a gap that big since. It should not have taken me multiple doctors and many years to get the help I needed, help that came only when a doctor took the time to hear my story, consider what did and did not work for me, and present me with multiple potential game plans. I shudder to think where I would be if I did not remove myself from the doctors who clearly had no interest in helping me. I did not hug Doctor #3 but I thought about it many, many times. That isn’t to say my War Against PCOS has ended. Watching my sugar has massively helped me, but in 2016 I went through a traumatic friendship breakup where I admittedly was medicating myself with all the foods I shouldn’t be touching. I ended up gaining over 40 lbs (maybe I should go back to Doctor #1 and she would help me with that now!) and I am still trying to lose it. I’ve worked with a wonderful nutritionist for over a year and the scale has budged a whopping 4 pounds total, in 15 months. But unlike Doctors #1 and #2, Nutritionist #1 has been nothing but helpful and supportive, doing extra work to find ways to help me and consulting with her colleagues to try and solve this puzzle. On paper I should have lost all my weight by now. In reality it is nowhere near that easy. Just last week we started a new plan. I really hope this one works because I would like to feel comfortable in my body again. It is exhausting to constantly feel like you have no control over the behavior of the body you inhabit. There have been many times where I’ve considered giving up and accepting I will never be happy with myself because of PCOS but I am glad to have people who want to help me - and this includes my friends and family who regularly witness my frustrations and love me even when I am inconsolably depressed about it. Maybe one day I will get to where I want to be, but if I don’t it won’t be for lack of trying. PCOS can’t be cured, but many of us who have it work to manage it every single day. Sometimes, as detailed here, the medical professionals who should be our greatest helpers, do more damage than good. The thing is, the true helpers are out there. If you have PCOS don’t stop trying until you find the ones who value your health and listen to your needs. If you don’t have it, but know someone who does, be patient with them when they need to vent about their struggles. It’s a lifelong battle, and it can feel very lonely, but it shouldn’t have to.

Podcasting is hard. Finding an audience is hard. Growing that audience is hard. However, alienating your audience is surprisingly easy, so we should all go out of our way to avoid doing it. I've spent the last few months thinking about what makes a (specifically, history) podcast appealing and while I acknowledge that every person who engages with podcasts has a unique set of criteria for determining whether or not a podcast is "good", there is certainly a set of basic things that we podcasters can do to prevent alienating the vast majority of potential listeners. Here are ten such things : Market Yourself Correctly If you are a comedic history podcast, tell people you are a comedic history podcast. If you are a bite-sized film podcast, tell people you are a bite-sized film podcast. Be up front and clear about who you are and what you do. Listen to your own episodes. If you thought you were creating a history podcast but it really ended up being more about modern politics, change how you promote yourself. An audience exists for pretty much any topic, but if you don't know who you are and promote yourself correctly two things will happen: the people who want to find you won't be able to and the people who want the thing you promoted yourself as being will be upset when you don't meet their expectations. Engage with Your Listeners Listeners are the lifeblood of the podcasting world. They speak to each other when you are not around and their conversations help your audience grow or cause it to retract. Sure, if you're a podcaster with an enormous company behind you or are an celebrity, it might be impossible or unnecessary to interact, but for new and independent podcasts interaction is incredibly important. Don't turn your nose up at that listener who drops you an email or tweets to you. To them you might be a star or an authority on your topic. Thank them for giving you their time by listening by giving them some of yours by responding. (A notable exception should be made for trolls and haters, which I spent some time on here.) Avoid Music Mania It's hard not to appreciate a good theme song, but there is such a thing as too much music. Personally, I prefer theme music to be as short as possible on podcasts, but everyone's threshold is different. The thing is, people want to get to your content. Your content is what attracts them and what makes you sparkle, so err on the short side. Few people want to sit through more than 30 seconds of music every single episode before they hear their host speak. Set your tone and introduce your show, don't waste minutes because you like the tune or think you need to play the entire piece every time. Remember Your Topic Tangents are going to happen. I know I've had them on Footnoting History, because sometimes you're talking about a topic and it makes you think of a film you want to suggest or that time you visited a relevant historical site, and that's cool. The key here is to never stray so far from your topic that things go completely off the rails -- and if you do, don't be afraid to edit it out. Just always keep in mind what your topic is for the episode because if you get all the way to the end and never touch on the points you said you would at the beginning, the listener's disappointment will be real. Don't Ghost Take time off, it's okay. I've written before about how You Deserve a Break and I truly mean it. However, don't leave your listeners hanging. Mention the hiatus in your episode or on social media or in your newsletter. An informed audience is a happy audience and will wait for you to return. An abandoned audience might not be so understanding. Edit. Edit. Edit. Those chewing sounds, lawn mower noises, and cackles of laughter from the other room, and dogs barking that you find endearing might not be so fun for people listening. Unless you're a podcast that very quickly establishes itself as centered around the unpredictable (like, perhaps, an improv comedy podcast or a live stream), it's probably best to cut out the sound of your phone ringing or your co-host burping before you release the episode. Be Consistent Don't promise anything you can't deliver as you promised it, when you promise it. A one-off mistake or extenuating circumstance won't be a nail in the coffin of your podcast, but a track record of inconsistency should be avoided. You want listener loyalty, with so many other podcasts out there that respect their listeners, if you keep under delivering you'll soon find yourself alone while others pick up those who left you. Don't Beg Reviews are awesome and making money is cool but there is such a thing as solicitation fatigue. I've come across more podcasts than I expected where the hosts come just short of outright demanding people contribute to their Ko-fi, join their Patreon, or leave them a review. A gentle reminder every so often is great, an aggressive and unrelenting campaign...not so much. Stay Humble No one likes a braggart. Celebrate your milestones and cheer about your successes, but celebrate the milestones of others too and help them celebrate as well. No matter how successful you become, remember how you started out and keep a level head. Patronizing and condescension read over the air, through emails, and in tweets, so the best way to avoid being seen as a podcasting elitist is to not become one. Embrace Positivity I am quite possibly the world's biggest pessimist and many of the topics I choose to cover in my episodes are dark and dismal, but I keep my personal negativity out of them. Naturally, if you are podcasting about mental health or host a general chat podcast this won't apply to you, but for people like me who podcast about a topic that is not strictly related to their personal life it is a good idea to remain cognizant of the trends in your tone. Down times happen to us all, and acknowledging them is not a bad idea, but if you produce continually depressing content you may notice people start to flee because podcasts are an entertainment medium and for many serve as a break from the negatives in their own life. How do we sum this up in one phrase? Deliver what you promise and don't be a jerk. Simple, right? Happy podcasting! #Podcasting

[Spoiler Alert: This post speaks freely about the television series Game of Thrones, up to and including the series finale] Immediately following the conclusion of May 12, 2019's Game of Thrones episode, "The Bells", several of my friends reached out to me. They did not do so to rage it about, as so many have done on the internet (some taking it to a whole new level), or to console me over the apparent deaths of my two favorite characters (Jaime and Cersei Lannister - played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Lena Headey, respectively). Instead, they contacted me to tell me that when they watched the episode, they thought of me, and how pleased I would be about the way Jaime and Cersei died. They were right. I fell in love with the television incarnations of the Lannisters (I love the books too, but given that they are a very different entity at this point, I'm leaving them out of this) the moment Jaime was discovered having sex with his twin sister by a young Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) in the pilot and Jaime's way of handling the situation was to push Bran out of the window and comment, "The things I do for love." So much about those characters was conveyed in a single act: their forbidden relationship, their need to protect it, the lengths they would go to in order to do so, and how little guilt they felt about using extraordinarily cruel means to keep themselves safe. I was instantly all in on the Lannister family. I find clear-cut heroes boring. I like my characters incredibly flawed. I want them equal parts stunning and vicious. I love when they are complex and layered, with moral compasses that make complete sense - but only to them. Few characters I have encountered in my television-watching life embodied these twisted, intriguing traits like the Lannister twins. Born to Tywin and Joanna Lannister, and with a family seat at Casterly Rock, they are the only siblings of Tyrion - known as "The Imp". By the time we meet Jaime and Cersei in the pilot, they have been in an incestuous relationship for years although Cersei is at the side of her longtime husband, King Robert Baratheon. Robert came to the throne prior to the series' start, following an uprising that ended the reign of the Targaryen kings. More specifically, King Aerys II Targaryen ("The Mad King") was killed by - you know it - Jaime Lannister, who earned himself the nickname Kingslayer. With the old king gone and Robert in power, he needed a wife, thus his marriage to Cersei. But their union lost any potential for happiness almost immediately because of Robert's adoration for another woman, Lyanna Stark. The unhappy couple did have one child together - a dark-haired son - but he is claimed to have passed away. (Though he might, in fact, actually be a character in the show named Gendry, but I digress...) Luckily for Cersei, Jaime remained wholly devoted to her and their relationship continued on the sly, resulting in three children: Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen, all of which they (outwardly, anyway) passed off as being Robert's. That is one hell of a backstory, and I simplified it. As the show progressed, Cersei, who established herself as capable of cruelty time and again - including when she had Lady (my favorite direwolf) killed - grew even harder, fighting for her children, fighting for herself, and growing increasingly paranoid as she climbed the rungs of power, creating more and more enemies everywhere she went. She was self-destructive and desperate. Simultaneously, Jaime appeared to be finding his heart. The twins grew apart and the personal troubles - and new people - he encountered changed him from the inside out. It would be as strange of him to be captured by the enemy, lose his hand, and develop a rapport with the pure-yet-fierce Brienne of Tarth without coming out the other side a different person as it would be for Cersei to have gone through perpetual disappointment and dealing with constant patronizing and still manage to be soft and doe-eyed. (I have always firmly believed that the reason people immediately disliked Cersei but love Sansa Stark now that she is a tougher adult woman, is because they watched Sansa's transformation from young and naive to grown and stern, where by the time they met Cersei, she was already largely developed. The two are not as different as you might want to insist, but that's a whole different topic.) Regardless of what occurred between Jaime and Cersei, they shared a love of their children and suffered together as those children perished one after another: Joffrey (yes, a monster!) by poisoning, then Myrcella similarly, and finally Tommen through a suicide that came as the result of one of his mother's grander acts of brutality (destroying the Great Sept of Baelor while his wife and others were inside). Watching them change, yet always orbit around one another, was exciting and constantly provided a new view of their multi-faceted dynamic. It's easy to wonder how I could love these characters so much when you could argue against them in so many ways. They do brutal things, but so does every other character. Jorah Mormont, Dany's most-devoted sidekick, was a slave trader. People cheered when Olenna Tyrell confessed to poisoning Joffrey. And, lest we forget, in season 1 the honorable Eddard Stark literally had his young son watch an execution. In a show like Game of Thrones it becomes less about whose hands are clean and more about whose side you are on when people get their hands dirty. (For the record, regarding deserving poisoning: Joffrey totally did. Myrcella did not.) I just happen to prefer Jaime and Cersei to Arya or Jon or Daenerys, perhaps because they never attempted to claim clean-hearted goodness or righteousness. They were who they were. Their relationship is horribly incestuous and while in the real world I would be reviled, in Westeros as much as it is still hardly something they would be proud of, it is not unheard of: the Targaryens intermarried for generations while they ruled the Seven Kingdoms, and many of those who love Jon and Daenerys are willing to overlook that they are nephew and aunt - though Jon, we learn, is not. We all make our allowances in a world where that type of a relationship has been accepted, even with major side eyes involved. I have a hard time placing my personal values on characters in a different world, and I prefer to judge them within the established morality of their realm. Jaime and Cersei's relationship is a twisted manifestation of their intense love for (and ultimate devotion to) one another, and I find it fascinating. I'm a historian who loves biography and so regularly studies of the lives of people, which means I was naturally drawn to one of the darkest stories Game of Thrones provided. Knowing their relationship was wrong, but that it endured, and I could watch as it transformed was infinitely more exciting to me than anything else. Besides, what fun would any epic show be if everyone in it was righteous and upstanding? As Cersei became darker (ordering the assassinations of both of her brothers!) and Jaime became lighter (rescuing Brienne! going to join in the fight against the Night King!) it would be simple to assume this means they would permanently turn against one another, but that was never truly their relationship. Things are never that simple, in television or in real life, and the "best" or "healthiest" relationship is not often the one that a person chooses. In the end, when Cersei's back was against the wall as Daenerys torched King's Landing, Jaime showed up. It is no coincidence that this occurred immediately after he hit his highest point of character growth (which, in my opinion is knighting Brienne, not sleeping with her - to me, the knighting was a more gorgeous moment embodying the arc of their relationship than sleeping together could ever be and although it was significant because it was the first time he chose to sleep with someone other than Cersei, I was more emotionally moved during the knighting than the consummation). For the majority of the episode Cersei watches from the Red Keep unaware that her brother is trying to reach her. Jaime risks his life to find her, even once he knows that the bells have rung, Daenerys is creating havoc, and he is bleeding from his battle with Euron. It is the only possible action for his character to take. Why? Because he loves Cersei. He always has and he always will, even when he knows she is not good for him. Plus, how could Jaime - who has grown so much as a human - abandon her to certain destruction? His going to Cersei does not destroy his character growth, it fits as much into his original love of Cersei as it does to his new outlook as a better human being. There are a lot of things to complain about in this series - as in many others - such as, why did the Night King situation just end and everyone move on without questioning it? Who thought it was a good idea to send the Dothraki out first against the Night King's army? Why didn't Daenerys have her dragons light up the Greyjoy fleet the first time she set eyes on them? But as far as I'm concerned the handling of Jaime and Cersei in "The Bells" is not one of them. Back in season 5's "Sons of the Harpy", Jaime tells Bronn that when he dies, he wants to do so in the arms of the woman he loves. In season 6's "Blood of my Blood", when Jaime and Cersei embrace before he departs for Riverrun and she prepares to be defended by the Mountain in trial by combat, she tells him that they will always be together, "the only two people in the world". In "The Bells", Jaime returns to her, and attempts to save them both but ultimately fails, leaving them aware that they will die - with Cersei still pregnant, thus taking a child's life too. She cries, because she has always loved her children and wants to live. Seeing where her life has left her is devastating and her tears are a good reminder of the humanity that she has long hidden away. Jaime continues his lifelong role of being her other half, her true solace. They go out not with overt declarations of love, but with Jaime's verbalization that nothing else matters but that the two of them are together as their world quite literally falls apart around them. It is tragic and it is beautiful. (Note: for those disappointed in the lack of a direct fulfillment of the Valonqar prophecy from Maggy the Frog, that bit was actually not in the show's version of Cersei's childhood conversation with Maggy in season 5's "The Wars to Come".) Yes, their death denies those who hate the Lannisters the most (people like Daenerys and Arya) the satisfaction of getting to kill them directly. By extension, it denies the viewers who supported those quests the ability to see it. I understand how that would be disappointing, but for me there was no other way for them to go out: together, in each other's arms, the only two people in the world that matter. It was not a massively flashy, shocking moment. In the grand scheme of things it was insignificant and quiet. It diminishes their importance -- no crowds gathered and the war outside did not stop when the Red Keep collapsed. It shows that Cersei could fall no lower, but Jaime would always be there to catch her. In the end, they lose everything except each other and Jaime gets the death he wants, the one in the arms of the woman he loves. I have always been one to prefer a beloved character die than become a shadow of itself, and I am a sucker for a death that is true to the hearts of characters I love. While it might not please some of the other characters in the show, or many of the fans looking for brutal retribution, it definitely pleased me -- and I openly confess that after some plots in recent seasons I was convinced I would be disappointed with Jaime and Cersei's endings. What happened with "The Bells", though, was that I saw the only possible way I could fathom them truthfully going out realized. I went into the series finale ("The Iron Throne") at peace with the episode prior being my farewell to Jaime and Cersei, but I was also mildly concerned about fan theories that posited one or both of the twins was still alive. I was prepared for that to happen because, you never know, but I also knew it would be a disappointment. A disappointment was the opposite of what I received. When Tyrion entered the Red Keep alone, we followed him as he moved through the ruins, stopping only when he saw Jaime's golden hand among the rubble. He then uncovered Jaime and Cersei's bodies, resting against one another. Their fates were confirmed and it was one of the most haunting images I have ever seen. They were not just assumed dead and brushed aside. As much as it would be easy to see their deaths treated in a callous way, or even completely ignored. Tyrion's reaction -- especially to the sight of Jaime, spoke of enduring family ties despite complicated and damaging histories. It was a chance for the only surviving member of the Lannister brood to say goodbye, and although it was certainly more significant for Tyrion than for the twins (they are dead, after all) I appreciated the chance to mourn with him. Also mourning, we learn, was Brienne of Tarth -- though certainly not for Cersei. To those who sought redemption for Jaime, I hope you realize he received it at her hands, maybe not in life, but to history. She took to the task of completing his entry in the White Book - a chronicle of the actions and deeds of the members of the Kingsguard. We see Brienne with the book, and get glimpses of her description of his life. She completes it with: Died protecting his Queen. The sentence is as heartbreaking as it is true. It is one I will think about for a long time. The Lannisters were not heroes, but they were never supposed to be. Sometimes they were villainous, others they were sympathetic. They were messy and dark and light and human, and the perfect imperfect pair. Their love was inappropriate, ugly, and in a strange way, magnificent. They will forever be my favorites.

Mothers. They come in all shapes, sizes, and personality types. Some are great (like my mom, who was so great that one of my biggest problems growing up was getting my friends to stop asking her to adopt them), others not so much. Musical theatre, which any of my regular readers know serves as my core frame of reference for life, is filled with mothers as different as those in the real world. Here, for anyone looking to discover some musical mamas, is a list of 10(ish) mother characters that sing their hearts out. Enjoy, and Happy Mother's Day! Please Note: Spoiler Alert! The motherhood aspect in some of these musicals is not straightforward, so consider yourself warned about possible plot spoilers before you read the descriptions. Mother and Sarah from Ragtime The "-ish" in the title of this piece comes from the fact that I have two pairs of moms included in the list. This first entry is for Ragtime's Mother and Sarah (Marin Mazzie and Audra McDonald in the original Broadway production in 1998, respectively), two women at the turn of the 20th century from very different worlds: Mother is a white woman whose life has been entirely devoted to watching her husband's dreams be realized, while Sarah is a black woman courted by a ragtime pianist. They come to motherhood from different paths, but it is also motherhood that makes their respective paths cross: Rose from Gypsy You can't talk about musical theatre mother characters without the genre's most well-known stage mother. Rose is the woman pulling the strings behind the scenes for the careers of her children "Dainty" June and Louise (later, Gypsy Rose Lee). Played by everyone and their mother over the years, it should be difficult to choose a favorite version of the showstopping moment when Rose finally gets her turn at center stage, but Bernadette Peters' revival in 2003 will always be tops to me: Kim from Miss Saigon A young girl in Vietnam who has a short liaison with American soldier Chris, Kim (played by Lea Salonga in the original Broadway production in 1991), quite literally sings "I'd Give My Life for You" to her son Tam, which says more about her dedication to her child than I ever could: Diana from next to normal Motherhood isn't easy, and Diana - the mother of a son and a daughter - endures personal tragedy almost unable to be imagined and must cope with both her own mental illness and maintaining her family, a balance that sometimes seems impossible to strike. In "I Miss the Mountains" she reflects on her life, both past and present: Fantine and Madame Thenardier from Les Miserables My second pair of mothers from the same show are Fantine (my favorite: Ruthie Henshall) and Madame Thenardier (my favorite: Jenny Galloway). Fantine, a single struggling mother, leaving her child in the care of Madame Thenardier, herself already a mother to children like Eponine and Gavroche, is at the core of the show. One's trajectory is written as a tragedy and the other serves as the comic relief, and you would be hard pressed to find a pair of mothers more different. Golde from Fiddler on the Roof Another classic role, Golde has been played by a million (non-scientific estimate) women over the years, but perhaps the most well-known incarnation of the story is from the film version, where she was played by Norma Crane. Golde may not be the character with the most music in the show, but even Tevye would have to admit she was the true core of their family. Margaret from The Light in the Piazza If I could play any mother role tomorrow, Margaret (played by Victoria Clark in the 2005 Broadway production) would be in my top two choices. While on vacation with her developmentally disabled daughter Clara, Margaret confronts her own life and expectations about love and growing up in tandem with watching her daughter first experience romance with an Italian man named Fabrizio. Fable is a classic piece of powerful introspection and rumination: Kala from Tarzan Not all great mothers are biological, or even human. When Disney brought Tarzan to Broadway in 2006, Merle Dandridge showed audiences just how strong maternal bonds can be even if you don't give birth to the child when she played Kala, the Gorilla who adopted the orphaned Tarzan. Sylvia from Finding Neverland A widow with four young children who are her entire world, Sylvia (played by Laura Michelle Kelly in the 2015 Broadway production) rediscovers joy when she comes into contact with J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. Alice from Bright Star Embodied by Carmen Cusack in the 2016 Broadway production, Alice Murphy's motherhood journey is anything but simple. Initially pregnancy is delightful news, but when her child is ripped from her arms her despair is enough to break even the hardest of hearts. Still, by the end of the show her life's happiness is restored and the audience shares in her exultation: #Musicals #MothersDay

For almost the entire month of December 2017, I could not physically stand to look at a screen, be it computer, phone, or television. Any attempt to do so caused horrific pain in my eyes that felt like it was stabbing straight back into my brain. This was unfortunate because I had several looming writing and podcasting deadlines and I only met them because I did the majority of my writing by hand, then forced myself to look at a screen in short bursts until I'd converted all my paper words into screen words. (Thank goodness for blue light filters and night mode!) By mid-January it was evident that something needed to be done so I finally dragged myself to a proper eye doctor so he could tell me what the heck was going on. I am no stranger to eye difficulties (one day I will chronicle the Great Iritis Horror Show of 2015) and have always experienced a modicum of light sensitivity but I was still dreading receiving bad news. Instead I was told that I needed to take a break. As it turned out my eyes were perfectly fine. The endless hours of reading and writing at the computer had completely stressed out the muscles surrounding my eyes that were used for focusing. Combining that with my preexisting light sensitivity (aggravated, I imagine, by my stress) made for a very painful situation. The cure was not more cowbell, but a self-imposed break from writing and podcasting. The doctor informed me that a week or two limiting my screen time would allow my eyes to bounce back in to shape. It just so happened that I was leaving for Kenya in a few days, where I would be for almost two weeks. By the time I returned to the US, I had forgotten about my eye issue and only remembered it when I noticed my computer screen was still on all the darker settings. Taking a break really did work. There are a lot of catches to this though, not least of which are: I certainly cannot always make the time to take a two-week long break from all things technology and it would be absurdly expensive to hop on a plane to a (gorgeous) remote location every time I overworked myself and needed to let my eyes reset. The realistic ideal would be to take steps to ensure it never gets that bad again, which of course I didn't do and so in January 2019 I messed up my neck during a similar Meet-the-Deadlines Crunch and couldn't sleep or move comfortably for over a week. Hey, I never said I was a genius. My point is, don't be like me...or, rather, don't be like the me I was until I realized my stupidity. Take a break. Podcasting (and writing in general) is some of the most rewarding work you will ever do, but it is relentless, especially when you are an independent producer. You must be a one-person band, handling content, production, marketing, customer service, etc. all the time. When you work on a team, like I do for Footnoting History, it is still constant, because although we divide up some of the responsibilities, we have to wrangle all of our hosts and keep track of every person's movements and contributions which adds another level of complication to the process. For most podcasters, burnout becomes a reality at some point. In fact, in my experience, finding one who hasn't experienced burnout is almost impossible. The thing is, not only does burnout hurt you but it hurts your product. Your listeners deserve you at your best and above all, you deserve you at your best, so you need to take a break, preferably before you desperately need one, so that burnout doesn't even occur...and by take a break, I don't mean you need to go to Kenya (though if you ever have the opportunity, you should take it!) I mean you should take a weekend (or more!) to do anything that isn't podcasting. It's okay, to admit you need to step away. If you've exhausted yourself it means you work super hard because you care, and caring is essential so tend to yourself as a means of being able to continue to care with all your heart. I'm taking a break right now, and the beauty is that none of my listeners will even notice unless they read this post. Here's why: Two episodes of Footnoting History air this month. Both of them are mine. I wrote and recorded a two-parter chronicling the friendship and feud between Henry II of England and Thomas Becket. By doing two episodes in a row, I now have a longer time in our host rotation before I have to do another one. This meant more work earlier in the year, but I don't have to even begin another episode for over a month. Oh, and while I was working on those two episodes, I also recorded my contribution to our Halloween episode, so my October will be free too! I scheduled a large portion of our social media posts ahead of time, so the only times I need to access our accounts are when someone responds to one of our posts or to announce when a new episode drops. Our monthly newsletter and new episode email blasts? Already set up and ready to go out as soon as the time comes and Elizabeth completes them, which is her job all the time anyway. If it wasn't, I could always schedule them ahead of time, too. Am I around to be contacted if someone needs me? Absolutely. Will the podcast still be released on schedule? You bet. Do I get to spend entire days doing things I enjoy that aren't podcast related for a few weeks? Yes I do. Is it totally worth it to work a little harder in the beginning of the year so I have more time to relax later on? 100%. It takes dedication to maintain a podcast of high quality and build a listener base. For your own sanity though, I suggest doing everything you can to take advantage of the blessings of the internet age. Use apps that allow you to schedule things in advance. They are life savers. Also, if you have some free time, do that extra episode now so you don't have to scramble for it later. Build yourself up a buffer catalog if you can (I stress this constantly when people ask me about starting podcasts -- always have multiple ready to go before you launch so you don't need to kill yourself to get one done. I've been there. It isn't fun.) If you have to schedule in your breaks ahead of time, do that too. I've already pointed out that I do. It gives you a light at the end of the production tunnel. You work hard. You deserve to be refreshed. Absolve yourself of any possible guilt either by scheduling a hiatus in your show that your audience knows about in advance or deciding that you'll only pop in to release a pre-prepared new one. Then let go. Read a book. Book a massage. Meet a friend for tea. Take a long bath. Binge that show you've been wanting to see. Go for a walk. Nap. Visit a museum. No one will know when you recorded your episode unless you tell them. Clearing your mind and resting your body will lead to better content and production both before your break (when you have it to look forward to) and after it (when the memory is fresh in your mind.) And don't worry about your audience. If you've built them up and planned for your absence they'll either never know you were gone or be excitedly awaiting your return. So do it. I dare you. Take a break. You can thank me later. #Podcasting #SelfCare

If you have a podcast, you should have a website that goes with it. It seems obvious, but there are many that don't. If you are on the fence about creating one, consider this: When listeners inevitably turn to the internet to learn more about your podcast, what do you want them to find? The most accurate source for information about your show will always be you, so it is in your best interest to create an internet presence. As my acting teacher used to say, "Don't be afraid! Take up space!" In a world where it is expected that answers will be found via a quick visit to Google, podcast listeners are likely to feel extremely frustrated if they love your podcast and cannot find anything more than what they already know from listening...and no one wants to frustrate their listeners. Luckily there are a near-infinite number of places out there where you can set up camp and claim your little corner of the internet. This website is a product of Wix, while Footnoting History uses Weebly, and another popular choice is Wordpress. Pick whichever one works for you (or tell me your personal favorite in the comments) and play around until you feel comfortable because for as long as you have a podcast, you will be tweaking and updating your online home. But, the question remains, what should a podcast's website feature? I am here to help you with that. While every website will (and should!) be unique, just like the podcast it represents, there are some features that, in my ideal world, would be universal: Show Notes. Every episode should have its own entry on the website. It's often easiest to do this in blog post form, since you will constantly be updating (every time there is a new episode released, there is a new entry to post). Show posts and notes should include the title of the episode, date it was released, who is hosting (especially if you're like Footnoting History and have more than one host), a brief description of the episode, and links to the various places you can listen to the podcast. If you're a history podcaster like me, this is also where you would put your bibliography or further reading suggestions and anything else that goes along with your episode. Please, history podcasters, list your sources. It doesn't need to be an exhaustive list of everything you have ever read on the topic, but put something there so that your listeners can go in, see where you got some of your information, and turn to those sources themselves. Streaming Player. Yes, your podcast might be available through every app under the sun, but one point of having a website for your podcast is to draw in new listeners, and you can't have new listeners without them actually, you know, listening. The easiest way to immediately hook someone browsing your site is to have every episode entry come with a streaming player so they can hear you as soon as their interest is piqued by the topic. Enabling your potential fans to hear your voice without having to leave your site will only benefit you in the end. Social Media Connections. Are you on Twitter? Facebook? Tumblr? Instagram? Snapchat? Some other form of social media that has yet to take the world by storm? Have these listed on your site, preferably all together, so people can pick their social media poison or (hopefully) choose to follow you across all platforms. Social media connections are about more than just places people can follow you though, they are also about ways people can share your episodes and posts. If your website builder comes with the option to include share buttons on each of your new episode posts, definitely choose it-- and if you need an example, you can scroll down to the bottom of this entry and see the buttons I use. Some people might not think of sharing until the button serves as a visual reminder that they can. Your best promoter (outside of yourself) will be your fans, so help them help you reach a wider population. How to Listen. I fully admit that I only realized this was essential last year, thanks to a panel at Sound Education. Not everyone who comes across your website will know what a podcast is, let alone how to listen. It may seem like a minor thing, but everyone who loves podcasts has to discover their first favorite somewhere, and if you want to be someone's, you need to teach them how to listen. By providing a guide, no one will feel confused or have to learn elsewhere before subscribing to you. Archive. You work very hard to create good content, but not every listener will be with you from the first episode. Scrolling through pages and pages of blog posts is a hassle and eventually even places like Apple Podcasts will cut you off (once you hit 300 episodes, prepare for your oldest ones to disappear from their listing), but that doesn't mean your work should be forgotten. Create an archive, one glorious place where people can find every episode you've ever released. It may seem silly when you first start out, but you'll be glad you made it as your podcast grows, and your listeners will enjoy the opportunity to explore all the topics you released before they discovered you. About You. This is my personal obsession. I cannot tell you how infuriating it is to find a podcast, get interested in it, and then find out the host is a ghost. I beg you: please, introduce yourself on your website. Who are you? Why are you doing this podcast? What are your qualifications? What do you believe? What drew you to your genre? What's your favorite television show? Anything! Own who you are, love who you are, and tell people who you are. Show your personality and, if the mood strikes you, add a picture too! The exact information you provide is something only you can decide, but people want to relate to the hosts of their favorite podcasts. They want to know who the person is behind the mic and why they should listen to them. Help people connect with you by showing you are more than just a disembodied voice spouting things they are expected to believe. Contact Page. Podcasting puts you out into the world and you never know who might be listening. Great opportunities could come your way and you don't want to miss them, so give people a way to reach you! Since your website is a bit like your internet business card, people will come to it to find out how to contact you directly. This doesn't mean you have to list your personal email address or information (in fact, please don't do that, I want you to be safe!) but you could create a free email address specific to your podcast and use that, plus there's always the tried-and-true option of a contact form. You want to be ready for when the interviews and book deal offers come rolling in or when fans want to chat with you, right? Also don't let the fear of negative mail prevent you from adding a contact form, because the good should vastly outweigh the bad and you don't owe the haters any answers. Merch Links. Do you have a merchandise site? Merch and swag need not be your first priority when you are starting a podcast, but if you stay with it long enough, you will likely want to create merch to sell. Once you have set up shop somewhere (we use TeePublic, and they're great) make sure you link it to your website! You know someone out there wants a t-shirt or notebook with your logo on it, so make sure they can get it with the ease of one click from your homepage. What do you look for when you visit a podcast's website? What do you think are the most important aspects of #Podcasting

Podcasting, like acting, writing, dancing, and myriad other things, is an art, and part of what makes art special is sharing it with other people. The thing is, those other people aren't always going to like what you created. If they don't like it, they likely won't care that you cut open your heart and presented it to the world. Some of them will shrug, scowl, unsubscribe, and move on. Others will want to vent their distaste, and they will do it via email, social media, or a formal review -- often in the form of the dreaded one-star rating and accompanying scathing paragraph. If you're lucky, these reviews will be few and far between, sandwiched among glowing comments from people on the other end of the passion spectrum: those who have encountered your episodes and been so moved that they simply could not stop themselves from shouting their love of you and all you add to the world from the rooftops, crowning you with five stars and a write up that you could give your parents to hang on the refrigerator. Yet, for some reason, those kindnesses are often not what we remember while the ones that pick us apart kick us in the stomach over and over again. Here are some tips for reading, assessing, and moving on from any kind of listener review on a public platform like social media or a podcast app: Do Read Them. Not everyone will agree with me on this, and I'm okay with that. I believe that every review has worth, but it is up to us as creators to determine how much space we allow it in our heads and hearts. Ignoring all reviews can, in some cases, be as harmful as reading them all and taking every criticism as Gospel truth. I know there are many performers who prefer not to read reviews, and for some people that is incredibly valid, but in my particular situation -- as an independent podcaster who values feedback from listeners -- I think burying my head in the sand would be detrimental. If you aren't willing to receive criticism, you probably shouldn't have a podcast in the first place. Have confidence enough in yourself to put out your work, and also to hear what people have to say about it. Do Not Engage with Haters. It is perfectly normal, when receiving a negative review, to feel defensive and to want to tell the reviewer exactly where they can put their opinion. When you are struck by this feeling, walk away for a few minutes. It will likely be hard, but do it anyway. If the review is polite but negative, that is one thing, but some will be unfairly cruel in their word choice and certainly could have made the same points in a more constructive way. Ignore it. If you lower yourself to the standard of your attacker by publicly arguing with (or yelling at) someone who has already proven themselves to be confrontational, it won't look good to anyone else who comes to read the reviews. You don't want to lose new listeners before you even have them by appearing angry and antagonistic. Trust that the people who see your reviews are smart enough to identify a troll when they see one, and don't put yourself into a position where the first encounter a potential listener has with you is you arguing with someone who isn't worth your time. Do Admit When You are Wrong. I may not want you to argue with haters but not all negative reviews are brutal. If someone leaves you a negative comment because they have found an error in your work, and they are correct, admit it if at all possible (Apple Podcasts, for example, doesn't let you reply to reviews). People respect someone who can admit their mistakes, and you get nowhere if you don't embrace your errors and correct them. If the person shouting error is wrong, and you want to use your sources to correct them, that's okay too -- just be nice about it, even if they are a jerk to you. Take the high road, it'll serve you better in the long term, especially in a public forum. Do Appreciate It. As absurd as this sounds, I mean it, though I don't think you need to go and offer to take someone who hates your work on a coffee date. When I say "appreciate it", what I mean is, realize that someone out there, that you don't know in the real world, found your podcast and chose to listen to it. You may not have had the impact you hoped on the person, but you did stir a strong emotion. You can't please everyone, but the fact that you are being found and selected is a step above a lot of other people, so take pride in that. Do Put it into Perspective. The vast majority of your listeners might never be moved to leave you a review. Much like with Yelp or Amazon or other review websites, people usually only comment if they love you or hate you. Just because one person leaves you a negative review doesn't mean that person speaks for everyone. Most podcasters can gain an idea of their listener numbers from consulting the analytics for their download and subscriber numbers. How many negative reviews have you gotten in comparison to the total number of people who have listened to you? Think of how often you go somewhere or buy something and don't review it. That doesn't mean you hate it. If you are receiving vastly more positive reviews in proportion to your listener base than you are negative, that's a good thing. If you're only hearing negatives, it might be hurtful, but it isn't the end of the line because, as you will see next, they CAN be useful. Do Use Reviews to Improve. Not every review is going to be useful, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't look for trends. If every negative review you get says the same thing, pause for a minute and consider it. These listeners don't owe you anything. They aren't your friends or family and your personal feelings aren't necessarily going to mean a thing to them. That means they are likely to be more honest than people closer to you. This is like having your own personal focus group, and there are definitely times it can help. Are a lot of people saying your episodes are too long/too short? Have you had a flurry of comments about your tone of voice or vocabulary? One bad review or one specific gripe might be an anomaly. Sometimes, someone is just in a grumpy mood. You have to let those roll off your back, but be careful not to write off everything everyone says all the time. If you truly care about your podcast, you want to grow and improve, don't you? Even if you ultimately decide you are happy with your product and don't want to alter anything, mull over what you are told. Do people dislike your accent? Conclusion: That's their problem. Do they complain repeatedly that you talk about modern politics when they were seeking history? Next step: Consider how you categorize yourself-- many people will want to hear modern politics, but they won't like thinking they're tuning into one thing and finding something else. Maybe you could improve how you present your podcast through name, description, logo, etc. Is it common that you get accused of rambling often, or sounding too stilted? Maybe streamline your scripts or work on your presentation. All of these can lead to improvement, if you let them. Turn negatives into useful tools for self-assessment and potential growth. Do Not Quit. Whenever I read a book that I hate so much I want to throw it against the wall, I remind myself that somewhere, this is someone's absolute favorite book in the entire world. It helps, honestly, to remember this because podcasting is the same sort of thing. Much like with the current onslaught of television programs, it is often necessary to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your podcast prince. No one has to like your podcast and you don't have to like anyone else's, but just as important: no one can tell you to stop. Step away, take a walk, or a shower, or read a book, or do whatever it is that helps you decompress. Then, when that is done, make a new episode, because someone out there can't wait to listen to it. Oh, and in keeping with this theme, enjoy a song from [title of show]: #Podcasting #Reviews

I suspected I was in a good place last month when I attended the Sound Education conference at Harvard University immediately after I entered Andover Hall. I was greeted by two faces only familiar to me through their twitter personas, Ryan Stitt of The History of Ancient Greece and Aven McMaster of The Endless Knot. They swept me up into their cohort and any worries I had about spending the day alone were put to rest. As audio podcasters, we spend a lot of our time hidden behind microphones, appearing as disembodied voices in the ears of our listeners. It has never been lost on me that a good portion of Footnoting History's listeners quite possibly do not know, or care, what I look like. This is a comforting thought when I am recording in my pajamas, but not so much when I am attending an event where I am meant to socialize with people I only know by voice, so I was incredibly relieved to meet up with online friends so quickly. It was cemented in my mind that Sound Education was a special conference during the opening talks. They filled me with pride about being a longstanding part of this community of people who educate through podcasting, but one idea from a specific talk has remained etched into my mind: Education should not be about indoctrination, it should be about inspiration. This was spoken by Diane Moore, director of the Religious Literacy Project at the Harvard School of Divinity. It summed up so much about my personal podcasting philosophy that I could have interrupted the talk and hugged her right then. I have been rather outspoken about my belief that you reach more people when you don't preach at them. There is room for every kind of podcasting approach out there, and an audience for everything, but the audience I want to reach is a broad one, and I believe in doing it by presenting them the information in a (hopefully) entertaining, clear-cut fashion is the best way to make them want to learn more. If the feedback I have received over the last 5+ years is any indication, I have not been wrong. That one sentiment stuck with me so much I text Elizabeth (Footnoting History's producer, who was to present with me the next day) to tell her how excited I was for her to join me and be immersed in a place where podcasting for the betterment of listeners was everyone's goal. The remainder of the first day was spent attending panels on topics like audience growth, forming community, and tactics for teaching history, and punctuated by a hearty meal at a local pub with other hosts. Then I was off to pick up Elizabeth, prepare for the second day, and sort out all I had absorbed in just twenty-four hours. Presenting at Sound Education was a wonderful experience. Elizabeth and I talked to a room of current podcasters, podcast enthusiasts, and potential podcasters about why we use current events to bring attention to historical ones through connections that might not initially be apparent. (We specifically focused on the influx of listeners we had when we released an episode tying American Meghan Markle marrying British Prince Harry to the time future American President John Quincy Adams married English-born Louisa Johnson. You can find the episode and notes from our talk here.) It was as much a conversation as it was a presentation, and we were happy when attendees lingered long enough to talk to us that we had to take our discussions into the hall to allow the room to be used by others. Of course Sound Education was not some sort of podcasting nirvana. It raised myriad questions which every podcaster answered differently, and although I never even saw people nearly argue, you could tell how far apart their perspectives were just by listening. Some of the questions that caused disparate answers (pertaining mostly to history, my main interest) included: Who is qualified to educate through podcasting history? How long should a podcast be? Do you need to release a podcast regularly? Who is the audience for a history podcast, and what level of knowledge should you expect them to have? What are the benefits and drawbacks to accepting advertisers? Can a podcast's "community" exist solely on the internet? How do you measure success and what constitutes a large listener base? I still find myself mulling over these. They pop into my mind in no particular order on any given night. Some of my answers have changed over time, but admittedly not many of them. As I have said here, I believe consistency is important, in duration as well as release schedule. I believe you should view your audience as smart, but not necessarily in the topic about which you are talking: give them the background, but don't be condescending when you do. I have mixed feelings about advertising, but a firm belief that someone with a PhD might be a horrible history podcaster where someone with a BA might be brilliant, or the reverse. Being educated and being a good storyteller (as that is what podcasters are, at heart) are two different things. The ideal podcaster, in my opinion, is someone who both does their best to master their topic before presenting it to the world and is then able to do the presenting in an entertaining fashion. Not everyone agrees with me on this, and maybe it isn't important that they do. This is why an event like Sound Education is so important. If you accept you are an educator, you are welcome there. PhDs and BAs and people without degrees mingle as much as independent podcasters and those with institutional or corporate backing. Some people are fortunate enough to work with entire teams and have a salary while others dream of that and still more have no interest in being full-time podcasters. Questions were raised, personalities mixed, and there was not a person there who could not benefit from listening to the others in the room. I am certain I left the conference a better podcaster than I was when I went in. For example, without Audioboom's panel on audience growth, I never would have thought to add a page to Footnoting History's website teaching people How to Listen to a podcast. There is always room to grow, and I am thankful that Sound Education is seeking to provide a vibrant space for this to happen. Being in the Cambridge area for Sound Education was not just enjoyable because it gave me an opportunity to attend a stimulating conference and spend face-to-face time with Elizabeth. It was also delightful because it enabled Elizabeth and I to further our understanding of the lives of John Quincy and Louisa Adams. The day after Sound Education ended, we took the short drive to Quincy, Massachusetts to visit Adams National Historical Park. In what was a trend this weekend, we immediately found delightful people: please consider this my shout out to the employees at the Visitor Center (particularly the gentleman who bonded with us over our mutual love of JQA and Louisa, he was the best!) and the tour guides at the John and John Quincy birthplaces as well as at Peacefield. I am a big proponent of visiting historical sites when the opportunity arises. It is all well and good to read about people and places, or to hear about them on podcasts (two things which you should, of course, do) but there is truly something special about standing in the same spot as a historical figure. There was a gentleman on our tour who informed me that he had waited twenty years to be able to come to Quincy and visit these locations. My historian heart grew ten sizes knowing how much this visit meant to him. (I may have put him on the spot by asking if he was there more for John or JQA, and he looked at me as though this was Sophie's Choice and could not marry himself to a preference, which I understood.) Taking the tour as someone who podcasted on one of the very people who lived within the walls where we stood was exciting, because I was there as much as a "fan" as I was as a historian. Meeting this gentleman sparked in me the hope that people are visiting historical sites because their interest was raised by an episode of Footnoting History. If our episodes awaken something in a listener, or even make them think more about a topic hitherto unfamiliar to them, we have done our job. The only negative thing I could possibly say about our visit to Quincy is that it was too short, much like the conference. Alas, we were unable to tour the beautiful church where John and Abigail, and JQA and Louisa are interred because Elizabeth had a flight to catch. Yet, in some respects even this is a good thing, because as we drove to the airport Elizabeth and I were already planning the things we would do there on our next trip to Massachusetts, since if Sound Education will have us again in 2019, you can bet we will be there...and I hope you will, too. Links Sound Education Footnoting History @ Sound Education Talk Information Text of Dan Cohen's Keynote Speech Adams National Historical Park Selected Encountered Podcasts Backstory The Endless Knot The History of Ancient Greece The History of English In the Past Lane The Lonely Palette Maxwell Institute The Memory Palace Ministry of Ideas Renaissance English History The Scientific Odyssey The Story Behind Tides of History The Way of Improvement Leads Home #Podcasting #SoundEducation #FootnotingHistory

Last year, I wrote a post selecting some of my favorite musicals that depict historical people and events. (If you missed it, you can find it here!) Recently, I was thinking about how, in addition to historical musicals being ideal to embellish learning about the past, musicals based on literature do the same thing. There have been many times in my life when I was exposed to the musical adaptation of a novel before I read the novel itself. Comparing the two, regardless of the order of encounter, opens the door for infinite conversations about each piece, the times in which they were both written, and the themes that they have in common or which have been changed when adapted for the newer form. One of the challenges of adapting a novel to the stage is that you have to squeeze an entire piece of literature, often over 300 pages long, into a production preferably under three hours, during which large portions of time need to be dedicated to an engaging score. The choices made will please some and upset others, as the very act of crafting melodies and selecting voices for literary favorites could be controversial. Characters and plots will get cut in some places and expanded in others. New twists might occur and events might be changed, but the essence of the novel is often (though not always) preserved. Regardless, many people like to compare films and television adaptations to the novels that provided the source material in their classes. I aim to help people incorporate musicals as well, as they have had a long-lasting influence on my life and I love them for it. Since the historical musicals list is one of my more popular posts, I decided to do another list, this time about literature. The sheer volume of musical adaptations created from novels could fill a thousand blogs, so I decided to be thematic. This entry is dedicated to musicals based on British literature. Yes, it contains more than one Dickensian interpretation, but it also spans 150 years of novel publishing. I hope you enjoy it, and take some time to listen to the cast recordings of these musicals, because they are all fascinating in their own way. The list is arranged in order of publication of the original novel, from oldest to newest, not in order of creation of the stage musicals. Oliver!, based on the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (1837, serialization begins) ​ Lionel Bart's adaptation of Dickens' novel has enjoyed myriad stage productions and a popular film that came out in the late 1960s. Although far from a joyous romp, the film and stage productions both have been seen as softening Dickens' often even darker novel, and turned songs like "I'd Do Anything" and "As Long as He Needs Me" into classics. Jane Eyre, based on the novel by Charlotte Bronte (1847) Marla Schaffel and James Barbour took on the iconic roles of Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester in the original Broadway production of this musical adaptation of the Bronte novel. On a personal level I think this is one of the best female leading roles of recent memory, but regardless of that, this piece sweeps you off to England and uses music and powerful lyrics to follow Jane and Rochester's inner journeys as much as to merely unfurl a well-known plot. "Sirens", the song below, serves as one of the powerful duets that tap into the complex relationship between the governess and master of the house. A Tale of Two Cities, based on the novel by Charles Dickens (1859) Putting a novel as sprawling as A Tale of Two Cities on stage is a daunting task, but one taken up by Jill Santoriello who wrote the book, lyrics, and music for this production which had its Broadway bow in 2008. This production was ambitious and had a short New York run, but the score is widely available (and, in fact, also stars James Barbour, this time as Sydney Carton) for those looking to compliment their reading with some music. The Woman in White, based on the novel by Wilkie Collins (1859) Wilkie Collins' novel of sensational events got the musical treatment in the early 00s by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Though it did not run for very long in either London or New York, it did seek to capture the eerie world of the novel and uses one of Webber's more classical/operatic sounding songs to do so. While there is comic relief in the form of Count Fosco, lightness doesn't play much of a part in this piece. Wonderland, based on the novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll (1865 and 1871/2, respectively) This is the first of three Frank Wildhorn interpretations on this list, because he clearly loves adapting British literature as much as I love listening to his music. Wonderland, though, is perhaps the loosest adaptation on the list. It takes the classic tales of Alice and her journey into Wonderland and turns Alice into an adult in modern New York. Wildhorn used a variety of pop musical styles (look out for the White Knight's boy band number!) to bring Wonderland to life, and gives not just one but two show-stopping numbers to the Mad Hatter who, by the way, is a woman. The Mystery of Edwin Drood, based on the incomplete novel by Charles Dickens (unfinished at the time of his death in 1870) How does one take an unfinished novel and turn it into a musical? By giving it multiple endings, of course. This musical breaks the fourth wall and openly engages its audience, allowing them to decide "who done it" and giving the opportunity to see a different ending every night. The cast recordings capture all the possible endings, making this an ideal compliment to the unfinished novel by raising the obvious question of, who DID do it and are any of the musical's ideas possible? Jekyll & Hyde, based on the novel Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886) Another entry from Frank Wildhorn. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Jekyll & Hyde on stage is seeing one man (in the original Broadway production, Robert Cuccioli) play both characters at once and switch between them before your eyes. This can be appreciated even by merely listening to the vocal gymnastics in the cast recording. Dark, brooding, and always full of menace, this musical takes you on Dr. Jekyll's twisted journey in a way that could easily serve as a soundtrack to reading the novel. The Scarlet Pimpernel, based on the (play and) novel by Baroness Emma Orczy (1905) I've never denied that this musical was one of the bigger influences on my love of French history, so naturally I am excited to include it here. Wildhorn's The Scarlet Pimpernel opened on Broadway in 1997, closed for a bit, and reopened with a bit of tweaking and changing of plot order and song attribution/replacements. When looking for a recording to listen to though, I have to suggest going with the Original Broadway Cast Recording. The combination of Douglas Sills, Terrence Mann, and Christine Andreas is not to be missed. This is a dark, romantic piece, that blends the late 18th century of France and England, all the while keeping the guillotine hovering right above them all. The Secret Garden, based on the novel by Frances Hodgson (1911) There are more cast recordings of The Secret Garden than one can easily list, so here it truly becomes a matter of accessibility and preference. The story of Mary, the spoiled young girl who discovers a secret garden on the estate of her withdrawn uncle in Yorkshire, is told with sensitivity and a strong sense of place. Songs like "Lily's Eyes", "Hold On", and "Race You to the Top of the Morning" (below) provide insight into the adult characters who fill the world Mary reawakens. Peter Pan, based on the (play and) novel by J.M. Barrie (1911) This musical adaptation had long been embraced by the wider world. It debuted in 1954 on Broadway, later became a staple role for Cathy Rigby, and was - as recently as 2014 - revived for a live television production starring Allison Williams in the title role. Songs like "I'm Flying" and "I Won't Grow Up" have long ago entered much of the popular imagination and this rendition of the story serves as a good compliment to both the novels and popular Disney animated film. Matilda, based on the novel by Roald Dahl (1988) Tim Minchin's score captures the magic and wonder of young Matilda, a British schoolgirl with a love of books and extensive imagination. This interpretation of the novel features all the characters you expect, including Miss Trunchbull - always portrayed by a man in woman's dress. Look for songs like "Naughty", "School Song", and "When I Grow Up" to mix adults and children and build a world that honors Dahl's original. High Fidelity, based on the novel by Nick Hornby (1995) This musical adaptation arrived on stages in the mid-00s and lifted the location of the novel from England and placed it back down squarely in Brooklyn. Nevertheless, the heart of the plot remained intact as it followed Rob, a record store owner, on his quest to revisit and better understand why his romantic relationships all fail in the aftermath of his girlfriend Laura leaving him. Although the show itself only had a minuscule run on Broadway (less than three weeks) its score - by Tom Kitt and Amanda Green - has lived on and been appreciated by many. #Musicals #Theatre #Literature