Ep. 42 - Medical Lore and Unsung Women Trailblazers, with Janice P. Nimura

How can books help us discover uncelebrated trailblazing women? Janice P. Nimura--author of the biography The Doctors Blackwell, for which she received a Public Scholar Award from the National Endowment for the Humanities--shares with Eve and Julie the long neglected history of Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell, who were the first and third women respectively in America to receive medical degrees. Together the Blackwell doctors opened the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children, the first hospital staffed entirely by women. Janice--who also wrote Daughters of the Samurai--discusses why she was drawn to write about these sisters; what it took for them to break into the all-male, 19th century medical establishment; why there have been so few books about them despite their staggering accomplishments (hint: they weren’t adorable); and how systemic sexism has shaped perspectives on both princesses and old crones. Finally, Eve shares a dose of 19th century medical gore! Find us on Twitter (@bookdreamspod) and Instagram (@bookdreamspodcast), or email us at [email protected]. We encourage you to visit our website and sign up for our newsletter for information about our episodes, guests, and more. Book Dreams is a part of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate network, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. For more information on how The Podglomerate treats data, please see our Privacy Policy. Since you’re listening to Book Dreams, we’d like to suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows about literature, writing, and storytelling like Storybound and The History of Literature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices