A.k. 47 - Selections From The Works Of Alexandra Kollontai

Kristen Ghodsee reads the third part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1916 essay, "Working Woman and Mother," and discusses reform vs. revolution.Upcoming events - Second World, Second Sex. Socialist Women’s Global Solidarity in the Cold WarVideosFrance 24 English, “Women Under Socialism: A Better Emancipation,” October 6, 2021Second Life Book Club, “Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism,” September 9, 2021 InterviewsJudit Bertan, “Kristen R. Ghodsee: "A las aplicaciones de citas no les interesa que tengas buen sexo" La Provincia, October 11, 2021Guiseppe Pavino, “"El socialisme d’estat va ser terrible en algunes coses, però beneficiós en d’altres,” La Directa, October 7, 2021Emma Pons Valls, “"Als països socialistes les relacions personals eren millors: era una manera de viure diferent" Public.es, October 4, 2021Sílvia Marimon Molas, “Kristen Ghodsee: "Las parejas que comparten la crianza de los hijos tienen mejores relaciones sexuales"“ Ara, October 2, 2021Xavi

In this episode, Kristen Ghodsee interviews the French-Canadian feminist activist and fellow Kollontai aficionado, Rebecca Amsellem in Paris, France. Rebecca is the editor of a well-known feminist newsletter in France, Les Glorieuses,  and she has contributed an essay a forthcoming edited volume about the impact Alexandra Kollontai has had on her life and work. In this conversation, Ansellem discusses Kollontai's views on love and revolution as well as why Kollontai is not better known in France.The edited collection is called: Une bibliothèque féministe, out in October 2021Rebecca will be speaking at 18:30 at the librairie à République in Paris:  "Lancement et rencontre avec Agathe le Tailandier pour son livre " Ma bibliothèque féminite" + invitées surprises!"The Les Glorieuses newsletter is a great way to practice your French! Rebecca also publishes two newsletter in English. If you want to keep abreast of French feminist politics and economics, look no further:Impact: https://lesgl

In this episode, Kristen Ghodsee reads Part Two of Alexandra Kollontai's 1916 essay, "Working Woman and Mother." This is an excellent essay to examine Kollontai's rhetorical strategies for reaching literate working class women. In this pamphlet, she starts by telling the stories of four pregnant women named Masha, and how their class positions determine society's different levels of concern for the "sacred" state of motherhood.As mentioned in the last episode, there are three in-person events coming up in Europe (Delta variant willing). Kristen Ghodsee will be speaking at the:Manifiesta in Oostende, Belgium on September 12, 2021Finestres Bookstore in Barcelona, Spain on September 29, 2021Gender and Materiality in Central and Eastern Europe in the XX Century in Paris, on October 1, 2021Also see the new TikTok channel: sexandsocialism101And Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism in Korean!Kristen Ghodsee's author website: www.kristenghodsee.comPopular Books:Why Women H

In this episode, Kristen Ghodsee reads Part One of Alexandra Kollontai's 1916 essay, "Working Woman and Mother." This is an excellent essay to examine Kollontai's rhetorical strategies for reaching literate working class women. In this pamphlet, she starts by telling the stories of four pregnant women named Masha, and how their class positions determine society's different levels of concern for the "sacred" state of motherhood.Also mentioned in this essay are three in-person events coming up in Europe ( Delta variant willing). Kristen Ghodsee will be speaking at the:Manifiesta in Oostende, Belgium on September 12, 2021Finestres Bookstore in Barcelona, Spain on September 29, 2021Gender and Materiality in Central and Eastern Europe in the XX Century in Paris, on October 1, 2021Also see the new TikTok channel: sexandsocialism101Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism in Korean!Kristen Ghodsee's author website: www.kristenghodsee.comPopular Books:Why Women Have Better Sex

In response to a listener request from the Chicago Teachers' Union, Kristen Ghodsee reads Louise Bryant's chapter on Alexandra Kollontai from Bryant's 1923 book: Mirrors of Moscow. Bryant was a feminist and a journalist who traveled to Russia in 1917 to report on the revolution with her husband, John Reed. This chapter is based on Bryant's personal conversations with Kollontai, and although her biography of Kollontai contains some errors, it is an interesting first hand account from another American woman who met Kollontai in Russia in the years following the October Revolution. Also mentioned in this episode are: Kristen Ghodsee on the podcast with Le Monde Diplomatique (English): Podcast with George Miller: The forgotten chapter of the women’s movement, July 14, 2021The Review of Taking Stock of Shock in The American ConservativePortuguese translation: Por que as mulheres tem melhor sexo sob o socialismo e outros argumentos a favor da independência econômicaKristen Ghodsee's author

Kristen Ghodsee and her daughter discuss the relationship of Alexandra Kollontai with her lifelong Bulgarian friend, Zoya Shadurskaya.  The two women met when they were six years old and remained friends for their entire lives, often living together and raising Kollontai's son, Misha. Shadurskaya never married, and Kollontai claimed that after her son, Zoya was the most "dear person to her in the world." In this episode, Ghodsee and her daughter discuss the politics of historiography and the prevalence of queer families in the revolutionary circles of Tsarist Russia. Kristen Ghodsee's author website: www.kristenghodsee.comPopular Books:Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments for Economic IndependenceRed Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary WomenThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon account and receives no funding. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word and share with your friends and networks,

Kristen Ghodsee reads and discusses Alexandra Kollontai’s 1914 essay, “War and Our Immediate Tasks,” which reflects her early commitment to pacifism during World War I.  Mentioned in this episode is Leo Tolstoy’s important book, The Kingdom of God Is Within You, the foundational document of Christian anarchism and a key theoretical elucidation of pacifism which had a profound impact on Mohandas Gandhi (and through Gandhi on Martin Luther King, Jr.)Also mentioned in this episode are several podcasts, articles, and a new book by Kristen Ghodsee:Podcast: National Public Radio, Throughline, “Capitalism: What Is It?” June 24, 2021Podcast: Revolutionary Left Radio, Interview with Kristen Ghodsee, “The Life and Legacy of Alexandra Kollontai” June 18, 2021Article: “When the women’s movement went global,” Le Monde Diplomatique English, July 1, 2021Article: “Les « grands-mères rouges » du mouvement international des femmes,” Le Monde Diplomatique, June 30, 2021Article: “Politicized Representations of Love and Sex: Read

In answer to a listener's question, Kristen Ghodsee discusses the meetings and interactions of the Russian-American anarchist with Alexandra Kollontai in 1920, quoting directly from Goldman's own works. Cited here are Goldman's Living My Life and My Further Disillusionment with Russia. Quotes from Emma Goldman:“I had known for some time of the presence in New York of Mme Alexandra Kolontay and Leon Trotsky. From the former I had received several letters and a copy of her book on woman’s share in the world’s work. She had asked me to meet her, but I had been unable to spare the time. Later on I had invited her to dinner, but she was prevented by illness from coming.”  - Emma Goldman, Living My Life"The expedition was to proceed to Petrograd the next day, but Louise begged me to remain for the funeral. Sunday, October 23rd, several friends rode with her to the Trade Union House where Reed’s body lay in state. I accompanied Louise when the procession started for the Red Square. There were spe

Kristen Ghodsee discusses a recent edited collection of essays about the life and work of Alexandra Kollontai, published by Sternberg Press, which includes an English translation of a Swedish play by Agneta Pleijel. The play was first performed in 1977 and this version is based on a revised version that was performed in Stockholm in 1979.The Red Love Reader emerged from a CuratorLab project from 2017-2018Listen to an e-flux podcast about the launch of the Red Love collection.Buy the book from Sternberg Press. Open Access to the book from Konstfack University.Thanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon account and receives no funding. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word and share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links:Buy Kristen Ghodsee's new book now: Everyday UtopiaSubscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very occasional) free newsletter. Learn more about Kristen Ghodsee's work at: www.kristenghodsee.com

Kristen Ghodsee reads and discusses the second part of Isabel de Palencia's 1947 translation of Alexandra Kollontai's essay, "A Letter to a Young Comrade."  This essay was reprinted in a report written by the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1959: "The Communist Conspiracy: Strategy and Tactics of World Communism."This essay is essentially a shorter version of "Make Way for Winged Eros" and was taken to be representative of Kollontai's work by the Americans who included it in this collection.  Thanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon account and receives no funding. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word and share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links:Buy Kristen Ghodsee's new book now: Everyday UtopiaSubscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very occasional) free newsletter. Learn more about Kristen Ghodsee's work at: www.kristenghodsee.com

Kristen Ghodsee reads and discusses the first part of Isabel de Palencia's 1947 translation of Alexandra Kollontai's essay, "A Letter to a Young Comrade."  This essay was reprinted in a report written by the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1959: "The Communist Conspiracy: Strategy and Tactics of World Communism."This essay is essentially a shorter version of "Make Way for Winged Eros" and was taken to be representative of Kollontai's work by the Americans who included it in this collection.  Thanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon account and receives no funding. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word and share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links:Buy Kristen Ghodsee's new book now: Everyday UtopiaSubscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very occasional) free newsletter. Learn more about Kristen Ghodsee's work at: www.kristenghodsee.com

Kristen Ghodsee reads and discusses the introduction to Alexandra Kollontai included in a report written by the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1959. This report, "The Communist Conspiracy: Strategy and Tactics of World Communism," includes two English selections of Kollontai's work: the foreword to Red Love and Isabel de Palencia's 1947 translation of Kollontai's essay, "A Letter to a Young Comrade."Mentioned in this episode is Elaine Tyler May's excellent book, Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War.Also, review the podcast and send in for your free A.K 47 stickers: Alexandra.kollontai.podcast@gmail.comThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon account and receives no funding. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word and share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links:Buy Kristen Ghodsee's new book now: Everyday UtopiaSubscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very

Kristen Ghodsee reads part two of Alexandra Kollontai's 1920 essay on the history of International Women's Day. Ghodsee also announces some upcoming lectures and events:7 March 2021 (15:00 GMT-5) A special event for the Democratic Socialists of America International Committee (co-sponsored by the socialist feminist working group and Lux Magazine): Love and Sex Behind the Iron Curtain: 20th Century State Socialism in Eastern Europe8 March 2021 (18:00 GMT-5) Jacobin Talks: The Socialist History of International Women's Day9 March 2021 (19:00 GMT-5) A keynote lecture for IWD at the University of Kansas: Women's History Month Lecture: Dr. Kristen R. Ghodsee on International Women's Day11 March 2021 (10:30 GMT-5) Guest Lecture: "State socialist women's organizations and their role during the U.N. Decade for Women (1975-1985)" Center for History, Sciences Po, Paris16 March 2021 (11:00 GMT-5) Discussion: "Socialism in the Age of AOC and Bernie Sanders: A Conversation with

Kristen Ghodsee reads part one of Alexandra Kollontai's 1920 essay on the history of International Women's Day. Ghodsee also announces some upcoming lectures and events.5 March 2021 (09:30 GMT-5) Conference Presentation: "Infrastructures of Solidarity: East-South Alliances During the United Nations Decade for Women, 1975-1985," Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London 7 March 2021 (15:00 GMT-5) A special event for the Democratic Socialists of America International Committee (co-sponsored by the socialist feminist working group and Lux Magazine): Love and Sex Behind the Iron Curtain: 20th Century State Socialism in Eastern Europe 9 March 2021 (19:00 GMT-5) A keynote lecture for IWD at the University of Kansas: Women's History Month Lecture: Dr. Kristen R. Ghodsee on International Women's Day 11 March 2021 (10:30 GMT-5) Guest Lecture: "State socialist women's organizations and their role during the U.N. Decade for Women (1975-1985)" Center for Hi

Kristen Ghodsee discusses the political economy of Valentine's Day and reads an excerpt from Alexandra Kollontai's 1911 book review of The Sexual Crisis by Grete Meisel-Hess.  In this section of "Love and the New Morality," Kollontai critiques the institution of bourgeois monogamous marriage as it existed in 1911. Ghodsee  also mentions several recent video appearances on Youtube:Youtube: Economic Update with Richard Wolff - Why Women Have Better Sex in SocialismYoutube: Capitalism Hits Home Podcast - Kristen Ghodsee on the Decommodification of Sex - Part 1Youtube: Capitalism Hits Home Podcast - Kristen Ghodsee on the Decommodification of Sex - Part 2See all upcoming events for women's history month and IWDThanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon account and receives no funding. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word and share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links:Buy Kristen Ghodsee's ne

In this bonus episode, Kristen Ghodsee discusses the surprise hit series Bridgerton with her daughter and the University of Pennsylvania graduate student, Angelina Eimannsberger. According to a Netflix announcement on January 27th, 2021, 85 million households have streamed the series, making it the most streamed series on Netflix in its history. In this episode, Ghodsee and her guests ask whether Alexandra Kollontai would have loved or hated the show. This episode has SPOILERS for the series, so please do not listen if you have not completed the first season and you care about such things.  Thanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon account and receives no funding. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word and share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links:Buy Kristen Ghodsee's new book now: Everyday UtopiaSubscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very occasional) free newsletter. Learn more about Kristen Ghodsee's work

Kristen Ghodsee reads Alexandra Kollontai's 1917 article "Our Tasks," written in the immediate aftermath of the October Revolution. Ghodsee also celebrates the social media activism of the K-Pop stans who took over Twitter on January 22, 2021.FREE STICKERS IF YOU REVIEW THE PODCAST!A Note from Kristen Ghodsee:"January 2021 will be the two year anniversary of the A.K. 47 podcast. To honor this anniversary, my daughter designed the nice three-inch matte stickers seen here.She explained to me that podcasts are recommended by the algorithms based on the number of reviews they have. She thought it would be a good idea to encourage listeners to review the podcast in places like Apple Podcasts and Podcast Addict in order to increase its future visibility.So if you leave a review, you can send a screenshot of that review and your mailing address to this email address: Alexandra.Kollontai.Podcast@gmail.com. We will send one of each of the four stickers below to the first 200 listeners who send in t

Kristen R. Ghodsee reads Adrienne Rich’s 1983 poem, “North American Time,” in which Rich name-checks Alexandra Kollontai. Ghodsee reflects on the events of the January 2021 “Capitol Insurrection,” the influence of political correctness, and the responsibilities of “verbal privilege.” Rich also mentions the amazing Puerto Rican poet Julia de Borgos.You can watch Adrienne Rich read North American Time on YouTube.Thanks so much for listening. This podcast has no Patreon account and receives no funding. If you would like to support the work being done here, please spread the word and share with your friends and networks, and consider exploring the following links:Buy Kristen Ghodsee's new book now: Everyday UtopiaSubscribe to Kristen Ghodsee's (very occasional) free newsletter. Learn more about Kristen Ghodsee's work at: www.kristenghodsee.com

Kristen Ghodsee reads a letter Kollontai wrote to the English suffragist and socialist, Dora Montefiore. It is an update of the work of the revolution, and Kollontai is remarkably candid about the struggles they were facing and the work remaining to be done. The letter is an interesting look at the status of socialist women's activism almost exactly one century ago.FREE STICKER OFFERA Note from Kristen Ghodsee:"January 2021 will be the two year anniversary of the A.K. 47 podcast. To honor this anniversary, my daughter designed the nice three-inch matte stickers seen here.She explained to me that podcasts are recommended by the algorithms based on the number of reviews they have. She thought it would be a good idea to encourage listeners to review the podcast in places like Apple Podcasts and Podcast Addict in order to increase its future visibility.So if you leave a review, you can send a screenshot of that review and your mailing address to this email address: Alexandra.Kollontai.Podcast@gmail.com.

Kristen Ghodsee reads Alexandra Kollontai's 1946 essay, "Lenin thought of both great and small," which reflects on her memories of Christmas 1917. Nadezhda Konstantinovna refers to Lenin's wife and Maria Ilyinichna is Lenin's sister.  In this article, Kollontai reflects on the importance of small acts of kindness. FREE STICKERS IF YOU REVIEW THE PODCAST!A Note from Kristen Ghodsee:"January 2021 will be the two year anniversary of the A.K. 47 podcast. To honor this anniversary, my daughter designed the nice three-inch matte stickers seen here.She explained to me that podcasts are recommended by the algorithms based on the number of reviews they have. She thought it would be a good idea to encourage listeners to review the podcast in places like Apple Podcasts and Podcast Addict in order to increase its future visibility.So if you leave a review, you can send a screenshot of that review and your mailing address to this email address: Alexandra.Kollontai.Podcast@gmail.com. We will s