Listen Now

Emily Klancher Merchant is a historian and a survivor. When she was in her early 30s, she experienced a cardiac arrest and discovered a life-threatening genetic condition. In our latest episode, she shares a story about the body modification that helps keep her alive.  

The ancient Etruscans thought dental braces were beautiful and the height of fashion. Sometimes they would extract perfectly healthy teeth just so they could buy new braces. We are joined by guest host Elli for an historic and modern take on metalwork in our mouths. Show notes

Things get a little racy on the podcast this week. We discuss the one time Memory had to play the part of a tavern wench. We also entertain you with stories of the corset from history and from our lives. Kes’ Kentucky accent gets pretty thick in this episode, so watch out for that.  Show […]

Kayan women sometimes wear heavy brass coils around their necks. The coils affect their ribs, shoulders, and jaws but keep tourists flocking to the Kayan camps. Is the practice a benefit or burden for the Kayan women? We discuss. Show notes

The first facelift was in 1901, when Eugen Hollander surgically removed the skin from a Polish woman’s cheeks. We go from there. Show notes