Anne Hutchinson: Puritan, Rebel, Founding Mother

I’ve been partnering with the Commonwealth Museum in Boston to tell stories about Massachusetts history in a whole new way. The podcast we’ve created, “Voices from the Vault” brings to life some of the most unexpected moments in New England’s history.

Our latest podcast is about Anne Hutchinson. You know Anne Hutchinson – she’s the Puritan woman who managed to get kicked out of Boston, helped found Rhode Island, and then got murdered in upstate New York. She’s a Puritan, a rebel, and a founding mother. Amazingly, the only records we have of her own words are the transcripts of her infamous trial. So what do we really know about Anne Hutchinson? And what made her so remarkable?

Take a listen!

A Real Rockford Peach

Projects, Video Production

The best part about working in media production is getting to meet incredible people with unbelievable stories. This summer, I was fortunate to meet Mary Pratt, a former member of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League — the same league that was the basis for the film A League of Their Own. In fact, Mary was a pitcher for the Rockford Peaches, the team made famous by the movie.

I assisted in field producing a video about Mary and the AAGPBL for the BBC program Witness. I asked Mary questions on behalf of the UK producers, since she has a little trouble hearing on the phone these days. I also found artifacts and photos from Mary’s baseball career for our videographer to film.

Though it’s been a while since Mary threw a pitch herself, she still advocates for women in sports. I feel fortunate to have helped to bring more attention to her story.

Watch the Witness video

Writing for Spinoff Online

Projects

This week marks the end of my first month as a commentator on Spinoff Online, a website that reports on the latest in science fiction/comic book movies and TV shows. This is a terrific opportunity, and it’s been a ton of fun to write about everything from who should play a young Han Solo in an upcoming Star Wars film to why Americans have an obsession with stories about serial killers.

I’m looking forward to continuing to report on zombies, vampires, caped crusaders, and aliens from another world in the coming months. In the meantime, here are more highlights from my work at Spinoff:

The Nielsen Company is taking steps toward measuring how people view TV content online, but this change has been slow in coming, and even slower to have an impact on the industry.
Brit sitcom and Hulu favorite Spy will be remade for American audiences with Rob Corddry at the helm – but could it be as good as the original?
As Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere resurfaces as a radio play on BBC4, I argue that American audiences should listen to more radio dramas.

BackStory with the American History Guys

Projects

In a matter of days, one of the most ambitious projects I’ve been privileged to work on finally hits the air. BackStory with the American History Guys features three historians telling the stories you only think you know from America’s past. The first episode, on the history of birth, airs May 11 on national NPR stations.