Oct 24 • 52M

Unruly Interviews: Mike Sowden

The incredible Ames family, archaeological practices, and what it means to experience the sublime

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Appears in this episode

Valorie Clark
Mike Sowden
Writes Everything Is Amazing Subscribe
A show about history's favorite rebels. Releasing every other Tuesday.
Episode details
Transcript
Cross-post from Unruly Figures
Hello! This is Mike of Everything Is Amazing... Today, two (!) sequels to the piece I sent to you a few days ago, about the mind-boggling delights of the Ames Room illusion & the man who invented it. When I first ran that story about Adelbert Ames Jr. back in 2022, a reader (thanks, Fiona!) pointed me towards the even more extraordinary accomplishments of his sister - who isn't a household name for all the reasons you'd expect in an era where brilliant women were frequently overlooked. So I was delighted when Valorie Clark, author of the newsletter (& upcoming book!) 'Unruly Figures' took up the other half of this story. Click through to listen to her podcast episode on Blanche Ames Ames - and then listen to the conversation Valorie & I had about her. (SPOILERS: it gets nerdy.) -
Mike Sowden

Hi y’all!

For this week’s bonus episode, I’m chatting with

Mike Sowden
, the writer behind
Everything Is Amazing
, about Blanche Ames Ames and the whole Ames family! We also talk about Mike’s past in archaeology, what happens when we experience the sublime, and how the human brain deals with illusions.

If you haven’t listened to the Blanche Ames Ames episode, there are going to be some spoilers in here. If you don’t want spoilers, you can learn all about her incredible life full of inventions, art, and activism below, then come back here to listen to Mike and I chat about her and her family.

#32 - Blanche Ames Ames

Valorie Clark
·
Sep 5
#32 - Blanche Ames Ames

Listen now (42 mins) | Hello everyone and welcome to season three of the Unruly Figures! I’m so excited to start another season of this super fun show with y’all. Any guesses for what is coming this season? I have some high-profile figures and some folks that you may have never heard of, and I’m excited to talk about all of these rule-breakers with you.

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If this is your first time stopping by Unruly Figures, welcome! This podcast is all about history’s biggest rule-breakers. I do deep dives into the lives and times of rebels and revolutionaries, looking at how they changed their worlds. Upgrade to a paid subscription for bonus episodes, merch discounts, and behind-the-scenes peeks.

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