In the elite world of 11th-century Japan, matters of the heart unfold alongside matters of state. Where the ability to compose poetry and display quick wit counted for more than brute strength and male dominance.

At the heart of the imperial court, two women (Sei Shonagon and Murasaki Shikibu) from rival factions kept diaries and penned extraordinary works of fiction making them the Japanese counterparts to William Shakespeare.

But whilst these women are diametrically opposed to one another, they may have shared an unspoken bond of queer identity. Hitherto dismissed by traditional historians, a new wave of research and revision is collapsing old beliefs and bringing to light an entirely new way of thinking about this world.

In this special episode, the brilliant Meg Hyland takes the reins, guiding us through a world of elegance and rivalry, artistry and ambition.

Notes on sources and links to Meg Hyland’s work:

The Diary of Lady Murasaki ed. and trans. by Richard Bowring (Penguin, 2006)

Murasaki Shikibu: Her Diary and Poetic Memoirs ed. and trans. Richard Bowring (Princeton University Press, 1982)

The Pillow Book ed. and trans. Meredith McKinney (Penguin, 2006)

The Tale of Genji ed. and trans. Royall Tyler (Penguin, 2003) (quote about wishing Genji was a woman)

Translations of Komashaku Kimi's Murasaki Shikibu's Message - Alexandra Loop's masters thesis and Tomiko Yoda's translation of one of the chapters.

Blog One Thousand Summers (for the translation of Murasaki's poem about the moon hidden behind clouds)

Pictures of the Heart: The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image by Joshua Mostow (University of Hawai'i Press, 1996) (Mostow criticizes Kamens for straightwashing Murasaki and other Heian poets)

The Buddhist Poetry of the Great Kamo Priestess by Edward Kamens (1990) (Kamens is the scholar Mostow criticizes, and the one who calls the moon image "unmistakably erotic" but says it was just friendship when women used it)

Lesbian Murasaki short comic I mention - here is the artist's instagram

Meg’s links:

Instagram: @womenof1000ad

Website: https://womenof1000ad.weebly.com/

Meg has a Redbubble shop with the Murasaki Shikibu design for sale (as well as other illustrations) for prints, stickers, magnets, etc.

In 1885, a Pittsburgh journalist wrote an article about women and their role in society - it argued that their only purpose was to get pregnant and keep up with the laundry. One reader was so angry with this that she wrote a retort to the editor arguing that women should be given more employment opportunities. The editor agreed and offered a young Nellie Bly her first job as a journalist.

From there, Bly never stopped – from ridiculing a Mexican dictator, to exposing American CEOs and challenging the very fabric of US society. There was no stopping her.

Bly once wrote, “I have never had but one desire, and that was to benefit humanity.” This is her story.

Hey guys, welcome to another special episode! The Film in our sights this time? Exodus: Gods & Kings. The 2014 biblical epic directed by Ridley Scott, with Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton in the leading roles. Join Will, Jamie, and both Patricks, as they discuss their likes, dislikes, and general shit talking...With plenty of rage quits from Patrick (ALH).

Someone once said, that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Sage words such as these should always be followed, and woe betide those who fail to heed this lesson. For there a those in this world, who will promise you the world, while taking everything you hold dear...

In this episode of the Cloak & Dagger podcast we tell the tale of a queen, a cardinal and a confidence trickster, set agains the backdrop of the days leading up to the French Revolution.

If you want to see this episode’s accompanying images and a sneak peek of upcoming episodes, follow us on Instagram - @cloakanddaggerpodcast

Music:

Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoogLink: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

As the New Zealand government militia treks through the jungle pass, they have no idea what might await them in the shadows. Tales of the man they are hunting are blended with myths of his supernatural powers; like an ability to melt into thin air. Despite hundreds of attempts, no amount of force has been able to vanquish the Maori guerrilla prophet called Te Kooti.

Fear gripped the white settlers and their Maori allies across New Zealand - Te Kooti was known for his ruthlessness as much as for his divine inspiration.

If you want to see this episode’s accompanying images and a sneak peek of upcoming episodes, follow us on Instagram - @cloakanddaggerpodcast

Music:

Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoogLink: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Humanity has spent an alarmingly large amount of it's existence at war with itself. Wars full of pain and loss and terror. But for most of our existence, we could take solace in the knowledge that while one army may be attacking another, or one city had been set alfame, the rest of the world could go about their day unperturbed. That was, until 1945. Until the first atomic bomb.

From that day on, humanity knew it now possessed the keys to its total destruction. And this is the story of the day we came closer than ever before, to turning that key....

If you want to see this episode’s accompanying images and a sneak peek of upcoming episodes, follow us on Instagram - @cloakanddaggerpodcast

Music:

Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoogLink: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

As the US Civil War entered its second bloody year, a young man recently arrived from Ireland enlists in the 95th Illinois Volunteer Regiment and marches to war.

He joined thousands of other young men but unlike them, he has a secret which if revealed, could lead to great hardship and potential physical harm if discovered. This does not deter him from his choice to fight and makes him one of the bravest soldiers of the Civil War. Welcome to our episode on the incredible life of Albert Cashier.

Music:

Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoogLink: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Pope Stephen was furious. So angry, in fact, that he was going to make his predecessor feel his wrath - no matter the consequences.

His cardinals were too scared or too shocked to intervene and soon the pope had his wish - he dragged his predecessor into a trial that would echo through the centuries and mark one of the lowest points in the history of the papacy. Welcome to the Cadaver Synod.

If you want to see this episode’s accompanying images and a sneak peek of upcoming episodes, follow us on Instagram - @cloakanddaggerpodcast

Music:

Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoogLink: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license