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What happens when one forgotten diary, a trunk full of artifacts, and decades of research bring an erased woman’s story back into view?

In this episode of Armchair Historians, I’m joined by writer, teacher, and my former multimedia writing mentor, Sonja Mongar, to talk about her powerful work on Cora Paul — a real woman whose life unfolded between Victorian expectations and modern independence in the early American West.

Sonja shares how Cora’s 1907 diary, family photographs, postcards, and inherited objects helped her reconstruct a life that had long been reduced to family judgment and silence. We talk about erased history, women of the West, family archives, intergenerational trauma, creative nonfiction, and why telling these stories matters.

We also discuss multimedia storytelling, the power of preserving history outside traditional gatekeeping institutions, and how personal artifacts can open a window into the past.

If you love hidden women’s history, family stories, historical research, and the messy, human truth behind the archive, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Cora Paul and the idea of the “New Woman of the West”
• Erased and marginalized histories
• Diaries, postcards, photographs, and family archives
• Women’s lives in Montana in the early 20th century
• Multimedia storytelling as a form of historical preservation
• The tension between academic history and lived history
• How personal history can become public history

Links & Resources:

• Sonja Mongar’s website: sonjamongar.com
  
  
• Sonja Mongar on Facebook: facebook.com/sonja.mongar.96
  
  
• Missoula Public Library Family History Writing Contest: missoulapubliclibrary.org/family-history-writing-contest
  
  Sonja mentions that her Cora Paul piece is slated to appear through this program; the library says qualifying submissions are published online and uploaded to the Montana History Portal.
• StoryCorps: storycorps.org
  
  

Books Mentioned / Related Reading:

• Bone Deep in Landscape: Writing, Reading, and Place by Mary Clearman Blew — University of Oklahoma Press
  
  

About Cora Paul:
Cora Josephine Paul was born in 1893 and her life story, as reconstructed by Sonja, traces a path from Chicago to Montana ranch country and later to an indepe

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Armchair Historians Show Notes

Marcus James — Queer History of London / Molly Houses

Episode Summary

In this episode of Armchair Historians, Anne Marie Cannon talks with Marcus James, founder of Queer London Tours, about the hidden and deeply human history of queer London. Their conversation focuses especially on the world of Molly Houses in Georgian London—clandestine spaces where queer men found community, joy, ritual, performance, and belonging in a time of danger and repression.

Marcus shares how he came to this work, from acting and LGBTQ+ media to building a walking tour that brings London’s queer past to life through both research and personal storytelling. Along the way, Anne Marie and Marcus discuss Princess Seraphina, Mother Clap’s Molly House, Tyburn, Oscar Wilde, and why emotional truth matters just as much as dates and facts when we talk about history.

This is a conversation about hidden histories, resistance, identity, and the enduring truth that even in the darkest times, people still found ways to love, laugh, gather, and be themselves.

About Marcus James

Marcus James is the founder and guide behind Queer London Tours, a London walking tour experience dedicated to exploring the city’s rich LGBTQ+ history.

Find Marcus James

Website: https://queerlondontours.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queerlondontours/

Book a tour (OutSavvy): https://www.outsavvy.com/event/30385/queer-history-of-london-walking-tour

Places and History Mentioned

Old Bailey Proceedings Online: https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/

Tyburn Tree: https://www.tyburnconvent.org.uk/tyburn-tree

History of Tyburn Tree / Marble Arch: https://marble-arch.london/culture-blog/history-of-tyburn-tree/

Vauxhall Gardens — brief history: https://www.vauxhallgardens.com/vauxhall_gardens_briefhistory_page.html

Queer Britain: https://queerbritain.org.uk/

Queer Britain visitor info: https://queerbritain.org.uk/visit

Books Discussed

Mother Clap’s Molly House: The Gay Subculture in England 1700–1830 — Rictor Norton

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Claps-Molly-House-Subculture/dp/0854491880

Mother Clap’s Molly House — Mark Ravenhill

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Claps-Molly-House-Modern/dp/0413769305

The Betrayal of Thomas True — A.J. West

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Thomas-True-J-West/dp/1916788599

Queer Georgians — Anthony Delaney

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Queer-Georgians/dp/1529927684

Closing Line

If you are heading to London and want to experience the city through a richer, more human, and ofte

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Author Gigi Berardi joins Anne Marie Cannon to discuss Bianca’s Cure, a historical novel inspired by Bianca Capello, Renaissance Florence, women’s hidden knowledge, and the search for a cure for malaria. Together, they explore alchemy, medicine, power, and the ways women carved out influence in a world designed to constrain them.

Learn more about Gigi Berardi:
https://gigiberardi.com/

Bianca’s Cure:
https://gigiberardi.com/biancas-cure/
https://shewritespress.com/product/biancas-cure/
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Biancas-Cure/Gigi-Berardi/9798896360704

Other book mentioned:
FoodWISE
https://www.northatlanticbooks.com/shop/foodwise/
https://wp.wwu.edu/gigiberardi/foodwise/

Support the show

Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram: @armchairhistorians
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/armchairhistorians

Support Armchair Historians:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/armchairhistorians
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/belgiumrabbitproductions

Check out Anne Marie's historical fiction and download free short story: A.M. Cannon website: www.amcannon.com

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.