Very Big News! For the past year, I’ve been working on a new podcast - written & hosted by moi - all about famous trials from American history, called
@_historyontrial
. The trailer is out now!
Good night, sweet
@Jeopardy
- nothing is eternal! I had the time of my life playing, and am SO grateful for everyone who made it possible: the producers & crew, my friends & family, and my amazing fellow contestants - especially new 🔝 🍌 , the brilliant Kendra! Rooting for you!
In the most bonkers news of my life, I’ll be on
@Jeopardy
on February 9th! Best experience ever. The part I didn’t expect was the amazing people you meet, like this random crew member!
What a thrilling end to my
@Jeopardy
journey! I think you could tell how much fun we had on stage together. How good is
@jessematheny_
(that DJ run in game 2 🤩)??? And I am SO PROUD and IN AWE of our CWC champ
@mullet_kintyre_
!! Can’t wait to cheer for you in the TOC 💖💪
Unbelievably serendipitous: weeks before filming, I finished writing an
@NobleBloodTales
episode on the creation of the title “Holy Roman Emperor,” the most confusing title in history. Feel like my whole life was leading me to this point!
Aaaah!! Thank you to everyone for the nice notes. So excited to be moving on to the FINALS 😭🥳! And so honored to have played alongside Vince & Sriram - certified Sweet & Thoughtful Geniuses. Be sure to watch the next two semis on Monday & Tuesday - they’re going to be GOOD!
New
@NobleBloodTales
on a royal wedding with a twist: boy and girl are forced to marry, boy falls in love with girl, girl falls in love with…his sister! And then historians try to pretend it didn’t happen :) so actually pretty standard stuff.
Thank you everyone for the well wishes! And thank you most of all to
@JeopardyJesseC
and
@campolka
, who are just as brilliant, hilarious, and kind as they look on TV. Couldn’t have had more fun on the Alex Trebek Stage than I did with those two. Semifinals up next!
happy
@JeopardyJesseC
,
@maysayhay
and
@campolka
day to all who celebrate!!! Check your local listings! CHAMPIONS WILD CARD SESSION TWO CONTINUES WITH FURY, WIT AND AMAZING ACCESSORIES
Bonus content! In which I somehow simultaneously reveal family drama and also insult the entire discipline of theater on national TV, because I love chaos I guess??!
@Jeopardy
@OneEclecticMom
THANK YOU
@OneEclecticMom
- the Lilly seal of approval is everything!! For those asking about the blouse - it’s from TJ Maxx 😎 I’m not sure where it can be found now, but it’s Elie Tahari and has a twist front, so maybe online shoppers savvier than me could hunt it down!
I was unaware of this funny history, but I for one wasn’t trolling when I said that a toilet paper holder helped me prep - I would highly recommend it as a buzzer substitute! It worked very well for me 🚽 💰 😊
It’s been nearly a decade since his original run and I’m still not 100% convinced that the “toilet paper roll holder is like a
#Jeopardy
buzzer” thing isn’t the greatest elaborate long-con troll of all time by
@whoisalexjacob
.
My first episode for
@NobleBloodTales
, all about high school history icon and certified wife guy™️, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Such a dream to be writing for the juiciest history pod out there alongside the brilliant
@DanaSchwartzzz
and
@norellehan
!
👑 New episode!!!! 👑
Most people only know Franz Ferdinand because of what his death meant for Europe. But before his assassination, he was an archduke fighting to marry the woman he loved....
Imagine the most famous preacher in America being sued by his former protégé for having an affair with his wife. Pretty juicy, right? People in 1875 certainly thought so…and they weren’t wrong! Listen to the fascinating story now ⚖️
ATTENTION: British princes in your area are looking for wives!
You: 18-25, German princess, loves children, low standards
Us: middle-aged, addicted to gambling, many illegitimate children, mommy issues
Interested? Send a RECENT miniature & your appx. dowry to
@NobleBloodTales
The James Garfield-Charles Guiteau episode has arrived! A true American tragedy - this story breaks my heart. But it’s filled with inspiring moments too! And features a doctor whose first name was “Doctor” and had both mutton chops AND a soul patch 😵💫
Everyone read Immortality!!
@DanaSchwartzzz
did the thing*!!
*The thing: writing a brilliant sequel to Anatomy, featuring even more romance, intrigue, blood, and King George(s). Seriously, it’s SO GOOD.
Imagine the most famous preacher in America being sued by his former protégé for having an affair with his wife. Pretty juicy, right? People in 1875 certainly thought so…and they weren’t wrong! Listen to the fascinating story now ⚖️
My very first ep was a two parter, all about the life and death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. There is so much more to this story than most of us know - in part 1, learn about Franz’s sad childhood and his deep, forbidden love for an “unworthy” woman (5/)
New
@NobleBloodTales
out today! It starts with a bloody murder and ends with…more murder! In between, we’ve got allegations of satanic possession, several show trials, petty rivalries, and lots of naked women. In other words, it’s peak Noble Blood.
New
@NobleBloodTales
from me on the ALLEGEDLY murderous Joanna of Naples - easily one of the most fascinating medieval queens. Ft. indecisive popes, meddling mothers-in-law, and a cautionary tale on rebounding with your cousin.
#justiceforJoanna
listen to Jeopardy champ
@JeopardyJesseC
!! Listen to episode 2 of
@_historyontrial
and you are guaranteed to win*
@Jeopardy
!!
*or at least be able to answer one question in a “19th century scandal” category 🥳
Tonight’s Jeopardy champ, Taylor, is a truly special guy. I hope you’ll join me in supporting the foundation that he talked about on the show—created in honor of the life of his niece, Taylor Anne—which works to end pediatric cancer ❤️
My latest
@NobleBloodTales
! Come for the romance (“I shall hold in my arms the most beautiful body in the world. Verily, Madame, I shall die of joy,”), stay for the rage (“the lions should suck her devil’s blood, the tigers tear her cowardly heart out”)!!
Did you know that King George I of England's wife was under lifelong house arrest in Germany after the murder of her lover? Well get ready for the most
@NobleBloodTales
story to ever Noble Blood. (Buckle up, this one is LONG)
Sophia Dorothea and her lover, Philip von Konigsmarck, wrote each other some DEEPLY PERSONAL love letters, many of which survive today (history jackpot!!)!! Don’t worry, I made
@DanaSchwartzzz
read several long excerpts 😇 (9/)
This week on
@NobleBloodTales
: a Safavid princess/puppet master uses cunning, flattery, and a little sprinkling of murder (alleged!) to gain power over her brothers. Yes, Pari Khan Khanum is who Shiv Roy wishes she could be. Listen now!
Listen here! It’s got so many juicy letter excerpts (bosoms galore!) and even a TikTok reference (thought of by
@DanaSchwartzzz
, I’m not cool enough for that)
I've just invoked Art.99 of the UN Charter - for the 1st time in my tenure as Secretary-General.
Facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, I urge the Council to help avert a humanitarian catastrophe & appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared.
Can you lock your employees inside a factory and still evade responsibility for their deaths in a fire? (😵💫) Max Blanck and Isaac Harris put that question to the test in this week’s episode of
@_historyontrial
: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Trial
The Triangle Fire is one of the worst workplace disasters in American history. Many in 1911 believed that the Triangle’s owners, Isaac Harris and Max Blanck, were responsible for the 146 deaths on that tragic day. But did a jury agree? Find out now:
EPISODE 1 IS HERE! It’s the story of the 1800 trial of Levi Weeks for the murder of Elma Sands: a case full of twists & turns…and the very first fully recorded murder trial in American history! Bonus: Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr are on the defense.
Episode 3 of
@_historyontrial
is here! Francis “Star Spangled” Scott Key takes on a mild-mannered botanist and physician named Reuben Crandall over the issue of slavery… and things get very bad, very quickly.
Francis Scott Key: not just the author of the national anthem! As district attorney for DC in the 1830s, Key took on a number of controversial cases. Episode 3 covers Key’s prosecution of Reuben Crandall, a case with destructive fallout. Listen now!
🚨 new episode alert! 🚨 It’s about the time California declared war…on a tabloid! Confidential magazine was nasty, juicy, and powerful - and despised by movie studios & politicians alike. Hear the wild story of its 1957 trial for obscenity & libel now!
Part 3 doesn’t exist, but if it did it would be a fully fleshed out alternative history in which FF and Sophie live, inspired by this historically accurate convo between
@megjune
and me: (7/)
New episode: the scandal that upended France in 1314 when all THREE of King Philip IV's daughter in laws were implicated in an accusation of adultery. The Tour de Nesle affair would ultimately tear the Capet dynasty apart.
You're hearing a lot about Tim Walz and free school lunches. You're not hearing enough about the behind-the-scenes role of Philando Castile's mom in getting that bill passed.
Did you know Henry Kissinger was almost kidnapped by a group of anti-war nuns and priests?? Well, actually, maybe that never happened. Or did it?? That’s the question at the heart of this week’s episode, the United States v. the Harrisburg 7!
In part 2, it’s assassination time - we dive deep into the radicalization of a young Gavrilo Princip, and reveal the absurd, Arrested Development-style series of mistakes that made the assassination possible (6/)
The Assassination Part II ft. a poetry loving assassin, a cursed chauffeur, teenagers on trial, a truly heartbreaking death scene, and a guest appearance from everyone’s least favorite courtier, Alfred de Montenuovo 😈
This one also features one of my favorite epilogues - a beautiful and complicated story of a queen working to forgive herself for (imo) the sins of others, in imperfect ways (17/)
When I tell you this story kept me up for multiple nights, I’m not exaggerating. One of the most infuriating cases I’ve covered yet - now told in two parts (part two out next week!)
Imagine being 25, getting trapped abroad during WWII, and taking a typing job at a radio station…only to end accused of treason 6 years later 😱
For the full, WAY wilder story of Iva Toguri D’Aquino, listen to part 1 of the Trial of Tokyo Rose!
…the answer is TOO fast. In his defense, it was a very cool boat! Unfortunately, this boat crash causes England to fall into a decades-long civil war that is so gnarly that historians started calling it The (capital-T, capital-A) Anarchy. Awesome! (15/)
That’s right, we’re talking the SECRET HISTORY, the most gossipy, National Enquirer-y historical text of ancient Byzantium, complete with allegations of demonic possession, bestiality, and *gasp* politicians being greedy. (18/)
But anyways, yep, you guessed it, this ep focuses on Joanna of Naples! This woman did it all! Ruled a kingdom! Got accused of murder! Stared the Black Plague in the face and said “whatever!” Married a guy who lived in a cage! Raised an army and rescued her country! (28?/)
New
@NobleBloodTales
this week answering some of life’s great questions: what even was the Holy Roman Empire and WHY was it called that??!! ft. scheming Byzantines, attacks on the pope, and Voltaire (surprise) being sassy.
NEXT EP, one of my favorites, because I’d never heard the story before, and it’s absolutely fantastic: in the 16th century, Pari Khan Khanum, a Safavid princess, used her cunning, charisma, and comfort w murder (!) to seize power from her brothers (10/)
…who now had to take on the world’s hardest task: finding wives! You would think a bunch of middle-aged, spoiled scoundrels would not be too picky, but you would be wrong. Bonus fact - this ep explains which the period was known as the Regency! (13/)
NEXT EP: Enter the White Ship! Continuing the theme of problematic heirs, William Aetheling, grandson of William the Conqueror, accidentally squanders his father Henry’s hard-taught legacy by seeing how fast a boat can go in rocky waters 🙃 (14/)
NEXT EP: it’s the tragic story of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, wife of King George I of England. You don’t remember him having a queen? Oh, maybe that’s because he had her put in jail for life for having an affair 🫠 (8/)
I’ll be telling all sorts of fascinating stories - from the murder trials of presidential assassins to the libel trials of sleazy magazine trials - we’re covering it all! The amazing
@DanaSchwartzzz
, my boss from
@NobleBloodTales
is producing, so you know it’s juicy.
@kwesterhaus
@Jeopardy
Likewise, Kendra! Such a fun game, and you crushed it. So lovely to meet you and your parents and husband as well. We’re cheering for you in Portland!
@michhechtic
@RoadshowPBS
Thank you so much!! The blouse is from TJ Maxx 😎 but it’s an Elie Tahari twist front blouse, and I think people have been able to find it on Poshmark (although sadly for a much higher price than I got it for)
New
@NobleBloodTales
in which a politician throws a party sooo dope that the king must DESTROY him!!..or so the legends say - listen to hear the true story of the rise and fall of Nicolas Fouquet!
Iva Toguri D’Aquino stands trial for treason in Part 2 of The Trial of Tokyo Rose. Iva believes that a trial will bring the truth of her innocence out. But the prosecutors, it seems, are more interested in winning than in the truth. Find out what happens:
NEXT EP, on the Tour de Nesle Affair, has one of my favorite “play misogynistic games, get dynasty-ending prizes” storylines in history!! Also a great way to fill out your NB bingo card (affairs! torture! power struggles!) (16/)
…and then, bc I am somehow living the dream, I get to email
@DanaSchwartzzz
and
@norellehan
and say, “here’s a cool story, would you please pay me to investigate it and write about??!!” and they say yes??!! 🤩🤩🤩 (24/)