<![CDATA[The Language of Flowers]]>A podcast about flowers and what humans have always used them to say. Each episode, a different bloom. Short enough to stop and smell the roses.

Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier

Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan

Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian

Theme Music: Paul Oliphant

]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Tue, 20 Oct 2026 08:37:38 GMTFri, 20 Mar 2026 16:24:37 GMT60Nina & Jake<p>A podcast about flowers and what humans have always used them to say. Each episode, a different bloom. Short enough to stop and smell the roses.</p><p></p><p><b>Executive Producer, Writer &amp; Host:</b> Nina Ozier</p><p><b>Co-host and Episode Cover Artist:</b> Jake Kaplan</p><p><b>Audio Producer &amp; Sound Mixer:</b> Elliot Terzian</p><p><b>Theme Music:</b> Paul Oliphant</p>episodicNina & Jakeninaozier@gmail.comno<![CDATA[Flowerotica: The Lotus]]>Reach into a lotus and it is the temperature of a body. It heats itself, holds insects inside overnight, and lets them go in the morning carrying its traces to somebody else. Flowerotica closes with the flower we all agreed was about purity, and a twelfth-century poem in which a god begs a woman to put her foot on his head. The lotus is waiting to see who climbs in.

Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier

Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan

Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian

Theme Music: Paul Oliphant

Episode References:

  1. Seymour & Schultze-Motel (1996): "Thermoregulating lotus flowers," Nature, Vol. 383. Floral temperature range and thermoregulation.
  2. Seymour & Schultze-Motel (1998): follow-up work on heat production and beetle pollination in Nelumbo nucifera.
  3. Li & Huang (2009): "Effective pollinators of Asian sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)," Annals of Botany. Protogyny, day-one stigma receptivity, day-two anther dehiscence, overnight trapping of beetles.
  4. Barbara Stoler Miller, trans. (1977): Love Song of the Dark Lord: Jayadeva's Gitagovinda, Columbia University Press. Standard scholarly translation; source for structure, raga and tala assignment, and shringara framing.
  5. Andrew Schelling, trans. (2008): Kamini: Poems from the Gitagovinda.
  6. Lee Siegel, trans.: Gitagovinda: Love Songs of Radha and Krishna, Clay Sanskrit Library.
  7. Lee Siegel (1978): Sacred and Profane Dimensions of Love in Indian Traditions, as Exemplified in the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva.
  8. Encyclopedia of Religion, "Jayadeva" entry. Padmavati marriage tradition and the Krishna-writes-the-couplet legend.
  9. Ocaso Press: Gita Govinda translation and commentary (public domain rendering, invocation text).
  10. Gita Govinda Canto X, song 19: "smara-garala-khandanam mama shirasi mandanam dehi pada-pallavam udaram." The foot-on-head verse and the love-as-poison image.
  11. Gita Govinda Canto XI (Radha enters the bower) and Canto XII (the union, rati viparita, and the re-adornment song).
  12. Sanskrit devotional usage of pada-padma, charana-kamala and pada-aravinda as fixed epithets for the feet of a deity, guru or elder. Miller's notes cover this; worth a scholarly cite rather than a devotional site.
]]>4eefb397-913f-4848-bd78-f81142ffb8feWed, 23 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>Reach into a lotus and it is the temperature of a body. It heats itself, holds insects inside overnight, and lets them go in the morning carrying its traces to somebody else. Flowerotica closes with the flower we all agreed was about purity, and a twelfth-century poem in which a god begs a woman to put her foot on his head. The lotus is waiting to see who climbs in.</p><p></p><p><b>Executive Producer, Writer &amp; Host:</b> Nina Ozier</p><p><b>Co-host and Episode Cover Artist:</b> Jake Kaplan</p><p><b>Audio Producer &amp; Sound Mixer:</b> Elliot Terzian</p><p><b>Theme Music:</b> Paul Oliphant</p><p></p><p><b>Episode References:</b></p><ol><li>Seymour &amp; Schultze-Motel (1996): "Thermoregulating lotus flowers," Nature, Vol. 383. Floral temperature range and thermoregulation.</li><li>Seymour &amp; Schultze-Motel (1998): follow-up work on heat production and beetle pollination in Nelumbo nucifera.</li><li>Li &amp; Huang (2009): "Effective pollinators of Asian sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)," Annals of Botany. Protogyny, day-one stigma receptivity, day-two anther dehiscence, overnight trapping of beetles.</li><li>Barbara Stoler Miller, trans. (1977): Love Song of the Dark Lord: Jayadeva's Gitagovinda, Columbia University Press. Standard scholarly translation; source for structure, raga and tala assignment, and shringara framing.</li><li>Andrew Schelling, trans. (2008): Kamini: Poems from the Gitagovinda.</li><li>Lee Siegel, trans.: Gitagovinda: Love Songs of Radha and Krishna, Clay Sanskrit Library.</li><li>Lee Siegel (1978): Sacred and Profane Dimensions of Love in Indian Traditions, as Exemplified in the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva.</li><li>Encyclopedia of Religion, "Jayadeva" entry. Padmavati marriage tradition and the Krishna-writes-the-couplet legend.</li><li>Ocaso Press: Gita Govinda translation and commentary (public domain rendering, invocation text).</li><li>Gita Govinda Canto X, song 19: "smara-garala-khandanam mama shirasi mandanam dehi pada-pallavam udaram." The foot-on-head verse and the love-as-poison image.</li><li>Gita Govinda Canto XI (Radha enters the bower) and Canto XII (the union, rati viparita, and the re-adornment song).</li><li>Sanskrit devotional usage of pada-padma, charana-kamala and pada-aravinda as fixed epithets for the feet of a deity, guru or elder. Miller's notes cover this; worth a scholarly cite rather than a devotional site.</li></ol>yes00:11:4318Flowerotica: The Lotusfull<![CDATA[Flowerotica: Tuberose]]>A flower that every culture has tried to contain and instead, it gets louder. In the third episode of Flowerotica, we're following tuberose. Commonly mistaken for jasmine, but this one doesn't seduce so lightly. Banned from Victorian bedrooms, named after courtesans, and bottled as an unrequited declaration of love. Some flowers take you apart at the seams.

Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier

Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan

Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian

Theme Music: Paul Oliphant

Episode References:

  1. Wikipedia: Polianthes tuberosa entry (pronunciation exchange, Raffalovich/Wilde detail)
  2. Wikipedia: Marc-André Raffalovich entry
  3. Wikipedia: Germaine Cellier entry
  4. Wikipedia: Fracas (perfume) entry
  5. Wikipedia: Edwige Feuillère entry
  6. AbeBooks / Peter Harrington listing for Tuberose and Meadowsweet first edition (Wilde's review quote, Uranian poetry context)
  7. UT Austin Ransom Center blog (Wilde/Raffalovich acquaintance timeline, Pall Mall Gazette review date: March 27, 1885)
  8. Cambridge University Press / New Blackfriars journal: "Uranisme et Unisexualité" (Raffalovich biography, Wilde/Raffalovich relationship souring)
  9. Fragrantica: "Germaine Cellier: Innovator and Iconoclast" (Cellier biography, Fracas dedication, Bandit context)
  10. Fragrantica: "Germaine Cellier: Genius and Witch" (Feuillère crush detail, vintage Fracas description)
  11. Kafkaesque blog: "Perfume Review — Robert Piguet Fracas: The History & The Legend" (Cellier biography, Roja Dove quote, ingredient list)
  12. Into The Gloss: "History Lesson: The Scent of Fracas" (Cellier eccentricities, Feuillère nude scene, naming of Fracas)
  13. AllMovie: Edwige Feuillère biography
  14. Our Classic Past blog: Edwige Feuillère entry
  15. Silver Scenes blog: Edwige Feuillère entry
  16. Xochiquetzal mythology details (Wikipedia and supporting sources on Aztec mythology)
]]>8d683e63-f959-47db-accd-554f2d9c7276Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>A flower that every culture has tried to contain and instead, it gets louder. In the third episode of Flowerotica, we're following tuberose. Commonly mistaken for jasmine, but this one doesn't seduce so lightly. Banned from Victorian bedrooms, named after courtesans, and bottled as an unrequited declaration of love. Some flowers take you apart at the seams.</p><p></p><p><b>Executive Producer, Writer &amp; Host:</b> Nina Ozier</p><p><b>Co-host and Episode Cover Artist:</b> Jake Kaplan</p><p><b>Audio Producer &amp; Sound Mixer:</b> Elliot Terzian</p><p><b>Theme Music:</b> Paul Oliphant</p><p></p><p><b>Episode References:</b></p><ol><li>Wikipedia: <i>Polianthes tuberosa</i> entry (pronunciation exchange, Raffalovich/Wilde detail)</li><li>Wikipedia: <i>Marc-André Raffalovich</i> entry</li><li>Wikipedia: <i>Germaine Cellier</i> entry</li><li>Wikipedia: <i>Fracas (perfume)</i> entry</li><li>Wikipedia: <i>Edwige Feuillère</i> entry</li><li>AbeBooks / Peter Harrington listing for <i>Tuberose and Meadowsweet</i> first edition (Wilde's review quote, Uranian poetry context)</li><li>UT Austin Ransom Center blog (Wilde/Raffalovich acquaintance timeline, <i>Pall Mall Gazette</i> review date: March 27, 1885)</li><li>Cambridge University Press / <i>New Blackfriars</i> journal: "Uranisme et Unisexualité" (Raffalovich biography, Wilde/Raffalovich relationship souring)</li><li>Fragrantica: "Germaine Cellier: Innovator and Iconoclast" (Cellier biography, Fracas dedication, Bandit context)</li><li>Fragrantica: "Germaine Cellier: Genius and Witch" (Feuillère crush detail, vintage Fracas description)</li><li>Kafkaesque blog: "Perfume Review — Robert Piguet Fracas: The History &amp; The Legend" (Cellier biography, Roja Dove quote, ingredient list)</li><li>Into The Gloss: "History Lesson: The Scent of Fracas" (Cellier eccentricities, Feuillère nude scene, naming of <i>Fracas</i>)</li><li>AllMovie: Edwige Feuillère biography</li><li>Our Classic Past blog: Edwige Feuillère entry</li><li>Silver Scenes blog: Edwige Feuillère entry</li><li>Xochiquetzal mythology details (Wikipedia and supporting sources on Aztec mythology)</li></ol>no00:09:1017Flowerotica: Tuberosefull<![CDATA[Flowerotica: The Orchid]]>In the second episode of Flowerotica we track the orchid, and a floral biology so precise that it can replicate female arousal at the molecular level. From ancient Greece to Victorian greenhouses, landing in a domestic garden in Melbourne, this is a flower that has been running the same naturally selective seduction for two hundred million years. Some flowers get into the chemistry. 

Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier

Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan

Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian

Theme Music: Paul Oliphant

Episode References:

  1. Schiestl et al. (1999): "Orchid pollination by sexual swindle," Nature
  2. Schiestl et al. (2000): "Sex pheromone mimicry in the early spider orchid (Ophrys sphegodes)," Journal of Comparative Physiology A, Vol. 186
  3. Edith Coleman (1927): original paper on pseudocopulation in Cryptostylis leptochila, republished by Edward Poulton in Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society, 1928
  4. "Orchid Sexual Deceit Provokes Ejaculation," The American Naturalist, 2008
  5. Brunton & Martin: "Orchid sexual deceit affects pollinator sperm transfer," Functional Ecology, 2020
  6. British Herbal Guide (1653) 
  7. Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance (1893) 
  8. Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief (1998) 
  9. Fred M. White, "The Purple Terror" (1896)
]]>e12e7309-cd6c-4ec7-811c-8da230f27033Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>In the second episode of Flowerotica we track the orchid, and a floral biology so precise that it can replicate female arousal at the molecular level. From ancient Greece to Victorian greenhouses, landing in a domestic garden in Melbourne, this is a flower that has been running the same naturally selective seduction for two hundred million years. Some flowers get into the chemistry. </p><p></p><p><b>Executive Producer, Writer &amp; Host:</b> Nina Ozier</p><p><b>Co-host and Episode Cover Artist:</b> Jake Kaplan</p><p><b>Audio Producer &amp; Sound Mixer:</b> Elliot Terzian</p><p><b>Theme Music:</b> Paul Oliphant</p><p></p><p></p><p><b>Episode References:</b></p><ol><li>Schiestl et al. (1999): "Orchid pollination by sexual swindle," Nature</li><li>Schiestl et al. (2000): "Sex pheromone mimicry in the early spider orchid (Ophrys sphegodes)," Journal of Comparative Physiology A, Vol. 186</li><li>Edith Coleman (1927): original paper on pseudocopulation in Cryptostylis leptochila, republished by Edward Poulton in Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society, 1928</li><li>"Orchid Sexual Deceit Provokes Ejaculation," The American Naturalist, 2008</li><li>Brunton &amp; Martin: "Orchid sexual deceit affects pollinator sperm transfer," Functional Ecology, 2020</li><li>British Herbal Guide (1653) </li><li>Oscar Wilde, <i>A Woman of No Importance</i> (1893) </li><li>Susan Orlean's <i>The Orchid Thief</i> (1998) </li><li>Fred M. White, "The Purple Terror" (1896)</li></ol>yes00:12:4216Flowerotica: The Orchidfull<![CDATA[Flowerotica: Jasmine]]>Desire that arrives before you know it’s hit you. In the first episode of Flowerotica, we follow jasmine from Cleopatra's barge on the Cydnus river, through the sacred bridal rituals of South Asia, into the chemistry of a molecule that speaks a language the body already knows. Some invitations can only be felt.

Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier

Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan

Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian

Theme Music: Paul Oliphant

Episode References:

  1. The Perfume Society: "Jasmine — Mythology, History & Scents" — perfumesociety.org
  2. The Perfume Society: "Cleopatra's Fragrance: Finally Recreated?" — perfumesociety.org
  3. Histoires de Parfums: "A Brief History of Jasmine" — histoiresdeparfums.com
  4. Bon Parfumeur: "Jasmine in Perfumery" — bonparfumeur.com
  5. Natural Niche Perfume: "Jasmine Perfume — Properties, Distillation, and History" — naturalnicheperfume.com
  6. Perfumer & Flavorist, Vol. 34, October 2009: "Jasmine: The Flower of Flowers" by Rodrigo Flores-Roux, Givaudan — the trade publication source for the Grasse harvest figures and indole chemistry detail
  7. Blue Tree Aroma: "The Enigmatic Journey of Jasmine" — bluetreearoma.com
  8. Insight Intelligence Group: "Cleopatra's Enigma: The Art of Seduction and Power" — insightintelligence.com.au
  9. The Siasat Daily: "Cleopatra's Perfume That Lured Julius Caesar, Mark Antony Recreated" — siasat.com
  10. Plutarch, Life of Antony — the original source for the barge scene
  11. Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, Act II Scene II — "the winds were lovesick with those sails"
  12. Rabindranath Tagore, The Gardener
  13. Wikipedia: "Gajra"
  14. Garland Magazine: "Mala: The Floral Garlands of India"
  15. Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 42
]]>10141e8b-76b6-4525-b3ee-a7d8cdf72183Wed, 15 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>Desire that arrives before you know it’s hit you. In the first episode of Flowerotica, we follow jasmine from Cleopatra's barge on the Cydnus river, through the sacred bridal rituals of South Asia, into the chemistry of a molecule that speaks a language the body already knows. Some invitations can only be felt.</p><p></p><p><b>Executive Producer, Writer &amp; Host:</b> Nina Ozier</p><p><b>Co-host and Episode Cover Artist:</b> Jake Kaplan</p><p><b>Audio Producer &amp; Sound Mixer:</b> Elliot Terzian</p><p><b>Theme Music:</b> Paul Oliphant</p><p></p><p><b>Episode References:</b></p><ol><li>The Perfume Society: "Jasmine — Mythology, History &amp; Scents" — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://perfumesociety.org" target="_blank">perfumesociety.org</a></li><li>The Perfume Society: "Cleopatra's Fragrance: Finally Recreated?" — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://perfumesociety.org" target="_blank">perfumesociety.org</a></li><li>Histoires de Parfums: "A Brief History of Jasmine" — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://histoiresdeparfums.com" target="_blank">histoiresdeparfums.com</a></li><li>Bon Parfumeur: "Jasmine in Perfumery" — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://bonparfumeur.com" target="_blank">bonparfumeur.com</a></li><li>Natural Niche Perfume: "Jasmine Perfume — Properties, Distillation, and History" — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://naturalnicheperfume.com" target="_blank">naturalnicheperfume.com</a></li><li>Perfumer &amp; Flavorist, Vol. 34, October 2009: "Jasmine: The Flower of Flowers" by Rodrigo Flores-Roux, Givaudan — the trade publication source for the Grasse harvest figures and indole chemistry detail</li><li>Blue Tree Aroma: "The Enigmatic Journey of Jasmine" — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://bluetreearoma.com" target="_blank">bluetreearoma.com</a></li><li>Insight Intelligence Group: "Cleopatra's Enigma: The Art of Seduction and Power" — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://insightintelligence.com.au" target="_blank">insightintelligence.com.au</a></li><li>The Siasat Daily: "Cleopatra's Perfume That Lured Julius Caesar, Mark Antony Recreated" — <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://siasat.com" target="_blank">siasat.com</a></li><li>Plutarch, <i>Life of Antony</i> — the original source for the barge scene</li><li>Shakespeare, <i>Antony and Cleopatra</i>, Act II Scene II — "the winds were lovesick with those sails"</li><li>Rabindranath Tagore, <i>The Gardener</i></li><li>Wikipedia: "Gajra"</li><li>Garland Magazine: "Mala: The Floral Garlands of India"</li><li>Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 42</li></ol>yes00:08:4915Flowerotica: Jasminefull<![CDATA[The Rose]]>The rose is the most symbolically overloaded flower in human history, precisely because it exceeds every meaning humans try to give it. In this episode, we follow one of the largest and yet perhaps lesser known through lines of the rose, across Greek epigrams, Persian mysticism, and postwar Japan. Wherever desire and love are too big to be contained by the body or the century holding it, the rose finds a way to let it all thrive.

Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier

Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan

Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian

Theme Music: Paul Oliphant

Episode References:

  1. Beverly Seaton, The Language of Flowers: A History
  2. Meleager of Gadara, Greek Anthology
  3. Straton of Sardis, Mousa Paidike (The Boyish Muse)
  4. Solon of Athens: homoerotic poetry fragments
  5. Wikipedia: LGBTQ Symbols, Shams Tabrizi, Eikoh Hosoe
  6. Kew Gardens: "Four Flowers That Have Become Queer Symbols"
  7. Rumi, Masnavi and Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi
  8. Eikoh Hosoe, "Subject Matter" lecture, American Suburb X (2010)
  9. Aperture: Eikoh Hosoe: Barakei edition notes
  10. Metropolitan Museum of Art collection entry on Barakei
  11. Nippon.com: "Ordeal by Roses: The Astonishing Artistic Collaboration Between Mishima Yukio and Photographer Hosoe Eikō"
  12. Yukio Mishima, preface to Barakei (1963)
  13. Scientific American: "How Roses Evolved to Become the Flower of Valentine's Day" (2026)
  14. Nesreen Akhtarkhavari and Anthony A. Lee (trans.), Rumi's Love is My Savior - "A Dream" from Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi
]]>acf51c8b-ca4d-4a8e-b620-d9faff85c8d7Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>The rose is the most symbolically overloaded flower in human history, precisely because it exceeds every meaning humans try to give it. In this episode, we follow one of the largest and yet perhaps lesser known through lines of the rose, across Greek epigrams, Persian mysticism, and postwar Japan. Wherever desire and love are too big to be contained by the body or the century holding it, the rose finds a way to let it all thrive.</p><p></p><p><b>Executive Producer, Writer &amp; Host:</b> Nina Ozier</p><p><b>Co-host and Episode Cover Artist:</b> Jake Kaplan</p><p><b>Audio Producer &amp; Sound Mixer:</b> Elliot Terzian</p><p><b>Theme Music:</b> Paul Oliphant</p><p></p><p><b>Episode References:</b></p><ol><li>Beverly Seaton, <i>The Language of Flowers: A History</i></li><li>Meleager of Gadara, <i>Greek Anthology</i></li><li>Straton of Sardis, <i>Mousa Paidike</i> (The Boyish Muse)</li><li>Solon of Athens: homoerotic poetry fragments</li><li>Wikipedia: LGBTQ Symbols, Shams Tabrizi, Eikoh Hosoe</li><li>Kew Gardens: "Four Flowers That Have Become Queer Symbols"</li><li>Rumi, <i>Masnavi</i> and <i>Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi</i></li><li>Eikoh Hosoe, "Subject Matter" lecture, American Suburb X (2010)</li><li>Aperture: <i>Eikoh Hosoe: Barakei</i> edition notes</li><li>Metropolitan Museum of Art collection entry on <i>Barakei</i></li><li><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://Nippon.com" target="_blank">Nippon.com</a>: "Ordeal by Roses: The Astonishing Artistic Collaboration Between Mishima Yukio and Photographer Hosoe Eikō"</li><li>Yukio Mishima, preface to <i>Barakei</i> (1963)</li><li>Scientific American: "How Roses Evolved to Become the Flower of Valentine's Day" (2026)</li><li>Nesreen Akhtarkhavari and Anthony A. Lee (trans.), Rumi's Love is My Savior - "A Dream" from Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi</li></ol>yes00:11:1914The Rosefull<![CDATA[Violets]]>For over two thousand years, violets have been a shared language between women. In this episode, we follow a thread from Sappho's pen, through Parisian salons and art circles, to Broadway. And we ask how love finds a way to exist when the world insists it can't.

Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier

Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan

Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian

Theme Music: Paul Oliphant

Episode References:

  1. Anne Carson, If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho
  2. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Sappho”
  3. Poetry Foundation biography
  4. Shari Benstock, Women of the Left Bank
  5. JSTOR Daily, “Why Violets Became a Symbol of Lesbian Love”
  6. Lillian Faderman, Surpassing the Love of Men
  7. Kew Gardens, "Four Flowers That Have Become Queer Symbols" — kew.org
  8. JSTOR Daily, "Four Flowering Plants That Have Been Decidedly Queered"
  9. Wikipedia, "LGBTQ Symbols" — for The Captive / violet sales detail
  10. Dressing Dykes, "From Lavender to Violet: The Lesbian Obsession with Purple" — for Paris Lesbos community detail
  11. Manchester Historian, "Fighting Lesbian Erasure in Historiography: Restoring Sappho as a Queer Identity" — Amber Barry
  12. Wikipedia, "Renée Vivien" — for laudanum/violets suicide attempt detail
  13. Freedom Socialist Party, "Gay Resistance: The Hidden History Part III" — for Vivien's work being unsellable in England and US
  14. Taylor Institution Library, "Renée Vivien, Enfant Terrible of the Belle Époque" — for critical hostility detail
]]>e37b3deb-113c-4cb6-8b47-f52584dc5697Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>For over two thousand years, violets have been a shared language between women. In this episode, we follow a thread from Sappho's pen, through Parisian salons and art circles, to Broadway. And we ask how love finds a way to exist when the world insists it can't.</p><p><b>Executive Producer, Writer &amp; Host:</b> Nina Ozier</p><p><b>Co-host and Episode Cover Artist:</b> Jake Kaplan</p><p><b>Audio Producer &amp; Sound Mixer:</b> Elliot Terzian</p><p><b>Theme Music:</b> Paul Oliphant</p><p><b>Episode References:</b></p><ol><li><i>Anne Carson, If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho</i></li><li><i>Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Sappho”</i></li><li><i>Poetry Foundation biography</i></li><li><i>Shari Benstock, Women of the Left Bank</i></li><li><i>JSTOR Daily, “Why Violets Became a Symbol of Lesbian Love”</i></li><li><i>Lillian Faderman, Surpassing the Love of Men</i></li><li><i>Kew Gardens, "Four Flowers That Have Become Queer Symbols" — </i><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://kew.org" target="_blank"><i>kew.org</i></a></li><li><i>JSTOR Daily, "Four Flowering Plants That Have Been Decidedly Queered"</i></li><li><i>Wikipedia, "LGBTQ Symbols" — for The Captive / violet sales detail</i></li><li><i>Dressing Dykes, "From Lavender to Violet: The Lesbian Obsession with Purple" — for Paris Lesbos community detail</i></li><li><i>Manchester Historian, "Fighting Lesbian Erasure in Historiography: Restoring Sappho as a Queer Identity" — Amber Barry</i></li><li><i>Wikipedia, "Renée Vivien" — for laudanum/violets suicide attempt detail</i></li><li><i>Freedom Socialist Party, "Gay Resistance: The Hidden History Part III" — for Vivien's work being unsellable in England and US</i></li><li><i>Taylor Institution Library, "Renée Vivien, Enfant Terrible of the Belle Époque" — for critical hostility detail</i></li></ol>yes00:09:0113Violetsfull<![CDATA[The Dahlia]]>The dahlia didn't arrive with a meaning. It accumulated one. In our titular episode, we trace how a sacred Aztec crop became a smuggled treasure, a botanist's legacy, and eventually a word in the Victorian language of flowers.

Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier

Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan

Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian

Theme Music: Paul Oliphant

Episode References:

  1. Seaton, Beverly. The Language of Flowers: A History. University of Virginia Press.
  2. Greenaway, Kate. The Language of Flowers. London, 1884.
  3. Cavanilles, Antonio José. Icones et Descriptiones Plantarum (1791–1801).
  4. Sahagún, Bernardino de. Florentine Codex (Aztec botanical traditions).
  5. Smithsonian Gardens. “The History of the Dahlia.”
  6. Royal Horticultural Society. “Dahlia: History and Origins.”
]]>102c9116-1e76-4c65-b76b-661ab68069fcWed, 13 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>The dahlia didn't arrive with a meaning. It accumulated one. In our titular episode, we trace how a sacred Aztec crop became a smuggled treasure, a botanist's legacy, and eventually a word in the Victorian language of flowers.</p><p><b>Executive Producer, Writer &amp; Host:</b> Nina Ozier</p><p><b>Co-host and Episode Cover Artist:</b> Jake Kaplan</p><p><b>Audio Producer &amp; Sound Mixer:</b> Elliot Terzian</p><p><b>Theme Music:</b> Paul Oliphant</p><p><b>Episode References:</b></p><ol><li>Seaton, Beverly. <i>The Language of Flowers: A History</i>. University of Virginia Press.</li><li>Greenaway, Kate. <i>The Language of Flowers</i>. London, 1884.</li><li>Cavanilles, Antonio José. <i>Icones et Descriptiones Plantarum</i> (1791–1801).</li><li>Sahagún, Bernardino de. <i>Florentine Codex</i> (Aztec botanical traditions).</li><li>Smithsonian Gardens. “The History of the Dahlia.”</li><li>Royal Horticultural Society. “Dahlia: History and Origins.”</li></ol>no00:08:5512The Dahliafull<![CDATA[The Blue Cornflower]]>Some symbols, however small, earn their weight through the specific, irreplaceable moments in which they were held. In our first episode we trace how a wildflower that grew at the margins of cultivated fields became a vessel for grief, resistance, and national memory.

Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier

Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan

Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian

Theme Music: Paul Oliphant

Episode References:

  1. Christopher Clark, Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600–1947
  2. Monika Wienfort, Monarchy and Modernity in Prussia
  3. Paul Fussell, The Great War and Modern Memory
  4. Jay Winter, Sites of Memory, Sites of Mourning: The Great War in European Cultural History
  5. George L. Mosse, Fallen Soldiers: Reshaping the Memory of the World Wars
  6. Beverly Seaton, The Language of Flowers: A History
]]>4e098972-d8de-4845-9929-18d1da4ac242Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>Some symbols, however small, earn their weight through the specific, irreplaceable moments in which they were held. In our first episode we trace how a wildflower that grew at the margins of cultivated fields became a vessel for grief, resistance, and national memory.</p><p></p><p><b>Executive Producer, Writer &amp; Host:</b> Nina Ozier</p><p><b>Co-host and Episode Cover Artist:</b> Jake Kaplan</p><p><b>Audio Producer &amp; Sound Mixer:</b> Elliot Terzian</p><p><b>Theme Music:</b> Paul Oliphant</p><p></p><p><b>Episode References:</b></p><ol><li>Christopher Clark, Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600–1947</li><li>Monika Wienfort, Monarchy and Modernity in Prussia</li><li>Paul Fussell, The Great War and Modern Memory</li><li>Jay Winter, Sites of Memory, Sites of Mourning: The Great War in European Cultural History</li><li>George L. Mosse, Fallen Soldiers: Reshaping the Memory of the World Wars</li><li>Beverly Seaton, The Language of Flowers: A History</li></ol>no00:07:3511The Blue Cornflowerfull