The Spectral Summit
This podcast looks at historic literature and figures from the past. We'll start with a 16-year-old Ben Franklin pranking his brother James in 1722 by writing essays as a middle-aged New England widow who savagely critiques colonial Boston and Harvard. Future episodes include interviews with Warren G. Harding, FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt and Edgar Allen Poe. Stay tuned!
Podcasting since 2026 • 6 episodes
The Spectral Summit
Latest Episodes
Silence Dogood Essay No. 5 — Pride and Idleness
In this installment, Teen Ben Franklin uses Silence to push back against a male critic - in today's world, we might call him part of the manosphere- when he suggests that she should criticize women for being lazy before turning her ire t...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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10:13
Hamilton - Federalist Paper 70 - The Executive Department Further Considered
In Federalist No. 70,
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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38:57
Silence Dogood Essay No. 4 — The Temple of Learning
What does a 16-year-old writing under a fake name have to say about college education — and why does it still sting? In 1722, Benjamin Franklin's fictional widow Silence Dogood took aim at Harvard and the parents who sent unprepared students th...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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12:45
Silence Dogood Essay 3 - Silence's Promise to Her Readers
This is 16-year-old Ben Franklin's third essay as his alter-ego Silence Dogood, a middle-aged widow who has some strong opinions about the world around her. In this shorter but important piece, Silence formally lays out her purpose ...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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5:13
Silence Dogood Essay 2 - Colonial Education & Female Literary
In her second letter, Silence Dogood looks back on her childhood — and takes aim at colonial education.Writing as a reflective widow, Benjamin Franklin critiques the limits placed on young minds, especially girls, in early eightee...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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8:15
