In this podcast Peter Ferry, a writer and researcher on beards, speaks to invited beard experts. There’s talk about trimming, razor-sharp insights, and bristling discussion about what changes in facial stylings throughout history tell us about who we are and why we need to keep writing about beards to understand who we are today.
The fifth episode of Writing Beards features Dr. Seb Coxon, Reader in German at (UCL) University College London. Seb is the writer of Beards and Texts: Images of Masculinity in Medieval German Literature, which has published by UCL press in September 2021. In this episode Seb talks about the writing of the book, breaking down each chapter to discuss representations of beards from the mid-twelfth century to the early sixteenth century in various texts and vernacular literary traditions. Topics include the beard and kingship, the beard and humanity, beards and comedy, and the beard and representations of Jesus.
Writing Beards can be found on Twitter @WritingBeards
Peter Ferry can be found on Twitter @DrPeterFerry
14 Feb 2022
Episode 4 with Dr Eleanor Rycroft
The fourth episode of Writing Beards features Eleanor Rycroft, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theatre at the University of Bristol in the UK. Eleanor discusses being seen as the “Beard Lady” and the issues surrounding being the most prominent female researcher and writer in the field of Beards and Facial Studies. Eleanor also talks about her latest book Facial Hair and the Performance of Early Modern Masculinity (Routledge 2019) and the importance of the beard on the 16th and 17th century stage as a tool to represent, critique, and subvert everyday masculinity during this period of British history.
Eleanor Rycroft can be found on Twitter @EarlyModernista
Writing Beards can be found on Twitter @WritingBeardsPeter Ferry can be found on Twitter @DrPeterFerry
7 Jan 2022
Episode 3 with Dr Christopher Oldstone-Moore
The third episode of Writing Beards features Dr. Christopher Oldstone-Moore, arguably the figurehead of the ever growing field of Beards Studies. Christopher talks about the research and writing that led to his widely acclaimed beards book Of Beards and Men: The Revealing History of Facial Hair (2015), undoubtedly the cornerstone study of beards research. The conversation touches upon the key points in the cultural history of beard growing and beard shaving, including the Victorian era and the 20th century, and, indeed, our more recent pandemic era beards.Writing Beards can be found on Twitter @WritingBeardsPeter Ferry can be found on Twitter @DrPeterFerry
7 Dec 2021
Episode 2 with Dr Barnaby Dixson
The second episode of Writing Beards features Dr. Barnaby Dixson, Honorary Senior Fellow in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland, Australia, who makes us think again about just how much attention people are really paying towards beards. Barnaby presents many findings from his research to discuss the factors impacting the growing and shaving of facial hair and, indeed, to ask probably the most important question of all: who are men really growing their beards for?
Barnaby Dixson can be found on Twitter @BarnabyDixson (https://twitter.com/BarnabyDixson)
Peter Ferry can be found on Twitter @DrPeterFerry (https://twitter.com/DrPeterFerry)Writing Beards can be found on Twitter @WritingBeards (https://twitter.com/writingbeards)
10 Nov 2021
Episode 1 with Dr Alun Withey
The first episode of Writing Beards features historian and BBC New Generation Thinker Dr. Alun Withey. Alun talks about his journey to becoming arguably the most widely recognised and respected beards expert in the UK today. Alun has appeared in a wide variety of TV and radio programmes to talk about his beards research, including BBC and ITV television, Channel 4, Sky News, as well as presenting his own beards documentaries. Alun has just published Concerning Beards Facial Hair, Health and Practice in England 1650-1900 (Bloomsbury 2021) (https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/concerning-beards-9781350127845/), a major study that leads beard research in the UK.
Alun can be found on Twitter @DrAlun (https://twitter.com/DrAlun?s=20). Alun’s blog can be found at https://dralun.wordpress.com (https://dralun.wordpress.com).
Peter Ferry can be found on Twitter @DrPeterFerry (https://twitter.com/drpeterferry?lang=en) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/drpeterferry/?hl=en)
Writing Beards can be found on Twitter @WritingBeards (https://twitter.com/writingbeards)
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