Episode 12: There is fiction in the space between

About this episode

This episode connects Cold War witch hunts and fables to McCarthyism, highlighting the role of artists and activists in truth-telling as an act of resistance.

What do Cold War witch hunts and old-school fables have in common? In this episode of The Persistence , host Angélica Cordero connects The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Emperor’s New Clothes to America’s Red Scare, exposing how paranoia and denial fueled McCarthyism. With humor and insight, Angélica revisits the stories of Paul Robeson, Dorothy Parker, and Hazel Scott, brilliant artists and activists who refused to stay silent, even when the cost was everything. This isn’t just history. It’s a mirror for today’s culture wars and performance politics, reminding us that truth-telling has always been an act of resistance. This episode was written by and produced by Angélica Cordero, with a little help from ChatGPT. Our theme song is Don’t Kid Yourself Baby by Fold , used with their blessings. Podcast artwork for The Persistence features Mexican-American activist Jovita Idar and was created by Tamra Collins of Sunroot Studio . Resources For Fellow Wascally Wabbits Books The Broadcast 41: Women and the Anti-Communist Blacklist by Carol A. Stabile Feminism Unfinished: A Short, Surprising History of American Women's Movements by Dorothy Sue Cobble, Linda Gordon, Astrid Henry Ike and…

People in this episode

Host: Angélica Cordero

Topics covered

• Cold War
• McCarthyism
• paranoia
• denial
• truth-telling
• cultural wars
• performance politics

Keywords

• Cold War
• McCarthyism
• witch hunts
• activism
• truth-telling
• cultural wars
• performance politics

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Broadcast 41: Women and the Anti-Communist Blacklist, Feminism Unfinished: A Short, Surprising History of American Women's Movements, Ike and McCarthy: Dwight Eisenhower’s secret campaign against Joseph McCarthy, The Kitchen Debate and Cold War Consumer Politics: A Brief History with Documents, The American Woman: Her Changing Social, Economic, and

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