A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
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A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai
Kristen R. Ghodsee reads and discusses 47 selections from the works of Alexandra Kollontai (1872-1952), a socialist women's activist who had radical ideas about the intersections of socialism and women's emancipation. Born into aristocratic privilege, the Ukrainian-Finnish Kollontai was initially a...
Recent Episodes
158 episodes
158 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - The Political Economy of Love in Capitalism
Kristen Ghodsee reads her own December 2025 essay "The Political Economy of Love in Capitalism”
This text appeared as the featured essay in the...
157 - A.K. 47 - The Communist Valkyrie - Part 4
Kristen Ghodsee reads the final part of her biographical chapter on Alexandra Kollontai from Ghodsee's 2022 book, Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from...
156 - A. K. 47 - The Communist Valkyrie - Part 3
Kristen Ghodsee reads the third part of her biographical chapter on Alexandra Kollontai from Ghodsee's 2022 book, Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from...
155 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Kristen Ghodsee and Astrid Zimmerman in Berlin (6 November 2025)
A special extended, bonus episode for those of you traveling for the long weekend. Kristen Ghodsee shared a conversation with Astrid Zimmerman for the...
154 - A.K. 47 - The Communist Valkyrie - Part 2
Kristen Ghodsee reads the second part of her biographical chapter on Alexandra Kollontai from Ghodsee's 2022 book, Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons fro...
153 - A.K. 47 - The Communist Valkyrie - Part 1
Kristen Ghodsee reads from her own chapter on Alexandra Kollontai from her 2022 book, Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary Women, a...
152 - A.K. 47 - My Heart Belongs to the Finnish Poor
Kristen Ghodsee reads the first English translation of Alexandra Kollontai’s “My Heart Belongs to the Finnish Poor,” originally published as "Suomen k...
151 - A.K. 47 - Narva
Kristen Ghodsee reads Cathy Porter’s translation of an excerpt from Alexandra Kollontai’s autobiography. Reflecting on a visit to Narva, Estonia in Ma...
150 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Capitalism, Socialism, and Esteem with Prof. Scott Sehon
Kristen Ghodsee revisits her discussion about arguments for socialism with Bowdoin College professor of philosophy, Scott R. Sehon. This conversation...
149 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Embrace your political despair
Kristen Ghodsee shares a conservation with a previous guest from March 2022, a self-described anarchist activist, about the value of feeling one’s pol...
148 - A.K. 47 - The New Morals
Kristen R. Ghodsee reads a 1930 interview with Alexandra Kollontai about the new morality around love and marriage in the Soviet Union. Kollontai argu...
147 - A.K. 47 - March 8, 1947
Kristen Ghodsee reads Aleksandra Kollontai’s March 8, 1947 International Women’s Day address, taken from the book: Alexandra Kollontai: The Plight, St...
146 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Sally Rooney's Intermezzo (with spoilers)
In this special bonus episode, recorded on Valentine's Day 2025 in Dublin, Kristen Ghodsee and her daughter discuss the book Intermezzo, the latest by...
145 - A.K. 47 - Who Needs the War? - Part 6
Kristen Ghodsee reads the final section of Alexandra Kollontai's 1915/1916 essay about World War I–"Who Needs the War?"–and looks for lessons applicab...
144 - A.K. 47 - Who Needs the War? - Part 5
Kristen Ghodsee reads the fifth section of Alexandra Kollontai's 1915 essay about World War I–"Who Needs the War?"–and looks for lessons applicable to...
143 - A.K. 47 - Who Needs the War? - Part 4
Kristen Ghodsee reads the fourth section of Alexandra Kollontai's 1915 essay about World War I–"Who Needs the War?"–and looks for lessons applicable t...
142 - A.K. 47 - Who Needs the War? - Part 3 (and a special message for election eve)
Kristen Ghodsee reads the third section of Alexandra Kollontai's 1915 essay about World War I–"Who Needs the War?"–and looks for lessons applicable to...
141 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Is Internationalism possible?
In this episode, Kristen Ghodsee discusses Alexandra Kollontai, nationalism, internationalism, and supranationalism with her daughter, just home from...
140 - A.K. 47 - Who Needs the War? - Part 2
Kristen Ghodsee reads Alexandra Kollontai's 1915 essay about World War I–"Who Needs the War?"–and looks for lessons applicable to the present day.
139 - A.K. 47 - Who Needs the War? - Part 1
Kristen Ghodsee reads Alexandra Kollontai's 1915 essay about World War I–"Who Needs the War?"–and looks for lessons applicable to the present day.
138 - Bonus Episode – Socialism: A Logical Introduction with Professor Scott Sehon
Kristen Ghodsee speaks to Scott R. Sehon, a professor of philosophy, about his new book, Socialism: A Logical Introduction, and why we should use argu...
137 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Claudia Jones's 8 March 1950 International Women's Day Speech
For International Women's Day, Kristen Ghodsee reads the Black Trinidadian activist and journalist Claudia Jones's speech for International Women's Da...
136 - A.K. 47 - "Diplomat, Novelist, Leader - Versatile Mme. Kollontay"
Kristen Ghodsee reads a profile of Alexandra Kollontai which appeared in the Washington Post on May 15, 1927 when Kollontai was serving as the Soviet...
135 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - 5th Anniversary Conversation about Parenthood
Kristen Ghodsee and her daughter share a conversation about Kollontai's pro-natalism and the current discourse about the BirthStrike. Are the relevant...
134 - A.K. 47 - The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy - Part 3
Kristen Ghodsee reads the final part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy" to explore Kollontai's...
133 - A.K. 47 - The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy - Part 2
Kristen Ghodsee reads the second part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy" to explore Kollontai's...
132 - A.K. 47 - The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy - Part 1
Kristen Ghodsee reads the first part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 essay, "The Labor of Women in the Evolution of the Economy." A portion of this essa...
131 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - The Fun Manifesto
In this bonus episode, Kristen Ghodsee welcomes back her now almost 22-year-old daughter to discuss a theory of fun. What would a society look like if...
130 - A.K. 47 - The Workers Opposition - Part 5
Kristen Ghodsee reads the fifth and final part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition."
Mentioned in this episode ar...
129 - A.K. 47 - The Workers Opposition - Part 4
Kristen Ghodsee reads the fourth part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition" and moans a bit about joining Instagram: @kristengh...
128 - A.K. 47 - The Workers Opposition - Part 3
Kristen Ghodsee reads the third part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition."
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127 - A.K. 47 - The Workers Opposition - Part 2
Kristen Ghodsee reads the second part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition."
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126 - A.K. 47 - The Workers Opposition - Part 1
Kristen Ghodsee reads the first part of Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 text: "The Workers Opposition."
Mentioned in this episode are these u...
125 - A.K. 47 - Introduction to The Workers Opposition
On the eve of a possible UPS strike in the United States, Kristen Ghodsee reads a 1968 introduction to Alexandra Kollontai's 1921 pamphlet written in...
124 - A.K. 47 - Conversation Piece
Kristen Ghodsee reads Cathy Porter's 1980 translation of Kollontai's 1922 short story, "Conversation Piece," about a woman having to choose between th...
123 - A.K. 47 - A 1982 Review of Kollontai's "A Great Love" in the New York Times
Kristen Ghodsee reads an April 25, 1982 review of a [then] new English translation of Alexandra Kollontai's collection, "A Great Love," translated by...
122 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - the Anti-Sexist Kollontai Vodka of Italy
Kristen Ghodsee reads an article about the creation in 2019 of the Kollontai Vodka Antisessista by a group of self-managed workers in Milan. Sales fro...
121 - A.K. 47 - "Alexandra Kollontay: The World's One Woman Ambassador" Part 2
Kristen Ghodsee reads the second half of a biographical article written by the American Katharine Anthony and published in The North American Review i...
120 - A.K. 47 - "Alexandra Kollontay: The World's One Woman Ambassador" Part 1
Kristen Ghodsee reads the first half of a biographical article written by the American Katharine Anthony and published in The North American Review in...
119 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Clara Zetkin on the Establishment of 8 March as International Communist Women's Day
To celebrate International Women's Day in 2023, Kristen Ghodsee reads an abridged version of Clara Zetkin's article on the official establishment of M...