The Trials of a Scold: Book Review

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The Incredible True Story of Writer Anne Royall

I first became interested in Anne Royall while researching the story about her ambushing a skinny-dipping John Quincy Adams for an interview. At first I was disappointed there was absolutely no truth to the tale (see my debunking here) but I soon found out the actual story of Royall’s life and her infamous trial for being a “common scold” far more interesting.

In a new book The Trials of a Scold: The Incredible True Story of Writer Anne Royall out this month, Jeff Biggers tells Anne Royall’s story in a compelling narrative that helps restore her place in history.

John Adams and Hamilton's Superabundance of Secretions

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And What Makes Men Terrible

In one letter from 1806, John Adams manages to level his greatest insult at Alexander Hamilton at the same time he shares a bizarre medical theory about why men like Hamilton go mad with power.

My Uncomfortable Night With "Thomas and Sally"

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A provocative, but not thought-provoking, play.

When I first heard about Thomas Bradshaw’s play Thomas and Sally opening at Marin Theatre Company, I was intrigued.

John Quincy Adams's Footloose Winter

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Young JQA and the preacher who hated dancing

Hoofing in Haverhill

More than fifty years before he became an outspoken crusader against slavery, 18-year-old John Quincy Adams was an unlikely champion for the right to boogie.