Amelia Hruby
Amelia Hruby is the host of Fifty Feminist States. Follow the show on Instagram.
Introduce yourself!
My name is Amelia Hruby, and I'm a writer, podcaster, and PhD candidate living in Chicago. I primarily work in the areas of education, entrepreneurship, and wellness, always with a focus on feminism, gender, and sexuality.
Tell us about your show.
I run a podcast called Fifty Feminist States, where I'm traveling to all 50 U.S. states to interview feminist activists and artists about their work for gender justice. Each episode is state-specific, exploring and explaining one local feminist issue through the lens of one or more activist(s) and artist(s) living there.
During the first two seasons I explored the Midwest and Northeast; for season three I'm headed south from Chicago to visit Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky. Expect new episodes this fall!
If someone is new to your show, where should they start?
Episode 1! I started the podcast in Nebraska and that episode really frame the whole project in terms of where I'm coming from and what listeners can expect. It's been out for almost a year now, and I still get notes from listeners all the time about how much they learned in those first 20 minutes. From there, I think listeners can hop around between episodes, choosing the states and/or issues that interest them the most.
Do you feel comfortable talking about money? How do you pay for it?
I've done two Kickstarter campaigns that have raised over $13000 to fund Fifty Feminist States. The campaigns were a lot of fun (and even more work), and all of that money has gone into equipment, travel, and marketing costs for the project. I wish more podcasters were on Kickstarter, because it's a great platform for raising funds! I'd gladly make time to chat more with anyone trying to figure out how to use it to for their podcasting dreams.
What are you learning about the United States?
My hypothesis when I started Fifty Feminist States was that there would be feminist activists and artists in all 50 states, and I've been so excited to learn that I'm right! In our polarized political landscape, so many states and regions of the country are written off as "red" or conservative, but I've been learning just how much liberal, radical, and progressive work is happening around the US—particularly in those areas that people write off. I hope the podcast helps others learn about and recognize that work, as well as helping people learn about the many, different feminist issues people face across the nation.
Give us a recommendation for a show. (Or a few!)
In no particular order, here's what's in my must-listen queue lately: She's All Fat, Ear Hustle, Healing Justice Podcast, Call Your Girlfriend, Song Exploder, Land of the Giants, and Kentuckiana Sounds. I also want to give a shout-out to a few podcasts by friends of mine: Be School Podcast, Becoming Aligned, Mystic, and Why Are You Like This?
Thanks, Amelia!