Exploring the Extraordinary
Award-winning author, historian of the unusual,
circus expert, and media lawyer.
About Betsy
I’m an entertainment and culture scholar, regional Emmy-winning public historian, and author of Jumping Through Hoops: Performing Gender in the Nineteenth Century Circus. I love digging around in the history of entertainment and popular culture because what we enjoy has a lot to tell us about what we think, who we are, and who we might like to be. I also believe history is better when it’s interesting and accessible for everyone. Read on to learn more about me and my work.
Now Available
Jumping Through Hoops: Performing Gender in the Nineteenth Century Circus
Jumping Through Hoops describes how the unusual performing women of the nineteenth century circus have shaped our modern understanding of gender, culture, and performance.
ORDER NOWPraise for Jumping Through Hoops
“With lots of wit and an aptitude for the unusual. . . . Jumping Through Hoops is the perfect mix of educational and entertaining, pushing readers to see circus performers through entirely new eyes.”
Ms. Magazine
“An intriguing portrait of the circus. . . . Readers will be wowed.”
Publishers Weekly
“This landmark book carves out new possibilities for what words like circus and women could possibly signify. The death-defying act that Jumping Through Hoops performs is reaching back to rewrite our understanding of culture and gender in our own times. A must-read.”
Caroline Hagood
Author of Weird Girls
Discover Stories That Make You Wonder
Join my newsletter for a front-row seat to the unusual and the stories that make you see the world differently.
Speaking
Betsy is a scholar of the unusual and an experienced speaker for public, academia, and industry. Bringing history, law, and the unexpected together in a way that sparks conversation and connection, she helps audiences use knowledge from the past to address challenges in the present. Reach out to book a talk! Her keynote topics include:
Circus and Amusement in American History
Circus was America’s dominant entertainment for decades. What was life like under the big top – and how did circus help create our modern popular culture?
Artificial Intelligence, and Creativity, and George Washington, Too
A historic story of technology, creativity, and innovation that can still guide us today in an age of AI.
P.T. Barnum and Post-Truth Society
Decades of American history contributed to our present “post-truth” environment. And yes, you could say P.T. Barnum got us into this mess, but he also might be able to get us out.
Circus as a Lens for Motivation & Excellence
The circus is a space of possibility. It helps us to learn about ourselves and our communities, to see where we can do better, and to think about how we can make joy a priority.
Performing Gender
At times in history when loud voices shout about uniformity, performance spaces assure us that there are many ways to express our humanity.
Disability History & Rights
Circus and other performing arts have historically operated as places where disabled people have representation, independence, and community.
