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Single Women and the Telephone: From “Hello Girls” to Tech Pessimism

Bybilllefurgy

The telephone was wildly disruptive. It was a radical innovation that brought change, not the least for single women, both in the workplace and in the male imagination. Women dominated the ranks of telephone operators early on, starting with Emily Nutt in 1878 Boston. The teenage boys handling the job before her were rude and…

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I’m Giving Away 20 Paperback Copies of “Murder In the Haunted Chamber” on Goodreads

Bybilllefurgy

The author’s dilemma: how to inform readers about a new book without a big-budget advertising budget? Ironically, perhaps, the answer is to give away copies for free! And so, I’m running a book giveaway contest on Goodreads for my new book until September 14, 2021. The prize is one of 20 autographed paperback copies of…

A viral song from 1909 turned American music sexy, rude, and violent

Bybilllefurgy

Posted on February 20, 2020 by billlefurgy Sex elbowed its way into American popular culture during the early years of the twentieth century. I learned more about this while researching my novel, Into the Suffering City, which is set in 1909 Baltimore. Romance had, of course, long been a staple of music played in the home and other…