In the late 1700s, one man became a celebrated fixture of Parisian salon culture: he was a prodigy fencer, and then a brilliant composer and violinists. He befriended Marie Antoinette and lead one of the city's most famous orchestras. And he was the son of an enslaved woman, fighting against the stigma of his skin color in a world where it made him hyper-visible but didn't let him be truly seen.  Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to fairy tales, most people know Charrles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. Fewer know of Madame d'Aulnoy, whose own life of murder and political inrigues inspired the stories where love is hard won and happiness is harder when the parties are human. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's Book 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than a hundred years before the selfie became commonplace, a woman in France used photographs to immortalize her favorite subject: herself. But as she aged, she became a lighting rod for our cultural conversation about growing old and the power of beauty. Support Noble Blood:  — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story'  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, one woman was the heart and soul of Versailles: Madame de Pompadour. Dana speaks with Jennifer Wright (author of Madame Restell) about the courtier's rise to the King's Mistress and her strengths as a diplomat and great party guest. Support Noble Blood:  — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In August 1661, the superintendent of finance in France threw the party of the century. In September, he was arrested. The lesson: don't fly too close to the sun (king).  Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.