Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages w/ Melanie Holcomb & Nancy Thebaut

You might not think about love, sex, and gender when you think about the Middle Ages, but you might be surprised! We are joined by the co-curators of the Spectrum of Desire exhibition at The Met Cloisters to talk about topics like queering the past, gender identity, and what art can tell us about those things during the Medieval period. Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of sex, misogyny, genitalia, adultery, transphobia, and sexual assault. Guests Melanie Holcomb and Nancy Thebaut are the co-curators of the Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages exhibition at The Met Cloisters. Nancy Thebaut is Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Oxford & tutorial fellow at St Catherine’s College. Her research interests range widely, from Carolingian & Ottonian liturgical manuscripts to the study of gender & sexuality across media. Melanie Holcomb is a curator in the Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she has organized or co-organized numerous exhibitions including Pen and Parchment: Drawing in the Middle Ages (2009), Jerusalem 1000-1400: Every People Under Heaven (2016). Melanie’s projects have been fueled by a career-long fascination with how art works—the functions it serves and methods it uses to communicate. Housekeeping - Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests’ books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books - Call to Action: Send in those urban legend emails! - Submit Your Urban Legends Audio: Call us! 617-420-2344 Minneapolis Spotlight - Comma, a bookshop is an independent bookstore in Minneapolis that sells books and helps to build community, with a focus on deepening connection with their community and drawing connections between ideas. Find Us Online - Website & Transcripts: spiritspodcast.com - Patreon: patreon.com/spiritspodcast - Merch: spiritspodcast.com/merch - Instagram: instagram.com/spiritspodcast - Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/spiritspodcast.com - Twitter: twitter.com/spiritspodcast - Tumblr: spiritspodcast.tumblr.com Cast & Crew - Co-Hosts: Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin - Editor: Bren Frederick - Music: Brandon Grugle , based on "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod - Artwork: Allyson Wakeman - Multitude: multitude.productions About Us Spirits is a boozy podcast about mythology, legends, and folklore. Every episode, co-hosts Julia and Amanda mix a drink and discuss a new story or character from a wide range of places, eras, and cultures. Learn brand-new stories and enjoy retellings of your favorite myths, served over ice every week, on Spirits. See Privacy Policy at and California Privacy Notice at .

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Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages w/ Melanie Holcomb & Nancy Thebaut is an episode from Spirits by Multitude.

This episode is 00:43:50 long.

This episode was published on Mar 4, 2026.

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