Podcast Summary: New Books Network – The Nursing Clio Editorial Collective, "The Nursing Clio Reader: Histories of Sex, Reproduction, and Justice" (Rutgers UP, 2025)

Episode Date: December 6, 2025
Host: Leah Cargan
Guests: Sarah Hanley Cousins, Laura Ansley, Aya Nuruddin

Episode Overview

This episode explores the birth, community ethos, and scholarly contributions of Nursing Clio—an influential digital feminist platform—culminating in their new anthology: The Nursing Clio Reader: Histories of Sex, Reproduction, and Justice (Rutgers UP, 2025). The conversation traverses the project's origin story, the importance of feminist collectives in academia, and the Reader’s unique approach to teaching and public-oriented scholarship. The editors discuss the challenges and politics of collaborative authorship and offer insights into fostering inclusive scholarly communities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to Nursing Clio & Its Mission

• What is Nursing Clio?

  • Originally a blog founded in 2012, now a robust digital publication centered at the intersection of gender, health, and medicine.
  • It aims to cultivate not only intellectual rigor but also intentional feminist community.

    “We are certainly a publication. But we're also, we like to think of ourselves as a, as a feminist community.”
    — Sarah Hanley Cousins (04:34)

• Community as Core Value

  • The editors emphasize the supportive and inclusive nature of Nursing Clio, especially for junior scholars entering public scholarship spaces.
  • The sense of collective belonging is central to both the editorial process and the broader audience engagement.

    “Nursing Clio is a really important space, I think, especially for junior scholars...in ways that are hospitable and welcoming because it is a Feminist community. And I think that makes a huge difference...”
    — Aya Nuruddin (05:06)

Personal Journeys & Pathways into Nursing Clio

• Laura Ansley's Story (08:06)

  • Found Nursing Clio via a women's health conference in 2015; started writing after encouragement from peers, then became social media manager and managing editor.
  • Community provided resilience and belonging, especially after leaving graduate school.

    “It was really organic of feeling like I was being welcomed in. I had these ideas and people were excited about those ideas...these are now some of my close friends and best history colleagues.”
    — Laura Ansley (10:44)

• Sarah Hanley Cousins' Story (10:47)

  • Discovered Nursing Clio during a challenging grad school period; the platform reinvigorated her passion for public scholarship and translation of academic work for wider audiences.
  • Progressed from writer to editor to executive editor.

    “I loved working with everybody...people that I didn't expect would ever be interested in my writing were interested in it. And I thought, oh man, I gotta get more of this.”
    — Sarah Hanley Cousins (12:01)

• Aya Nuruddin's Story (18:38)

  • Joined through academic networking; first post in 2017 launched her academic presence, leading to lasting professional recognition.

    “Nursing Cleo launched my academic career because that piece and the feedback and the sort of engagement with it I think is what put me on the map, so to speak.”
    — Aya Nuruddin (19:45)

The Nursing Clio Reader: From Blog to Book

• Purpose & Structure

  • The Reader is a curated anthology of revised blog essays, expanding and updating vital topics for classroom and public readers (26:03).

  • Includes 8 thematic sections (50+ essays) with discussion questions and images to provoke deeper engagement.

  • Designed for accessibility, utility in teaching, and classroom use—each essay is concise and approachable.

    “It's really meant to be very teachable for classroom use, very digestible for general readers, that you've got these little chunks of fantastic scholarship where you can learn a lot, but you can read it in a short sitting rather than dedicating a couple hours to it.”
    — Laura Ansley (26:03)

• Adapting Scholarship

  • Essays transition from blog posts (~1500 words) to slightly longer, more nuanced book chapters (~1800-2000 words), reflecting growing research and changing contexts (e.g., post-Roe v. Wade).

    “It was a little bit more challenging because now I have way more to say than I did as like a third year graduate student...trying to flesh out some of the things I said, nuance, some of the claims, but still have it be...digestible...”
    — Aya Nuruddin (24:14)

Audiences and Accessibility

• Intended Audiences

  • The book targets both academic and lay readers, particularly students and instructors in women’s and medical history, but also general public audiences curious about the intersections of sex, reproduction, and justice.

    “Someone teaching a reproductive health class...might just assign the entire book...but I also think about them as perhaps being chewed on...by someone who does not work inside of academia...”
    — Sarah Hanley Cousins (28:45)

• Pedagogical Approach

  • Essays are paired with discussion prompts, often relating to images, to reinforce critical thinking both inside and outside classrooms (29:12).

• Expanding Beyond Academia

  • The structure and writing style are deliberately accessible to a wider, public readership—essays often relate historical scholarship to contemporary media and society.

Editorial Ethos: The Collective

• Why an Editorial Collective?

  • The book credit goes to the Nursing Clio Editorial Collective, reflecting the platform’s commitment to feminist and collective values.
  • The process shuns traditional hierarchies of academic authorship, recognizing broad editorial labor and influence.

    “Everyone has always had an equal say in everything that we do...when it came to writing a book, I think this was one of the first challenges...who gets credit for this book?”
    — Sarah Hanley Cousins (36:04)

• Practical and Political Considerations

  • The collective authorship required forming a nonprofit for legal and contractual purposes—mirroring collectives like the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective (Our Bodies, Ourselves).

    “I think, speaks to the politics and the ethics of nursing CLEO...rethinking some of the traditional ways we think about certain things in academia, right? We're really, you know...invested in who's the author...and don't always reflect all the different labor...”
    — Aya Nuruddin (41:04)

• Recognition of Labor

  • The collective credits the “book committee” and the many rotating editors who worked over thirteen years, both on the blog and the Reader.

    “If those people's work isn't acknowledged, that's, to me, a big issue. And something Jackie's been saying about the book that I really love is that we also are somewhat inspired by things like the Boston Women's Health Collective...this is something that we published as a group...”
    — Laura Ansley (39:14)

Building and Sustaining Community

• How to Join and Contribute

  • The editors urge potential contributors to pitch essays, even if ideas are rough—emphasizing mentorship and collaborative editing.

    “Please, I'm begging you. If you have a kernel of a thought in your mind about something that you think could work, pitch us...we will work with you...”
    — Sarah Hanley Cousins (44:22)

• Welcoming Broad Topics

  • Nursing Clio’s scope includes gender, sexuality, medicine, disability, race, pop culture, and politics. Contributors aren’t required to be medical or gender historians.

    “If you have an idea that feels like it would fit with Nursing Clio, bring it. Don't self select out if you say, oh, well, I'm not a medical historian or I'm not technically a gender historian, because we might be interested.”
    — Laura Ansley (46:26)

• Multiple Modes of Involvement

  • Engaging via social media, attending conferences, and responding to calls for editors are additional entry points into the community.
  • The community continues to grow by intentionally reaching out at conferences and through digital interaction, making space for “new blood” and sustained relationships.

    “Once you sort of are in, you kind of never leave...like, we have our managing editor, our original managing editor, who, like, has not actually done any of the labor of Nursing Clio for many years, is still on our Slack...”
    — Sarah Hanley Cousins (45:29)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Living Collective Scholarship

  “It's living collective scholarship.”
  — Preface of the Book, cited by Leah Cargan (06:41)

• On Community and Mentorship

  “It wasn't just the publishing piece, it was the community piece.”
  — Aya Nuruddin (22:07)

• Public Scholarship

  “How do we translate what we do in the academy to the people around us who are never going to come into that academy...How do we get this information to them?”
  — Sarah Hanley Cousins (11:15)

• On Authorship & Labor

  “It's about rethinking some of the traditional ways we think about certain things in academia...politics of citation...and I think this is one way to answer those problems.”
  — Aya Nuruddin (41:04)

• On Reading & Engagement

  “The discussion questions...helping someone who does not work inside of academia to look at an image...and to chew on that image...to think about what is going on here...”
  — Sarah Hanley Cousins (29:12)

Memorable Moments

• Recognizing the Community’s Power:

  • Multiple stories from the editors—especially of being “pulled in” at conferences or through direct outreach—underscore Nursing Clio’s proactive, supportive recruitment.

    “Don't be surprised if you are at a conference where there is a Nursing Clio person that they come up to you after your panel...and try to pull you in.”
    — Sarah Hanley Cousins (50:13)

• On Pop Culture:

  • Essays on shows like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Nashville, and Virgin River illustrate how the platform brings scholarly rigor to everyday topics.

Key Timestamps

• 03:50 — Introduction to Nursing Clio
• 06:41 — Defining Nursing Clio's ethos: “living collective scholarship”
• 08:06–12:01 — Laura and Sarah detail their paths into Nursing Clio
• 18:38–22:07 — Aya describes her career launch and the essay in the Reader
• 23:24–26:03 — Challenges of adapting blog posts for the Reader anthology
• 26:41–31:54 — Book structure, target audiences, and instructional design
• 35:28–42:51 — Why an editorial collective? Political and practical implications
• 44:18–49:49 — How to join Nursing Clio; embracing broad participation
• 50:13–50:41 — Proactive recruitment and the community’s inclusive ethos

Conclusion

The conversation is a vivid testament to feminist collective scholarship in action. The Nursing Clio Reader is both a pedagogical tool and a demonstration of new models for equitable academic labor. The editors extend an earnest invitation for new writers, readers, and editors to join their “nerd coven”—offering solidarity, rigor, and a refreshing space for public scholarship.

“I'm on my way to all the adjectives. The cult, the coven, the organic feminist community. I'm convinced I am in.”
— Leah Cargan (50:57)

To contribute or connect: Visit nursingclio.org for pitch guidelines and opportunities.