Overview of Behind the Scenes Minis: I Keep No Monkey
This bonus episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class is a relaxed post-show conversation in which Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey reflect on two recent episodes: Montague Summers and Edward Moore’s I Keep No Monkey. The discussion ranges from fun research discoveries and historical interpretation to Halloween wrap-up, with plenty of side notes about cats, Catholic aesthetics, and how historians read queer relationships in the past.
Main Topics Discussed
Montague Summers: unexpected details and research leftovers
- Tracy and Holly revisit Montague Summers, noting how much unusual material came up in research that didn’t make it into the main episode.
- They share colorful descriptions of Summers from secondary sources, including:
- A characterization of him as having “bizarre scholarship and still more bizarre biography.”
- A comparison in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography to the Widow Twankey from Aladdin, which Holly found both amusing and oddly specific.
- They also note that Summers loved dogs and may have been buried with one of his dogs’ coats.
Mike the Cat connection
- Tracy realized a surprising overlap between the Summers research and their earlier episode about Mike the Cat of the British Museum.
- Summers was in the British Museum reading room in 1927, putting him in the same world and time period as Mike.
- This led to a playful detour into Mike the Cat lore, including:
- Mike’s famously grumpy personality
- Tracy’s tattoo of Mike
- The idea that Mike may have been especially bonded to only a few trusted people
Catholicism, art, and symbolism
- Holly says she can understand why Summers was drawn to Catholicism because of its rich visual art, ritual, and symbolism.
- They note that his taste — including details like coordinated purple socks — seemed aesthetically deliberate and fitting for someone with his personality.
- Tracy adds that some of Summers’ theological material was so specific to Catholic frameworks that it was difficult to parse without deep background knowledge.
Queer history and historical interpretation
- A substantial part of the conversation focuses on the tendency of some people to flatten or dismiss same-sex relationships in history.
- Holly critiques the “they were just gal pals” meme, emphasizing that it often ignores the real work of queer historians.
- They discuss how much historical interpretation depends on:
- When the historian was writing
- What assumptions they brought to the material
- Whether later scholarship has revisited those conclusions with a different lens
- The episode also touches on Summers’ companion/personal secretary and the difficulty of knowing exactly what that relationship was, beyond the surviving records.
Edward Moore and I Keep No Monkey
- Tracy and Holly revisit Edward Moore’s bell-collection story and its odd, almost satirical tone.
- The phrase “I keep no monkey” is highlighted as a delightfully blunt response that they both want to reuse in everyday life.
- They discuss whether Moore’s work was meant as satire or whether it was a sincere collection of uncanny stories.
- Their main takeaway: even if Moore was joking, it still worked as a commentary on how eagerly people will affirm strange experiences when a respected authority presents them.
Moore’s knowledge, culture, and self-education
- Holly likes the idea that Moore was genuinely trying to understand the religious and cultural symbolism he encountered in India.
- They note that his Hindu pantheon work may reflect a real attempt to make sense of unfamiliar material rather than simply impose assumptions.
- That said, they acknowledge the limitations and biases of someone interpreting one culture for another, especially within colonial contexts.
Key Takeaways
- The behind-the-scenes research often uncovers fascinating details that don’t fit neatly into the main episode.
- Historical biographies are often shaped by the assumptions and blind spots of the people writing them.
- Queer history matters, and dismissive shorthand like “just friends” can erase more nuanced readings of the past.
- Edward Moore’s bell stories remain strange whether read as satire, sincere reporting, or something in between.
- The phrase “I keep no monkey” stood out as the episode’s most memorable and reusable line.
Closing Notes
- The hosts end on a warm, seasonal note, reflecting on Halloween and encouraging listeners to rest, celebrate in whatever way suits them, and extend grace to others.
- They remind listeners that the show will return with a new episode on Monday, with a classic episode planned for Halloween.