Swinging USA: Washington DC (Part 2)

Swinging USA: Washington DC (Part 2)

Author: The Swinging Christies June 8, 2025 Duration: 49:56

Mrs Christie went to Washington, and Dr Aldridge and Mr Brown are following suit! This episode, we get the train to Washington DC to uncover the truth about how an American Christie fan would REALLY have experienced a Swinging Christie…

You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. We are also on Bluesky at ⁠christietime.bsky.social⁠.

Please subscribe to us, and  rate and review us on your podcatcher of choice.

Our website is ⁠ChristieTime.com⁠.

The Swinging Christies is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.

Next episode: we look at Agatha Christie alongside a contemporary - Shirley Jackson!

00:00:00 - Opening titles

00:00:43 - Introductory chat

00:01:44 - Agatha, Washington and America in the 1960s, down the Mall 

00:09:41 - Discoveries in the Library of Congress

00:43:37 - Wrap up, the National Museum of African American History and Culture

00:47:24 - Next episode, how to get in touch

00:49:09 - Closing titles

00:49:36 - Coda


The Swinging Christies: Agatha Christie in the 1960s might seem like a contradiction, but that’s the fascinating territory this podcast explores. Hosted by Dr Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown, it’s a deep and often surprising look at how the Queen of Crime’s later work intersected with a decade of radical change. Forget the stereotypical image of a cosy, unchanging writer; here, we examine how Christie’s stories from that era engaged with shifting attitudes towards youth culture, morality, and social upheaval. Each episode digs into a specific novel or theme, unpacking the subtle-and sometimes not so subtle-ways her writing reflected or reacted to the world of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a rad journey through time that treats her work with serious scholarly insight while embracing the vibrant spirit of the period. You’ll come away from this podcast with a completely refreshed perspective on one of history’s most prolific authors, hearing her familiar plots through a new, decidedly swinging lens.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 35

The Swinging Christies: Agatha Christie in the 1960s
Podcast Episodes
Titles in Translation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:38
Gray and Mark meet Mystery Steve who has travelled all the way from Australia! Steve has been examining the way Agatha Christie titles have been translated into other languages. Steve’s project has just hit the 1960s, so…
Interview with Jan Carson at the Belfast Book Festival [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:20
Gray and Mark head to beautiful Belfast to chat to novelist and Agatha Christie fan Jan Carson. Jan has been tackling the Troubles in her work for some time, and we want to discuss with her Christie’s Troubles references…
Agatha Christie and Shirley Jackson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:10
Two wickedly witty women writers, separated only by the Atlantic! This episode, Gray and Mark carry on their American adventures and discuss the similarities and differences between the works of Agatha Christie and Shirl…
Swinging USA: New York (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:22
Mark and Gray take Manhattan in the first in this very special miniseries recorded in the USA. In New York, Gray and Mark discuss Agatha’s 1960s connections to America, plus their discoveries in papers held at the Prince…
Swinging India [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48:02
Mark and Gray travel to India (metaphorically) in search of the Queen of Crime! Along the way, they discuss various Hindi and Bengali adaptations, and meet with friend-of-the-podcast and expert adaptor/writer Ayeesha Men…
Swinging Marple [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:40
Miss Marple isn’t an old duffer - she’s a swinging cat! At least that’s what Mark and Gray discover this episode when they shine a light on Agatha Christie’s beloved sleuth. In particular we look at her 1960s outings, pl…
Agatha Christie and Muriel Spark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:42
A talented British author, a story about machinations in a girls’ school… How much do Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark have in common? Mark and Gray investigate…F…
Revivalism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40:48
Mark and Gray ring in the New Year with a discussion of the 1960s trend for… actually not being very 1960s at all! But just how much of Christie’s 1960s writing harks back to the Edwardian and Victorian eras? Did they ev…
Christmas 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:58
There’s always Christie at Christmas! Join Mark and Gray making the yuletide gay with a discussion about Christie’s festive writings from the 1960s. Come swing around the Christmas tree!You can read our special article f…