Sally O'Driscoll

Sally O’Driscoll has a doctorate in Comparative Literature from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) and was a professor for thirty years at Fairfield University before retiring. Her research and publications have focused on forms of ephemeral popular literature in Britain from the 18th century onward, and have drawn attention to the complex ways that texts and images complemented one in another in once-common printed works like broadsides and pamphlets. She has published several edited volumes or journal issues on print culture and public space. Sally has taught courses in 18th-century and modernist British literature along with contemporary World Literature, with an emphasis on setting the stories in their cultural contexts. In addition, she works as an editor with the authors of popular and scholarly books, articles, and catalogues, helping to bring inspired first drafts to the publication stage, in fields ranging from American art history to nonfiction books on current issues.

In addition to Great Britain, Sally’s research has taken her to Continental Europe, where she travels frequently, including to hike the Camino de Santiago. She has also lectured on ephemeral print and gender studies internationally, most recently in China, and in Turkey where she was a keynote speaker at Koç University, Ankara. Sally has received many research grants, has been a fellow at the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute, and has taught at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Christopher Griffin

Christopher is from County Galway in the West of Ireland. He studied literature at Trinity College, University College Dublin, and UW-Milwaukee. He has published many articles and theatre reviews. For 28 years Christopher taught humanities mostly to working adults at Strayer University in Washington, DC.  For eight years he was a lecturer in English at The George Washington University, where he taught Irish poetry, drama, and fiction.  For 30 years at Politics and Prose bookstore in DC, he has led numerous classes on various interests, including Irish literature, Shakespeare, literary Washington, and film. He has served as an Expert on over 20 Smithsonian Journeys and has lectured at Smithsonian Associates.

Carol Ann Lloyd

Carol Ann Lloyd is a popular speaker, author, and podcaster who brings the stories of history and Shakespeare to life. She presents programs for Smithsonian Associates, Smithsonian Journeys, Royal Oak Foundation, English Speaking Union, Folger Shakespeare Library, and more—online and on stage. Recent programs include The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Essex and Ireland, Richard III, and Inside Shakespeare. Last year, she spoke about the history of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales as she visited these areas on a Smithsonian Journey cruise. Carol Ann’s podcast, Royals, Rebels, and Romantics, explores the lives of famous and infamous characters in history. She is currently working on a book, The Tudors by Numbers, which is scheduled for a summer 2023 release.

Miriam C. Davis

Miriam Davis is an expert in medieval history and archaeology. After graduating from Emory University, Miriam studied history and archaeology at the University of St Andrews on a Bobby Jones Scholarship. She went on to earn an MA in medieval archaeology from the University of York on a Fulbright grant, and a Ph.D. in medieval history from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has participated in archaeological excavations in Mississippi, Alabama, England, and Scotland. Currently, Miriam is a freelance writer. She has written for the popular press on archaeology, history, and travel and has lectured throughout the U.S., Great Britain, and Israel. Her work has also been featured on The Travel Channel. As a history professor at Delta State University for 16 years, she taught a wide variety of courses, including ancient and medieval history, the Renaissance and Reformation, English history, and the history of Christianity. Miriam is the author of Dame Kathleen Kenyon: Digging Up the Holy Land and The Axeman of New Orleans: The True Story. She has served as a Smithsonian Journeys Expert for trips since 2011.