Sep 16, 2026 · 1 hr 8 min · 22 segments
Today, I'm re-releasing my interview with Michelle Young, author of The Art Spy, a riveting account of the life and heroics of Rose Valland, a museum curator who spied on the Nazis during their…
Michelle YoungGuest
Gavin WhiteheadHost
Amanda MattaGuest
I had definitely heard of her, and she's kind of become an archetype, I would say.
I remember playing a Nancy Drew point-and-click mystery where there was definitely a character based on Rose Valland, but I didn't know much about her as a person.
I feel like that's how you know you've made it when you have to some degree inspired a point and click adventure game.
And I say that as someone who is really into point-and-click adventure games.
Is there anything that stuck out? Like, what was your favorite part of the story in this episode?
I mean, I loved hearing about, I don't want to say her exploits as a spy, but really that's how it comes across when you're listening to this thrilling tale of Rose Voland.
Just hearing how she was able to preempt and outmaneuver german forces in paris like absolute gold i love this woman so much and then getting to the conclusion and learning how successful she was like oh my gosh i'm in love
i know and it's all because she's like an art history nerd right like she is drawing on her brains as an art historian and as a museum professional to spy on the nazis like how
hot And something that like the doors were always slammed in her face, but she stuck at it because she just loved art history, right? Like she knew this was what she was good at.
And she took such pride in the collection that she was prepared to risk her life to protect it.
I mean, I'm someone who obviously appreciates art a great deal, but I mean, I don't know if I would risk my own life to protect a series of paintings.
You know, it's a philosophical question I think we all have to grapple with at a certain point.
Would I take not just a bullet, but like censure by the Nazi regime to protect this body of work? I don't know.
We've done this once before on this season with the inimitable Josephine Baker.
I had definitely heard of her, and she's kind of become an archetype, I would say.
I remember playing a Nancy Drew point-and-click mystery where there was definitely a character based on Rose Valland, but I didn't know much about her as a person.
I feel like that's how you know you've made it when you have to some degree inspired a point and click adventure game.
And I say that as someone who is really into point-and-click adventure games.
Is there anything that stuck out? Like, what was your favorite part of the story in this episode?
I mean, I loved hearing about, I don't want to say her exploits as a spy, but really that's how it comes across when you're listening to this thrilling tale of Rose Voland.
Just hearing how she was able to preempt and outmaneuver german forces in paris like absolute gold i love this woman so much and then getting to the conclusion and learning how successful she was like oh my gosh i'm in love
i know and it's all because she's like an art history nerd right like she is drawing on her brains as an art historian and as a museum professional to spy on the nazis like how
hot And something that like the doors were always slammed in her face, but she stuck at it because she just loved art history, right? Like she knew this was what she was good at.
And she took such pride in the collection that she was prepared to risk her life to protect it.
I mean, I'm someone who obviously appreciates art a great deal, but I mean, I don't know if I would risk my own life to protect a series of paintings.
You know, it's a philosophical question I think we all have to grapple with at a certain point.
Would I take not just a bullet, but like censure by the Nazi regime to protect this body of work? I don't know.
We've done this once before on this season with the inimitable Josephine Baker.
The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode
No account is needed to search Radar.
