This hour an unlikely best-seller, a colorful hero and the legends of burlesque.

“Naked Came the Stranger”: an oral history

By Sam Kim for PRI’s Studio360

In 1969, the erotic potboiler “Naked Came the Stranger” climbed The New York Times bestseller list. According to the back cover, it was written by a “demure Long Island housewife” named Penelope Ashe. Except… that wasn’t the whole story.

Becoming Barbara

by Natalie Kestecher for Short Cuts on BBC Radio 4 

When Natalie found herself stuck on a story she was writing and struggling for ideas, a friend invited her to a special gathering. There, during a spiritual dalliance into literary soul-searching, she finally met her muse.

Burlesque Legends

by Steve Urquhart for Seriously on BBC Radio 4 

Each year, hundreds of performers attend the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend in Las Vegas, where the guests of honour are The Living Legends. In the mid-20th century these women were shunned by society. Most were presumed prostitutes. But now their careers are celebrated, and their ground-breaking acts are revived, at the Titans of Tease Reunion. British actor, cabaret star, and former Best Male Striptease Artist, Mat Fraser embarks on a very personal journey to meet some of the legends, both on and off stage.

This hour of Re:sound was produced by Dennis Funk.