Just The Gist of… Nellie Bly
In 1887, Nellie Bly was just 21-years-old when she completely changed the way investigative journalism was done by basically inventing going ‘undercover’. She pretended to be insane, got committed to an insane asylum and then wrote about the horrific treatment she endured and as a patient. Bly’s reporting on her time at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island was turned into a bestselling book called ‘Ten Days In A Madhouse’, launching her career and opening the door for other women to do serious journalism.
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‘Ten Days in a Mad House’ by Nellie Bly:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1642216.Ten_Days_in_a_Mad_House
‘Nellie Bly: Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist’ by Brooke Kroeger:
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/311625.Nellie_Bly
Medium Article: ‘What Nellie Bly Exposed At Blackwell’s Asylum, And Why It’s Still Important’ (2016):
TimeOut article: ‘A New Monument Honoring Journalist Nellie Bly Is Now On Roosevelt Island (2021)
Nellie Bly’s Wikipedia:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Bly
Some info on the Women’s Lunatic Asylum at Blackwell’s Island (now Roosevelt Island): https://www.nps.gov/places/blackwell-s-island-new-york-city.htm
Trailer for the Lifetime movie starring Christina Ricci ‘Escaping The Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story’ (2019):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFjttOo4FLo
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- No. of episodes: 98
- Latest episode: 2026-08-19
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