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Slate has launched a new show called The Queen which will be hosted by Slate national editor Josh Levin who wrote the book upon which the podcast is based.
The Queen reveals the story of Linda Taylor, a con artist, kidnapper, possibly a murderer, and the original “welfare queen,” the villain Ronald Reagan used to create a vision of a country being taken advantage of by its poorest citizens. Though Taylor used many aliases over the years, she spent most of her life – and committed most of her crimes – in one place: Chicago.
The podcast also examines the major institutions and systems that shone a light on Taylor’s story – the media and Chicago’s political and legal systems – offering incisive critiques of the role they played in her rise to fame and their failings to thwart her many crimes, respectively. It also provides a fascinating look at race in the U.S. Taylor’s racial identity was questioned throughout her life, and how her crimes were used to demonize poor black women.
The Queen is Slate’s seventh scripted podcast series.