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No Such Thing As A Fish
No Such Thing As A Fish

The Body Of A Young Paul Newman

April 05, 2026 • 28m

Summary

⏱️ 7 min read

Overview

A fascinating episode of No Such Thing As A Fish where the hosts explore quirky historical facts, from the artist behind dogs playing poker paintings who also wrote an opera about a giant mosquito, to two Victorian women who wrote poetry under a male pseudonym, to the surprisingly well-fed members of Roald Amundsen's polar expedition. The episode includes discussions about laser pointers, peacock tail physics, last meals before execution, and various other delightfully obscure historical tidbits.

The Artist Behind Dogs Playing Poker's Other Creative Pursuits

James Udell shares a fascinating fact about Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, the artist famous for the dogs playing poker paintings. Beyond creating one of the most parodied images in popular culture, Coolidge was also credited with popularizing the carnival attraction of cardboard cutouts with head holes that people stand behind for photos. Most surprisingly, he wrote a comic opera featuring an anthropomorphic giant mosquito, showcasing his diverse and eccentric creative talents.

  • Cassius Marcellus Coolidge created the famous dogs playing poker paintings
  • He is credited with popularizing cardboard cutouts with head holes at fairgrounds and seaside attractions
  • Coolidge wrote a comic opera about an anthropomorphic giant mosquito
" It's like there being someone who invented benches. You just think there's no way that a technology like bits at the beach where you put your head through the hole would get someone to take a funny photo. There's no way that has a named inventor. "

Michael Field: The Poet Who Was Actually Two Women

Dan presents a riddle about the 19th century poet Michael Field, who was neither a man, woman, nor non-binary person. The answer reveals that Michael Field was actually a pseudonym for two women: Catherine Bradley and Edith Cooper, who were both lovers and aunt-niece. They wrote passionate poetry about female romance and sexuality that was well-reviewed until their true identities were revealed, causing some controversy in Victorian society.

  • Michael Field was a pen name used by two women, Catherine Bradley and Edith Cooper
  • The two women were both lovers and aunt-niece, referred to as 'Bradley Cooper'
  • They wrote sexually explicit poems about female-female romance that received enthusiastic reviews initially
  • After their dog Wim Chow died in 1906, they converted to Catholicism hoping to meet him in heaven
  • They wrote a book of poems called 'Wim Chow, Flame of Love' which Dan admits is 'not good'
" They were so sad that their dog had died that they converted to Catholicism in the hope that they would meet him in heaven "

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