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the memory palace

English, History, 1 season, 284 episodes, 2 days, 18 hours, 28 minutes
About
From public radio producer, Nate DiMeo, comes The Memory Palace, a finalist for the 2016 Peabody Award and one of iTunes Best Podcast of 2015. Short, surprising stories of the past, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hysterical, often a little bit of both. 'The most potent pieces of audio being produced today.' - The AvClub thememorypalace.us (http://thememorypalace.us) The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm (http://radiotopia.fm)
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Episode 150: Late One Night

Pre-order The Memory Palace book now, dear listener. On Bookshop.org, on Amazon.com, on Barnes & Noble, or directly from Random House.This episode was originally released in October 2019.The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. I have recently launched a newsletter. You can subscribe to it at thememorypalacepodcast.substack.com. 
10/17/202419 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 222: Ferminia Sarras

Pre-order The Memory Palace book now, dear listener. On Bookshop.org, on Amazon.com, on Barnes & Noble, or directly from Random House.The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. I have recently launched a newsletter. You can subscribe to it at thememorypalacepodcast.substack.com. Music Riverside by Ann Annie Walking to Town by Lullatone Alice Lake by North Americans Gone for a Wander by Domenique Dumont NotesThe definitive source on Ferminia Sarras (as far as definitive can be in her case) A Mine of Her Own: Women Prospectors in the American West, 1850-1950 by Sally Zanjani.
9/19/202413 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 121: Ken Allen

Pre-order The Memory Palace book now, pal. On Bookshop.org, on Amazon.com, on Barnes & Noble, or directly from Random House.The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. I have recently launched a newsletter. You can subscribe to it at thememorypalacepodcast.substack.com. Music Pure (Ride the World) by (the extraordinary) Brendan Eder Ensemble Violette... from Philippe Sarde's score to Violette et Francois Merry-go-Round and People on Sunday by Domenique Dumont Dane by Nils Frahm Two different versions of Debussy's Passepied, the piano one is performed by Seong-Jin Cho, the synth one by Isao Tomita Love from Matthew Herbert Memorial Park from Bernard Herrmann's score to Obsession. Phantom Signals by Tvarvargen NotesThere's plenty written about Ken Allen, but I particularly appreciated Jason Hribal's book Fear of the Animal Planet: The Hidden History of Animal Resistance.
9/5/202422 minutes, 53 seconds
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Episode 220: The Zipper

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. I have recently launched a newsletter. You can subscribe to it at thememorypalacepodcast.substack.com. Music Swiming by Explosions in the Sky Walking Song by Kevin Volans and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble I Walk on Guilded Splinters by Johnny Jenkins Seduction by the Balanescu Quartet Lunette by Les Baxter and Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman Running Around by Buddy Ross September by Giles Lamb NotesThis episode was pieced together from a ton of little fragments but I wanted to steer folks to a couple of resources in particular: this excellent article from a few years back in the Toronto Star by Katie Daubs, and this documentary from filmmaker, Amy Nicholson, that primarily uses the Zipper as a way to talk about changes at Coney Island but has some great details from Harold Chance and his sons. 
8/15/202413 minutes, 34 seconds
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Episode 219: Lost Jobs

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate.  I have recently launched a newsletter. You can subscribe to it at thememorypalacepodcast.substack.com. NotesRead about the change in policy here. And the article that helped prompt the policy change here. Music Pipeline by H.Takahashi Sad Seine by Lambert Dance PM by Hiroshi Yoshimura
7/3/202411 minutes, 5 seconds
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A White Horse

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate.  I have recently launched a newsletter. You can subscribe to it at thememorypalacepodcast.substack.com. This episode was originally released in 2016 in the days after the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. It is re-released every year on the anniversary of the incident. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first.Notes and Reading:* Most of the specific history of the White Horse was learned from "Sanctuary: the Inside Story of the Nation's Second Oldest Gay Bar" by David Olson, reprinted in its entirety on the White Horse's website.* "Gayola: Police Professionalization and the Politics of San Francisco's Gay Bars, 1950-1968," by Christopher Agee.* June Thomas' series on the past, present, and future of the gay bar from Slate a few years back.* Various articles written on the occasion of the White Horse's 80th anniversary, including this one from SFGATE.Com* Michael Bronski's A Queer History of the United States.* Radically Gay, a collection of Harry Hay's writing.* Incidentally, I watched this interview with Harry Hay from 1996 about gay life in SF in the 30's multiple times because it's amazing.Music* We start with Water in Your Hands by Tommy Guerrero.* Hit Anne Muller's Walzer fur Robert a couple of times.* Gaussian Curve does Talk to the Church.* We get a loop of Updraught from Zoe Keating.* We finish on Transient Life in Twilight by James Blackshaw
6/12/202413 minutes, 32 seconds
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Episode 218: Olga

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.A Note on Notes:I always prefer that the listener goes into each episode cold, not knowing what it's going to be about. So, you might want to tread carefully, as there are spoilers in the notes below. Music L'espagne pour memoire by Michel Portal Find me Tomorrow from Christophe Beck's score to Charlie Countryman The old Soviet philharmonic plays some Shostakovich. The London Symphony Orchestra plays The Blue Danube Waltz. We hear Walt by Mother Falcon. Sombolero by Luiz Bonfa Notes Like a lot of people below, say, 55, I first heard about Olga Fikotova-Connolly when reading her obituary in the New York Times. By far the best thing you can do if you want to know more about her is track down her out-of-print memoir, The Rings of Destiny, which, despite its rather puffed-up title, is so warm and detailed and intimate. It's a delight.  You might also enjoy this late-in-life interview with Olga as well. 
6/6/202419 minutes, 42 seconds
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Hazel, Mark, and a One-Time Juliet

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Music Traffico from Carlo Rustichelli's score to Divorzio All'Italiana and Una Braveta, from his score to Amici Miei. Tema Grottesco from Giovanni Fusco's score to L'avventura.  Gloving it from Moondog. Musica Bionda from the score to The Sweet Body of Deborah The Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra plays Natascha from the score to The Perfect Marriage.  Waltz from the Brendan Eder Ensemble Christa Schonfeldinger plays Grieg's Smarthold - der Kobold, on the glass armonica.
5/2/202412 minutes, 54 seconds
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Episode 216: Awake

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Music A synth stab from As if it Would Have a Universal and Memorable Ending by Shane Carruth's score to his film, Upstream Color, a movie I love deeply.  Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by the Platters The Girl Who was Frightened of Ashtrays by Charlie Megira Sambolero by Luiz Bonfa.  Water by So Percussion Divertimiento Fur Tenorsaxophon Und Kleines Ensemble (Part 4) from Carl Oesterhelt and Johannes Ender. Ball by Duval Timothy Piece 3 by the great Warren Ellis. Chora tua Tristeza from Lalo Schiffrin Growing Up from Ben Sollee's score to Maidentrip (Vibraphone, Marimbaphone, Malletted Wood, Two Synthesizers) and (Two Bells) by Josiah Steinbrick Main et lee from Michel Portal
4/18/202419 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 215: An Eighth Wonder

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Music Momento Ritmico and Papete aru by Piero Umiliani Opus 13 from Sven Libaek's score to The Set French Doll by Larry Ashmore and David Francis The wonderful Sewentuwa by Hailu Meriga Wave I by Elor Saxl Green by Hiroshi Yoshimura NotesI originally learned about the Elephantine Colossus years ago in David McCullough's Brooklyn... and How it Got That Way, which still holds up.
4/4/202413 minutes, 13 seconds
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Episode 214: Newsboy

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Music Un geant dans la mer and Triste soiree III from the score to Marie et les naufrages by the genius, Sebastian Tellier.  Love is Blue by Jackie Mittoo and the Soul Vendors. Rocky Passage by Jeremiah Chiu and Marta Sofia Honer Morris Visits Dr. Pratt from John Barry's score to The Wrong Box Adios Muchachos from Andre Popp Moonlight in Vermont from the great Dorothy Ashby.  Midnight Moon by The Portland Cello Project Dance PM by Hiroshi Yoshimura And we hear Blind Andy Jenkins' "Floyd Collins in Sand Cave" followed by Vernon Dalhart doing the same song under the name, "The Death of Floyd Collins." We also hear Jimmy Osbourne do Andy's, "The Death of Little Kathy Fiscus." Notes I have a note in my years-long running list of possible story ideas that says, "event songs," but I could never remember why. Then I was reading Charles Hirschberg and Mark Zwonitzer's, Will You Miss me When I'm Gone?: The Carter Family & Their Legacy in American Music and was reminded of Andy's story (that book is great). I also recommend the always-useful, Country Music USA, by Bill C. Malone for more on Andy and his era as well as Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity by Richard A. Peterson. If you want more about poor Floyd Collins, you could turn to Robert K. Murray and Roger W. Bruckner's, Trapped!: The Story of Floyd Collins.
3/21/202417 minutes, 20 seconds
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Episode 214: The Light and the Spirits

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Abisme by Shida Shahadi Ellen’s Image from Lalo Schiffiren’s genius score to The Fox Circulation by H. Takahasi Liquid Spear Waltz from Michael Andrews’ score to Donnie Darko A8 from a terrific record called NuNu by Clever Austin Notes I found a lot of insight in a terrific book called Extraordinary Beliefs by Peter Lamont. In it, there’s a smart historical, psychological exploration of why spiritualism was able to flourish despite all sorts of evidence opposing it.
3/7/202412 minutes, 16 seconds
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Episode 212: David Mills

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Una Bravata from Carlo Rustichelli’s score to Amici Miei. Sunshine on Fish Skin by Girls in Airports. The Vienna Glass Armonica Duo performs Mozart’s Adagio for Glass Harmonium. The Fellowship by John Shabason Notes The best read on Mills is a 2022 article by Nate Hopper in The New Yorker about the challenges of keeping time on the internet.
2/11/202412 minutes, 57 seconds
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Episode 211: Cutting and Ned

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Je ne pas si c’est tout le monde - Theme Comedie from Vincent Delerm’s score to the film of the same, long name. Forbin’s Hi Fi from Michel Colombier’s score to Colossus: The Forbin Project Boo’s Lullaby by Maria Chiara Agriro and Jamie Leeming Helle (Ballade) from the great Phillipe Sarde score to that picture. L’Espagne pour memoire from Michel Portal’s score to Un et a la garoupe The Rain Never Stops on Venus by Michael Wollney Je t’ai meme pas dit by Vincent Delerm. From a Dream by Oregon A version of Narcisus for Clarinet and Electronics as played by Thea Musgrave. Notes Good sources if you want to know more are Peter Manseau’s book about spirit photography and the spiritualist age (Cutting intersects interestingly with that crea), The Apparitionists, as well as this article by Jerry Ryan about the history of aquariums in Boston.
1/14/202417 minutes, 37 seconds
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Smoky and Bill, a Holiday Card

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. This is a special holiday bonus episode, a sequel to Episode 210. You’ll want to listen to that one first. Music The Parisienne by the Henri Crolla Ensemble Violette… by Philippe Sarde Gift by Makasuta Takagi The Sammy Herman Sextet plays The Bells of St. Mary’s
12/23/20238 minutes, 42 seconds
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Episode 210: Bill and Smoky

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music I Believe in the Night by Keith Kenniff Improvisations sur les folies d’Espagne (extraits) from Marin Marais and Jordi Savall Finally by Lambert Voltige by Marin Lizotte Violin Solo no. 1 by Peter Broderick Fratres fur violin und klavier by Avro Part as played by Ursula Schloch and Marcel Worms Dungen by Henrik Lindstom Notes There are plenty of places to go to read about Smoky and Bill but why would want to go anywhere else than his book, Yorkie Doodle Dandy?
12/1/202318 minutes, 14 seconds
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Episode 120: The Prairie Chicken in Wisconsin: Highlights of a Study of Counts, Behavior, Turnover, Movement, and Habitat

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music We move between three different pieces from Camille Saint-Saens': Suite, Op. 90: II Menuet, and two from Carnival of the Animals:Aviary and the Cuckoo in the Heart of the Woods. We hit Juneau from Danny Bensi and Sander Jurriaans' score to Wildlike. And The Waltz from their score to 5 to 7. And there's a total gem from George Mukabi called Dila Ni Dila in there too. Notes Do yourself a favor and read Frances Hamerstrom's autobiography, My Double Life: Memoirs of a Naturalist. Do your kids a favor and Jeannine Atkins take on Frances in her book Girls Who Looked Under Rocks. And then watch Frances teach David Letterman how to cook a snake.
11/17/202318 minutes, 15 seconds
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Episode 209: Wake

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Dave Pajo/Aerial M does Plastic Energy Man Patricia Rossborough played To a Wild Rose Mal Waldron plays Warm Canto We hear Muff Gets a Share from Joel P. West’s score to Band of Robbers We hear another song I absolutely love, Turned Out I Was Everyone, by Sasami We finish on Popcorn and Life from Ben Sollee’s lovely score to Maidentrip.
10/7/202316 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 208: In the Gallery

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music The Theory by Clem Leek Hiddensee by Caeys The Clock Tower by Hampshire and Foat Notes If you want to know more about Gardner, I’d suggest Witness to an Era: the Life and Photographs of Alexander Gardner, by Mark Katz. On Brady, Matthew Brady: Portraits of a Nation, by Robert Wilson. I’d also suggest reading the New York Times’ review of the exhibit. It’s pretty stunning.
9/21/202312 minutes, 6 seconds
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Episode 207: The Six Triple Eight

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Inception by radio.string.quintet.vienna Julie With by Group Listening Nice Breeze Isn’t It? by friend of the show, Simon Rackham Wet by Taylor Deupree Times Like This II by Jean Kopperud and Stephen Gosling Broad Channel by Bing and Ruth Cradle (with Akira) by ghost and tape Lithosphere by Caoimhin O Raghellagh and by Caoimhin O Raghelagh and Thomas Bartlett Notes You can find the website I mentioned here; it’s a one-stop shop, really, for information on the 6888t. .
9/9/202314 minutes, 2 seconds
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Episode 206: The Thundering Herd, The Vanishing American

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Halcyon and Photosynteses and Embryo by H. Takehashi Intro by Library Tapes The Florist Wears Knee Breeches by M. Sage Notes I found Andrew Isenberg's book, The Destruction of the Bison, An Environmental History, completely fascinating. If you want to do a deep dive on Madison Grant, I'd recommend Defending the Master Race: Conservation, Eugenics, and the Legacy of Madison Grant by John Peter Spiro. If you want to do a deep dive on the Catalina Buffalo, this site is a fun place to start.
8/17/202318 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 79: Artist in Landscape

This show is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. This episode was originally released in November, 2015. Music * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth’s Modesty Blaise score. * They first meet to a piece called Brouillard (version 1) from Georges Delaure’s extraordinary score to Jules et Jim. (A second version comes in later when J.J. Audubon is living the high life in England). * We also hear Waltz by Mother Falcon. * I go back to the Marcelo Zarvos/Please Give well when the Scotsman arrives at their store. Note: it’s the go-to soundtrack for “People Arriving at One’s Store With A Life Changing Proposition” here at the Memory Palace. Also: go watch Please Give. * The little piano piece is from Nathan Johnson’s score to The Day I Saw Your Heart. * Lucy and John titter like plovers to Andrew Cyrille’s dope, skittering drums on Nuba 1. * The especially sad bit, right before the end is Dream 3 (in the Midst of my Life), from Max Richter’s giant, From Sleep album. * A couple times, including the ending, we hear “the Lark Ascending” from Ralph Vaughn Willliams. It is beautiful. You should buy it. Notes As per usual, I read a lot about the Audubons and the Bakewells. I relied most upon the charming and smart, On the Road with John James Audubon by Mary Durant, and Carolyn DeLatte’s lovely, thoughtful book, Lucy Audubon: a Biography. * Just a quick note: there’s a very enjoyable PBS/American Masters/Nature documentary about Audubon. It’s a fun and informative watch. But, I’ll say, you come out of that thinking that things were fundamentally swell between Lucy and John in a way that I’m not entirely sure is supported by the facts. Or jibes with, you know, human nature.
7/22/202324 minutes, 59 seconds
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Episode 205: Alice Ramsay

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Pollen and Photosynteses by H. Takehashi Ediacaran Moonrise by Barry Walker, Jr. To the Cellar from Krzysztof Komeda’s wonderful score to The Fearless Vampire Killers. Blue Sutura from Piero Piccioni’s score to Il medico della mutua. 3-Sized PF and Let’s Go Crazy!, both by Takahiro Kido Emerald Ash by Golden Brown Merry-Go-Round by Domenique Dumont Aquel Senor by the mighty, Frankie Reyes Tesko Me Ja Zaboravit Tebe by Banko Mataja Notes You can read the article by Katherin Parkin here.
6/3/202318 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 204: Wolves

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music In My Heaven All Faucets Have Fountains by yes/and A snippet of Runaway from Olafur Arnauld’s score to Gimme Shelter Spectral Canon from Conlon Nancarrow from James Tenney The Hourglass by Ben Crosland.
4/10/202312 minutes, 28 seconds
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episode 76: Mary Walker Would Wear what she Wanted

This episode was originally released in 2015. Proceeds from this episode are being donated to the Transgender Law Center. Music *Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth’s Modesty Blaise score. *The piece opens with Rainfall, by David Darling and Michael Jones. *Her brief love story is scored by Nathan Johnson’s Penelope’s Theme from his score to The Brothers Bloom. *When she lands her first gig, we start Garde a Vue, and roll into Le Roi de coeur, from Chantal Martineau. * The vibraphone piece is “Opening” by Nathaniel Bartlett. * The recurring violin piece is called Geometria del Universo by the one-named Colleen. * It ends on Romain’s First Love, again by Georges Delarue, from his fantastic score to Promise at Dawn. Notes * I read a lot about Mary, but by far the most useful and most thorough works I came upon were: Sharon M. Harris’ Dr. Mary Walker: An American Radical and A Woman of Honor: Dr. Mary E. Walker and the Civil War, in which author Mercedes Graf does a great job walking the reader through Walker’s unpublished memoir. The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts.
3/10/202314 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 67: Every Night Ever

This episode was originally released in summer of 2015. Music * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth’s Modesty Blaise score. * Then, we have the most obvious crickets/summer night song ever: the fantastic, perpetually delightful Green Arrow from Yo La Tengo’s I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, which has soundtracked many crickety summer nights for me over the years. * The cops roll in to a loop of the very beginning of the epic Ptah, the El Daoud, the title track to Alice Coltrane’s album from 1970. * Then we have a mix of two improvisations from Charles Cohen’s “Brother I Prove You Wrong”: Cloud Hands and The Boy and the Snake Dance. * There’s a brief dip into Dorian, by Fang Island. * The jaunty accordion, typewriter thing is Biking is Better on Wintergatan’s eponymous album. Notes I researched this one primarily through old newspapers. The easiest place to find a number of them is to read the excellent site, The Museum of Hoaxes’ page on this event. Also: if you’re in the Atlanta area and ever want to have yourself a day, you can see the actual monkey. It’s preserved in a jar at the Georgia Bureau of Investigations museum in Decatur Georgia. The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts.
2/17/202312 minutes, 20 seconds
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Episode 148: Safe Passage

This episode was originally released in September of 2019. Music We start with the Opening of Craig Armstrong’s score to Far From the Madding Crowd. Glass Houses no. 13 from Ann Southam. Earring from Julia Wolf. Occam II for Violin from Eliane Radigue. Rearranging Furniture from Gabriel Yared’s score to By the Sea. A bit of Movement II from Martynov, “Come in!” by Vladimir Martynov. Notes Plenty written about the Willie D.. I found Roger Branfill-Cook’s Torpedo: the Most Revolutionary Weapon in Naval History to be particularly useful. I also enjoyed stumbling upon this day-by-day breakdown of F.D.R.’s Presidency.
1/28/202315 minutes, 40 seconds
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Episode 94: Numbers (rebroadcast)

This episode was originally released in August 2016 Note * Here’s a link to watch an excerpt of the CBS news break. * One of my favorite things I came across while reading up on the lottery was this site, which includes a remarkable page where folks send in their personal stories of their draft experience. Music * Elevator Song by Keaton Henson (feat. Ren Ford) * Waves by Abby Gundersen
1/17/202312 minutes, 6 seconds
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Nate's episode of the year 2022: In France or in Heaven

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Blithe Field does RD 1 O Venezia, Venuga, Venusia by Nino Rota Carthage by Hayden Perdido Nice Breeze, Isn’t It? from Simon Rackham Mystere by amiina Blithe Field also does Racing Backward as well as Prelude
12/26/202222 minutes, 34 seconds
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Episode 203: The News from Thar

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Mongali as played by the mighty Tabu Ley Rochereu 2nd Season by Takahiro Kido Ferde Grofe’s Grand Canyon Suite: 5 Cloudburst as performed by the Detroit Symphony Nero’s Nocturne by Chilly Gonzalez. Man, that guy is great. You should buy his music. Opening Titles from Jeff Grace’s score to In the Valley of Violence Morris Visits Dr. Pratt from John Barry’s score to The Wrong Box Gift from Masakatsu Takagi’s score to The Boy and the Beast Nurse Janet from Ludwig Goransson’s score to Everything, Everythin Notes My favorite resources on frontier press stuff is by Barbara Cloud, The Coming of the Frontier Press, How the West was Really Won.
12/16/202211 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 202: Better Babies

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music LBS by Duval Timothy My Favourites, pt. 2 by Patricia Rossborough Sad Seine by Lambert Vals Efter Lasse I Lyby by Lofoten Cello Duo
11/28/202210 minutes, 44 seconds
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Episode 201: One Fruit

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Strength of a Young Man by Vernon Field Wave I by Elori Saxl Rearranging Furniture from Gabriel Yared’s score to By the Sea Falling Forever and Ever by Ricky Eat Acid Muff Gets a Share from Joel P West’s score to Band of Robbers Notes By far the most fun I had researching this was reading Kaori O’Conner’s Pineapple: A Global History. Really a lovely little book.
11/17/202215 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 200: Ghost Story

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Rauelsson plays Mom, in Ukraine Group Listening plays Julie With Richard Birkin plays Vigil II Colleen plays Les Ondes Silencieueses Taylor Deupree and Marcus Fischer play Bell The Ensemble Rescerche plays Morton Feldman’s Something Wild in the City: Mary Ann’s Theme
10/22/202216 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 199: Nee Blinky

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Sunset Village by Group Listening Winter Memory by Dark Dark Dark Pretty in Plums by Shida Shihabi With a little bit of The Crumbling by Valgeir Sigurossen Afternoon in Paris by the incomparable John Lewis Abstrutions from Max Roach And Herbert’s Story from Mark Orton’s score to Nebraska
9/29/202213 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 198: Weather Conditions Above Mount Fuji

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Arrival by by Domenique Dumont Bouquet by Bobby Hutcherson Last Dance by No Vacation Channels Passing by Paul Dresher Dilo 4 by Emika The Kronos Quartet plays II from Phillip Glass’ second string quartet, “Company.”
9/2/202212 minutes, 7 seconds
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Episode 115: A Brief Eulogy for a Commercial Radio Station

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. This episode was originally released in October of 2017 and was produced with engineering assistance from Elizabeth Aubert. Music Sunrise Through the Dusty Nebula by Hannah Peel Keep by Nils Frahm Horizon Variations by Max Richter She cycles through: Where or When by Hal Kemp & His Orchestra, Smarty (You Know it All) by Fats Waller, Dear Mr. Gable: You Made Me Love You by Judy Garland, Hellhounds on My Trail by Robert Johnson, and The Big Apple by Tommy Dorsey and his Clambake Seven. Future Waves by Uther Moads. And Vapour Trail by Ride, forever.
8/21/202213 minutes, 13 seconds
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Episode 124: Junk Room

The Memory Palace is a member of Radiotopia from PRX. This episode was originally released in the spring of 2018. It’s being re-released today because Nate’s on book leave for the summer. Music We start off with Theme de Simon from Georges Delerue. Go to Alpine Sketch from Christian Loffler’s Young Alaska. Hear some of Three Dances: II Pavane arranged for the Chromos Tuba Quartet. The Plum Blossom from Yusuf Lateef’s great Eastern Sounds record. Juve & Fandor by amiina. The Unquestioned Answer by Laura Spiegel. Etude by Joep Beving. Rainfall by David Darling and Michael Jones.
7/21/202214 minutes, 57 seconds
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Episode 91: Natural Habitat

The Memory Palace is a member of Radiotopia from PRX. This episode was originally released in July of 2016. It’s being re-released today because Nate’s on book leave for the summer and because it’s a total banger. Notes and Reading: * I came to this story the old fashioned way (for me): I saw Su Lin at the Field Museum and needed to know more. That led me inevitably to Vicki Croke's The Lady and the Panda from 2006. It's a terrific read. If you have any interest at all in learning more about Ruth Harkness, that's the place to go. I've got a few quibbles here and there, but, for real, it's delightful. * Quentin Young's (slightly strange and contested) version of events is told in Chasing the Panda by Michael Kiefer. * If you've got a few hundred bucks (or a library with more liberal lending policies with old books than mine), why not read Ruth's own book, The Baby Giant Panda? * If you're interested in zoos writ large, I'm a fan of Animal Attractions: Nature on Display in American Zoos by Elizabeth Hansen. Music: * We start with Hush-Maker by Moon Ate the Dark. * Roll on with Freudian Slippers by Chilly Gonzales. * Hear Bibio's Cherry Blossom Road a couple of times. * Hit up Nice Dream by radio.string.quartet.vienna * Hear Don Redman and his Orchestra play Blue Eyed Baby from Memphis. * The centerpiece of the middle section is Snow Again by Lambert. * We hear a couple of pieces by Dan Romer: An Old Fashioned Man and End of the World. * We finish up on Lullatone's Falling Asleep With a Book on Your Chest.
7/8/202227 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 197: Kiddo

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Arrival by Dominique Dumont Bouquet by Bobby Hutcherson off of his phenomenal album, Happenings. Wrench and Numbers from Jeff Russo’s score to Fargo, the FX show. Melodrames telegraphies (in B flat Major 7th), part 1 by Brian McBride Kembang Andyani from the Gamelan Orchestra
6/23/202215 minutes, 7 seconds
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Episode 90: A White Horse

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. This episode was originally released in 2016 in the days after the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. It is re-released every year on the anniversary of the incident. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Notes and Reading: * Most of the specific history of the White Horse was learned from "Sanctuary: the Inside Story of the Nation's Second Oldest Gay Bar" by David Olson, reprinted in its entirety on the White Horse's website. * "Gayola: Police Professionalization and the Politics of San Francisco's Gay Bars, 1950-1968," by Christopher Agee. * June Thomas' series on the past, present, and future of the gay bar from Slate a few years back. * Various articles written on the occasion of the White Horse's 80th anniversary, including this one from SFGATE.Com * Michael Bronski's A Queer History of the United States. * Radically Gay, a collection of Harry Hay's writing. * Incidentally, I watched this interview with Harry Hay from 1996 about gay life in SF in the 30's multiple times because it's amazing. Music * We start with Water in Your Hands by Tommy Guerrero. * Hit Anne Muller's Walzer fur Robert a couple of times. * Gaussian Curve does Talk to the Church. * We get a loop of Updraught from Zoe Keating. * We finish on Transient Life in Twilight by James Blackshaw
6/12/202213 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 152: Let it Snow

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. This episode originally appeared in the winter of 2019. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music Still Space by Satoshi Ashikawa.
5/28/202215 minutes, 47 seconds
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Episode 196: In France or in Heaven

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Blithe Field does RD 1 O Venezia, Venuga, Venusia by Nino Rota Carthage by Hayden Perdido Nice Breeze, Isn’t It? from Simon Rackham Mystere by amiina Blithe Field also does Racing Backward as well as Prelude
5/18/202220 minutes, 7 seconds
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Episode 195: A New Bronze Man

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music The Return by Library Tapes Erased Duet by Valgeir Sigurdossen 3-sized PF by Takahiro Kido Vals Efter Lasser I Lyby by Lofoton Cello Duo Notes Totally recommend Bruce Levine’s Thaddeus Stevens: Civil War Revolutionary, Fighter for Racial Justice. I encourage you to check out the Thaddeus Stevens Society.
4/30/202213 minutes, 59 seconds
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Episode 194: Small Sample

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Dance PM from Horishi Yoshimura Amor - C.B. Rework by Clark Here’s What You’re Missin by Bing and Ruth Meredith Monk’s Ellis Island as played by Bruce Brubaker Alto Paraiso by Aukai Opening from Nathaniel Bartlett Rivers That you Cannot See by North Americans First of the Tide by Erland Cooper featuring Benge Notes The episode old episode I mention in the credits as a companion to this one is here. Most of the biographical details in this were found in the official biography written for the National Academy of Sciences by his Uranium-hunting colleague, George Tilton, and a terrific, entertaining oral history interview. Also, if you’ve left episode in the mode where you’d just like to know some more, I came across this old Mental Floss article by Lucas Reilly that I thought did a particularly good job of weaving a lot of the back story (some of which I’d covered before in the Midgely episode linked above) into Patterson’s story. Just wanted to shine a light on it.
4/11/202214 minutes, 12 seconds
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Episode 101: Promise

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. This episode was originally released in December of 2016 A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Starts with Christope Beck and DeadMono’s theme to Charlie Countryman. Prelude for HS by Hakon Stene. Tezeta (Nostalgia) from Malatu Astatke, from Ethiopiques vol. 4, one of my favorite pieces of music in the world. Marian Lapansky plays Camille Saint-Saens “Le Sygne.” Which fights with Piero Umiliani’s Danza Primitiva. Warren Ellis rounds it out with his Lale’s Theme from his terrific score to Mustang (which you should totally see). The Hazel Scott pieces can be found here and here. Notes I first heard about Hazel Scott while reading Rad American Women from A to Z to my daughter. It’s a wonderful book. You should buy it for any kid in your life. I read a lot about Hazel, but Karen Chilton’s biography, Hazel Scott: A Pioneering Jazz Pianist from Cafe Society to HUAC was essential.
3/18/202219 minutes, 46 seconds
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Episode 193: Classmates (Making Trouble)

This episode of The Memory Palace is a part of Radiotopia’s winter fundraiser. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. Donate today at https://on.prx.org/3uERfBv. Thank you! Music Fragment I by Library Tapes Don’t Forget to Breathe Eh by Kelpe Here I Am, Two Warships by Spirituals Elfe by Dario Lessing Jahrzeit from American Contemporary Music Ensemble Alarm Will Sound’s version of Jynweythek ylow 2400 by Martyn Hynes Notes I found a couple of books particularly useful if you want to learn more about Barbara Johns. Richard Kluger’s classic Simple Justice and a really lovely book for younger readers called The Girl From the Tar Paper School by Teri Kanefield.
2/25/202216 minutes, 2 seconds
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Episode 192: Combinations

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Romantic Lullaby by Simon Rackham Happy Whistler by Group Listening. The Return by Library Tapes
2/9/20228 minutes, 46 seconds
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Episode 191: Crash

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Time Beat by Ray Cathode Rabbits of the Void by Tomaga Weightless by the Neil Cowley Trio Scenes from the Poet’s Dreams I: Racing Through the Stars by The Lark Quartet Switchcraft by Chilly Gonzalez Sky Breaking, Clouds Falling by Mason Lindahl Notes There’s a ton written about The Crash at Crush but the one I’d recommend is Train Crash at Crush, Texas: America’s Deadliest Publicity Stunt, by Mike Cox
1/23/202219 minutes, 13 seconds
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Nate's Favorite Episode of 2021: Betty Robinson

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. This episode was originally released as Episode 184: Betty Robinson in July of 2021. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Pollen by H.Takahashi and, later, Photosynthese. The New York Herald Tribune by Martial Solal Trying Something Again, Again by Lullatone Wiffle Ball from Joel P. West’s score for Short Term 12 The title theme to Cani Arrabbiati Increase by David Lang and Alarm Will Sound Nijuichi by Sylvain Chaveau Occam II for Violin by Eliane Radigue Drunken Aviator by the (great, truly) Ida. Eyes Closed and Travelling by Peter Broderick Notes If you are looking to read more about Betty, I’d suggest Rosanne Montillo’s terrific book, Fire on the Track.
12/27/202127 minutes, 9 seconds
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Episode 190: The Ride

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music How to be Invisible, by Thruppence. Motion by Peter Sandberg. Art Blakey’s magical, Come out and See Me Tonight And, of course, So What, from Kind of Blue Notes I relied a lot on this extensive oral history interview from The Smithsonian.
12/10/202112 minutes, 20 seconds
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Episode 189: New England Granite

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Midnight Moon from Annalisa Tornfelt and Gideon Fraudmann’s album, Spring Breakup: Songs for Alaska. A couple of numbers from Marcelo Zarvos’ wonderful score to the wonderful, Please Give. A remarkable piece of music called Spectacle of Ritual by Kali Malone And another called Pauvre Simon from Sylvain Chauveau
11/24/202117 minutes, 20 seconds
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Episode 188: Spirits

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Feminist from Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurrian’s score to Christine. Under Siege from the great Warren Ellis’ score to Mustang Warm Canto from Mal Waldren M is for Man, Music, Mozart: the Eisenstein Song from Louis Andriessen’s De Stijl album. The them to Le Doulo from Paul Misraki Manny Returns Home from Bernard Hermann’s score to the Wrong Man
11/10/202113 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 187: The Woods

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music By the Ash Tree and Semolina by Slow Meadow Opals by Catching Flies Mechanical Fair by Ola Kvernberg and the Trondheim Singers La Copla by the great Atahualpa Yupanqui Holm Sound by Erland Cooper Notes You can find the original recordings, photos, and film clips taken on the 1935 expedition and after in the remarkable online library of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Of the many books on the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, the one I enjoyed and relied upon most here is Phillip Hoose’s The Race to Save the Good Lord Bird.
10/23/202117 minutes, 6 seconds
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Episode 63: Other Bodies

This episode was originally released in October, 2014. The music in this one: “An Ending, A Beginning” by Dustin O’Halloran. “I am Piano” by Peter Broderick. Two songs from the soundtrack to “With a Song in my Heart”: American Medley, and That Old Feeling. The one at the end is “I’ll Never be the Same.” My version’s on a collection called “Can’t get out of this Mood.” There are also a couple of other Jane things that I found on You Tube. The plane crash stuff is scored by a piece of Claudia Serne and Leopold Ross’ soundtrack for “Broken City,” called “Missing Pieces.” Then there’s a sound by The Caretaker called “Stairway to the Stars.” I read a lot about Jane for this but nothing was as useful as Ilene Stone’s lovely book, “Jane Froman: Missouri’s First Lady of Song.”
10/8/202117 minutes, 12 seconds
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Episode 186: Shining

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Mother's Love by The Vernon Spring Avinu Malkenu by Lofoten Cello Duo Vakenatt by Daniel Herskedal Computer Love by Balenescu Quartet Sunshine on Fish Skin by Girls in Airports Cabiria e el ragioniere from Nino Rota's score to Nights of Cabiria
9/22/202113 minutes
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Episode 185: The Life and Works of a Monumental Figure

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Honesty by Thrupence El Noi de la Mare, Eldegard by Lofoten Cello Duo 2400 by Martyn Hyne White Light by Chihei Hatekeyama Valse Efter Valle I Lybe by Lofoten Cello Duo Notes There's obviously nearly-infinite amounts to read about Jane Addams. I found Citizen: Jane Addams and the Struggle for Democracy by Louise Knight particularly useful.  
9/3/202111 minutes, 54 seconds
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Memory Palace Summer Reading: The Great Gatsby, part 3

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. In lieu of my usual re-runs filling out August, I’m doing something different: a full-reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, presented in three parts.This is part 2. Music for Gatsby was composed and performed by Mary Lattimore. Find and buy her music at marylattimoreharpist.bandcamp.com The cover art is from Jen Corace. See more of Jen’s work at jencorace.com. Back with the third and final part on August 19th. Back with new episodes of The Memory Palace in September.
8/19/20211 hour, 39 minutes, 39 seconds
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Memory Palace Summer Reading: The Great Gatsby, Part 2

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. In lieu of my usual re-runs filling out August, I’m doing something different: a full-reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, presented in three parts.This is part 2. Music for Gatsby was composed and performed by Mary Lattimore. Find and buy her music at marylattimoreharpist.bandcamp.com The cover art is from Jen Corace. See more of Jen’s work at jencorace.com. Back with the third and final part on August 19th. Back with new episodes of The Memory Palace in September.
8/12/20211 hour, 15 minutes, 21 seconds
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Memory Palace Summer Reading: The Great Gatsby, Part 1

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. In lieu of my usual re-runs filling out August, I’m doing something different: a full-reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, presented in three parts. Music for Gatsby was composed and performed by Mary Lattimore. Find and buy her music at marylattimoreharpist.bandcamp.com The cover art is from Jen Corace. See more of Jen’s work at jencorace.com. Back with part two on August 12th. 
8/6/20211 hour, 28 minutes, 18 seconds
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Episode 184: Betty Robinson

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Pollen by H.Takahashi and, later, Photosynthese. The New York Herald Tribune by Martial Solal Trying Something Again, Again by Lullatone Wiffle Ball from Joel P. West’s score for Short Term 12 The title theme to Cani Arrabbiati Increase by David Lang and Alarm Will Sound Nijuichi by Sylvain Chaveau Occam II for Violin by Eliane Radigue Drunken Aviator by the (great, truly) Ida. Eyes Closed and Travelling by Peter Broderick Notes If you are looking to read more about Betty, I’d suggest Rosanne Montillo’s terrific book, Fire on the Track.
7/18/202125 minutes, 18 seconds
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Episode 183: Goblins

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Wasser by H.Takahashi
7/4/202114 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 90: A White Horse

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. This episode was originally released in 2016 in the days after the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. It is re-released every year on the anniversary of the incident. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Notes and Reading: * Most of the specific history of the White Horse was learned from "Sanctuary: the Inside Story of the Nation's Second Oldest Gay Bar" by David Olson, reprinted in its entirety on the White Horse's website. * "Gayola: Police Professionalization and the Politics of San Francisco's Gay Bars, 1950-1968," by Christopher Agee. * June Thomas' series on the past, present, and future of the gay bar from Slate a few years back. * Various articles written on the occasion of the White Horse's 80th anniversary, including this one from SFGATE.Com * Michael Bronski's A Queer History of the United States. * Radically Gay, a collection of Harry Hay's writing. * Incidentally, I watched this interview with Harry Hay from 1996 about gay life in SF in the 30's multiple times because it's amazing. Music * We start with Water in Your Hands by Tommy Guerrero. * Hit Anne Muller's Walzer fur Robert a couple of times. * Gaussian Curve does Talk to the Church. * We get a loop of Updraught from Zoe Keating. * We finish on Transient Life in Twilight by James Blackshaw
6/12/202112 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 182: The Surfmen

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music: Flowering Jasmine as performed by Gidon Kremer and the Kremerata Batica. Kaspburger by Clogs 20 (Lichen) by Berndan Eder Ensemble Fall Again by Duval Timothy, Lil Silva and Melanie Faye. Wurzer by H.Takahashi Bone Collector by Julian Lage and Chris Etheridge Titan’s Island by Ancient Oceans Notes: My favorite account (among many) of Richard Etheridge and the story of the Pea Island Surfmen is Fire on the Beach by David Wright and David Zoby.
6/5/202118 minutes, 25 seconds
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Episode 181: The Adventures of Pearl

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music: Suite from A Hatful of Rain from the GOAT, Bernard Herrmann Sexfaldur from amiina Piano 1 from Emily Sprague Earring from Julia Wolfe and Lisa Moore The Squirrel, from Herrmann’s score to The Three Worlds of Gulliver All in Circles by Shida Shinabi Them by Nils Frahm
5/23/202116 minutes, 34 seconds
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Episode 180: Tracks

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music: Rosee by Piano Novel Eyes Closed and Traveling by Peter Broderick Future Waves by Uther Moads Go Home by h. hunt Juneau from Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurrians score to Wildlike
5/8/202118 minutes, 9 seconds
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Episode 179: Keyhole

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music: Individuation by Eluvium Kola - Lighthouse Version by amiina Seeming by Helios Portrait Gallery by Luke Howard Disillusionment for the Emotional Type by You’ll Never Get to Heaven Clouds by Hiroshi Yoshimura Notes: Leviathan: the History of Whaling in America by Eric Jay Dolan was super useful and very readable. You can find the study on Sperm Whale adaptation in the North Pacific here.
4/22/202114 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 178: Crossfade

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music: Wiegenfield, S. 198 as played Khatia Buniastihivilli Van McCoy sings Mr. DJ Vier Stucke fur Xylophon Love is Blue by Jackie Mittoo Calvary by Quicksilver Messenger Service Tizita by Tijist Ejigu Violin Solo no. 1 by Peter Broderick Two Aquerelles 1. Slow The Hustle by Van McCoy Coffee Beans by Moondog Dogs of Straw from Larry Groupe's score to Straw Dogs Flowering Jasmine by George Pelecis Visit Croatia by Alabaster DePlume Absence by Matti Bye
4/3/202121 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 77: Butterflies

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. This episode was originally released in 2015. Sometimes you’re working on an episode (and when I say “you’re” I mean, “I’m,”) working on an episode and you realize it’s just all wrong. That there’s a good episode in there but you need to take a few days and go at it again. Because you (and, again, “you”=”I”) think it, and you (this time I mean you, the listener) deserve better. And you put out a re-run. It’s a good one, though.
3/20/202121 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 177: A Brief Eulogy for Carla Wallenda

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music The Last Days of Summer by Maria Avnos. Broad Channel (Solo Piano) by Bing & Ruth Homesickness (v. 1) by the phenomenal Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou Notes Here she is with Steve Harvey.
3/12/202112 minutes, 46 seconds
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Episode 176: The Air and the Sea and the Land

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Unsayable by Brambles. Kola - Lighthouse Version by amiina A Nearer Sun by the Westerlies Duet, a Steve Reich composition, performed by Daniel Hope. Reading a Wave by Arp April by Kanazu Tomoyuki Latent Sonata by Brian McBride Notes The oral history mentioned in this episode is available through the Smithsonian Instittion’’s archives.
2/25/202119 minutes, 7 seconds
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Episode 175: One Hundred Percent a Diner

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Metaphysical Waltz by Shirley Meyer Blankenship ...morphs into Jock O'Hazeldean by Cynthia Boener There's Dominique Dumont's La bataille de neige The Squimp from the Chico Hamilton Quintet Fruit of Dreams by Les Baxter Rags to Riches by Tony Bennett Notes Best place to go if you want to learn a lot about Todd Storz is The Birth of Top 40 Radio: The Storz' Stations Revolution of the 1950s and 1960s by Richard Fatherly and David MacFarland. For a loving history of the whole era, you'd probably enjoy Ben Fong Torres' The Hits Just Keep on Coming: The History of Top 40 Radio
2/11/202111 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 174: The Stone

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Sarah in Bath from Komeda's great score to The Fearless Vampire Killers David Goes Hunting from Larry Groupe's great score to Straw Dogs When It's Time to Go by Buddy Fo and His Group (great name for a backing band, btw) Completely Gone from Ludwig Gorannson's score to Everything, Everything Peri Banu vid sjon (Version) by DUNGEN Debut by Christopher Ferreira
1/26/202115 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 105: Amok

This piece was originally released in February, 2017. This piece has two selections from Saunder Jurriens and Danny Bensi’s score to Christine, Yes But and Back to Work. Notes This very good article in the Museum of Hoaxes gives a nice overview and links out to the original article. Hampton Sides In the Kingdom of Ice has a nice telling of the story with a lot of background on the editor of the Herald.
1/11/20218 minutes, 13 seconds
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Episode 173: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Waltz for Sky by Muriel Botsdorp A Gathering to Lead me When You're Gone by Brian McBride 20 (Lichen) by Brendan Eder Ensemble Electronium Movie Score by Raymond Scott Someday We'll Linger in the Sun by Gaelynn Lea 32 (Harp) by Nearly Oratorio Notes By far the most fun and helpful thing I read for this episode was Michael O'Malley's, Keeping Watch: A History of American Time. 
12/29/202013 minutes, 58 seconds
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Episode 172: The Existential Tourist

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Memory Waltz from Bernard Herrmann's score to The Snows of Kilimanjaro Pink Champagne from Harry Warren's score to An Affair to Remember Jonalah from the Chico Hamilton Quintet Brouillard, version 2 from Delerue's Jules et Jim score Living by Sebastian Plano
12/12/202013 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 171: Out to Sea and Back Again

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Spiderwebs of Clouds by Oliia Belli
11/25/20208 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode of the Year 2020

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. This episode was originally released in April of 2020. We are deeply, deeply annoyed that this is still relevant and useful. 20 stories, each 20 seconds, to accompany you in the proper washing of hands. Stay safe, be well, wash your hands.
11/13/202019 minutes, 2 seconds
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Episode 170: Reed v.

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music As Old Roads by Goldmund Wake by Taylor Duepree and Marcus Fischer Sedentary II by Kyle Bobby Dunn Talk to the Church by Gaussian Curve Notes The best resources I found for Sally Story (it’s easy to find out more about Reed v. Reed) came from a couple of sources: 100 Americans Making Constitutional History, A Biographical History, edited by Melvin L. Urovsky. And Natalie Wexler’s article, “Sex Discrimination - a Search for a Standard.”
10/20/202011 minutes, 27 seconds
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The Masque of the Red Death, by Edgar Allan Poe

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. This episode contains a full reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, The Masque of the Red Death. Use your discretion before listening. It is both one of the more macabre stories from Poe and it is hitting harder than usual during these peculiar times.
10/4/202017 minutes, 26 seconds
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From a Parking Lot, a special bonus episode for the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival

This episode of The Memory Palace was commissioned by the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival and the New York State Council of the Arts in 2019. It’s ideally meant to be listened to at the corner of Corinthian and State downtown. But, you’ll likely enjoy it wherever you are. The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
9/15/202012 minutes, 43 seconds
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High Falls, a bonus episode for the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival

This episode of The Memory Palace was commissioned by the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival and the New York State Council of the Arts in 2019. It’s ideally meant to be listened to at the Pont du Rennes while viewing High Falls. But, you’ll likely enjoy it wherever you are. The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
9/15/202013 minutes, 42 seconds
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Episode 169: Beautician

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independent podcasts from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Them by Nils Frahm Feathers by Poppy Ackroyd Notes You can read Myles Horton’s book. I found The Birth of Citizen Schools: Entwining the Struggles for Literacy and Freedom by David P. Levine particularly useful. And especially Clare Russell’s “A Beautician Without Teacher Training: Bernice Robinson, Citizen Schools and women in the Civil Rights Movement.”
9/7/202012 minutes, 6 seconds
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Episode 168: The Traveling Stones

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independent podcasts from PRX. A note on notes: We’d much rather you just went into each episode of The Memory Palace cold. And just let the story take you where it well. So, we don’t suggest looking into the show notes first. Music Ruby by Ali Farka Toure Party’s End, from Bernard Herrmann’s score to The Egyptian Future Green by Masuhiro Sugaya The Boy and the Snake Dance by Charles Cohen Vier Stucke for Xylophone as performed by Guniid Keetman Opening from Marcelo Zarvos’ score to Please Give Herbert’s Story from Mark Orton’s score to Nebraska Solitary Living by The Flashbulb Notes You should read Dan De Quille. He’s a good writer! I like his book on the Comstock Load, Big Bonanza. Also check out The Tall Tales of Dan De Quille, by C. Grant Loomis from 1946. I found this article about Twain’s time in Nevada particularly helpful.
8/25/202014 minutes, 12 seconds
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The Wheel

In a terrible summer often filled with stories about monuments to terrible men, here is a story about an American hero. Build monuments to Robert Smalls. Originally released on February 10th, 2016. The Memory Palace is a proud member of the Radiotopia Network. Music * Julia Rovinsky plays Phillip Glass’ Metamorphosis I, from her album Dusk. * There’s an excerpt from Paul Drescher’s “Casa Vecchia,” from the Mirrors: Other Fire album. * There’s a chunk of Jose Gonzalez’ “Instrumental” from his Stay in the Shade EP. * “Manny Returns Home” from Bernard Hermann’s score to The Wrong Man. * Branka Parlic plays Philip Glass’ “Mad Rush.” Twice. * “Quiet Fan for SK,” by P.G. Six. * Things get heavy to “Particles of the Universe (Heartbeats)” from Dan Romer and Ben Zeitlin’s score to Beasts of the Southern Wild. Notes There’s a lot written about Robert Smalls, with a lot of contradictory information. I found Edward A. Miller’s Gullah Statesman: Robert Smalls from Slavery to Congress particularly useful to sorting it all out. Some other sources I consulted while researching this piece: * The Negro’s Civil War: How American Blacks Felt and Acted During the War for the Union by the Don, James McPherson * From Slavery to Public Service: Robert Smalls, 1839-1915, by Okon Uya. * And, for what it’s worth, Robert Smalls: The Boat Thief from RFK Jr.’s American Heroes Series is an enjoyable and surprisingly thorough version of the story for young readers, if you’re ever looking for that sort of thing.
8/7/202020 minutes, 19 seconds
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Episode 167: A Brief Eulogy for a Minor League Baseball Team

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music Adrift by Yameneko Lagrimas Negras by Antonio Maria Romeau Rainfall by Michael Jones and David Darling The Big Ocean by Ben Sollee
7/22/202012 minutes, 59 seconds
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Episode 166: The Silent Room

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music Peri Banu vid Sjon (VERSION) by Dungen In a Landscape by John Cage Quartet for Four Percussionists IV: Fast by John Cage Dream by John Cage Completely Gone by Ludwig Gorannson The Introduction and Chi C’e Per Farmi i Rici from The Girl of the Golden West L’approche Du Nuage by Sylvain Chaveu Notes The story of John Cage in the anechoic chamber was first told to me maybe twenty years ago by my friend Dave Panosky one night while walking around Providence. It was precisely the type of story that I wanted to one day make a show to tell. You can find it in a lot of places including in Cage’s own writing. I first came across the second silent room in Alex Ross’ wonderful, The Rest is Noise. I also tapped into Puccini and the Girl: History and Reception of Girl of the Golden West by Annie Randall and Rosalind Gray Davis.
7/4/202018 minutes, 51 seconds
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A White Horse

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm <> Notes and Reading: * Most of the specific history of the White Horse was learned from “Sanctuary: the Inside Story of the Nation’s Second Oldest Gay Bar” by David Olson, reprinted in its entirety on the White Horse’s website. * “Gayola: Police Professionalization and the Politics of San Francisco’s Gay Bars, 1950-1968,” by Christopher Agee. * June Thomas’ series on the past, present, and future of the gay bar from Slate a few years back. * Various articles written on the occasion of the White Horse’s 80th anniversary, including this one from SFGATE.Com * Michael Bronski’s A Queer History of the United States. * Radically Gay, a collection of Harry Hay’s writing. * Incidentally, I watched this interview with Harry Hay from 1996 about gay life in SF in the 30’s multiple times because it’s amazing. Music * We start with Water in Your Hands by Tommy Guerrero. * Hit Anne Muller’s Walzer fur Robert a couple of times. * Gaussian Curve does Talk to the Church. * We get a loop of Updraught from Zoe Keating. * We finish on Transient Life in Twilight by James Blackshaw
6/12/202012 minutes, 15 seconds
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Episode 165: A Park

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music We hear Armellodie by Chilly Gonzales And All Now Vibe by Tara Jane O'Neil Notes The Lavender Scare by David K. Johnson Trouble in Lafayette Square by Gil Klein
6/5/20208 minutes, 24 seconds
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Episode 164: Dora Salter

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music Illusion Perdida by Juan Bautista Guido y Su Orquesta Tipico Manny Returns Home and Fingerprints from Bernard Herrmann's score to The Wrong Man. Niggun for Solo Bassoon Phillipe Hersant Rearranging Furniture by Gabriel Yared Viona's Lullaby by Peter Sandberg Notes The archives of the Kansas Historical Quarterly were very useful, particularly this article. 
5/26/202016 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 163: Freds

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music We hear a couple from Alabaster DePlume’s To Cy & Lee album, Whisky Story Time and Not My Ask. Bibio’s CAPEL BETHANIA. The Sage, by the Chico Hamilton Quintet. The Last Tears of a Deceased by Emahoy Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou. Too Small for Eyes by Mothers.
5/9/202016 minutes, 40 seconds
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Episode 162: A Strange Land

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music Ruth and Sylvie from Daniel Hart’s score to Ain’t Them Bodies Saints The Walk from Bernard Hermann’s score to Tender is the Night Reflector by Bing and Ruth Requiem from Nico Mulhy’s score to How to Talk to Girls at Parties Under Siege from Warren Ellis’ score to Mustang Spaces in Time from Per Nargard and the Stavenger Symphony Theme de l’eau from Hikaru Hayashi’s score to The Naked Island Bus Ride from the score to Wildlike Duke Ellington playing Single Petal from a Rose Notes There’s quite a bit written about Isaac Israel Hayes. You can find his own account of his trip to find the non-existant, open polar sea here. I owe the Detroit newspaper quote to this excellent article by Albin Kowaleweski.
4/21/202016 minutes, 58 seconds
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Episode 161: Stories to Wash Hands By

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. 20 stories, each 20 seconds, to accompany you in the proper washing of hands. Stay safe, be well, wash your hands.
4/3/202017 minutes, 2 seconds
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Episode 160: Wong Kim Ark

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead.
3/19/20208 minutes, 19 seconds
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Episode 159: The Newest News

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Anyway... Music  We hear The Icelandic Society of Phallogy from Rob Simonsen score to The Final Member. And one of my favorite songs, Every Day a Sunrise, A Summer from The Telegraph Melts.  Notes I read and enjoyed The Golden Age of the Newspaper by George Douglas.  I first learned about Moses Yale Beach and the pigeon reporters in an aside in one of the fantastic stories in Banvard's Folly by Paul Collins, a book you should purchase right now. 
3/8/202011 minutes, 30 seconds
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Episode 158: Life's Work

Help support this show and the network that makes it possible by making a donation today. Make your mark at Radiotopia.fm/donate A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music Field of Reeds by Leo Svirsky. Stellify by Federico Albanese. Opening by Nathanial Bartlett. Turning 16 by Ben Sollee. Notes I strongly recommend checking out Annelise Orlick's Common Sense and a Little Fire, an exhilarating history of Pauline Newman, Rose Schneiderman and other women at the center of the labor movement in the 20th Century.
2/24/202016 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 157: The House of Lowe

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Help support this show and the network that makes it possible by making a donation today. Make your mark at Radiotopia.fm/donate A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music Philharmonics (Piano Sessions), from Agnes Obel.  Pre-Barok by Mica Levi and Oliver Coates.  Space in Between by Federico Albanese. Warm Canto by Mal Waldron.  Blink by Hiroshi Yoshimura. Notes There are two lovely books I relied on heavily for this story: Something to Prove: A Biography of Ann Lowe, Forgotten Designer by Julia Dockery Smith.  And Rosemary Read's The Threads of Time, Fabric of History. 
2/11/202016 minutes, 22 seconds
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Episode 156: That's How it Goes Whenever it Snows

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Anyway... **Music ** Artifices from Chapelier Fou. A smidge of [Equality Under the Law](http://: https://geo.music.apple.com/us/album/equality-under-the-law/569934319?i=569934714&mt=1&app=music) from John Williams score to Lincoln. I Can See Your Tracks (Instrumental) from Laura Veirs. Bone Collector by Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge Some of Increase by David Lang [Serenade for Alto Saxophone and Strings: IV Stella’s Dance](http:// https://geo.music.apple.com/us/album/serenade-for-alto-saxophone-and-strings-v-evensong/462122423?i=462122731&mt=1&app=music) by David Liptak Johnny Griffin’s version of [Woody’n You](http:// https://geo.music.apple.com/us/album/woodyn-you-instrumental/1443062797?i=1443063227&mt=1&app=music) Last Days of Summer by Maria Avos Notes This story started by reading The War Lovers: Lodge, Hearst, Roosevelt and the Rush to Empire, Evan Thomas’ history of the Spanish American War. Doris Kearns Goodwin adds more in The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys. Lodge’s memoir is here. Robert Grant’s is here. Henry Adams’ is here.
1/19/202010 minutes, 11 seconds
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Episode 155: Lost Bulls

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Anyway... This episode was originally produced for an episode of Radiolab from WNYC, released in August of 2019. Music Cul-de-Sac from Krzysztof Komeda’s Knife in the Water. [The Mistral Noir](http:// https://geo.music.apple.com/us/album/the-mistral-noir/973468266?i=973468267&mt=1&app=music) by Daniel Herskedal. [Trakors](http:// https://geo.music.apple.com/us/album/tr%C3%A4kors-f%C3%A4ltinspelad/1446106006?i=1446106011&mt=1&app=music) by 1900. Eloy by Deaf Center. [Leaping Dance](http:// https://geo.music.apple.com/us/album/leaping-dance/265055509?i=265055945&mt=1&app=music) from the Netherlands Wind Ensemble And Facing the Obstacles from Rob Simonson’s score to the Final Member. Notes This episode relied heavily on the work and research of Professor Gabriel Rosenberg of Duke, using his article, “No Scrubs: Livestock Breeding, State Power, and Eugenic Knowledge in the Early 20th Century United States” as a guide and jumping off point for other research.
1/4/202012 minutes, 20 seconds
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Nate's Favorite Episode of 2019

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music First up is Requiem from Nico Muhly’s score to How to Talk to Girls at Parties. November by Colleen. Edward Hong’s arrangement of Sleep from the Smoke and Mirrors Percussion Ensemble. The solo version of Broad Channel by Bing & Ruth Won’t Be a Thing to Become by Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld Notes Here’s Shane DuBay and Carl Fuldner’s study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, including Fuldner’s remarkable photographs.
12/26/201911 minutes, 22 seconds
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Episode 154: Dotting I's

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Help support this show and the network that makes it possible by making a donation today. Make your mark at Radiotopia.fm/donate This episode was commissioned by the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. MUSIC Amalgamation Waltz 1839 by Joep Beveng Now by Goldmund Wander On from Joel P West's score to Band of Robbers. Tomato Day by Kelpe. 
12/13/201912 minutes, 15 seconds
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A Conversation About the Memory Palace with Robert Krulwich

It’s Radiotopia fundraiser time! Once a year, we reach out to ask our listeners to donate to the network that makes this show possible. Make your mark by making a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate today! Here’s a very special episode of The Memory Palace in which Nate talks to CERTIFIED RADIO LEGEND, Robert Krulwich, of Radiolab and beyond, about the origins of the show and what makes The Memory Palace tick.
12/9/201939 minutes, 42 seconds
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Episode 153: Dinner at Jefferson's

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Help support this show and the network that makes it possible by making a donation today. Make your mark at Radiotopia.fm/donate A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music Waveland by Noam Pikelny. Notes I relied a lot on the extensive articles on the Monticello historic home's site maintained by the University of Virginia. As well as Dining at Monticello: In Good Taste and Abundance by Damon Lee Fowler.
12/6/20197 minutes, 31 seconds
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Episode 152: Let it Snow

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Music Still Space by Satoshi Ashikawa.
11/15/20197 minutes, 15 seconds
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Episode 151: The Story of Maria Barberi

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Anyway... Music  Inside River, Pt. 1 by Akira Kosuemura. . Sonata for Solo Cello 1: Dialogo by Ligeti, performed by Miklos Perenyi. All the Land Ablaze by Laura Cannell Frost Trees from Lalo Schiffren's score to The Fox. And Finding the Flag from Georges Delarue's score to The Day of the Dolphin.
11/1/201913 minutes, 26 seconds
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Episode 150: Late One Night

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Anyway... Music  We start with 666 from the score to The Omen. Transition to Fremd by Lambert. Go to Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Hear some of Leonard Berstein's score to Rebel Without a Cause. Hit Denmark by the Portland Cello Project And hear some of Musette's On the Green Tape. Notes Bobby's story is covered in a lot of histories of one hit wonders and novelty tunes. But, if you want to really dig in, you should read, Monster Mash: Half Dead in Hollywood, his autobiography.
10/21/201917 minutes, 44 seconds
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Episode 149: Dance by the Ocean

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Anyway... Music  We start with The Dane by Nihls Frahm. Move in and out of Reading a Wave by Arp Which mixes briefly with Stephen Gosling and Blair Macmillan playing John Adams' Hallelujah Junction. We also here Umitaro Abe play Reperages Pour Piano. And Brambles play Such Owls as You. Notes There's a pretty comprehensive book on Bayocean by Bert and Margie Webber called Bayocean: the Oregon Town That Fell Into the Sea There's also a terrific website that appears to be regularly updating that's filled with all sorts of stories and resources about Bayocean.
10/4/201913 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 148: Safe Passage

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Anyway... Music  We start with the Opening of Craig Armstrong's score to Far From the Madding Crowd. Glass Houses no. 13 from Ann Southern. Earring from Julia Wolf. Occam II for Violin from Eliane Radigue. Rearranging Furniture from Gabriel Yared's score to By the Sea. A bit of Movement II from Martynov, "Come in!" by Vladimir Martynov. Notes Plenty written about the Willie D.. I found Roger Branfill-Cook's Torpedo: the Most Revolutionary Weapon in Naval History to be particularly useful. I also enjoyed stumbling upon this day-by-day breakdown of F.D.R.'s Presidency.
9/19/201915 minutes, 59 seconds
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Episode 147: Shipwreck Kelly

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. A note on shownotes. In a perfect world, you go into each episode of the Memory Palace knowing nothing about what's coming. It's pretentious, sure, but that's the intention. So, if you don't want any spoilers or anything, you can click play without reading ahead. Anyway... Music  We hear Vaggvisa by Henrik Lindstrand. Then Kestrel, off the album by the same name from Caoimhin O Raghallaigh. Ljuva mekaniska jag by 1900. A loop from When it's Time to Go, by Buddy Fo & his Group. A bit of Movement II from Martynov, "Come in!" by Vladimir Martynov. Making Love in the Apartment from Krysztof Komeda's score to Rosemary's Baby. And the Mistral Noir, from Daniel Herkedal. Notes There's a lot written about Kelly and his times, none more enjoyable than Bill Bryson's in One Summer: America, 1927. The best academic book that touches on Kelly and his times is Dance Marathons: Performing American Culture in the 1920s and 30s, by Carol Martin.
9/5/201916 minutes, 31 seconds
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A Welcome! And Dreamland!

Here in its tenth year in operation, the Memory Palace just got a star turn in the wonderful podcast and radios show, Radiolab. We couldn’t be more delighted. So, a word of welcome to new listeners and a call to arms for regular listeners and a story perfect for the end of summer.
8/28/201910 minutes, 49 seconds
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Episode 146: Two Memorials, Last Week of July, 2019

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Music  Absence by Matti Bye. Notes There are a number of excellent books about Viola Liuzzo. I found Selma and the Liuzzo Murder 
8/8/20199 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 145: Stories about the St. Louis

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Music On-ness by Tom Rogerson and Brian Eno. My Mamma Pinned a Rose on Me by Esmerine. Some of Eloy by Deaf Center. Saturday Evening by Tomasz Benarczyk Solitary Living by The Flashbulb A Minor by Kid606
7/20/201913 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 144: Nature Naturally

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Music Duet for Ghosts by Ed Harcourt tops and tails this one. We here the top of Pomeriggio Zenzero from Paulo Conte. Some of Thankful by Bill Frissell. And Ingo Metzmacher's 6th Study for Player Piano Notes The most comprehensive thing I read on George Melendez Wright is from this supplementary piece to the Burns National Parks documentary, by Susan Shumaker.
6/22/20198 minutes, 43 seconds
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A White Horse

As on every year, here is an episode I released a few days after the murders at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016.
6/12/201911 minutes, 12 seconds
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Episode 143: The Only One

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Music We hear both Baracolle and Ice World from Saloli's album, The Deep End. We hear Ensemble Recherche do Morton Feldman's Something Wild in the City: Mary Ann's Theme.  As well as De Wolfe Music do Moonbird. Harry Kalahiki does that Ukelele version of Claire de Lune We get a snipped of Eartheater's Peripheral And E Ruscha V's The Hostess
6/8/201910 minutes, 18 seconds
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Episode 142: Private Robinson on Pawnee Rock

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Music We hear Concierto Para Piano Y Orquesta En Sol Mayor - Adagio Assi as played by Martha Argerich. Notes Jacob S. Robinson's Journal of the Santa Fe Expedition Under Colonel Doliphan in 1846. Hampton Sides' fantastic Blood and Thunder.
5/20/20199 minutes, 57 seconds
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Episode 141: This Story Climbed Mount Washington

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Music We start off with a touch of Hills in the Rain, by Simon Rackham. Go to a bit of Narkopop 1 by Gas. Then gaze in wonder to Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite: Sunrise, as performed by the Cincinatti Pops Orchestra We listen to two versions of Trying Something Again, Again by our friends in Lullatone. And go out on Jaybird, by Charlie Parr
5/3/20198 minutes, 9 seconds
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Rebroadcast: Origin Stories

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts.
4/20/201917 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 140: Jackie Mitchell

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts. Music We start off with Chez Thomas, by Charles Delarue Go to The Graceful Ghost, one of William Bolcom's 3 Ghost Rags. Then Krzysztof Komeda's Ballet Edude II A touch of Ellington playing A Single Petal on a Rose. Then Concerto no. 5 en la minuer: Allegro ma non molto, as performed by Wilhelm Friedeman Bach and Brigitte Haudbebourg frames... Philharmonics - Piano Sessions found on the Deluxe Edition of Agnes Obel's Philharmonics album. Then we go to Nathaniel Johnson's gorgeous, Penelope's Theme from the score to the delightful film, The Brothers Bloom. Sneeuwland by Oskar Schuster. Judith by Jacob David. Notes I read a bunch of articles on Jackie, but if you're looking for one-stop-shopping that can send you off in other research avenues, I'd probably suggest this article by Zack Harold in Lapham's Quarterly.
4/9/201916 minutes, 24 seconds
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Episode 139: 1,347 Birds

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music First up is Requiem from Nico Muhly's score to How to Talk to Girls at Parties. November by Colleen. Edward Hong's arrangement of Sleep from the Smoke and Mirrors Percussion Ensemble. The solo version of Broad Channel by Bing & Ruth Won't Be a Thing to Become by Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld Notes Here's Shane Dubay and Carl Fuldner's study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, including Fuldner's remarkable photographs.
3/23/201910 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 138: Sixty Starlings

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music Blink from Hiroshi Yoshimura Which comes in and out of Bjolukor Tonlisterakoli Reykjanesbaejar's version of Sigur Ros' Hoppipolla. Love Token by Elena Kats-Chernin, performed by Tamara Anna Cislowska And Joanna Brouk playing Maggi's Flute - Lifting Off Notes There's a ton out there about the sixty starlings, the most comprehensive comes from Stephen Marche's book, How Shakespeare Changed Everything. I also found Kim Todd's [Tinkering with Eden,](http://%22Tinkering%20With%20Eden:%20A%20Natural%20History%20of%20Exotic%20Species%20in%20America) particularly useful.
3/9/20199 minutes, 44 seconds
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A Memory Palace/Radio Diaries Crossover Event

On the 80th Anniversary of the night 20,000 Americans attended a Nazi Rally in the heart of Manhattan, the Memory Palace is teaming up with Radio Diaries. We’ll hear their new story about that rally after we listen back to a Memory Palace episode that took place on that same evening, in which some Nazis get punched. Learn more about this evening at www.radiodiaries.org. For info on the original Memory Palace episode, head here.
2/20/201918 minutes, 8 seconds
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Episode 137: Swans

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music Sarah in Bath from Krysztof Komeda's score to the Fearless Vampire Killers.  Adagio for Glass Harmonica, K617a as performed by Vienna Glass Armonia Duo. Mr. Death Angel Flanders from John Barry's score to Boom! And a bit of Imaginary Building from Elana Katz-Cherwin and Tamara-Anna Cislowska Notes There's a great American Heritage article on the history of Delmonico's. There's a nice write up on the Swan Dinner in American Phoenix: The Remarkable Story of William Skinner, by Sarah S. Kilborne  Society as I Have Found It, Ward McAllister's memoir of the Gilded Age is appropriately bonkers. 
2/7/20199 minutes, 26 seconds
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Episode 136 (Ten Fingers, Ten Toes)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music Only in the Dark by Ben Lukas Boysen Dream House III: After Dust by Mary Ellen Childs and Ethel Cello Gonzalez by Chilly Gonzalez Notes A Brief History of Teratology to the Early 20th Century by Mark V. Barrow Environment and Birth Defects by James G. Wilson Six Principals of Teratology by James G. Wilson
1/17/20199 minutes, 26 seconds
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Nate's Episode of the Year for 2018

Each year for the last three years, Nate picks his personal favorite. Here’s 2018. See you in 2019.
12/18/201820 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 135: Revolutions

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music We start off with an absolute banger from my old friends in Lightning Bolt, their track King Kandy. Then an old favorite, Blues to Elvin from the unstoppable, Coltrane Plays the Blues. We move to Everything is an Illusion by Kaada Hear Rolling by Collectress And finish out on The Dog by Group Listening. Notes I read quite a bit for this one but nothing was more helpful (or more charming) than Save Womens Lives History of Washing Machines by Lee Maxwell, who bills himself on the cover as "Collector of Old and Unusual Washing Machines." God bless Lee and his patient wife.
12/5/201811 minutes, 58 seconds
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2018 Fundraiser Bonus Episode!

It’s time for the 2018 fundraiser. On this, the tenth anniversary of The Memory Palace, show your support for independent artists by making a donation at Radiotopia.fm.
11/27/201811 minutes, 56 seconds
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Election Eve Rebroadcast (In Line)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more and donate to help keep this show and the other Radiotopia shows thrive at Radiotopia.fm Notes * There are a gajillion things that you can and should read about this period. I’m almost loathe to tell you where to begin. So: some of the details for this story were found in this remarkable article by Claude Sitton. Music * We hear a segment of Holding Pattern, by Loscii. * Secrets you Could Sift, by Mr. Maps. * And Requiem on Frankfort Ave, by Eluvium.
11/5/20189 minutes, 40 seconds
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Episode 134 (The Dress in the Closet)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. A note: this here is a Halloween episode. They get creepy. Music We hear both Easter and The Attachment by Michael Price. Some of DNA by Akira Kosemura. Piano & Violoncello 1 by Irena and Voltech Havel. Zucht 2 by Machinefabriek The Walk from the score to Tender is the Night. Rendez-vous from Allesandro Cicognini's score to The Indiscretion of an American Wife.
10/27/201814 minutes, 33 seconds
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Episode 133: Antidisestablishmentarianism

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music We start with the very English, Voluntary No. 4 in b-flat Minor, by Margaret Phillips. Hear Nero's Nocturne from Chilly Gonzales. Some of The Stars vs. Creatures by Colleen. Abide with Me from the Thelonious Monk Septet off his Monk's Music album. Walzer fur Robert by Anne Muller off of Erased Tapes Volume 5. Evening at Eight by Keith Kenniff. and Berceuse by Alexandra Streliski.
10/13/201814 minutes, 16 seconds
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Episode 132 (Ida Lewis)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music We hear Waltz from the score to Angels & Insects. Movements IV and II from David Liptak’s Serenade for Alto Sax and Strings. A bit of Violin Solo no. 1 from Peter Broderick. Some of Zucht 2 from Machienfabrik. A bit of Origami Tulips from Lullatone. Unseen Forces from Justin Walter. Midnight Moon from Annalisa Tornfelt and Gideon Freudman Ida Lupino from Paul Bley’s Changes album from 1965. And Lost Fur (Reprise) from the score to Where the Wild Things Are. Notes Many of my favorite things I read for this piece were contemporary newspaper tributes upon her death in 1911. They’re easy to find. By far the most useful thing I read was Lenore Skomal’s *The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter: The Remarkable True Story of American Heroine, Ida Lewis. *It’s very well researched and highly readable.
9/26/201817 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 131 (Lost Locusts)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music The music on this one comes from High Aura'd, a project from my old friend, John Kolodij. The main drone piece is All the Spirits that Dance. The beginning and end were composed specifically for this episode. Notes I read a lot of articles from a lot of sources on this one, but the linchpin here is Jeffrey Lockwood's book that, to my mind, convincingly solves the mystery of the vanishing locusts.
9/11/201811 minutes, 51 seconds
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Episode 130 (Independence Hall 2: The Legend of Walter Knott)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music We start with Penguins from Michael Hurley. Hit Lullaby (the 1st) by the legendary, Lauren Connors, twice. Hear Gentle Threat, from Chilly Gonzalez. Equality Under the Law from John Williams' Lincoln score. Start talking Philadelphia with Sun Ra's Arkestra doing The Lady with the Golden Stockings. Maggi's Flute - Lifting Off, by Joanna Brouk In an 18th Century Drawing Room from Raymond Scott. And Evelop from Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
8/22/201816 minutes, 11 seconds
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Summer Re-run: Episode 68 (White Heat, White Light)

Music * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth’s Modesty Blaise score. * The opening loop is from Mr. Knight from Coltrane Plays the Blues, which you should own. * The violin piece is Occam II for Violin, a piece by Silvia Tarozzi, played by Pauline Oliveros. * Next up is Mikuro’s Blues from the mighty David S. Ware’ mighty Go See the World. * The amazing orchestral pieces is Triumph by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Carlos Nino from Fill the Heart- Shaped Cup * Finally, there’s 13 Ghosts II by Nine Inch Nails from Ghosts I-IV White Heat, White Lights
8/8/20189 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 129: Uplift

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music The Bundt Diaries from Ludwig Goransson's score to Everything, Everything. Kola (Lighthouse Version) by Amiina. Snow Canon by Group Listening. The Morning After by the Chico Hamilton Quintet. (Man, I just watched The Sweet Smell of Success recently; the Chico Hamilton Quintet makes the best, sustained appearance in a great, great movie). Colleen's Geometria del Universo. Bug's Walk by Peter Storby Jutbring. Touch Me & Die by Kara-Lis Coverdale The Last Tears of a Deceased by the inimitable Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou.
7/26/201814 minutes, 43 seconds
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Episode 128 (Patience)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music Drunken Aviator by Ida. Back to Paris by Cyril Morin. Notes  There's a great resource of old ads and articles, including the one referenced in the piece here. The definitive work on this subject is Help Me to Find My People by Heather Andrea Williams.
7/4/20189 minutes, 31 seconds
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A White Horse, re-released on the second anniversary of the shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.

This piece was originally released a few days after the shooting deaths of 49 people at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. It is re-released here on the second anniversary of the event.  If you are so moved, please donate to any of these charities: Equality Florida. Human Rights Campaign. Everytown for Gun Safety.   Trans Lifeline
6/12/201811 minutes, 14 seconds
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No Summer (Episode 127)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music White Light by Chihei Hatekeyama Between the Trees by Akira Kosemura Clockwork Toccatta, Op. 68 from Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet. End of Summer Part 3 by Hildur Gudnadottir and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe A Gathering to Lead Me When You're Gone by Brian McBride Notes While the most comprehensive and useful thing I read for this piece was The Year Without a Summer: 1816 and the Volcano that Darkened the World and Changed history by William and Nicholas Klingaman, my favorite thing was this video of a news report on the work of Vermont historian, Howard Coffin.
6/4/201813 minutes, 14 seconds
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Episode 126 (The 8th Story)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music We start with Waveland by Norm Pikelny. Then a smidge of N.Y.C. from the original Broadway cast recording of Annie. The Stars vs. Creatures by Colleen. Wiese by Roedelius & Arnold Kasar. Then there's some chaos built out of Missing Piece from the score to Broken City, Fog Tropes by Ingram Marshall, Spindrift by Colin Stetson, and Longing for a Frozen Sky by Ernst Reijseger. That heads into Wake by Aaron Martin & Machinfabriek. Galaxies Like Grains of Sand by Hampshire & Foat. Finishing on Minuet for Cheap Piano by Winged Victory for the Sullen
5/17/201812 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 125: Snakes!

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia. Music We hear Ferris Wheel by Gabor Szabo from one of his better late sixties records. Herman's Malt from Jeff Russo's score to Fargo Season 2. David Goes Hunting from Larry Groupe's score to Straw Dogs. Double Portrait by Double Edge from the album, U.S. Choice. A snippet of Idea of Order at Kyson Point from an album Brian Eno did with Tom Rogerson. Bicycles and Flasks by Dan Romer. A bit of Il Tamoure dei Bambini from Piero Umiliani's score to Le Isole Dell'amore A Naga Swaram-Snake Charmers Melody from Folk Music of India Finishes out on Completely Gone from Ludwig Goransson's score to Everything Everything.
4/25/201815 minutes, 15 seconds
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Episode 124 (Junk Room)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Music We start off with Theme de Simon from Georges Delerue. Go to Alpine Sketch from Christian Loffler's Young Alaska. Hear some of Three Dances: II Pavane arranged for the Chromos Tuba Quartet. The Plum Blossom from Yusuf Lateef's great Eastern Sounds record. Juve & Fandor by amiina. The Unquestioned Answer by Laura Spiegel. Etude by Joep Beving. Rainfall by David Darling and Michael Jones.
4/6/201815 minutes, 31 seconds
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A quick update and a bonus episode

A quick update and a brief little bonus episode. 
3/27/20189 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 123: Outliers

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We hear Valentine My Funny by Nils Frahm and F.S. Blumm from the album Tag Eins Tag Zwei. Notes This idea came to me a long time ago while researching an old episode. I read an extraordinary article from the 1890s that hung with me, particularly the notion of folks writing in to try to become sideshow attractions.
3/12/20189 minutes, 21 seconds
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Big Block of Cheese - Bonus episode

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. This special episode was originally made for a live episode of The West Wing Weekly. To hear a live version of this story (and the rest of a particularly delightful TWWW episode), visit thewestwingweekly.com.  Music Moonbow by aAirial Two from scores by Marcelo Zavros: Wipe the Slate Clean, from The Beaver and Awkward Ride from his score to Please Give. Justine and Sami from Nathan Johnson's lovely score to The Day I Saw Your Heart.
2/23/201810 minutes, 47 seconds
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Episode 122 (Hercules)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We start with Facing the Obstacles, from Robert Simonson's score to The Final Member. Nice Breeze Isn't It? by Simon Rackham The Things Left Unsaid, by Caleb Burhans. View from a Balcony by Isorinne. 1979 by Deru. The Julianna Barwick remix of This Will Destroy You's The Puritan. Notes I found this article by Chelsea Lenhart particularly useful. As I did this one by Edward Lawler, Jr. And this one by Kathryn Gehred. As well as W.E.B. DuBois' The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study. Fritz Herschfield's George Washington and Slavery, A Documentary Study. 
2/12/201813 minutes, 11 seconds
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Episode 121 (The Nickel Candy Bar)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We hit two sections from Bernard Herrmann's score to Tender is the Night: The Embrace and The Breakdown. A bit of Sambolero by Luiz Bonfa. Labyrinth II by Caitlin Aurelia Smith. Walter Meets the Beaver from Marcel Zavros' score to The Beaver. Two tracks, "1" & "2" from AAESPO's album, Layers. Maria Arvos' Last Days of Summer. And Time Times Three by Palm. Notes The most comprehensive article I encountered on Doug Davis is here. I found this biographical essay on Otto Schnering particularly useful. The Oxford Companion to American Food & Drink, edited by Andrew F. Smith.
1/28/201813 minutes, 42 seconds
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Episode 120 (The Prairie Chicken in Wisconsin: Highlights of a Study of Counts, Behavior, Turnover, Movement, and Habitat)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We move between three different pieces from Camille Saint-Saens': Suite, Op. 90: II Menuet, and two from Carnival of the Animals: Aviary and the Cuckoo in the Heart of the Woods. We hit Juneau from Danny Bensi and Sander Jurriaans' score to Wildlike. And The Waltz from their score to 5 to 7. And there's a total gem from George Mukabi called Dila Ni Dila in there too. Notes Do yourself a favor and read France Hamerstrom's autobiography, My Double Life: Memoirs of a Naturalist. Do your kids a favor and Jeannine Atkins take on Frances in her book Girls Who Looked Under Rocks. And then watch Frances teach David Letterman how to cook a snake.
1/13/201814 minutes, 1 second
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Nate's Episode of the Year: If You Have to be a Floor

  Show Notes Nate DiMeo is the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Artist in Residence for 2016/2017. He is producing ten pieces inspired by the collection and by the museum itself. This is the sixth episode of that residency. This residency is made possible by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Chester Dale Fund. This episode is written and produced and stuff by Nate DiMeo with engineering assistance from Elizabeth Aubert. Its Executive Producer is Limor Tomer, General Manager Live Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Special thanks to Jimmy LaValle and Mark Kozelek. The Art Discussed Gallery 719, the Alexandria Ballroom. Music  The piece features excerpts of two, instrumental outtakes from Ceiling Gazing from Mark Kozelek and Jimmy LaValle's album, Perils from the Sea. California Dawn and Mountain Path from WMD. An instrumental version of Retune by The Range.
12/26/201714 minutes, 20 seconds
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Episode 119 (John C. Calhoun from the Opposite Side of the Line that Divides the Living from the Dead)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music Sad Seine by Lambert. Titan's Island by Ancient Ocean Flowering Jasmine as performed by Georgs Pelicis and Gidon Kremer Malpensa by Julia Kent Notes I first came upon the Calhoun bit while re-reading Talking to the Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism by Barbara Weisberg. Which us, among other places to J.H. Fowler's New Testament "miracles" and Modern "miracles"  And to the delightfully named, The Ordeal of Life: Graphically Illustrated in the Experiences of Fifteen Hundred Individuals Promiscuously Drawn from All Nations, Religions, Classes, & Conditions of Men Alphabetically Arranged and Given Psychometrically, Through the Mediumship of John C. Grinnell, In the Presence of the Compiler, Thomas R. Hazard. 
12/16/20179 minutes, 54 seconds
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Episode 118 (On the Shores of Assawompset)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music Musica Seqenza play Schreza Infida Frederico Durand plas Lluvia de Estrellas The Martin Hayes Quintet plays The Boy in the Gap East Forest by Provenance There's a bit of Madame Ovary from Bensi and Jurriaans and Christine It finishes on Three Dances: II. Pavane from Chromo Tuba Quartet Notes Thanksgiving: The Biography of an American Holiday by James W. Baker and Peter J. Gomes sent me first down a Charlotte Mitchell rabbit hole. History of Plymouth, Norfolk, and Barnstable Counties, Massachusetts by Elroy S. Thompson History of the Town of Lakeville, 1852-1952 by Gladys De Maranville (which you probably own all ready but, here it is anyway). Indian History, Genealogy, Pertaining to the Good Sachem, Massasoit and his Descendants by Ebenezer Weaver Pierce. The great, The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity, by Jill Lepore. Massasoit of the Wamponoags: With Commentary on the Indian Character, by Alvin Gardner Weeks "Baby Pilgrims, Sturdy Forefathers, and One Hundred Percent Americanism: the Mayflower Tercentenary of 1920," by Christine Arnold-Lourie in the Massachusetts Historical Review. "The Daughter of a King," by Mike Maddigan in Southcoast Today. "The Last of the Wamponoags," by Charles T. Scott in New England Magazine, vol. 33. I also looked at a number of news paper articles, most found at Newspapers.com through the expected search terms.
11/20/201713 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 117 (Elizabeth)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music Up Niek Mountain by Peter Broderick El cascabel de plata by Federico Durand We hear just a little bit of imgs/ r by Kara-Lis Coverdale Dissolving Clouds by Biosphere Nebula by Julianna Barwick Only in the Dark by Ben Lukas Boysen Notes Bittersweet: Diabetes, Insulin, & the Transformation of Illness by Chris Feudtner Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of A Medical Miracle by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg I'd also recommend searching the New York Times archive for Elizabeth Hughes and Diabetes. It's remarkable to go back and watch the story unfold.
11/7/201712 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 116 (Hoover)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music Afkald by Bremer/McCoy Peace by Oliver Coates. Day One Four by F.S. Blumm and Nils Frahm Displacement by Rafael Anton Irisarri Notes Some sources for this one were The Glory and the Dream by William Manchester. Herbert Hoover: A Life by Glen Jeansonne Herbert Hoover in the White House: The Ordeal of The Presidency, by Charles Rappleye The Life of Herbert Hoover, Humanitarian, by George H. Nash
10/23/201711 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 115 (A Brief Eulogy for a Commercial Radio Station)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music Sunrise Through the Dusty Nebula by Hannah Peel Keep by Nils Frahm Horizon Variations by Max Richter She cycles through: Where or When by Hal Kemp & His Orchestra, Smarty (You Know it All) by Fats Waller, Dear Mr. Gable: You Made Me Love You by Judy Garland, Hellhounds on My Trail by Robert Johnson, and The Big Apple by Tommy Dorsey and his Clambake Seven. Future Waves by Uther Moads. And Vapour Trail by Ride, forever.
10/4/201711 minutes, 59 seconds
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Sometimes the Rain Just Doesn't Stop

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. SPOILERS AHEAD Music Memory as Mist by C. Diab Low Sudden by Daniel Lanois and Rocco DaLuca Beyond Romance by Lubomyr Melnyk Notes By far the most comprehensive resource I found was Florida's Hurricane History by Jay Barnes. If you're looking to learn more, I'd definitely start there.
9/15/201710 minutes, 29 seconds
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Two Small Sculptures (The Met Residency Episode 8)

Show Notes Nate DiMeo was the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Artist in Residence for 2016/2017. He produced 8 episodes inspired by the collection and by the museum itself. This is the eigth episode of that residency. This residency is made possible by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Chester Dale Fund. This episode is written and produced and stuff by Nate DiMeo with engineering assistance from Elizabeth Aubert. Its Executive Producer is Limor Tomer, General Manager Live Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Artwork Discussed Hiawatha, Edmonia Lewis, 1868. Minnehaha, Edmonia Lewis, 1868. Music L'oree Du Bois, by Sylvain Chauvau.
9/5/201711 minutes, 51 seconds
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Orbes Cintilantes - A special summer episode

In lieu of your standard end-of-summer re-run, here is a very special re-run. No! Wait! I mean it. It's pretty cool. Here's the thing: Todavia, a new literary publisher in Brazil has just put out a book of Memory Palace stories translated into Brazilian Portuguese. (Purchasable world-wide through this site, if you happen to be interested), This very special re-run has all sorts of Brazil-related bonus content, including a full episode of Helen Zaltzman's, The Allusionist. Subscribe to that fine podcast, here.
8/21/201732 minutes, 39 seconds
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"Relics": A Special Bonus Episode

This special, bonus episode was commissioned by Freepoint Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's intended to be listened to while walking around Fresh Pond, across the street from the hotel, though it can be enjoyed anywhere. 
8/9/201714 minutes, 6 seconds
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A Scavenger Hunt (The Met Residency Episode 7)

Show Notes Nate DiMeo was the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Artist in Residence for 2016/2017. He produced eight pieces inspired by the collection and by the museum itself. This is the eighth episode of that residency. This residency is made possible by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Chester Dale Fund. This episode is written and produced and stuff by Nate DiMeo with engineering assistance from Elizabeth Aubert. Its Executive Producer is Limor Tomer, General Manager Live Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This episode was produced in collaboration with composer, Mary Lattimore. Artwork Discussed The Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art. Music The music in this piece was composed and performed by Mary Lattimore.
8/7/201715 minutes, 30 seconds
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Episode 113 (Elmer McCurdy Rides Again and Again)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. SPOILERS AHEAD Music We start with Moonlight by Masayoshi Fujita. We hear a couple from Warren Ellis: Piece 3 and Lala's Theme. We hear Paranoid and Credits 2 from the score to Christine. And Junkman's Song by Stark Reality. Notes There's a succinct, well-written telling of the ins and outs of Elmer's life and after-life in Christine Quigley's Modern Mummies: The Preservation of the Human Body in the 20th Century. I also enjoyed The Career of Elmer McGurdy, Deceased, by Basgall and Arthur.
7/19/201712 minutes, 32 seconds
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Episode 112 (The Taking of Tom Sawyer's Island)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows.  Music Max Och's Ain't Nobody High Raga. Frog's Eyes by Evan Ziporyn Cooped up at Home with a Fever and a Tape Loop, by Lullatone Medieval Waters, from Carter Burwell's score to In Bruges. Frost Trees, from Lalo Schifrin's score to The Fox Notes By far my favorite and the most thorough examination of the Pow Wow I came across was actually Disney Historian Todd James Pierce's three (!) part series about the incident on his podcast Disney History Institute.
7/3/201717 minutes, 7 seconds
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A White Horse, re-released on the second anniversary of the shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.

This piece was originally released a few days after the shooting deaths of 49 people at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. It is re-released here on the second anniversary of the event.  If you are so moved, please donate to any of these charities: Equality Florida. Human Rights Campaign. Everytown for Gun Safety.   Trans Lifeline
6/12/201711 minutes, 20 seconds
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Episode 111 (Cipher, or Greenhow Girls)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. This episode was produced as part out or "Doing Time" series, where each show across the network tackles the same theme. Go listen to the other contributions  at Radiotopia.fm. Notes The most comprehensive book about Rose has to be Ann Blackman's Wild Rose: The True Story of a Confederate Spy. I also found an old book, Rebel Rose: Life of Rose O'Neale Greenhow, Confederate Spy, by Ishbel Ross particularly useful (if pretty rah-rah Confederacy, which gets kind of intense). Rose's memoir is very readable, too. Music Marnie, from Bernard Hermann's score Don't Worry, by Zoe Keating Debut, by Christopher Ferreira El cascabel de plata, by Federico Durand Technology, by Gareth Dickson Longest Road, by Gaussian Curve Troubles, by Sylvain Chauvau Compesicion en Rojo, by Bernardo Bonezzi
6/10/201723 minutes, 45 seconds
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If You Have to be a Floor (The Met Residency Episode 6)

Nate DiMeo is the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Artist in Residence for 2016/2017. He is producing ten pieces inspired by the collection and by the museum itself. This is the sixth episode of that residency. This residency is made possible by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Chester Dale Fund. This episode is written and produced and stuff by Nate DiMeo with engineering assistance from Elizabeth Aubert. Its Executive Producer is Limor Tomer, General Manager Live Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Special thanks to Jimmy LaValle and Mark Kozelek. The Art Discussed Gallery 719, the Alexandria Ballroom. Music  The piece features excerpts of two, instrumental outtakes from Ceiling Gazing from Mark Kozelek and Jimmy LaValle's album, Perils from the Sea. California Dawn and Mountain Path from WMD. An instrumental version of Retune by The Range.  
6/9/201712 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 110 (Lost Camels)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We hear a bunch of Ryland, by Julian Lage off his World's Fair LP. We hear the Flamingos do Where or When. We hear Chilly Gonzalez' Salon Salloon And finish out on Small Memory by Jon Hopkins Notes There's a bunch out there about the Camel Corps. You'll have fun Googling around. But some of the best details in here, including the remarkable thing about the Red Ghost, comes from this article from a 1961 issue of American Heritage. 
5/27/201712 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 109 (The Year Hank Greenberg Hit 58 Home Runs)

Music, Footnotes & Ephemera The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We start out with some of Pound for Pound from The Bad Plus Go to Waltz by Mother Falcon Into the Light by Marisa Anderson With Everything that Breathes by Greg Haines Day One Four by F.S. Blum and Nils Frahm Andrew Cyrille, Jimmy Lyons, and Jeanne Lee do Nuba And then Davis S. Ware does Mikuro’s Blues, which I’ve loved for a long time.
5/11/201712 minutes, 35 seconds
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Notes on a Plaque, Still Imagined

This episode was originally released in August of 2015. It was re-released upon hearing that the city of New Orleans has begun the process of removing four monuments to the confederacy and post-civil war era, starting with an obelisk erected in 1891 honoring members of the Crescent City White League who suppressed the African American vote through violence and intimidation and who launched a failed military overthrow of the city’s elected government and integrated police force in 1874. Music * First up (and returning at the end) is Sandra's Theme, from Heather McIntosh's fantastic score to Compliance, a very good, very disturbing movie. * We hit Frank Glazer leading Charles Ives' Largo for Clarinet, Violin and Piano a couple of times, framing... * Runaway from Olafur Arnalds. Notes: *The key to researching this episode turned out to be an article in The Journal of Southern History from 2001 by Court Carnay called, "The Contested Image of Nathan Bedford Forrest.". * Also particularly useful was Nathan Bedford Forrest: a Biography, by Jack Hurst. * As was Lynching in America: A History in Documents, compiled by Christopher Waldrep. * Much of my information about the contents of the ceremony and speeches was gathered from this, the digitized journal and scrapbook of Charles Henry Niehaus, the sculptor of the monument. It's an extraordinary resource. * And let us all read Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All its Phases, by Ida B. Wells. And let's put her on the $10 while we're at it.
4/26/201715 minutes, 45 seconds
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Episode 108, Met Residency #5: Temple

Nate DiMeo is the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Artist in Residence for 2016/2017. He is producing ten pieces inspired by the collection and by the museum itself. This is the fifth episode of that residency. This residency is made possible by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Chester Dale Fund. This episode is written and produced and stuff by Nate DiMeo with engineering assistance from Elyssa Dudley and research Assistance from Andrea Milne. Its Executive Producer is Limor Tomer, General Manager Live Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Art Discussed * The Temple of Dendur. Music * As Much as Possible by Bing & Ruth. * Parcel by Melanie Velarde. * Field Hymn by Syrinx. * Wawa by the Ocean by Mary Lattimore. * Turning 16 and Trading Flags by Ben Sollee.
4/18/201719 minutes, 45 seconds
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Episode 107 (Roots and Branches and Wind-Borne Seeds)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We open with Mary Lattimore's Jimmy V. I love Mary Lattimore. We hit Hatian guitarist Frantz Casseus' Lullaby from 1954 a few times. We hear Drifting, by Matthew Robert Cooper. And A Fool Persists by Infinite Body. The two piano things are Open Window - For Piano by Yuichiro Fujimoto, and Pale by Akira Kosemura. We also hear Gareth Dickson's Friday Night Fever for a bit. Notes I learned about Ynes while flipping idly through the 1974 edition of Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary (volume II, G-O, incidentally), "prepared under the Auspices of Radcliffe College," as it says on the frontispiece. By far the most comprehensive thing I read was biography for young readers called Ynes Mexia: Botanist and Adventurer by Durlynn Anema.
4/1/201714 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 106 (A Washington Monument)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We hear three pieces of Matthew Robert Cooper's score to Some Days Are Better Than Others: Expectation, Drifting, and Katrina Outtake. Notes If you want the story of the construction of the actual Washington Monument, you could check out John Steele Gordon's book.
3/17/201711 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 105: Amok

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music This piece has two selections from Saunder Jurriens and Danny Bensi's score to Christine, Yes But and Back to Work. Notes This very good article in the Museum of Hoaxes gives a nice overview and links out to the original article. Hampton Sides In the Kingdom of Ice has a nice telling of the story with a lot of background on the editor of the Herald.
2/27/20179 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 104, Met Residency #4 (A Portrait)

Nate DiMeo is the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Artist in Residence for 2016/2017. He is producing ten pieces inspired by the collection and by the museum itself. This is the second episode of that residency. This residency is made possible by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Chester Dale Fund. This episode is written and produced and stuff by Nate DiMeo with engineering assistance from Elyssa Dudley and research Assistance from Andrea Milne. Its Executive Producer is Limor Tomer, General Manager Live Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Special thanks to Amelia Peck at The Met. The Art Discussed * Prince Demah Barnes’ Portrait of William Duguid. * Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500-1800 Music * Kyu and Njuichi from Sylvain Chauvau’s score to Umarete Wa Mita Keredo. * Moonbow by aAirial. * Gisella by K. Leimer from A Period of Review. * Here’s What You’re Missin and And Then it Rained from Bing & Ruth’s album City Lake.  
2/15/201712 minutes, 47 seconds
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Episode 103 (The Rose of Long Island)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We start and end with Daniel Berenboim playing Lizt's 6 Consolations, S. 172: No. 3 in D flat minor. We hit up Yes But, from Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriens' score to Christine. We return to the official Memory Palace love theme of William Henry Harrison, The Gentle Softness, Lalo Schiffrin's score to The Last Dragon We cruise on the U.S.S. Princeton to Dispute by Yann Tiersen. Twist comes to Missing Pieces from the Broken City score. Notes I read quite a bit about the Tylers, but really, one needs only to read "and Tyler Too," by Robert Seager II.
2/4/201717 minutes, 38 seconds
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Episode 102 (The Presidency of William Henry Harrison, or Back in the Saddle)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Music We start with (and later return to) And Grace by David Darling. Robert Farnon and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra play Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. Suite II: The Wind which turns into Niggun for Solo Bassoon by Philippe Hersant. Then we hit Neon Lights by Kraftwerk from The Man Machine. And The Gentle Softness, the love theme to Enter The Dragon from Lalo Schifrin’s score. And hit up our friends Lullatone at the end with Origami Tulips.  
1/20/20179 minutes, 32 seconds
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Nate's Episode of the Year: Local Channels

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm SPOILERS BELOW Notes * Much of what I read about Florence was pulled from old newspaper articles. * The biography in Notable American Women: Volume 5 does a nice, thorough job with Florence story. * I first stumbled on Florence Chadwick in a photo in a restaurant in Santa Barbara and was struck by, as the photo suggested, she went on a world tour, swimming local channels. Music * First up is Solitude, from (delightfully named) Janis Crunch. * Then we’ve got Like a Bell to a Southerly Wind, by Chequerboard. * Modular Body #7 by Machinefabriek. * After Catalunya by Ephemetry and Richard J. Birkin. * Finishing up on The Old Favourite by The Gloaming.
12/30/201618 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 101 (Promise)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. SPOILERS BELOW Notes I first heard about Hazel Scott while reading Rad American Women from A to Z to my daughter. It's a wonderful book. You should buy it for any kid in your life. I read a lot about Hazel, but Karen Chilton's biography, Hazel Scott: A Pioneering Jazz Pianist from Cafe Society to HUAC was essential. Music Starts with Christope Beck and DeadMono's theme to Charlie Countryman. Prelude for HS by Hakon Stene. Tezeta (Nostalgia) from Malatu Astatke, from Ethiopiques vol. 4, one of my favorite pieces of music in the world. Marian Lapansky plays Camille Saint-Saens "Le Sygne." Which fights with Piero Umiliani's Danza Primitiva. Warren Ellis rounds it out with his Lale's Theme from his terrific score to Mustang (which you should totally see). The Hazel Scott pieces can be found here and here.
12/19/201615 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 100 (Peregrinar)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Notes I relied most heavily on The Crusades of Cesar Chavez by Miriam Pawell. Enjoyed Jaques Levy's oral history, Cesar Chavez: Autobiography of La Causa I read a lot of the local accounts on Newspapers.com and was informed particularly by the coverage in the Fresno Bee. Music Starts with Affinity by Gavin Luke. Moves into Little Dume by Christian Naujoks. Finish of with Call from Julianna Barwick.
12/1/201611 minutes, 43 seconds
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Episode 99, Met Residency #3 (Full Circle)

Nate DiMeo is the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Artist in Residence for 2016/2017. He is producing ten pieces inspired by the collection and by the museum itself. This is the second episode of that residency. This residency is made possible by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Chester Dale Fund. This episode is written and produced and stuff by Nate DiMeo with engineering assistance from Kathy Tu and research Assistance from Andrea Milne. Its Executive Producer is Limor Tomer, General Manager Live Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Art Discussed * John Vanderlyn's Panoramic View of the Gardens of Versailles. Music * Falling Asleep with a Book on Your Chest and Brass Practice by Lullatone. * Moonbow by aAirial. * Pauvre Simon, L'approach Du Nuage, and The Tunnel from Sylvain Chauvau's album Nuage. * So Long to Scream from Joshua Moshier's score to Good Enough.
11/21/201615 minutes, 48 seconds
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An odd, pre-election bonus episode: a full reading of Song of Myself

As counter-programming to the clamor and nonsense of these last days before the American Presidential election, here is Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" in its entirety. Really. VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE New episode next week.
11/7/20161 hour, 38 minutes, 26 seconds
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Episode 98 (Under Our Feet)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Notes * This episode came by special request from my daughter, who heard about Waterhouse Hawkins in her second grade classroom. She came home and said, “Dad, I think I’ve got a good Memory Palace story for you.” * She and I found a great kids book called The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, by Barbara Kerley. * Grownup readers might want to check out All in the Bones by Valerie Bramwell and Robert Peek. Music * We start off and finish with Kola, Lighthouse Version by amiina. * We hear their Leather and Lace as well. * There’s Mountain Path, by WMD. * We hear Prelude for Piano and Malaria by Worrytrain. * We also hear Manny Returns Home from Bernard Hermann’s score to The Wrong Man. * And Krolock on Sledge from the fantastic score to The Fearless Vampire Killers.
10/28/201613 minutes, 54 seconds
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Episode 97 (In Line)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more and donate to help keep this show and the other Radiotopia shows thrive at Radiotopia.fm Notes * There are a gajillion things that you can and should read about this period. I'm almost loathe to tell you where to begin. So: some of the details for this story were found in this remarkable article by Claude Sitton. Music * We hear a segment of Holding Pattern, by Loscii. * Secrets you Could Sift, by Mr. Maps. * And Requiem on Frankfort Ave, by Eluvium.
10/14/20169 minutes, 58 seconds
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The Met Residency Episode M2: One Bottle, Any Bottle

Nate DiMeo is the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Artist in Residence for 2016/2017. He is producing ten pieces inspired by the collection and by the museum itself. This is the second episode of that residency. This residency is made possible by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Chester Dale Fund. This episode is written and produced and stuff by Nate DiMeo with engineering assistance from Kathy Tu. Its Executive Producer is Limor Tomer, General Manager of Concerts & Lectures, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. * Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau), John Singer Sargent, 1883-1884 * Tomb Effigy of Elizabeth Boott Duveneck, Frank Duveneck, 1891 * One bottle, any bottle. Music * We hear "Pools of Grey," by Jeff Eden Fair and Starr Parodi. * Then "Ruth & Sylvie," by Daniel Hart. * And "Lost in Space," by Max Richter. * Wien, by Labradford plays beneath the credits. Special thanks to Gabe Hilfer at Full Pursuit Media. and to Thayer Tolles, Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, and Ariana Baurley at the Met for their help episode. The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm.
10/6/20168 minutes, 57 seconds
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The Met Residency Episode 1: Recent Acqusition

Nate DiMeo is the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Artist in Residence for 2016/2017. He is producing ten pieces inspired by the collection and by the museum itself. This is the first episode of that residency. This residency is made possible by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Chester Dale Fund. This episode is written and produced and stuff by Nate DiMeo with engineering assistance from Kathy Tu and research assistance from Andrea Milne. Its Executive Producer is Limor Tomer, General Manager of Concerts & Lectures, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Art Discussed If you can't be at the museum to listen to this episode, you might want to take a look at: * Dance in a Subterranean Longhouse at Clearlake, California, Jules Tavernier, 1878. * The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak, Albert Bierstadt, 1868 * Washington Crossing the Delaware Emmanuel Leutze, 1851 Music * We hear, "Prelude for a Single Snowflake Under Streetlight, Falling Like a Star," "The View from a Foggy Window, or Your Head in the Clouds with a Fever," and "Origami Guitar," from Lullatone. * We hear, "Entering Darwin," "On the Atlantic Ocean," "Popcorn and Life," "Shut up World," and "Turning Sixteen" from Ben Sollee. * Wien, by Labradford plays beneath the credits. Special thanks to Gabe Hilfer of Full Pursuit Media. and to Dr. Elizabeth Kornhauser and Ariana Baurley at the Met. Further Reading * Chronicling the West for Harper's: Coast to Coast with Frezeny & Tavernier by Claudine Chalmers. * Jules Tavernier Artist and Adventurer from Scott A. Shields, Alfred C. Harrison, Jr. and Claudine Chalmers. The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm.
10/6/201614 minutes, 38 seconds
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Episode 96 (Canali)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm. Notes * I’ve read a bunch about the canals over the years, but the most fun I’ve had was going through the New York Times’ archive and just searching for Canals and Mars and reading article by article through the years, watching the debates, seeing conjecture reported as news, and then watching it all unravel. * For more on Lowell, I recommend Percival Lowell: the Culture and Science of Boston Brahmin, by David Strauss. Music * This one features two appearances by X-Ray, by Youth Lagoon. * One from September, by Giles Lamb. * And a long one by Red Dawn, by Enzo.
9/30/201613 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 95 (Haunting)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm. Notes * Like anyone else, I became fascinated by Washington Phillip’s story through the music. So, go buy the music. * I backed into the research on this one when I should’ve just started at the source: Michael Corcoran’s amazing excavation of Phillips’ real story, as originally printed in Texas Monthly. There’s a lot of stuff that links out from his site. Music * Lots of Washington Phillips. * Starts with As Old Roads, by Goldmund. * Don’t Worry, by (Memory Palace favorite) Zoe Keating. * 1979 by Deru.
9/17/201613 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 94 (Numbers)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm. Note * Here’s a link to watch an excerpt of the CBS news break. * One of my favorite things I came across while reading up on the lottery was this site, which includes a remarkable page where folks send in their personal stories of their draft experience. Music * Elevator Song by Keaton Henson (feat. Ren Ford) * Waves by Abby Gundersen
8/27/201612 minutes, 6 seconds
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From the Vault: Dreamland

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm. MusicMusic in this one is track 6 in Nine Inch Nails’ Ghosts I then a track called “Ashley” from Yo La Tengo’s soundtrack to Junebug.  
8/8/20169 minutes, 16 seconds
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Episode 93 (Local Channels)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm SPOILERS BELOW Notes * Much of what I read about Florence was pulled from old newspaper articles. * The biography in Notable American Women: Volume 5 does a nice, thorough job with Florence story. * I first stumbled on Florence Chadwick in a photo in a restaurant in Santa Barbara and was struck by, as the photo suggested, she went on a world tour, swimming local channels. Music * First up is Solitude, from (delightfully named) Janis Crunch. * Then we’ve got Like a Bell to a Southerly Wind, by Chequerboard. * Modular Body #7 by Machinefabriek. * After Catalunya by Ephemetry and Richard J. Birkin. * Finishing up on The Old Favourite by The Gloaming.
7/30/201616 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 92 (Oil, Water)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm SPOILERS BELOW Notes *Great stuff in the Cleveland Plain Dealer from waaaaaay back to fire #1, if you want to dive in. * Found Jonathan Joseph Wlasiuk’s dissertation, Refining Nature (etc.) quite helpful in sorting out the early days of the Rockefeller refineries. * If you want to know more about the complicated relationship of Cleveland and the ’69 fire and the passage of the Clean Water Act, seek out Jonathan H. Adler’s article (and R.E.M. nod), Fables of the Cuyahoga: Reconstructing a History of Environmental Protection. * I also want to shout out The Killer in the Attic, and More True Tales of Crime and Disaster from Cleveland’s Past, by John Stark Bellamy II, which does a great job with the river fires. Music * Start off with Lacrymae, from Melodium. * Go to a chopped up Fables, by Girls in Airports. * Finish off with the eternal Sunflower River Blues by John Fahey.
7/14/201611 minutes, 45 seconds
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Episode 91 (Natural Habitat)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm Notes and Reading: * I came to this story the old fashioned way (for me): I saw Su Lin at the Field Museum and needed to know more. That led me inevitably to Vicki Croke’s The Lady and the Panda from 2006. It’s a terrific read. If you have any interest at all in learning more about Ruth Harkness, that’s the place to go. I’ve got a few quibbles here and there, but, for real, it’s delightful. * Quentin Young’s (slightly strange and contested) version of events is told inChasing the Panda by Michael Kiefer. * If you’ve got a few hundred bucks (or a library with more liberal lending policies with old books than mine), why not read Ruth’s own book, The Baby Giant Panda? * If you’re interested in zoos writ large, I’m a fan of Animal Attractions: Nature on Display in American Zoos by Elizabeth Hansen. Music: * We start with Hush-Maker by Moon Ate the Dark. * Roll on with Freudian Slippers by Chilly Gonzales. * Hear Bibio’s Cherry Blossom Road a couple of times. * Hit up Nice Dream by radio.string.quartet.vienna * Hear Don Redman and his Orchestra play Blue Eyed Baby from Memphis. * The centerpiece of the middle section is Snow Again by Lambert. * We hear a couple of pieces by Dan Romer: An Old Fashioned Man and End of the World. * We finish up on Lullatone’s Falling Asleep With a Book on Your Chest.
7/2/201627 minutes, 4 seconds
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Episode 90 (A White Horse)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows. Learn more at radiotopia.fm Notes and Reading: * Most of the specific history of the White Horse was learned from "Sanctuary: the Inside Story of the Nation's Second Oldest Gay Bar" by David Olson, reprinted in its entirety on the White Horse's website. * "Gayola: Police Professionalization and the Politics of San Francisco's Gay Bars, 1950-1968," by Christopher Agee. * June Thomas' series on the past, present, and future of the gay bar from Slate a few years back. * Various articles written on the occasion of the White Horse's 80th anniversary, including this one from SFGATE.Com * Michael Bronski's A Queer History of the United States. * Radically Gay, a collection of Harry Hay's writing. * Incidentally, I watched this interview with Harry Hay from 1996 about gay life in SF in the 30's multiple times because it's amazing. Music * We start with Water in Your Hands by Tommy Guerrero. * Hit Anne Muller's Walzer fur Robert a couple of times. * Gaussian Curve does Talk to the Church. * We get a loop of Updraught from Zoe Keating. * We finish on Transient Life in Twilight by James Blackshaw
6/16/201611 minutes, 59 seconds
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Episode 89 (Family Snapshot)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. SPOILERS BELOW Music * First up is The Homeless Wanderer from Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou off of the Emahoy (Piano Solo) album, number 21 in the unimpeachable Ethiopiques series. * Then we get some of To the Right the Enemy, to the Left the Sea from Simon Rakham. * We finish with Stellify by Francesco Albanese. Notes * The bulk of the non-technical details from this one comes from Charles Duke’s highly readable memoir, Moonwalker: The True Story of an Astronaut Who Found That the Moon Wasn’t High Enough to Satisfy his Desire for Success. He’s a wonderful story teller and an amiable literary companion. I’ll also note that the end of the book, the last few chapters or so, are really a wonderful, clear-eyed, deeply felt story of how, first, Dottie’s faith, and then Charles’ set the course of the rest of their lives. If that’s the sort of thing that interests you, I really do recommend the book.
6/4/201612 minutes, 34 seconds
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Episode 88 (Open Road)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music * Up top, looped, is the first bit of the great, Foreign Fields, by Kacy Hill. * Then we hear some of Sun Will Set, by Zoe Keating. * The song on the radio is Sonny Thompson’s Long Gone, as heard on the Mellow Blues album. Notes * You can read all of the 1948 Green Book (and the rest of the Green Books) at the New York Public Library’s fantastic digital collection.
5/19/20169 minutes, 37 seconds
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From the Vault: A Special Mother's Day Re-Run

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia.   In Toronto? Chicago? Milwaukee? Minneapolis? Come see a live Memory Palace show.   For Mothers' Day, this episode is a re-mixed version of a story originally released as Episode 10, in 2009. Back with new episodes next time out.   The two piano pieces that bookend the piece are by Max Richter from his “24 Postcards in Full Color” record. The one in the middle is “Maybelle” by Ida. It popped up on shuffle the other day and stunned me. I hadn’t heard it in years. It’s really lovely.
5/7/20169 minutes, 24 seconds
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Episode 87 (Victory)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Do you live in Toronto? Chicago? Milwaukee? Minneapolis? How about L.A.? Come see the Memory Palace live this May. SPOILERS BELOW Music * We hear Portrait Gallery from Luke Howard. * A smidgen of Julia Kent's lovely Dorval. * The incomparable Moondog's Gloving It pops up a couple times (as it tends to do around these parts). * Denmark by the Portland Cello Project rolls out for quite awhile. * John Lewis and Sacha Distel play the title track from their Afternoon in Paris album. * We hear To, from Zach Cooper's Styles Upon Styles. * There's a bit of Eine Kleine Gamelan Music from The Gamelan Son of Lion (seriously). * Ends on P, by Labradford. NOTES * The classic text on Charlie Faust is Lawrence Ritter's The Glory of Their Times:the Story of the Early Days of Baseball as Told by the Men Who Played It, one of the key texts of early baseball history, first published in 1966. * The definitive resource on Faust is Gabriel Schecter, who's written his biography for SABR, the Society for American Baseball Research, and a monograph called Victory Faust: The Rube Who Saved McGraw's Giants. * I also want to point you to Rob Neyer's lovely piece on visiting Faust's grave.
4/23/201619 minutes, 24 seconds
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Episode 86 (Finishing Hold)

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Do you live in Toronto? Chicago? Milwaukee? Minneapolis? How about L.A.? Come see the Memory Palace live this May. SPOILERS BELOW   A Selected Bibliography * Dr. Sam: An American Tragedy by Jack Harrison Pollack * Summer of Shadows: a Murder a Pennant Race and the Twilight of the Best Location in the Nation, by Jonathan Knight, a very readable popular history book that pulls off a maybe-ill-advised trick of balancing the story of the Sheppard case with the Indians 1954 season surprisingly well. * Endure and Conquer, Sam Sheppard and F. Lee Bailey's version of things, written in 1966. Agenda aside, it's a fascinating read. Especially his account of the prison years. * Murder, Culture, and Injustice: Four Sensational Cases in American History, by Walter Hixson. * "Dr. Sam Sheppard The Ex-Convict who Revolutionized Professional Wrestling," from The Wrestler, May, 1970. * The bulk of the details from the last section of story are pulled from contemporary newspaper articles from the Mansfield News-Journal, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the Dover Daily Reporter, The Escanaba Daily Press, the Detroit Free Press, the Nashville Tennessean, The Tyrone Daily Herald, and The Washington Post Music * We hear a snippet of Runaway by Ólafur Arnalds up top. * Then Debut by Christopher Ferreira. * A bit of Saturday Evening from Tomasz Bednarczyk * Ralph Van Raat plays John Adams' China Gates. * The recurring flute piece is Wasser-Wunder from Tibor Szemző and Group 180 * Deadmau5 plays Invidia. * Lawrence English plays Watching it Unfold. * The radio snippet is a bit of a cheat. It's from the World Series from that year. Only broadcast I could find from '54.
4/8/201617 minutes, 29 seconds
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Episode 85 (AKA Leo)

Notes Research for this story was largely culled from contemporary newspaper accounts. Check back for a list. Music * We start off (and end) with You by Nils Frahm. * We’ve got Krolock on the Sledge from Komeda’s great, great score to The Fearless Vampire Hunters. * Jett Rink Theme from Dimitri Tiomkin’s score to Giant. * A little loop of Bandstand, from Thomas Newman’s Little Children score. * And Opening, the vibes pieces, by Nathan Bartlett (making a return appearance). * Oh! And Meet the Neighbors from Marcelo Zarvo’s score to the lovely, Please Give. Which has become the go to soundtrack for “Some borderline scam artist has a crazy idea,” here on the Memory Palace.
3/25/201614 minutes, 11 seconds
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Episode 84 (Homesteading)

Notes * I first came the story of Ross, North Dakota, while reading Muslims in America: A Short History, by Edward E. Curtis. * The full WPA interview with Mary Juma (and another member of the Ross community) can be found in Curtis’ The Columbia Sourcebook of Muslims in the United States. * A contemporary account of the Ross community can be found here. Music *The first bit is a loop from the opening of a song called I. Permafrost by a long-defunct band called Jerseyturnpike made up of a husband/wife duo from San Francisco. Years ago, I went to their wedding in New Jersey. There was a bounce house. It was beautiful. * The piece finishes up with the on-the-nose, This is Home, from Joel P. West’s soundtrack to the terrific film, Short Term 12.
3/9/20167 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 83 (Overland)

Notes Nearly all the research for this one comes straight out of the highly-readable, Cap’n George Fred, G.F. Tilton’s 1925 autobiography. I got my copy at a used bookstore for $11. It’s easy to find on eBay and Amazon and whatnot. Totally money well spent. Music * First up is Lacrymae by Melodium. * Then we mix in Every Mournful Breath by Slow Meadow * Meeting the Neighbors from Marcelo Zarvos’ score to the delightful, Please Give, makes a return appearance. * There’s Steve Reich’s “Music for Pieces of Wood,” as performed by Smoke and Mirrors Percussion Ensemble. * Yes, that’s Immigrant Song, from Zeppelin III. * There’s a bit of Frost Trees from Lalo Schifrin’s extraordinary score to The Fox, from 1967. * End credits, as always, is Wien, by La Bradford. Buy their music, please.
2/25/201614 minutes, 33 seconds
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Episode 82 (The Wheel)

Music * Julia Rovinsky plays Phillip Glass’ Metamorphosis I, from her album Dusk. * There’s an excerpt from Paul Drescher’s “Casa Vecchia,” from the Mirrors: Other Fire album. * There’s a chunk of Jose Gonzalez’ “Instrumental” from his Stay in the ShadeEP. * “Manny Returns Home” from Bernard Hermann’s score to The Wrong Man. * Branka Parlic plays Philip Glass’ “Mad Rush.” Twice. * “Quiet Fan for SK,” by P.G. Six. * Things get heavy to “Particles of the Universe (Heartbeats)” from Dan Romer and Ben Zeitlin’s score to Beasts of the Southern Wild. Notes There’s a lot written about Robert Smalls, with a lot of contradictory information. I found Edward A. Miller’s Gullah Statesman: Robert Smalls from Slavery to Congress particularly useful to sorting it all out. Some other sources I consulted while researching this piece: * The Negro’s Civil War: How American Blacks Felt and Acted During the War for the Union by the Don, James McPherson * From Slavery to Public Service: Robert Smalls, 1839-1915, by Okon Uya. * And, for what it’s worth, Robert Smalls: The Boat Thief from RFK Jr.’s American Heroes Series is an enjoyable and surprisingly thorough version of the story for young readers, if you’re ever looking for that sort of thing.
2/11/201619 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 81 (Below, from Above)

Music * We start off with Wien, by Labradford. * The guys head out to the work site to Piano 3, from Jon Brion's score to Synecdoche, New York. * Then we hear a bit of Metamorphosis by Vladamir Ussachevsky before being bombarded with bits of Fast Pasture by Todd Reynolds. * There's a long stretch of Fog Tropes by Ingram Marshall * Followed by Fragment I by Library Tapes * Before ending on Berceuse, by Alexandra Sileski. Notes * This is a story I've been wanting to do forever. In fact, falling in love with the story of the Brooklyn Bridge was one of the things that sent me on a path to doing The Memory Palace at all. So, most of this stuff I just kind of already knew. But it was a particular pleasure to go back and read David McCullough's masterful, lovely The Great Bridge. And to read a ton of contemporary accounts of its construction, particularly the New York Time's piece where the reporter heads down into the Brooklyn Caisson.
1/27/201617 minutes, 2 seconds
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Episode (M): Gallery 742

A special episode of the Memory Palace commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art to coincide with the opening of Rockefeller-Worsham Dressing Room in Gallery 742 of The American Wing and with Artistic Furniture of the Gilded Age, an exhibition open now through May 1st, 2016.   This piece is ideally consumed on site, in Gallery 742 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Written and Produced by Nate DiMeo of [The Memory Palace.](thememorypalace.us) Musical score by Jimmy LaValle of The Album Leaf. Executive Producer, Limor Tomer, General Manager of Concerts & Lectures, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
12/17/201511 minutes, 36 seconds
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Episode 80 (Shore Leave)

Music* Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score.* First up is one of my very favorite recordings of all time: Andromeda from Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath. One of the finest bands ever assembled. * The sailors get grumpy to Sito from Pierre Favre and the European Chamber Ensemble. (The end drum loop comes from that piece too). * The guys run off to save the day to Edgar Meyer and Mark O'Connor doing the Green Groves of Erin.* That turns into, In Threes by Loscil. Notes* Some of the details in here originate from a fine piece that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in May of 1944. You can read it here.* Other solid write ups: From The Book of New York The U.S.C.G. The Fire-fighter's Museum
11/19/201512 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 79 (Artist in Landscape)

Music * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score. * They first meet to a piece called Brouillard (version 1) from Georges Delaure's extraordinary score to Jules et Jim. (A second version comes in later when J.J. Audubon is living the high life in England). * We also hear Waltz by Mother Falcon. * I go back to the Marcelo Zarvos/Please Give well when the Scotsman arrives at their store. Note: it's the go-to soundtrack for "People Arriving at One's Store With A Life Changing Proposition" here at the Memory Palace. Also: go watch Please Give. * The little piano piece is from Nathan Johnson's score to The Day I Saw Your Heart. * Lucy and John titter like plovers to Andrew Cyrille's dope, skittering drums on Nuba 1. * The especially sad bit, right before the end is Dream 3 (in the Midst of my Life), from Max Richter's giant, From Sleep album. * A couple times, including the ending, we hear "the Lark Ascending" from Ralph Vaughn Willliams. It is beautiful. You should buy it. Notes As per usual, I read a lot about the Audubons and the Bakewells. I relied most upon the charming and smart, On the Road with John James Audubon by Mary Durant, and Carolyn DeLatte's lovely, thoughtful book, Lucy Audubon: a Biography. * Just a quick note: there's a very enjoyable PBS/American Masters/Nature documentary about Audubon. It's a fun and informative watch. But, I'll say, you come out of that thinking that things were fundamentally swell between Lucy and John in a way that I'm not entirely sure is supported by the facts. Or jibes with, you know, human nature.
11/12/201519 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 78 (no. 116,842)

It's fundraiser time! Do you enjoy the Memory Palace? Do you want to support independent media? Then support the home of the Memory Palace, Radiotopia. Click here and become a sustaining supporter and help keep us going for a long time to come! Music* Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score.* First bit is called Steep Hills of Vicodin Tears by A Winged Victory for the Sullen from their self-titled album. * A brief bit of Occam II for Violin by Silvia Tarrozi scores the shuttle accident (non-NASA category). * We've got Eloy by Deaf Center. * Finish out with Call from Julianna Barwick's album Pacing. Notes* There's no, proper, grown-up biography of Margaret Knight (as far as I've been able to locate). Though there are a handful of kid's books of varying degrees of charm and accuracy. She does pop up in a fair amount of "Lady Inventors!!!" collections. I read a bunch of these, but I want to single out one for its rigor: Autumn Stanley's Mothers and Daughters of Invention.
11/5/201513 minutes, 40 seconds
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Episode 77 (Butterflies)

It's fundraiser time! Do you enjoy the Memory Palace? Do you want to support independent media? Then support the home of the Memory Palace, Radiotopia. Click here and become a sustaining supporter and help keep us going for a long time to come! Music* Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score.* First up is "Adultere bourgeoise," a piece from Paul Misraki's score to A Double tour.* Then we've got a piece called "Night Time Talk" by Stephen J. Anderson. * We hit For the Trees by Matmos a couple of times (the bit after: "the facts were these," or whatever I say)* Frank Durr's theme is P from that first LaBradford album, all those years ago. * The score for the House of Butterflies is called Fragment II by Library Tapes. It comes back again toward the end.* We also hear Invidia, by Deadmaus. That's the one we finish on. Notes* Several essays were very helpful in researching this. Among those were: -http://pittmed.health.pitt.edu/jan_2001/butterflies.pdf-http://www.thenation.com/article/secret-history-lead/-http://www.wired.com/2013/01/looney-gas-and-lead-poisoning-a-short-sad-history/* I found William J. Kovarik's Dissertation, The Ethyl Controversy:How the News Media Set the Agenda for a Public Health Controversy over the use of Leaded Gasoline, 1924-1926, completely fascinating. * I relied on a number of papers from the W.H.O. when researching the health effects of lead and ozone depletion.* Here's the New York Times original expose about the House of Butterflies.* Finally, Thomas Midgely, IV's biography of his grandfather, From the Periodic Table to Production: The Life of Thomas Midgely, Jr., inventor of Leaded Gasoline and Freon Refrigerants, is, while unsurprisingly hagiographic, both well-researched and highly readable.
10/27/201520 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 76 (Mary Walker Would Wear What She Wanted)

It's fundraiser time! Do you enjoy the Memory Palace? Do you want to support independent media? Then support the home of the Memory Palace, Radiotopia. Click here and become a sustaining supporter and help keep us going for a long time to come! Music*Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score.*The piece opens with Rainfall, by David Darling and Michael Jones. *Her brief love story is scored by Nathan Johnson's Penelope's Theme from his score to The Brothers Bloom.*When she lands her first gig, we start Garde a Vue, and roll into Le Roi de coeur, from Chantal Martineau.* The vibraphone piece is "Opening" by Nathaniel Bartlett. * The recurring violin piece is called Geometria del Universo by the one-named Colleen. * It ends on Romain's First Love, again by Georges Delarue, from his fantastic score to Promise at Dawn. Notes* I read a lot about Mary, but by far the most useful and most thorough works I came upon were: Sharon M. Harris' Dr. Mary Walker: An American Radical and A Woman of Honor: Dr. Mary E. Walker and the Civil War, in which author Mercedes Graf does a great job walking the reader through Walker's unpublished memoir.
10/19/201511 minutes, 50 seconds
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Episode 75 (The Ballad of Captain Dwight)

The finale of the 2015 Summer Season.     Music * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score. * There's Branches, by Keith Kenniff * Then The Big Ocean, from Ben Sollee's score to Maidentrip.  * Then End of the World from Dan Romer's score to Beasts of the Southern Wild.  * There's The Sage, pulling once more from the dope-as-hell self-titled album from the Chico Hamilton Quintet. * There's a loop pulled from Worm is Green's song, Brand New Day * There's The Light, from my pal Jimmy's wonderful project, The Album Leaf. Go buy their albums.  * The piece at the end is the theme to Charlie Countryman from Christophe Beck's score. * Oh: stuff gets heavy to Ghosts I from Nine Inch Nails. * And finally (though out of order), playing over the fall-out from JFK's death is Now by Goldmund.            Notes A selected bibliography.   * We Could Not Fail: The First African Americans in the Space Program, by Richard Paul and Steven Moss * Voices of Contemporary and Historical Black Pioneers, Farmer & Shepard-Wynn, editors * The Right Stuff, by Tom Wolfe * Distinguished African Americans in Aviation and Space Sciences, by Gulbert, Sawyer, and Fannin * The All-American Boys, Walt Cunningham's memoir. * The Ebony article mentioned in the piece can be read here.  
8/28/201520 minutes, 49 seconds
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Episode 74 (Craning)

Episode 9 of the 2015 Summer Season.                     Music * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score. * There're too pieces from Per Storby Jutbring's album, Dance of the Diaper Fairy. Snowbound, up top, and the title track at the end.    Notes * Hoo boy, have I read a ton of books about the space program, thanks to my stint on the writing staff of ABC's Astronauts' Wives Club last year.  So, most of this piece is just "stuff I now know."  However: read numerous contemporary newspaper accounts, readily available on  * Also key was the lovely prologue to First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong, James R. Hanson's solid (if a little hagiographic) bio.  
8/20/201510 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 73 (Notes on an Imagined Plaque to be Added to the Statue of General Nathan Bedford Forrest, Upon Hearing that the Memphis City Counci has Voted to Move it and the Exhumed Remains of General Forrest and his Wife, Mary Ann Montgomery Forrest, from

Episode 8 of the 2015 Summer Season               Music * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score. * First up (and returning at the end) is Sandra's Theme, from Heather McIntosh's fantastic score to Compliance, a very good, very disturbing movie.  * We hit Frank Glazer leading Charles Ives' Largo for Clarinet, Violin and Piano a couple of times, framing... * Runaway from Olafur Arnalds.    Notes: *The key to researching this episode turned out to be an article in The Journal of Southern History from 2001 by Court Carnay called, "The Contested Image of Nathan Bedford Forrest.".  * Also particularly useful was Nathan Bedford Forrest: a Biography, by Jack Hurst.  * As was Lynching in America: A History in Documents, compiled by Christopher Waldrep. * Much of my information about the contents of the ceremony and speeches was gathered from this, the digitized journal and scrapbook of Charles Henry Niehaus, the sculptor of the monument. It's an extraordinary resource.    * And let us all read Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All its Phases, by Ida B. Wells. And let's put her on the $10 while we're at it.
8/13/201513 minutes, 33 seconds
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Episode 72 (Run-of-the-River)

Episode 7 of the 2015 Summer Season.                     Music * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score. * First up (and returning a bit later) is Mr. Reincarnation from Alexander Desplat's dope-as-hell score to the fairly dope movie, Birth.  * There's Lost Fur, Reprise from Carter Burwell's Where the Wild Things Are score.  * Then there's a Charles Ives piece called Remembrance, played by Yesaroun' Duo, Eric Hewitt and Samuel Z. Soloman.  * Then we hit Another Lifetime, dipping back in the Birth Score well. * Finish up with Kierling/Doubt from Max Richters 24 Postcards in Full Color.  
8/3/201511 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 71 (Zulu Charlie Romeo)

Episode 6 of the 2015 Summer Season.               Music * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score. * First up, A Nice Day from a truly wonderful album, The Original Chico Hamilton Quintet Complete Studio Recordings. * Then there's Ohnono/Kiwembo, Andrew Bird's contribution to Tradi-Mods Vs. Rockers - Alternative Takes on Congotronics, Vol. 1 (which is a great rabbit hole to go down). * Anita gets introduced to Hay Tantos Muertos, by Marissa Nadler.   * Then falls in love to Hymn of Silence by Silencio * Then there're two pieces from Nathan Johnson's score to The Day I Saw Your Heart. 
7/27/201512 minutes, 22 seconds
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Episode 70 (Developments in the Design and Manufacture of American Menswear 1840-1860, a Fable)

Episode 5 of the 2015 Summer Season.               Music * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score. * The main mountain theme is Mort D'Eurydice, by Pierre Favre as played by the European Chamber Ensemble. * There's a second string-y snippet of another by them called, Sito. * We learn about beavers to Stereo Music for Acoustic Guitar, Buchla Music Box 100 (etc.)...Pt. 2 from Keith Fullerton Whitman's old Multiples album. * The soft men are embodied by 3-Sized PF by Takahiro Kido from his Fairy Tale album. * I roll out some more Miguel Atwood-Ferguson with Arioso from Red Hot & Bach to track the tall tales of the west.  
7/20/201511 minutes, 25 seconds
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Episode 69 (Charlie: God of Rain)

Episode 4 of the 2015 Summer Season.          Music   * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score. * Charlie on the ladder is scored with the Prologue to the fantastic score to the film Birth, by Alexandre Desplat * It ends with Opus 30, by Dustin O'Hallaran.   * The upbeat, fair music is a piece called Love on Matthew Herbert's contribution to the Life in a Day soundtrack.  * Don Stewart surveys the damage to 01 Ghosts I by NIN
7/13/201516 minutes, 51 seconds
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Episode 68 (White Heat, White Lights)

Episode 3 of the Summer Season.    Music   * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score. * The opening loop is from Mr. Knight from Coltrane Plays the Blues, which you should own.  * The violin piece is Occam II for Violin, a piece by Silvia Tarozzi, played by Pauline Oliveros. * Next up is Mikuro's Blues from the mighty David S. Ware' mighty Go See the World. * The amazing orchestral pieces is Triumph by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Carlos Nino from Fill the Heart- Shaped Cup  * Finally, there's 13 Ghosts II by Nine Inch Nails from Ghosts I-IV
7/6/20159 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 67 (Every Night Ever)

Music   * Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's Modesty Blaise score. * Then, we have the most obvious crickets/summer night song ever: the fantastic, perpetually delightful Green Arrow from Yo La Tengo's I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, which has soundtracked many crickety summer nights for me over the years.  * The cops roll in to a loop of the very beginning of the epic Ptah, the El Daoud, the title track to Alice Coltrane's album from 1970. * Then we have a mix of two improvisations from Charles Cohen's Brother I Prove You Wrong: Cloud Hands and The Boy and the Snake Dance. * There's a brief dip into Dorian, by Fang Island. * The jaunty accordion, typewriter thing is Biking is Better on Wintergatan's eponymous album.   Notes I researched this one primarily through old newspapers. The easiest place to find a number of them is to read the excellent site, The Museum of Hoaxes' page on this event. Also: if you're in the Atlanta area and ever want to have yourself a day, you can see the actual monkey. It's preserved in a jar at the Georgia Bureau of Investigations museum in Decatur Georgia.
6/29/201511 minutes, 15 seconds
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Episode 66 (The Pirate Queen)

The music:   *Under the credits is Harlaamstrat 74 off of John Dankworth's great, ridiculous Modesty Blaise score. *The recurring piano theme is Les Marionettes by Zbigniew Preisner from his score to La Double Vie de Veronique (And, have you seen The Double Life of Veronique? Man, that's good) *Eugenia's dreamy little theme is Just Saying by Jamie XX off of In Colour *That organ track is called Organ Track by Nicolai Dunger from The Cloud is Learning *Al Davis' dance theme is Watusi Bounce from Bo Diddly's Ride On/The Chess Masters  *Helen watches Eugenia on the lawn at the Grand Hotel to the tune of To a Wild Rose by Patricia Rossborough from the collection Dainty Debutantes: Female Novelty Pianists of the 1930's (And, ugh. Dismissive much?) *The Judge drones over one of Scott Watson's Six Solos for the Beginning Tuba Player from his 2008 album, Stepping Stones for Tuba, vol. 1 (like I need to tell you that) *The ending piece is Mike Andrews lovely Library Chant from his score to Miranda July's lovely Me and You and Everyone we Know   Notes: I first stumbled across this story in my torn up copy of New York: Confidential! Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer's truly mucky, muck-raking guide to the city's underbelly from 1951. I read a ton of old news paper articles about the case (the New York Times covered it extensively, if you want to go back and read those).   The two most useful books I came across in the process were Joshua Zeitz' Flapper and Lewis Erenberg's Steppin' Out: New York Nightlife and the Transformation of American Culture, 1890-1930
6/21/201519 minutes, 21 seconds
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HIgh Above Lake Michigan: Special Platinum Edition

Something to listen to while you wait for the new season of The Memory Palace, launching June 21st with weekly episodes through the whole summer.    
5/27/20157 minutes, 16 seconds
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Forgotten Things: A Failed Pilot

Did a pilot for Fox Digital Studios some time ago. Didn't actually go anywhere (except for a film festival or two). 
5/7/20152 minutes, 30 seconds
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Itty Bitty Bombs: Special Platinum Edition

While you wait until June 21st for the Season of the Memory Palace, here's a new version of an old favorite.
4/16/20156 minutes, 3 seconds
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The Brothers Booth Schmancy Platinum Remaster Edition

While you wait until June 21st for the Season of the Memory Palace, here's a new version of an old favorite.
4/9/20158 minutes, 11 seconds
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Episode 65 (Two-Dimensional Projectile Motion Problems)

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3/16/201513 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 64 (The 7th Story)

Episode 64.
1/15/201512 minutes, 57 seconds
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Episode 63 (Other Bodies)

If you enjoy this story, please tell a friend about The Memory Palace.  Thank you kindly.   The music in this one: "An Ending, A Beginning" by Dustin O'Halloran. "I am Piano" by Peter Broderick. Two songs from the soundtrack to "With a Song in my Heart": American Medley, and That Old Feeling. The one at the end is "I'll Never be the Same." My version's on a collection called "Can't get out of this Mood." There are also a couple of other Jane things that I found on You Tube. The plane crash stuff is scored by a piece of Claudia Serne and Leopold Ross' soundtrack for "Broken City," called "Missing Pieces." Then there's a song by The Caretaker called "Stairway to the Stars." I read a lot about Jane for this but nothing was as useful as Ilene Stone's lovely book,"Jane Froman: Missouri's First Lady of Song."    
10/16/201414 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 62 (We've Forgotten James Powell)

If you enjoy this story, please tell a friend about The Memory Palace.   Thank you kindly.     The music pulled from "Blue Sands" by the Chico Hamilton Trio. 
7/17/20145 minutes, 59 seconds
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Episode 61 (The Glowing Orbs)

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6/8/20148 minutes, 18 seconds
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Episode 60 (400,000 Stars)

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3/23/201410 minutes, 32 seconds
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Episode 59 (Harriet Quimby)

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1/31/20146 minutes, 14 seconds
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Episode 58 (Shadowboxing)

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12/17/201310 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 57 (I'm Still Alive)

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10/31/20139 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 56 (The Rush of the River and the Roar of the Falls)

If you enjoy this story, please tell a friend about The Memory Palace.   Thank you kindly.   There are two pieces of music in this: one is a tweaked loop from "To Here Knows When" by MBV. The other is "Stereo Music for Acoustic Guitar, Bucla Music Box 100, HP Model 236 Oscillator, Electric Guitars, and Computer - Part One" by Keith Fullerton Whitman.   
9/20/20136 minutes, 25 seconds
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Episode 55 (O, How We Danced)

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7/30/20137 minutes, 19 seconds
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Episode 54 (Origin Stories)

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6/29/201313 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 53 (Guinea Pigs)

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5/8/20136 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 52 (Six Stories)

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4/1/201313 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 51 (Giants in Those Days)

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3/7/201312 minutes, 48 seconds
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Episode 50 (Fifty Words Written After Learning That the Arctic Bowhead Whale Can Live up to 200 Years)

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1/29/20133 minutes, 57 seconds
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Episode 49 (Dreamland)

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12/14/20126 minutes, 55 seconds
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Episode 48 (Picture a Box)

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11/20/201214 minutes, 47 seconds
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Episode 47 (The Rise and Fall of Rising and Falling) *NOTE: semi-adult language in this one.

Note: there is some semi-adult language in this one.
10/15/201210 minutes, 14 seconds
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Episode 46 (After Party)

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9/14/201214 minutes, 46 seconds
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Episode 45 (Heard, Once)

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7/26/201210 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 44 (Distance)

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3/25/20125 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 43 (Far Below Lake Michigan)

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12/6/20113 minutes, 47 seconds
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Episode 42 (What They Saw)

This piece was originally commissioned by Slate.com. If you enjoy this story, please tell a friend about The Memory Palace. Thank you kindly.  
11/8/20118 minutes
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Episode 41 (Mary, Mary, and Mercy)

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10/28/20117 minutes, 12 seconds
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Episode 40 (Crazy Bet)

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9/29/201110 minutes, 22 seconds
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Episode 39 (Road Trip)

This piece was originally commissioned by Slate.com. If you enjoy this story, please tell a friend about The Memory Palace.  Thank you kindly.  
8/23/20117 minutes, 17 seconds
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Episode 38 (A Stretch)

This piece was originally commissioned by 99% Invisible. If you enjoy this story, please tell a friend about The Memory Palace.  Thank you kindly.
7/6/20119 minutes, 36 seconds
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Episode 37 (Natural Curiosity)

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1/27/20119 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 36 (Six Scenes in the Life of William J. Sidis, Wonderful Boy)

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1/7/201116 minutes, 52 seconds
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Episode 35 (A Brief Eulogy for a Consumer Electronics Product)

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10/27/20104 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 34 (Soldier Frum)

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9/20/201010 minutes, 13 seconds
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Episode 33 (Lost Lobsters)

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8/25/20108 minutes, 6 seconds
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Episode 32 (Gigantic)

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7/3/20109 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 31 (Looking Up)

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6/15/20107 minutes, 1 second
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Episode 30 (Nee Weinberg)

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5/11/201011 minutes, 21 seconds
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Episode 29 (OMG!!! JKP!!!)

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4/14/20104 minutes, 39 seconds
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Episode 28 (Babysitting)

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4/1/20107 minutes, 37 seconds
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Episode 27 (The Sisters Fox)

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3/13/201012 minutes, 15 seconds
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Episode 26 (Citius, Altius, Fortius, Horrendius)

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2/25/20109 minutes, 25 seconds
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Episode 25 (I Have Not Yet Begun to Rot)

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2/1/20109 minutes, 35 seconds
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Episode 24 (The Moon in the Sun)

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1/15/20107 minutes, 53 seconds
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Episode 23 (400 Words for 79th Street)

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12/11/20098 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 22 (You Know You’re Sick)

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11/20/20097 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 21 (A Gas Gas Gas)

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10/28/20098 minutes, 15 seconds
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Episode 20 (This Ungainly Fowl)

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10/16/20097 minutes, 5 seconds
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Episode 19 (Dam!)

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9/28/20096 minutes, 12 seconds
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Episode 18 (Dig Set Spike)

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8/28/20097 minutes, 32 seconds
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Episode 17 (Plummeting Approval)

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8/7/20097 minutes, 34 seconds
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Episode 16 (Secret Kitty)

No animals were harmed in the making of this episode.
7/24/20096 minutes, 25 seconds
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Episode 15 (Presidente Walker)

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7/16/20098 minutes, 10 seconds
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Episode 14 (The Messrs. Craft)

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7/6/20098 minutes, 28 seconds
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Episode 13 (High Above Lake Michigan)

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6/16/20096 minutes, 55 seconds
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Episode 12 (These Words, Forever)

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6/1/20095 minutes, 47 seconds
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Episode 11 (The Brothers Booth)

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5/22/20097 minutes, 46 seconds
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Episode 10 (International Brotherhood of Mothers)

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5/10/20096 minutes, 47 seconds
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Episode 9 (Ben Franklin Death Ray)

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4/11/20094 minutes, 51 seconds
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Episode 8 (The World Within the World)

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3/26/20097 minutes, 51 seconds
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Episode 7 (Li’l Nipper)

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3/9/20094 minutes, 41 seconds
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Episode 6 (The Saddest President)

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2/17/20095 minutes, 40 seconds
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Episode 5 (Oh My!)

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1/30/20093 minutes, 57 seconds
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Episode 4 (Itty Bitty Bombs)

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1/22/20095 minutes, 24 seconds
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Episode 3 (High Societies)

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1/13/20095 minutes, 44 seconds
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Episode 2 (Lost Pigeons)

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12/20/20085 minutes, 23 seconds
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Episode 1 (Horrible Deaths)

This is the very first episode of The Memory Palace. Done a gajillion years ago to test out a theory about radio storytelling. You do not have to start here. In fact, maybe you shouldn't. It's a little grim. The rest are not.  Nate
11/12/20088 minutes, 8 seconds