the memory palace
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Nate
Jan 13 2009
5mins
The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia.
Music
Apr 25 2018
15mins
The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows.
Music
Notes
Jul 03 2017
17mins
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
Aug 27 2016
12mins
If you enjoy this story, do tell someone about The Memory Palace.
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Nate
Jan 22 2009
5mins
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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.
Oct 27 2015
20mins
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.
Aug 28 2015
20mins
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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.
Oct 19 2015
11mins
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.
Sep 05 2019
16mins
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
Jun 21 2015
19mins
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Mar 25 2012
5mins
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.
Feb 11 2016
19mins
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Nate
Jan 30 2009
3mins
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.
Oct 28 2016
13mins
The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary, story-driven shows.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Music
Notes
Sep 15 2017
10mins
If you enjoy this story, do tell someone about The Memory Palace.
Thanks.
Nate
Feb 17 2009
5mins
Each year for the last three years, Nate picks his personal favorite. Here’s 2018. See you in 2019.
Dec 18 2018
20mins
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.
Sep 17 2016
13mins
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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."
Oct 16 2014
14mins
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.
Jul 02 2016
27mins
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.
Dec 09 2019
39mins
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
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.
Dec 06 2019
7mins
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
Nov 15 2019
7mins
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.
Nov 01 2019
13mins
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
Oct 21 2019
17mins
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.
Oct 04 2019
13mins
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.
Sep 19 2019
15mins
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.
Sep 05 2019
16mins
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.
Aug 28 2019
10mins
The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts.
Music
Notes
Aug 08 2019
9mins
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
Jul 20 2019
13mins
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
Jun 22 2019
8mins
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.
Jun 12 2019
11mins
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
Jun 08 2019
10mins
The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts.
Music
Notes
Jacob S. Robinson's Journal of the Santa Fe Expedition Under Colonel Doliphan in 1846.
Hampton Sides' fantastic Blood and Thunder.
May 20 2019
9mins
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
May 03 2019
8mins
The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia, a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts.
Apr 20 2019
17mins
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
Apr 09 2019
16mins
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
Mar 23 2019
10mins
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.
Mar 09 2019
9mins