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the memory palace

Latest episodes

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Sep 7, 2020 • 12min

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.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Aug 25, 2020 • 14min

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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Aug 7, 2020 • 20min

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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Jul 22, 2020 • 13min

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Jul 4, 2020 • 19min

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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Jun 12, 2020 • 12min

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Jun 5, 2020 • 8min

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 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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May 26, 2020 • 16min

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.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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May 9, 2020 • 17min

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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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Apr 21, 2020 • 17min

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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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