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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.

A Conversation About the Memory Palace with Robert Krulwich

History

Society & Culture

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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

Episode 216: Awake

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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.

Episode 215: An Eighth Wonder

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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.

Episode 214: Newsboy

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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
NotesI 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.

Episode 213: The Light and the Spirits

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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.

A Conversation About the Memory Palace with Robert Krulwich

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