Ephemeral

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Frosty the Snowman. The Little Drummer Boy. All of these iconic holiday specials have something in common: they were written by Romeo Muller, the visionary mind behind nearly all the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. We remember Muller's life and career with Rick Goldschmidt, official biographer for Rankin/Bass.

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This episode of Ephemeral is on drugs. Featuring Ethan Nadelmann, founder of the Drug Policy Alliance and host of the podcast Psychoactive.

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These days, tattoos are everywhere. But no so long ago, tattoo was an underground art form. And before that, tattoo was a cultural touchstone for numerous ancient civilizations. We explore the storied history of tattooing with Chuck Eldridge, founder of the Tattoo Archive.

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An interview with author Helen Grant about M. R. James, the real village of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, and the wonders of Victorian ghost stories.

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An English tourist looking for hidden treasures in untrodden corners of France finds more than he bargained for.

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Herk Harvey spent decades directing educational films, but he is best remembered for his lone feature, 1962's Carnival of Souls. Featuring interviews with Dr. Bernice Murphy, Associate Professor of English at Trinity College Dublin; Skip Elsheimer, founder of the A/V Geeks educational film archive; Candace Hilligoss, star of Carnival; and Herk Harvey himself. 

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The art of drag has seen a rapid rise in popularity since the premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2009. But drag has been around for centuries; sometimes a source of entertainment, other times a means of survival. Featuring Simon Doonan, author of Drag: The Complete Story and Atlanta-based drag performer TAYLOR ALXNDR.

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On September 9, 1870, while surveying the Yellowstone wilderness, Truman C. Everts was separated from his party with no horse, no food and little besides the clothes on his back. This is his story told in his own words. Narrated by Ben Bowlin of Ridiculous History and Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know.

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Continuing our monthlong look at video store culture, the Ephemeral team takes a field-trip to pay their late fees. Featuring Dan Herbert, author of Videoland, Matt Booth, owner of Videodrome in Atlanta, Georgia, and hosts Anney Reese and Lauren Vogelbaum of the podcast Savor.

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The rise and fall of the video rental store. Featuring Daniel Herbert, associate professor at the University of Michigan and author of Videoland: Movie Culture at the American Video Store.

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