Modern Notion

On todays episode of Modern Notion Daily, our guest is Wayne Wiegand, author of Part of Our Lives: A Peoples History of the American Public Library (Oxford University Press, October 2015). Wiegand argues that libraries are about much more than books: theyre a community meeting place. And to answer the question in the headline: theyre not going anywhere.

Music this hour:

“Kelli’s Number” by U.S. Army Blues, from the album Live at Blues Alley

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within“

Forgiven Not Forgotten” by Jahzzar, from the album Kuddelmuddel

On todays episode of Modern Notion Daily, were talking with Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at Kings College London and author of The Diet Myth: Why the Secret to Health and Weight Loss Is Already in Your Gut (The Overlook Press, September 2015). Using twin studies, and testing out various diets for himself, Spector has uncovered the importance of a persons microbiome—i.e. the bacteria residing in the gut—to overall health and wellness. Later in the hour, contributing editor Mark Hay reveals the story behind the ban on birthdays in Tajikistan.

Music this hour:

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

“What True Self? Feels Bogus, Let’s Watch Jason X” by Chris Zabriskie, from the album Reappear

“It’s Always Too Late to Start Over” by Chris Zabriskie, from the album Direct to Video

The guests on todays Modern Notion Daily show are Steve Ettlinger and Dwight Eschliman, coauthors of Ingredients: A Visual Exploration of 75 Food Additives and 25 Food Products (Regan Arts, September 2015). Ettlinger, who had previously written about artificial ingredients in his book Twinkie Deconstructed, teamed up with Eschliman, a photographer who has deconstructed food in previous visual projects, to really find out what all of these ingredients are. Among their discoveries: MSG doesnt cause headaches; a lot of additives are some variation on white powder; and its really hard to get a sample of high fructose corn syrup these days. Later in the hour, contributing editor Mark Hay recounts of the story of a murderer on the loose near his hometown.

Music this hour:

“Octopus” by Jahzzar, from the album Sunlight

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

Our guest on Modern Notion Daily is Susanna Moore, author of Paradise of the Pacific: Approaching Hawaii (Farrar, Straus andamp; Giroux, September 2015). The book was recently longlisted for the 2015 National Book Award. Moore details the history of the archipelago, first inhabited by humans in the sixth century. Well learn about the origin of the word taboo, well put the myth that Hawaiians cannibalized Captain James Cook to rest, and well meet Queen Kaahumanu.

Music this hour:

Island Pop by Drama by Yamaha, from the album Archipelago

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

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On todays episode of Modern Notion Daily, our guest is Sasha Abramsky, author of The House of Twenty Thousand Books (New York Review Books, September 2015). Abramsky recalls his grandparents London home, filled with a vast rare book collection—but more importantly, he remembers the ideas discussed among those treasured volumes. Later in the hour, reporter Jessie Wright-Mendoza tells the story of Harman Blennerhassett, who helped Aaron Burr in his attempt to create a treasonous state.

Music this hour:

Lord Gordons by Andy McGann

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

“Miri’s Magic Dance” by Kevin MacLeod, from the album Oddities

“Forgiven Not Forgotten” by Jahzzar, from the album Kuddelmuddel

“The Presidents March” by The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, from the album Celebrating 50 Years

Sound effects:

Courthouse Lobby Ambience by Tomlija

Our guest on todays episode of Modern Notion Daily is Frances Dinkelspiel, author of Tangled Vines: Greed, Murder, Obsession, and an Arsonist in the Vineyards of California (St. Martins Press, October 2015). Dinkelspiel was intrigued by the 2005 arson of Wines Central, which destroyed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of wine. But ultimately, her journey to tell that story led her to other darkness that lurked in the shadows of the wine business on the West Coast.

Music this hour:

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

“Il Pleut des Informations (ou Mass Media en Masse à Partir de Notre Cumulonimus Fiable)” by Monroeville Music Center, from the album Le Progrés

On todays show, our guest is Robert Weintraub, author of No Better Friend: One Man, One Dog, and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage and Survival in WWII (Little, Brown and Company, May 2015). This is the story of Judy, a pointer dog who was a Japanese POW. She befriended Frank Williams, a British POW, and the two cared for each other through the war and beyond.

Music this hour:

“Theme S” by Steve Combs andamp; Delta Is, from the album Themes (Vol. 1)

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

Who Let the Dogs Out? by Baha Men

On todays Modern Notion Daily podcast, our guest is Gillen DArcy Wood, author of Tambora: The Eruption That Changed the World (Princeton University Press, paperback September 2015). In 1815, the Tambora volcano on Sumbawa (part of Indonesia) erupted for three days, producing volcanic ash that was absorbed into the Earths atmosphere and stratosphere. People blame this volcano for famine, cold weather, and a cholera outbreak over the next three years around the world. Later in the show, staff writer Josh Hrala traces the postmortem history of Napoleons nether regions.

Music this hour:

“Forgiven Not Forgotten” by Jahzzar, from the album Kuddelmuddel

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

“Quasi Motion” by Kevin MacLeod, from the album Global Sampler

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Our guest on todays episode of Modern Notion Daily is Caitlin Doughty, a mortician and author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Stories from the Crematory (W. W. Norton andamp; Co., paperback September 2015). Doughty promotes death positivity—which does not mean you should be happy when a loved one dies, but that you should embrace the dying and post-death process. In the interview, Doughty reveals her plans for her own body after she dies. Later in the hour, reporter Erika Beras takes us south of the border to Oaxaca, Mexico, to learn about making mezcal. She visits with artisanal producers of the drink, as well as people making the smoky spirit in their own homes.

Music this hour:

Hairy Fairy Hotaruna by Monroeville Music Center, from the album Musique Concrete for Beginners

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

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On Modern Notion Daily, our guest is Lillian Faderman, author of The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle (Simon andamp; Schuster, September 2015). Faderman starts this detailed account of the treatment of LGBT people and communities in the 1950s, when police raided gay bars and prosecuted people for their sexuality in courts of law. How did we get from there to 2015, Faderman asks, when LGBT people can serve openly in the military and marry whomever they choose? Later in the hour, contributing editor Mark Hay takes us to Viking School in Norway.

Music this hour:

“Forgiven Not Forgotten” by Jahzzar, from the album Kuddelmuddel

The Departure by nisei23, from the album elevenandtwelve

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within

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