Strong Sense of Place | Travel Through Books

In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: Siren Queen by Nghi Vo and Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story in Music Lessons" by Jeremy Denk. Then we talk about an exhibit at the New York Public Library featuring art from a new graphic novel.

BOOKS

Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story in Music Lessons - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780812995985

DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK

Get more info on the New York Public Library website - https://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/intersects

Take the excellent online audio tour of the exhibit - https://www.nypl.org/events/tours/audio-guides/intersects/item/6050

Download the free coloring sheets. One of them shows butterflies in the Rose Reading Room! - https://legacynyplorg-live.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/intersects_-_peter_kuper_coloring_pages.pdf

The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com

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In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Woman, Eating' by Claire Kohda and 'How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from the Moth.' Then we are thoroughly charmed by artist David Bird's whimsical figurines and photos.

BOOKS

How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from the Moth - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593139004

DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK

Follow David Bird on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidmbird

See what happened when a squirrel decided to enjoy a Becorn as an afternoon snack - https://youtu.be/LfQhurh7wuk).

Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace

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With all those dramatic volcanoes and glaciers, Iceland has become known as the Land of Fire and Ice. But we like to think of it as the Land of Legends and Poetry, a place to go adventuring with your extrovert pals, then curl up with a great book and a cozy sweater for some epic introverting.

Literature is baked into Icelandic culture, starting with the Sagas and carrying through medieval warrior poets to today: The capital city of Reykjavík is a designated UNESCO City of Literature and home to both the Iceland Writers Retreat and the Iceland Noir Festival.

When you're ready to explore the island, start in the capital for fancy cocktails, the vibrant food scene, and friendly locals. Then hit the road — the Ring Road — to circumnavigate the island and see fantastical sites along the way: volcanoes and lava fields, waterfalls and glaciers, puffins and horses with emo bangs, the black church and dramatic sea cliffs — plus northern lights, turquoise-colored hot springs, a troll or two, and wee elf houses.

In this episode, we dig into the charming idiosyncrasies of the Icelandic language, get real about Vikings, and celebrate powerful Icelandic women. We also recommend five great books that transported us there on the page:

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-04-25-iceland

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In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'True Biz' by Sara Nović and 'Hotel Magnifique' by Emily J. Taylor. Then we discuss the fantastic artists devoted to preserving and enhancing the 150-year-old tradition of handpainted signs.

BOOKS

DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK

Follow Sign Painters on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sign_painters 

Get your hands on the book 'Sign Painters' by Faythe Levine and Sam Macon - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781616890834

More photos and stories about sign painters around the world:

Mexico City - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-11/the-art-of-painting-signs-in-mexico-city

New Orleans - https://gonola.com/features/local-lens/the-city-spoke-through-hand-painted-signs

Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace

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In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Patron Saint of Second Chances' by Christine Simon and 'Portrait of a Thief' by Grace D. Li. Then we discuss the gleefully macabre writing and art of Edward Gorey.

BOOKS

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780593184738

DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK

Edward Gorey's New England residence has been turned into a fantastic and fantastical museum. Take a video tour - https://youtu.be/fSiImfSD258

The iconic opening credits of PBS Mystery! - https://youtu.be/tPlY_7RR1h0

Write a letter to show your support for an Edward Gorey stamp - https://edwardgorey.org/2022/02/22/edward-gorey-centennial-postage-stamp-campaign/

The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.com

Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace

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In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Sea of Tranquility' by Emily St. John Mandel and 'The Candy House' by Jennifer Egan. Then we discuss the delightful distraction of Salvador Dali's amazing mustache and his epic dinner parties.

BOOKS

DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK

Dali's cookbook 'Les Dîners de Gala' - https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9783836508766

Incredible photos from the cookbook - https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2016/10/les-diners-de-gala-dali

'Destino,' the animated short film collaboration between The Walt Disney Company and Dali - https://youtu.be/y_TlaxmOKqs 

Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace

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Season 4 of the Strong Sense of Place podcast starts 25 April!

We've put together an itinerary of 12 destinations with stops on every continent. It's a tour around the world that will take us behind the scenes of fascinating cultures, dramatic history, beautiful scenery, and irresistible food. All you need is your curiosity and a comfy place to read.

To see stunning photos of our Season 4 destinations, visit our blog at http://strongsenseofplace.com/2022/04/08/ssop-podcast-season4-announcing-12-amazing-destinations/

Curious about the new The Library of Lost Time video? You can watch it here.

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Comprised of more than 2000 islands on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula, Greece is bounded by bluer-than-blue water. Ionian Sea! Aegean Sea! Mediterranean Sea! Go anywhere in the country, and you're never more than 85 miles/137km from the ocean. And there are more than 250 sunny days every year.

Greece also boasts mountainous national parks, monasteries perched on dramatic mountaintops, and ancient temple ruins from about 2000 years ago. Plus, a capital city known as the cradle of Western civilization.

Add rousing folk music, intoxicating spirits (Ouzo! Retsina! Metaxa!), and Greek food — olives and olive oil, the freshest of fish, layers of phyllo dough, pillowy pita, meat on skewers — and you've got the makings of a great escape.

In this episode, we briefly discuss Greece's influential history and wax lyrical about all the country offers as a travel destination. Then we recommend five books that transported us there on the page: a graphic novel that celebrates rebetiko music, a gripping family saga, a gorgeous retelling of Greek mythology, a literary novel about living in a liminal space, and an over-the-top (in just the right way) mystery-romance. Opa! For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-12-20-greece

Books covered:

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For longer than memory, those deep, dark forests have been a symbolic, powerful setting for stories. The wildwoods of fairy tales are where we meet Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and Rumpelstiltskin. The Hundred Acre Wood is where we find Winnie the Pooh and his darling friends. J.R.R. Tolkein introduced generations of readers to the Ents in the woods of Middle Earth, and Sherwood Forest gave Robin Hood a hiding place for his merry men.

The duality of the forest, the contrast between its beauty and its danger, resonates with us. The soaring treetops and dappled sun of a daytime forest form a natural cathedral where we commune with Mother Nature. But when the sun is low in the sky, the shadows take over, and the trees become a place of the unknown where almost anything can happen. When the words _Once upon a time..._ are spoken, all bets are off.

In this episode, we get curious about the forest and recommend five books that transported us into the woods, including two fairy tales for adults, a nonfiction book that changes everything we think we know about trees, a white-knuckle thriller, and an ecological novel woven into a family saga.

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-11-29-forest

Do you enjoy our show? Please support our work on Patreon! Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplace

Books covered:

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Egypt was one of the world's first civilizations, with a history that reaches back 5000 years through the sands of time. It's where writing and two-dimensional drawing and paper began. The god Amun-Ra personified the sun shining down on the deserts — and Osiris, the god of death, inspired a belief in the afterlife that led to the construction of the pyramids.

Life in Egypt clings to the green ribbon of the Nile River that snakes through the country with humans and animals along its length. It's home to hippos, the Nile crocodiles, and the asp — the poisonous snake that may or may not have sealed Cleopatra's doom. It's also a stopover for millions of birds migrating from Europe to Africa.

Egypt has also been the crossroads for human invaders for centuries: Ottoman invaders, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the British. In the past few decades, there's been rising tension and violence between religious conservatives (see: the Muslim Brotherhood) and secular factions.

But the Egyptian people you'll meet on the street? They're friendly, welcoming, and eager to show you the country they love. And with good reason. In addition to the massive shrines in the desert, there's a world-class museum with the largest collection of ancient artifacts in the world and mosques decorated with breathtaking mosaics. You can also sail on a romantic felucca (Egyptian sailboat) along the Nile, scuba in the Red Sea, navigate the sci-fi calcium formations in the White Desert, or simply enjoy a cup of tea while watching the hustle of daily life.

In this episode, we explore Egypt's dynamic dynastic history, enjoy the antics of King Farouk, dish about 'The Mummy,' and lots more. Then we recommend five books we love that took us there on the page: a fantasy about the djinn, a coffee table book of Egyptian antiquities, a novel about sisters navigating the Arab Spring, and two fictional approaches to history that cast a spell on Mel.

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2021-11-08-egypt

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