the memory palace

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate.  I have recently launched a newsletter. You can subscribe to it at thememorypalacepodcast.substack.com. NotesRead about the change in policy here. And the article that helped prompt the policy change here. Music Pipeline by H.Takahashi Sad Seine by Lambert Dance PM by Hiroshi Yoshimura

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that’s a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you’d like to directly support this show and independent media, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate.  I have recently launched a newsletter. You can subscribe to it at thememorypalacepodcast.substack.com. This episode was originally released in 2016 in the days after the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. It is re-released every year on the anniversary of the incident. 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.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

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.A Note on Notes:I always prefer that the listener goes into each episode cold, not knowing what it's going to be about. So, you might want to tread carefully, as there are spoilers in the notes below. Music L'espagne pour memoire by Michel Portal Find me Tomorrow from Christophe Beck's score to Charlie Countryman The old Soviet philharmonic plays some Shostakovich. The London Symphony Orchestra plays The Blue Danube Waltz. We hear Walt by Mother Falcon. Sombolero by Luiz Bonfa Notes Like a lot of people below, say, 55, I first heard about Olga Fikotova-Connolly when reading her obituary in the New York Times. By far the best thing you can do if you want to know more about her is track down her out-of-print memoir, The Rings of Destiny, which, despite its rather puffed-up title, is so warm and detailed and intimate. It's a delight.  You might also enjoy this late-in-life interview with Olga as well. 

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Music Traffico from Carlo Rustichelli's score to Divorzio All'Italiana and Una Braveta, from his score to Amici Miei. Tema Grottesco from Giovanni Fusco's score to L'avventura.  Gloving it from Moondog. Musica Bionda from the score to The Sweet Body of Deborah The Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra plays Natascha from the score to The Perfect Marriage.  Waltz from the Brendan Eder Ensemble Christa Schonfeldinger plays Grieg's Smarthold - der Kobold, on the glass armonica.

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Music 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

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Music 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.

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Music 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.

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Music 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. 

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. 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.

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Je ne pas si c’est tout le monde - Theme Comedie from Vincent Delerm’s score to the film of the same, long name. Forbin’s Hi Fi from Michel Colombier’s score to Colossus: The Forbin Project Boo’s Lullaby by Maria Chiara Agriro and Jamie Leeming Helle (Ballade) from the great Phillipe Sarde score to that picture. L’Espagne pour memoire from Michel Portal’s score to Un et a la garoupe The Rain Never Stops on Venus by Michael Wollney Je t’ai meme pas dit by Vincent Delerm. From a Dream by Oregon A version of Narcisus for Clarinet and Electronics as played by Thea Musgrave. Notes Good sources if you want to know more are Peter Manseau’s book about spirit photography and the spiritualist age (Cutting intersects interestingly with that crea), The Apparitionists, as well as this article by Jerry Ryan about the history of aquariums in Boston.

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. This is a special holiday bonus episode, a sequel to Episode 210. You’ll want to listen to that one first. Music The Parisienne by the Henri Crolla Ensemble Violette… by Philippe Sarde Gift by Makasuta Takagi The Sammy Herman Sextet plays The Bells of St. Mary’s

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music I Believe in the Night by Keith Kenniff Improvisations sur les folies d’Espagne (extraits) from Marin Marais and Jordi Savall Finally by Lambert Voltige by Marin Lizotte Violin Solo no. 1 by Peter Broderick Fratres fur violin und klavier by Avro Part as played by Ursula Schloch and Marcel Worms Dungen by Henrik Lindstom Notes There are plenty of places to go to read about Smoky and Bill but why would want to go anywhere else than his book, Yorkie Doodle Dandy?

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music We move between three different pieces from Camille Saint-Saens': Suite, Op. 90: II Menuet, and two from Carnival of the Animals:Aviary and the Cuckoo in the Heart of the Woods. We hit Juneau from Danny Bensi and Sander Jurriaans' score to Wildlike. And The Waltz from their score to 5 to 7. And there's a total gem from George Mukabi called Dila Ni Dila in there too. Notes Do yourself a favor and read Frances Hamerstrom's autobiography, My Double Life: Memoirs of a Naturalist. Do your kids a favor and Jeannine Atkins take on Frances in her book Girls Who Looked Under Rocks. And then watch Frances teach David Letterman how to cook a snake.

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music Dave Pajo/Aerial M does Plastic Energy Man Patricia Rossborough played To a Wild Rose Mal Waldron plays Warm Canto We hear Muff Gets a Share from Joel P. West’s score to Band of Robbers We hear another song I absolutely love, Turned Out I Was Everyone, by Sasami We finish on Popcorn and Life from Ben Sollee’s lovely score to Maidentrip.

The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Music The Theory by Clem Leek Hiddensee by Caeys The Clock Tower by Hampshire and Foat Notes If you want to know more about Gardner, I’d suggest Witness to an Era: the Life and Photographs of Alexander Gardner, by Mark Katz. On Brady, Matthew Brady: Portraits of a Nation, by Robert Wilson. I’d also suggest reading the New York Times’ review of the exhibit. It’s pretty stunning.