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One lifetime is too short to visit everywhere and meet everyone. That‘s why we love books with a strong sense of place — they let us travel the world in our imagination. In each episode of our podcast, we explore one destination and talk about what makes that place different from everywhere else on earth. Then we recommend five books that took us to that place on the page. We‘re on a trip around the globe, one great read at a time. Please join us!
Episodes
Friday Aug 05, 2022
Friday Aug 05, 2022
In this very short episode, we get curious about what you think about The Library of Lost Time.
We'd like to know how to make a better podcast for you. More book reviews? More Distraction of the Week? Should Mel and Dave just talk about cakes and cats?
Let us know!
We currently have a survey at:
https://strongsenseofplace.com/survey
It would mean the world to us if you could drop by and tell us how we're doing. It'll take about three minutes, and it'll help shape that podcast immediately.
Thank you so much for your help!
Friday Aug 05, 2022
Friday Aug 05, 2022
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Kismet' by Amina Akhtar and 'Alias Emma' by Ava Glass. Then we think about running away to Tristan da Cunha, the world's most remote inhabited island.
BOOKS
Kismet by Amina Akhtar
https://bit.ly/3Bh1fUW
Alias Emma by Ava Glass
https://bit.ly/3RZ2TQT
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Tristan da Cunha website
https://bit.ly/3OuvKtj
Atlas Obscura on Tristan da Cunha
https://bit.ly/3or3mh8
Slate on Tristan da Cunha
https://bit.ly/3b22wEq
Wikipedia
https://bit.ly/3S1PAiq
Video: Life on Tristan da Cunha
https://youtu.be/n4ElF8awm90
Video: A Day on Tristan da Cunha
https://youtu.be/kgKYV5hplvM
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
As always, you can follow us at:
- Our web site at Strong Sense of Place
- Patreon
Monday Aug 01, 2022
Monday Aug 01, 2022
With palm trees galore, more than 100 beaches (plus more than 100 volcanoes!), Hawaii's islands are a playground in paradise. But there's a lot more to love about the 50th state than its splash-worthy waters and lush hiking trails.
Settled by sea-faring Polynesians in the 4th century, the islands meld the cultures of native Hawaiians, American mainlanders, and Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Chinese immigrants. All of which is shorthand for 'fascinating people, delicious food, and irresistible music.'
A visit to Hawaii pretty much requires you to swim and paddle around in the Pacific. You can also trek on volcanoes, stroll through the rainforest, learn to surf, meet the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle (honu) and the Hawaiian Monk Seal (llio holo I ka uaua), dance the hula, and pay tribute to the mighty Pele, goddess of fire.
In this episode, we marvel at the Polynesian settlers, learn about a forbidden island, sway to Hawaiian music, and enjoy a virtual luau on the beach. Then we recommend five books that transported us to Hawaii.
Here are the books we discuss in the show:
- Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport
- Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
- Micro by Michael Crichton & Richard Preston
- The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey
- This is Paradise: Stories by Kristiana Kahakauwila
As always, you can follow us at:
Friday Jul 29, 2022
Friday Jul 29, 2022
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'The Half Life of Valery K' by Natasha Pulley and 'The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir' by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. Then we go retro with 'Welcome to Kutsher's,' a documentary about the last surviving Jewish resort in the Catskills.
BOOKS
The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley
https://bit.ly/3PxuR4L
The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
https://bit.ly/3z199Po
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Welcome to Kutsher's
https://bit.ly/3RWfR1M
Watch the documentary online
https://amzn.to/3J5La6d
ABC News report on Kutsher's
https://abcn.ws/3z6cOeX
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
Monday Jul 18, 2022
Monday Jul 18, 2022
Museums are where we put our best stuff. An item might belong in a museum if it's rare, expensive, irreplaceable, or so ordinary and beloved it becomes extraordinary. A self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh, a can of SPAM, a Romanian mud hut, a narwhal horn, a discarded red stiletto: They can all be found in a museum somewhere in the world.
But exhibitions in museums are more than mere collections of striking items. Museums are vital institutions that take on the tasks of collecting, interpreting, and caring for artifacts — both precious and charmingly ordinary — so they can be experienced by the general public.
The Ancient Greek word mouseion means 'seat of Muses.' In classical antiquity, a museum was a place for contemplation and philosophical debate. When art moved from the open air, larger-than-life statuary of the Greco-Roman era to more intimate, human-scale paintings and objects, the definition of museum changed, too. It became a place to visit to see art — and anything placed in a museum _became_ art.
In this episode, we romp through the delightful hoarding behavior behind Renaissance Wunderkammers, learn about the first museum curator (spoiler: It was a woman!), and celebrate the majesty of the Louvre. Then we recommend books that transported us to museums around the world.
Here are the books we recommend on the show:
- A Little History of Art by Charlotte Mullins
- A Parisian Cabinet of Curiosities: Deyrolle by Prince Louis Albert de Broglie
- Cabinets of Curiosities by Patrick Mauriès
- How to Enjoy Art by Ben Street
- Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson
- The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-07-18-museums
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome 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
As always, you can follow us at:
Friday Jul 15, 2022
Friday Jul 15, 2022
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers. Then we daydream about receiving a postcard from the ancient city of Timbuktu.
BOOKS
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
https://bit.ly/39DM24K
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
https://bit.ly/3ObJLwy
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Postcards from Timbuktu website
https://bit.ly/3N89lBt
Postcards from Timbuktu on Instagram
https://bit.ly/3b9jJeN
Atlas Obscura on Postcards from Timbuktu
https://bit.ly/3NaNDfY
The last master calligrapher in Mali
https://bit.ly/3b42U4X
The Guardian on Timbuktu
https://bit.ly/3OsQKkv
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
As always, you can follow us at:
Friday Jul 08, 2022
Friday Jul 08, 2022
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'What Moves the Dead' by T. Kingfisher and 'The Mermaid of Black Conch' by Monique Roffey. Then we explore the delightfully retro world of Thomas Allen's pulp fiction art.
BOOKS
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
https://bit.ly/3O962uZ
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey
https://bit.ly/3OcdSEd
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Thomas Allen's Pulp Series
https://bit.ly/3N9iRUM
Thomas Allen's Beautiful Evidence Series
https://bit.ly/3xELPq8
A video romp through his artwork
https://bit.ly/3y7URNB
More at the Foley Gallery
https://bit.ly/3y7UTVJ
Thomas Allen and Chip Kidd discuss Allen's book
https://bit.ly/3tPYdCB
Buy a copy of 'Uncovered: Photographs' by Thomas Allen
https://amzn.to/3QByqru
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
Monday Jul 04, 2022
Monday Jul 04, 2022
Animal safaris! White sand beaches! The majesty of Table Mountain! Plus, urban penguins, world-class wine, and food with irresistible names like melktert, bunny chow, and chakalaka. There is so much about South Africa to engage your curiosity.
Any conversation about South Africa is incomplete without addressing the scourge of Apartheid. For most of the 20th century, black people were denied the most basic human rights and lived a segregated existence. But in 1989, Apartheid was banished, and the country is moving toward the goal of being a Rainbow Nation.
Let's talk numbers! There are 11 official languages, and South Africa is one of the best places on the planet to see the Big Five of safaris: lions, leopards, black rhinos, elephants, and Cape buffalo. The local cuisine combines four delicious influences that combine indigenous recipes with Dutch, French, and Indian flavors. And there are more than 40 wineries along the hop-on-hop-off wine tram in the Franschhoek Wine Valley.
In this episode, we fall in love with elephants (a.k.a., the world's best gentle giants), dig into the country's tumultuous history, and daydream about visiting Cape Town beaches. Then we recommend five books that transported us there on the page.
Here are the five books we recommend on the show:
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
- Gallows Hill by Margie Orford
- The Promise by Damon Galgut
- We Kiss Them With Rain by Futhi Ntshingila
- The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso
For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at http://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2022-07-04-south-africa
Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome 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
As always, you can follow us at:
Friday Jul 01, 2022
Friday Jul 01, 2022
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Her Majesty's Royal Coven' by Juno Dawson and 'Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels, and Crooks' by Patrick Radden Keefe. Then we take a sweet virtual roadtrip along Ohio's famed Donut Trail.
BOOKS
Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
https://bit.ly/38XtuvX
Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels, and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe
https://bit.ly/398j2lA
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Read all about the Butler County Donut Trail
https://bit.ly/3O2N3lz
Download the free Donut Trail map
https://bit.ly/3xeM9vk
Download the free Donut Trail passport
https://bit.ly/3zmJGBN
Here's a donut-by-donut recap of a blogger's trip down the Donut Trail
https://bit.ly/3MsdMqu
Easy homemade donut recipe
https://bit.ly/3aARXre
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
As always, you can follow us at:
Friday Jun 24, 2022
Friday Jun 24, 2022
In this episode, we get excited about two new book releases: 'Woman of Light' by Kali Fajardo-Anstine and 'Ordinary Monsters' by J. M. Miro. Then we share the lowdown on the thoroughly delightful Typewriter Rodeo poets in Austin, Texas.
BOOKS
Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9780525511328
Ordinary Monsters by J. M. Miro
https://bookshop.org/a/1240/9781250833662
Typewriter Rodeo by Jodi Egerton, et. al.
https://amzn.to/3tXLzkZ
DISTRACTION OF THE WEEK
Visit Typewriter Rodeo online
https://typewriterrodeo.com
Follow Typewriter Rodeo on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/typewriterrodeo
Listen to the Typewriter Rodeo Podcast - https://www.npr.org/podcasts/513264050/texas-standard-typewriter-rodeo
Video interview with Texas Country Reporter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28R65IgaooY
Video interview with Austin 360
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_orDDOsrQP4
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
As always, you can follow us at: