Podcast appearances and mentions of Atlas Obscura

This week John Wyatt Greenlee, Colin Colbourn, and Alan Malfavon flyover to talk about James Gunn's Superman, the need for heroes in everyday lives, and casting the rest of the DCU.About our guests:Alan Malfavon is Assistant Professor of History at California State University San Marcos.  His first book, Men of the Leeward Port: Veracruz's Afro-Descendants in the Making of Mexico, under contract with the University of Alabama Press, focuses on the understudied Afro-Mexican population of Veracruz and its hinterland of Sotavento (Leeward) and uses it to reframe the historical and historiographical transition between the colonial and national period. It argues how Afro-Mexicans facilitated, complicated, and participated in multiple socio-political processes that reshaped Veracruz and its borderlands. Colin Colbourn holds a Ph.D in U.S. History from the University of Southern Mississippi. His expertise includes mass communication and assisting in research efforts for unresolved casualties from past conflicts. Since 2007 he has published articles on Marine Corps history in Leatherneck: Magazine of the Marines, and was Associate Editor for the West Point History of Warfare. John Wyatt Greenlee is a medievalist and a cartographic historian, as well as a historian of roads and pathways and pilgrimage. But he is best well known for his work on the role of eels in pre-modern England from the tenth through the seventeenth centuries. He is heavily engaged in outreach and public engagement to make the eel history more widely known, and to raise awareness for the role of eels as an endangered species. His work with eels and eel history has been profiled in TIME, The Guardian, Atlas Obscura, Hakai Magazine, and The New Yorker  (click here for a full list of earned media) 

This is such a special episode because, for the first time ever, I'm interviewing an author about their book, because it's one of my favorite books! Gingko Season by Naomi Xu Elegant is a story about a young woman, Penelope Lin, who is moving through the world after her first big heartbreak and discovering herself while on the cusp between young adulthood and adulthood. The depiction of this time of life is just one of the things I loved about this book, and I was thrilled to be able to discuss it with Naomi!Naomi Xu Elegant is a freelance journalist and the author of the novel Gingko Season. She lives in New York. Naomi's writing has appeared in Monocle, Fortune, Atlas Obscura, Nikkei Asia, The Drift, and elsewhere. She is co-editor of Gully, an independent literary magazine, and she writes a monthly Substack called Luanqibazao.I would love for you to read Gingko Season, check out this review from the New York Times!Our drink this week is a Lychee Martini, which is featured in the book. As I found out during our discussion, including these martinis was an Easter egg for Naomi's mom, because they're her favorite cocktail. I asked if she'd be willing to share the recipe with us as a special addition to the episode, and she did! She said the secret is to blend whole lychees and lychee juice together, then strain the mixture through a sieve to get that lovely, milky color.Lychee Martini Recipe2 oz. vodka2 oz. lychee juiceShake in a cocktail shaker over ice.Serve neat in a cocktail glass.Garnish with a whole lychee (optional)Naomi's mom's tip: Blend whole lychees with lychee juice (both canned), then strain through a sieve to get your juice. The blended fruit gives it that lovely, clouded look.You can also add a bit of citrus or a dash of dry vermouth—lychee martinis are meant for everyone!In This EpisodeGarden State FilmFriday I'm In Love - Phoebe Bridgers CoverNapoleon FilmFoot Binding HistoryMiddlemarch by George EliotIn Search of Lost Time by Marcel ProustKazou IshiguroSally RooneyElena FerranteA Feather on the Breath of God by Sigrid NunezThe Sympathizer by Viet Thanh NguyenThe Candy House by Jennifer EganNaomi's Substack

Early polar explorers faced long nights and dangerous expeditions. To entertain themselves, they wrote and published niche newspapers and periodicals. Atlas Obscura's community editor Allegra Rosenberg reads an essay exploring this unique polar tradition. Read her full essay here.  

Lindsay and Madison discuss the Isle of Demons, as well as the wild history of cartography, that you shouldn't trust your womanizing cousin, and how to be a badass bitch. Information pulled from the following sources 2025 Paranormal Daily News article by Richard Clements 2023 Atlas Obscura article by Shoshi Parks 2023 CBC article by Ainsley Hawthorn 2023 Mysteries of Canada article by Hammerson Peters 2022 Library of Congress blog post by Cynthia Smith 2015 Ancient Origins article by Mr Reese 2015 Daily Mail article by Victoria Woollaston 2015 Southern Highland News article by David Ellis Eskify article by Elliot Wikipedia (1) (2) Send us your listener questions to bit.ly/AskYOC. Become a member on Buy Me A Coffee for as little as $1/month to support the show.  Get your groceries and essentials delivered in as fast as 1 hour via Instacart. Free delivery on your first 3 orders. Min $10 per order. Terms apply. You can write to us at: Ye Olde Crime Podcast, PO Box 341, Wyoming, MN 55092. Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Audible, or Goodpods! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few weeks ago, the Atlas Obscura staff told us where they would spend their last days before the apocalypse. Now we're sharing your stories – from a childhood home in a small town in Illinois, to a trip in Eastern Europe, to a pizzeria in Brooklyn and a cave in Utah. Plus: We want to hear your stories about your neighbors! Tell us about your neighbors' front yards, back yards, house decor – and what you like about them. Is there a neighbor in your block who goes all the way every holiday to have the best decorations? Or maybe there's someone who has a wacky display year round? Maybe someone has an incredible garden, or some homemade art sculptures. Did they inspire you? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Or you can record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com

The God Helmet; a controversial experiment that stimulates the brain to create visionary stimuli. Listen in as Josh and Nick banter about the semantics and possible results of this very odd experiment. Could/Should this be used in ghost hunting?Music “Renegade" by Beatnik.Stories in the Cemetery Logo provided by April McGirr Designs.Please comment on this episode through Spotify or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!Visit our sponsor Magnanimous Beard Products at www.yourbearsuperstore.com and use code “GHOST” to receive $5 off your order!To choose an adventure with Stories in the Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina, visit www.storiesinthecemetery.com and book your date today.To attend a Paranormal Scavenger Hunt with co host, Joshua Amen, visit www.amenparanormalresearch.com to get your tickets.Tees and Stories in the Cemetery merchandise can be found at http://tee.pub/lic/SITCThe 2025 Paranormal Investigator's Almanac and Paranormal Investigation Workbook can be found on Amazon.References Used to create this episode:ReferencesCastillo, M., & Barnes, J. (n.d.). The Sixth Dimension and God's Helmet - PMC. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7966009/Cho, W. (2022, January 10). CBS Sued Over Portrayal of Torture Device on ‘Evil'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/cbs-evil-lawsuit-1235072696/I'm Done (Season 1, Episode 3) [TV series episode]. (2022). In W. Ehbrecht (Executive Producer), 28 Days Haunted.Rodriguez McRobbie, L. (2016, November 7). The Controversial Device That Might Make You Feel the Presence of a Higher Power. Atlas Obscura. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-controversial-device-that-might-make-you-feel-the-presence-of-a-higher-powerShive Neural Stimulation System. (n.d.). God Helmet. The God Helmet. Retrieved April, 2025, from https://www.god-helmet.com/wp/god-helmet/index.htmUnknown, U. (Director). (2019). Borderlands (Season 2, Episode 3) [TV series episode]. In Hellier. IMDB.

Follow Atlas Obscura co-founder Dylan Thuras on a quest to discover South America's hidden wonders. From the Last Incan Bridge and the Machu Picchu of the North to the Everlasting Lightning Storm and a statue of a squid fighting a whale the size of the statue of liberty (yes, you read that right), this is an epic ride through Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru's weirdest and wildest wonders. The stuff glittering in the shadows that you may never have heard of before, but you'll be desperate to see after. But it's more than that too. When we think of wonders of the world we think of The Grand Canyon, the Great Pyramids. These are undeniably awe-inspiring, but they're obvious. Everyone goes there, and all too often the experience and the destination suffer as result. Atlas Obscura's mission is to open our eyes to the wonders all around us, the bizarre, hilarious, incredible things that inspire our curiosity and make our jaws drop at the amazing world we share. Wonder is a state of mind, they say, not a place; and the more we look for it, the more it becomes a part of who we are. This is a quest to discover South America's hidden wonders, but we may just discover something hidden in ourselves too. “The problem of failing to recognise the magic in the world lies not with the world, but with us; and it is our job to turn ourselves into vessels of recognising that magic.”  - Dylan Thuras, co-founder Atlas Obscura  Highlights include: ·    Visit the Last Incan Bridge, an 120-foot long woven grass suspension bridge, straight out of Indiana Jones, which has been re-built every year for more than five centuries. ·    Stand at the base of Gocta Falls, the most incredible waterfall you've never heard of – twice the size of the Empire State Building. ·    See Venezuela's Everlasting Lightning Storm, the most electric place on the planet. ·    Meet the Colombian village who travel by home-made zip-line across the jungle. ·    Find out about the inspiration for Atlas Obscura, how it went from a childhood love of weird Midwestern roadside attractions to a global phenomenon and New York Times bestseller. ·    Hear about such crazy historical inventions as the cat piano, the vomiting statue and a language created entirely out of music ·    Learn how by changing our mindset we can escape the wonder deficit of the modern world and live more meaningful and extraordinary lives Atlas Obscura tells extraordinary stories about hidden places, incredible history, scientific marvels, and gastronomical wonders. ⁠www.atlasobscura.com⁠ / @atlasobscura  Dylan's book, ‘Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders', is a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon and in the New York Times: ⁠https://www.atlasobscura.com/unique-gifts/atlas-obscura-book⁠ This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ARMCHAIR and get on your way to being your best self. Armchair Explorer⁠ is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar presented the show and did the audio editing and sound design. Our theme music is by the artist ⁠Sweet Chap⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naomi Xu Elegant's debut novel, Gingko Season (W. W. Norton: 2025), stars Penelope Lin, a young Chinese woman living in New York in the faraway year of 2018. With difficult parents and a bad break-up, she works for a museum's exhibition on bound feet, with a gaggle of other, somewhat clueless friends. But a meeting with Hoang, a researcher at a cancer lab, forces Penelope to rethink what she wants with her life. Naomi joins me today to talk about her book, her choice of characters, how she wanted to approach tropes like the meet-cute—and why 2018 now feels like ancient history, even to young-ish millennials. Naomi Xu Elegant is a writer and journalist living in New York City. Her work has appeared in Monocle, Fortune, Atlas Obscura, and elsewhere. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at@nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Naomi Xu Elegant's debut novel, Gingko Season (W. W. Norton: 2025), stars Penelope Lin, a young Chinese woman living in New York in the faraway year of 2018. With difficult parents and a bad break-up, she works for a museum's exhibition on bound feet, with a gaggle of other, somewhat clueless friends. But a meeting with Hoang, a researcher at a cancer lab, forces Penelope to rethink what she wants with her life. Naomi joins me today to talk about her book, her choice of characters, how she wanted to approach tropes like the meet-cute—and why 2018 now feels like ancient history, even to young-ish millennials. Naomi Xu Elegant is a writer and journalist living in New York City. Her work has appeared in Monocle, Fortune, Atlas Obscura, and elsewhere. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at@nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Naomi Xu Elegant's debut novel, Gingko Season (W. W. Norton: 2025), stars Penelope Lin, a young Chinese woman living in New York in the faraway year of 2018. With difficult parents and a bad break-up, she works for a museum's exhibition on bound feet, with a gaggle of other, somewhat clueless friends. But a meeting with Hoang, a researcher at a cancer lab, forces Penelope to rethink what she wants with her life. Naomi joins me today to talk about her book, her choice of characters, how she wanted to approach tropes like the meet-cute—and why 2018 now feels like ancient history, even to young-ish millennials. Naomi Xu Elegant is a writer and journalist living in New York City. Her work has appeared in Monocle, Fortune, Atlas Obscura, and elsewhere. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at@nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review

Atlas Obscura began as a website and global community to catalog and celebrate the world's unusual and obscure places, stories and foods. Since 2009, it has expanded to include six books, group adventures around the world, a Youtube Series and a podcast! Today, we have the immense pleasure of speaking with Dylan Thuras, co-founder of Atlas Obscura to talk all things weird and wonderful. Atlas Obscura Podcast: Listen Here Danielle's AO Profile Listen to Watch Her Cook on Apple and Spotify! Follow us on Instagram For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week's partners! Naked Wines:  To get 6 bottles of wine for $39.99, head to NakedWines.com/NPAD and use code NPAD for both the code AND PASSWORD. Hello Fresh: Use our link to get up to 10 FREE meals and a free item for life. Trova Trip: Use promo code NPAD at checkout to save $50 on your next adventure. Host URL Traveler URL Rocket Money: Use our link to get started saving.

Welcome to Episode 7 of Season B. This is a Listener's Choice ep, and things get hot, messy and monstrous as Sam, Neil and Alessandra look at Boiling, Bloody Mary and bay leaves.Things mentioned in this episodeSam Bilton wins at the Fortum & Mason AwardsMuseum of Royal Worcester project wins at the British Library Food Season AwardsSam's black pudding episode on Comfortably HungryNeil is appearing at the Chalke Festival on 27 JuneFollow Serve it Forth History Festival 18 October on Instagram @serveitforthfestLinks & Further ReadingBoilingActon, E. (1845). Modern Cookery For Private Families. Quadrille.Beeton, I. (1861). The Book of Household Management. Lightning Source.Davidson, A. (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press.Grigson, J. (1992). English Food (Third Edit). Penguin.McGee, H. (1984). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (1st ed.). Allen and Unwin.Smith, D. (1998). Delia's How to Cook Book 1. BBC Books.Bayleaf:Culpeper's Herbal (I'll find a link late)What Is a Bay Leaf, Exactly? – Atlas Obscura https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-a-bay-leafPliny Natural History iv: Books 12-16 https://archive.org/details/L370PlinyNaturalHistoryIV1216/page/n391/mode/2up?q=laurelOvid Metamorphosis https://www.gutenberg.org/files/21765/21765-h/21765-h.htmBloody Mary:Why Is There an Entire Fried Chicken on My Bloody Mary?: An exploration of outrageous garnishes and the drink's over-the-top evolution. The Spruce EatsThe Tomato in America by Andrew F. Smith (1994): A rich history of the tomato- from suspicion to Bloody Mary staple. Essential reading for any cocktail historian.James Bond's Other Drink: Long before Vesper, Bond was sipping Bloody Marys- shaken, not stirred, of course. Bormioli LuigiBloody Mina Gothtail: A Gothic twist on the classic- dark, dramatic, and dangerously drinkable. Instagram Recipe

When the East India Company surrendered Fort William (in modern-day Kolkata) to the Nawab of Bengal on 20th June, 1756, dozens of British captives were imprisoned in a cell measuring only 18ft long and 14ft wide, with just two tiny windows - ‘the Black Hole of Calcutta'. Among the prisoners was John Zephaniah Holwell, whose pamphlet describing the terrors of the airless room caused a sensation back in Britain and became a cause célèbre in the idealization of imperialism in India. Holwell claimed 123 men lost their lives in the cell, although it is now thought the number of deaths was exaggerated. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly uncover Holwell's mixed feelings around colonialism; consider how ‘the black hole of Calcutta' became an enduring term of phrase; and reveal what connected Kolkata with Olly's home village in Hertfordshire… Further Reading: • ‘A Genuine Narrative of the Deplorable Deaths of the English Gentlemen, and Others, who Were Suffocated in the Black-Hole in Fort-William, at Calcutta, in the Kingdom of Bengal, in the Night Succeeding the 20th Day of June, 1756, in a Letter to a Friend - By John Zephaniah Holwell' (A. Millar, 1758): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_Genuine_Narrative_of_the_Deplorable_De/xGg0Cg9WVNcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Holwell+%2B+Calcutta&printsec=frontcover • ‘The Black Hole of Calcutta – Kolkata, India' (Atlas Obscura): https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-black-hole-of-calcutta • ‘The Story of The Black Hole Of Calcutta - Britain's Secret Homes' (ITV Daytime, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbjFxITtXwU This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The staff here at Atlas Obscura answered an unsettling question for this episode: Where would you spend the last day before the apocalypse? Some interesting truths come out. Plus, we want to hear from you. Tell us where YOU would spend your last day before the hypothetical apocalypse. What connection do you have with this place? Why would you spend it there? What would you do if you had the whole place to yourself? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Or record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com

Today, we're sharing an episode from our friends at the Sporkful. Dan Pashman goes on a tour of Los Angeles, with an Atlas Obscura guide in hand. In search of an elusive slice of coconut cake, Dan begins at the airport, takes a detour to an underground tunnel system, and pays a visit to a very unusual store: Time Travel Mart.

Помните дядю Билиуса из «Гарри Поттера», который увидел Грима и на следующий день умер? Он не был одинок в своем страхе перед черными псами. Многие века жители Британских островов верили, что в холмах водятся ужасные огромные собаки. Atlas Obscura рассказывает о Ку Ши, шотландской вариации Грима, и связанных с ним преданиях. Текстовая версия: https://newochem.io/smert-pes/ По материалам Atlas ObscuraАвтор: Эмма Цеслик Озвучил: Александр ТарасовПереводила: Елизавета ЯковлеваРедактировала: Валерия Зитева

Earlier this month, the Atlas Obscura staff shared the places we gained during the pandemic. Now, we hear your stories – from a university that is an unlikely home for a certain critter, to a private community, to an arboretum and a chance encounter.Plus: We want to hear from you for our next compilation episode! Pride month is coming, and we want to hear your stories about the places that celebrate LGBTQ+ history, and what they mean to you. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Or record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com.

It's been five years since the pandemic shutdown. So often, conversations about that time revolve around places we've lost. But for this episode, Atlas Obscura staffers share the places they gained during the pandemic. Plus: We want to hear from you. Tell us about the places that you gained or discovered during the pandemic. How did you discover this place? Why is it important to you? What's it like visiting that place now vs. then? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Or record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com. 

A secret field that summons lightning. A massive spiral that disappears into a salt lake. A celestial observatory carved into a volcano. Meet the wild—and sometimes explosive—world of land art, where artists craft masterpieces with dynamite and bulldozers. In our Season 2 premiere, guest Dylan Thuras, cofounder of Atlas Obscura, takes us off road and into the minds of the artists who literally reshaped parts of the Southwest. These works aren't meant to be easy to reach—or to explain—but they just might change how you see the world. Land art you'll visit in this episode: - Double Negative and City by Michael Heizer (Garden Valley, Nevada) - Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson (Great Salt Lake, Utah) - Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt (Great Basin Desert, Utah) - Lightning Field by Walter De Maria (Catron County, New Mexico) - Roden Crater by James Turrell (Painted Desert, Arizona) Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

Two small stories about two cold nights in different parts of the world. 11:45 p.m. in Oulu was written by Anne Korkeakivi, and 2:30 a.m. in McMurdo Station was written by Elizabeth Endicott. Both essays were edited by Tusshara Nalakumar Srilatha and originally appeared in Off Assignment. Elizabeth Endicott is a writer based in Denver, and Anne Korkeakivi is the author of the novels Shining Sea and An Unexpected Guest.

Today, more than 1 billion people around the world celebrate Earth Day—but decades before this global movement began, one woman laid the foundation. When aerial pesticide programs drenched the Northeast in chemicals like DDT, devastating ecosystems and killing thousands of wildlife species, marine biologist and writer Rachel Carson sounded the alarm. Her groundbreaking book, Silent Spring, ignited a nationwide reckoning with the hidden environmental costs of modern life. Listen to Watch Her Cook on Apple and Spotify! Follow us on Instagram  Resources:  The Sea Around Us, by Rachel Carson (1951). Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson (1962). “The Story of Silent Spring,” by the National Resources Defense Council (2015). “The Right Way to Remember Rachel Carson,” by Jill Lepore (The New Yorker, 2018). “The Personal Attacks on Rachel Carson as a Woman Scientist” by Mark Stoll (Environment & Society Portal, 2020). “Rachel Carson Memorial,” (Atlas Obscura, 2023). For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week's partners! Harvest Hosts: For 20% off your order, head to HarvestHosts.com and use code NPAD. Lume Deodorant: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant and get 15% off with promo code NPAD at LumeDeodorant.com! #lumepod IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping.

They appear in lace and corsets, drifting from the fog… but why do so many ghosts wear Victorian mourning clothes?Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version of #WeirdDarkness: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateIN THIS EPISODE: Victorian-era ghosts… they seem to haunt not only our imaginations, but also our Halloween wardrobes. Why were people in the mid-to-late 1800s so obsessed with the supernatural? And why are we so fascinated by Victorian ghost stories still today? (What's The Deal With Victorian Ghosts?) *** The story of Queen Esther is chilling – full of an Iroquois warrior woman's quest for vengeance, brutal warfare, haunting legends, ghostly wails, and a curse that many believe still has power even today. (The Curse of Queen Esther) *** No one can remember exactly when the ghost story began, but records show it dates back to at least 1926. The tale centers around the Administration Offices of Rockford School District 205 on South Madison Street, formerly Rockford High School. Built in 1885, the school gained a spooky reputation due to eerie events reported in its underground tunnels. After a tragic accident in the school's swimming pool claimed the life of a student named Gosta Anderson, strange sightings and sounds fueled the legend of his restless spirit, haunting the very site where he died. (Gosta's Ghost) *** Plumas County, California, holds a chilling mystery that dates back to 1978. On a winter night with a half-moon, five friends left a basketball game at California State University, Chico, and drove away, never to be seen again. Their car was found abandoned on a remote mountain road, leading to a series of eerie discoveries, unanswered questions, and clues that still baffle investigators today. (The 5 Boys Who Never Came Back)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00.00.000 = Disclaimer, and short story “Lost Hearts” by M.R. James00:24:47.662 = Show Open (Coming Up In This Episode)00:27:30.530 = What's The Deal With Victorian Ghosts?00:37:29.237 = The Curse of Queen Esther00:47:34.032 = The Five Boys Who Never Came Back01:08:28.167 = Gosta's Ghost01:15:12.327 = Show Close, Verse, and Final ThoughtSOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…Free Audiobook: “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, narrated by Darren Marlar: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/AChristmasCarolNarration: “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens, narrated by Darren Marlar: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/TheSignalman“What's The Deal With Victorian Ghosts?” source = Dan Nosowitz at Atlas Obscura: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p94894t“Lost Hearts” by M.R. James (public domain)“The Curse of Queen Esther” source = Creative History Stories: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3bn9kwe8“Gosta's Ghost” written by Kathi Kresol for Haunted Rockford: https://www.hauntedrockford.com/gostas-ghost/“The 5 Boys Who Never Came Back” written by Cynthia Gorney in 1978 for the Washington Post:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8hkyef=====(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: May 17, 2024EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/VictorianGhosts

The story of how strawberries went from small forage item to one of the world’s most popular fruits – though they're technically not a true fruit – involves lots of crossbreeding experimentation, as you might expect, but also a bit of spy craft. Research: “A Transatlantic Tango: The Story of the Strawberry. Royal Horticultural Society. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/features/history-of-the-strawberry#:~:text=It%20is%20hard%20to%20believe,back%20on%20fortifications%20near%20Concepci%C3%B3n. Allen, Mike. “The 18th-Century Spy Who Gave Us Big Strawberries.” Atlas Obscura. Nov. 16, 2017. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/big-strawberries-spy-chile-france Barnes, Monica. “Frezier, Amédée François (1682-1773).” American Museum of Natural History. January 2008. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280567727_Frezier_Amedee_Francois_1682-1773 Darrow, George M. “The Strawberry: History, Breeding and Physiology.” New York. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 1966. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/strawberryhistor00darr/mode/1up The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "strawberry". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Jun. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/plant/strawberry Folta, K.M., Barbey, C.R. “The strawberry genome: a complicated past and promising future.” Hortic Res 6, 97 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-019-0181-z Grubinger, Vern. “History of the Strawberry.” University of Vermont. June 2012. https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/strawberryhistory.html Hancock, J.F. “Strawberries.” Oxford University Press. 2000. Petruzzello, Melissa. "list of plants in the family Rosaceae". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Mar. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-plants-in-the-family-Rosaceae-2001612 Sevilla, Elisa, and Ana Sevilla. “STRAWBERRY.” New World Objects of Knowledge: A Cabinet of Curiosities, edited by Mark Thurner and Juan Pimentel, University of London Press, 2021, pp. 207–12. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1vbd275.34 “Strawberry Facts.” University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. https://gcrec.ifas.ufl.edu/fruit-crops/strawberries/strawberry-facts/ Sytsma, Kenneth J.. "Rosaceae". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/plant/Rosaceae See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hydrogeologist Greg Brick discovered that the ground water under downtown Minneapolis is way warmer than it should be. Let's dig into how he found that, and why it's important. Links Greg Brick's website Atlas Obscura article with pictures of Greg exploring Schieks Cave Peer-reviewed book featuring a chapter by Greg Minnesota Spring Inventory (MN DNR) John Snow Attributions Our theme song is Tanz den Dobberstein, and our interstitial song is Puck's Blues. Both tracks used by permission of their creator, Erik Brandt. Find out more about his band, The Urban Hillbilly Quartet, on their website. This episode was edited by Sherry Johnson, hosted by Ian R Buck, and was transcribed by Stina Neel. We're always looking to feature new voices on the show, so if you have ideas for future episodes, drop us a line at podcast@streets.mn. Transcript Find the full transcript on our website.

Two small stories about early morning, otherworldly encounters with animals. 7 a.m. in Kelso was written by Emma Jones, and 10:30 a.m. in Choteau, Montana was written by Annika Berry. Both essays were edited by Aube Rey Lescure and originally appeared in Off Assignment.Plus: Order the audiobook of Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders today!

David Plotz has been podcasting for a long time. Twenty years ago, he sat down in a conference room with his colleagues Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson to record the very first episode of Slate's Political Gabfest. Since then, he's gone on to be Slate's editor, the CEO of Atlas Obscura, and now the CEO of City Cast, the nationwide network behind City Cast Denver. He was also in town this past weekend to attend our big HEYDAY event, so producer Paul Karolyi sat down with David to talk about his outsider's take on Denver, the one problem he thinks Denver really needs to solve, and share some insights into the business behind this podcast.  For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418‬ Learn more about the sponsors of this March 12th episode: Arvada Center Port Aransas 5280 Magazine Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Black American living in Korea writes a letter to a restaurant worker, reckoning with race and the meaning of home. This essay was edited by Aube Rey Lescure and originally appeared in Off Assignment. Kat Lewis' debut novel, GOOD PEOPLE, is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster in 2026.

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of AlzAuthors with the founding members and more.   About Marianne Sciucco:   Marianne Sciucco is a founder of AlzAuthors and the author of Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's love story. She's also co-producer and host of their podcast Untangling Alzheimer's and Dementia.   About Deb Bunt:   Deb took early retirement from her role in the youth offending service in London and moved to Suffolk seven years ago. As well as acquiring four grandchildren since she's been in Suffolk, she has also built an enduring friendship with Peter. This friendship Peter has given Deb a new lens through which to view her life.   Peter has enabled Deb to fulfil one of her life's ambitions – to be a published writer – and she now spends her time with Peter raising awareness of the condition or cycling insane distances around the county. Without question, Peter has enriched Deb's life.   About Tanya Ward Goodman:   Tanya Ward Goodman is the author of the award winning memoir, “Leaving Tinkertown.” Her essays and articles about travel, art, and the challenges and rewards of caregiving have appeared in numerous publications including The Washington Post, Orange County Register, Luxe, Premium Magazine, Atlas Obscura, and Variable West.   About Vicki Tapia:   Trained as an educator, Vicki Tapia has a proclivity for caring, spending over 30 years working as a Lactation Consultant teaching mothers and babies the art of breastfeeding.   When both her parents were diagnosed with dementia (Alzheimer's and Parkinson's-related) within a few months of each other, she took on the role of caregiver. As a coping mechanism, Vicki kept a journal detailing the many challenges her family faced along the way. Over time, her diary became a roadmap of sorts, morphing into the award-winning memoir Somebody Stole My Iron: A Family Memoir of Dementia.   About Dorothy Horne: Dorothy Horne is an author, speaker, and a former award-winning blogger for the Longview News-Journal. She was honored to be named a “Star Over Longview” in 2016. Dorothy is a member of AlzAuthors, “a global community of authors writing about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience to light the way for others." She has served on the board of the East Texas Alzheimer's Alliance and facilitated several Alzheimer's support groups. Dorothy is a retired first grade teacher. One of her greatest delights is being "Dot-Dot" to her four grandsons. She lives in East Texas and enjoys photography and traveling.   About Susan Landeis:   Susan is a member of the AlzAuthors management team and Board of Directors. She became a featured author on the AlzAuthors website in 2020, and team member later the same year. Her roles include Graphic Designer, Curator of Custom Caregiver Collections, and LinkedIn Manager.    Susan is the author of her memoir, In Search of Rainbows: A daughter's story of loss, hope, and redemption and she also penned Optimal Caregiving: A guide for managing senior health and well-being.   About Jean Lee:   Jean Lee wrote lesson plans for 22 years as an elementary school teacher. She had no aspirations to write a book, however when both parents were diagnosed on the same day with Alzheimer's, her journey as their caregiver poured out on paper through Alzheimer's Daughter. After the sadness of her parents decline, life brought her comfort and healing through the formation of AlzAuthors.com, cofounded with Marianne Sciucco and Vicki Tapia. What started as a one-month collaboration has now taken on a thriving life of its own for a decade.   About Carol Bradley Bursack:   Carol Bradley Bursack was a caregiver for an older neighbor and seven aging family members, all of whom are represented by first-person vignettes in Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. However, Carol wanted to do more than tell her own stories. She wanted to give other caregivers a chance to do the same.   About Christy Byrne Yates:   Christy is an expert in navigating the challenges and opportunities in life including living in the “Sandwich Generation” — that time period of raising children while also caring for an aging loved one. Her book, “Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation” recounts her journey and learning as a working mother of two who also managed the care of her parents, both of whom had some form of dementia. She incorporates meditation, mindfulness and other evidence based mind/body practices into her work to support growth, resilience, and a pathway to living life fully.

A couple years ago, Josh Foer, the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, took us to a remote patch of land in the Arizona desert, where he built (and later rebuilt) a museum in honor of the company's former CEO, David Plotz. And just a few weeks ago, this patch of land appeared on a reality TV show. In a strange collision, Dylan talks with one of the stars of TLC's Sister Wives about her own experience at the Plotz Plot.  Learn more about Wow in the World family tours. 

Bush tucker in Australia is something many of us take for granted. Still, when you look at the variety and accessibility of native ingredients, we offer through the eyes of a visitor to our shores.

A graduate of the College of William and Mary and the University of Richmond, Kris Spisak wrote her first three books—Get a Grip on Your Grammar, The Novel Editing Workbook, and The Family Story Workbook—to help writers of all kinds sharpen their storytelling and empower their communications. Her award-winning debut novel, The Baba Yaga Mask, was inspired by her family's experience in the post-WWII Ukrainian diaspora and has been called “A complex, poetic tale” by Kirkus Reviews and “edu-tainment at its best” by the Historical Novel Society. Her fifth book, Becoming Baba Yaga: Trickster, Feminist, and Witch of the Woods, has been described as “A delicious read” by Atlas Obscura and a “nuanced work of feminist literary criticism,” by Foreword Reviews.https://kris-spisak.com/https://www.instagram.com/kris.spisak/https://www.facebook.com/KSWriting

Today on Sense of Soul we have Author Kris Spisak, she is an active speaker, workshop leader, and literary historian. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary (B.A.) and the University of Richmond (M.L.A.), fully believes that well-written words and well-told stories have the ability to change the world.  She wrote her first three books—Get a Grip on Your Grammar, The Novel Editing Workbook, and The Family Story Workbook—to help writers of all kinds sharpen their storytelling and empower their communications. Her award-winning debut novel, The Baba Yaga Mask, was inspired by her family's experience in the post-WWII Ukrainian diaspora and has been called “A complex, poetic tale” by Kirkus Reviews and “edu-tainment at its best” by the Historical Novel Society.  Her fifth book, Becoming Baba Yaga: Trickster, Feminist, and Witch of the Woods, described as “A delicious read” by Atlas Obscura, is a nonfiction exploration of the complex origins of this Slavic folktale character and her lingering lessons for empowering us all. https://kris-spisak.com/becoming-baba-yaga/ https://www.senseofsoulpodcast.com

Today we're bringing  you an episode from our friends at the Women Who Travel podcast. Women make up just 7% of truckers in the United States—a number that shows no sign of increasing, even while the industry suffers from a huge shortage of workers. We hear from trucker Desiree Wood, whose job has taken her to 48 states, about the freedom of life on the road, the dangers that herself and women colleagues face, and the joys that come with the occasional return trip home.Listen to and follow Women Who Travel from Condé Nast Traveler here: swap.fm/l/cnt-wwt-YUyg6t

The women of the Wild West mostly spent their lives laundering men's clothes, bringing up children, and avoiding getting caught in the crossfire - but that didn't stop a legend forming around them; not least dime novel heroine and ‘Bandit Queen' Belle Starr, who was murdered on 3rd February, 1889. The ‘outlaw' was riding home, two days before her 41st birthday, eating a piece of cornbread, when she was blasted off her horse. And then shot again, in the face. But mystery still surrounds the identity of her killer. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the fallout from the civil war shaped Starr's life; ask whether ostrich plumes, rattlesnake rattles and dried earlobes could come back into fashion; and explain what Tom Starr's gang had in common with Elton John…  Further Reading: • ‘Belle Starr the Bandit Queen: How a Southern Girl Became a Legendary Western Outlaw' (Atlas Obscura, 2013): https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/belle-starr-the-bandit-queen • ‘Belle Starr The Badass "Bandit Queen" Of The Wild West' (allthatsinteresting, 2021): https://allthatsinteresting.com/belle-starr ‘Belle Starr's Crazy Life Story & Grave!' (Rhetty for History, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2XLrY0cuJ8 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The Isles of Scilly were part of one of the longest wars in human history, but the main reason for the length of the very mild conflict was lagging paperwork. Research: “335-year-old War Ends for Scilly Isles.” Star Tribune. April 18, 1986. https://www.newspapers.com/image/188704902/?match=1 “The breakdown of 1641-2.” UK Parliament. https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/civilwar/overview/the-breakdown/ Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Isles of Scilly". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Dec. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/place/Isles-of-Scilly-islands-England-United-Kingdom Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Bishops’ Wars". Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Jun. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/event/Bishops-Wars Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Long Parliament". Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Jun. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Long-Parliament Daniel Lysons, Samuel Lysons, 'The Scilly Islands', in Magna Britannia: Volume 3, Cornwall( London, 1814), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/magna-britannia/vol3/pp330-337 Davids, R.L. and A.D.K. Hawkyard. “SEYMOUR, Sir Thomas II.” The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-155. 1982. Accessed online: https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/seymour-sir-thomas-ii-1509-49 “Dutch Proclaim End of War Against Britain's Scilly Isles.” New York Times. April 18, 1986. https://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/18/world/dutch-proclaim-end-of-war-against-britain-s-scilly-isles.html “The Execution of Charles I.” Historic Royal Places. https://www.hrp.org.uk/banqueting-house/history-and-stories/the-execution-of-charles-i/ “History of the Duchy.” Duchy of Cornwall. https://duchyofcornwall.org/history-of-the-duchy.html “The History of the Islands.” The Islands’ Partnership. https://www.visitislesofscilly.com/experience/things-to-do/history-and-heritage/the-history-of-the-islands “Holidays in the Isles of Scilly.” Manchester Evening News. Jan. 24, 1984. https://www.newspapers.com/image/927198725/?match=1&terms=isles%20of%20scilly “Isles of Scilly.” Duchy of Cornwall. https://duchyofcornwall.org/newton-park-estate.html#:~:text=A%20group%20of%20over%20200,residential%20buildings%20on%20the%20islands. Johnson, Ben. “The 335 Year War – The Isles of Scilly vs the Netherlands.” Historic UK. March 11, 2015. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-335-Year-War-the-Longest-War-in-History/ Ohlmeyer, Jane H.. "English Civil Wars". Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Dec. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/English-Civil-Wars “Roy Duncan 1948 – 2014.” Council of the Isles of Scilly. Aug. 25, 2014. “Prehistoric communities off the coast of Britain embraced rising seas- what this means for today's island nations.” Bangor University. November 5, 2020. https://www.bangor.ac.uk/news/archive/prehistoric-communities-off-the-coast-of-britain-embraced-rising-seas-what-this-means-for-today-s-island-nations-44529#:~:text=By%2012%2C000%20years%20ago%2C%20the,smaller%2C%20engulfed%20by%20rising%20seas. Lysons, Daniel and Samuel Lysons, 'The Scilly Islands', in Magna Britannia: Volume 3, Cornwall( London, 1814), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/magna-britannia/vol3/pp330-337 Penhallurick, R.D. “Ancient and Early Medieval Coins from Cornwall & Scilly.” ROYAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY SPECIAL PUBLICATION NO. 45. London. 2010. https://www.academia.edu/355282/Ancient_and_Early_Medieval_Coins_from_Cornwall_and_Scilly Sawyer, Katherine, PhD. “Scilly’s Hidden History.” Isles of Scilly. https://www.visitislesofscilly.com/home/blog/scillys-hidden-history#:~:text=Scilly%20was%20first%20visited%20by,as%20a%20lack%20of%20predators. Young-Brown, Fiona. “The World’s Longest War Only Ended in 1986.” Atlas Obscura. Jan. 19, 2016. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-worlds-longest-war-only-ended-in-1985 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A traveler in Vang Vieng, Laos writes a letter to a fellow traveler. This essay was edited by Lenora Todaro and originally appeared in Off Assignment. 

In 1912, the small town of Louisburg, Kansas, was rocked by the shocking murder of its postmaster, unraveling a scandalous tale of betrayal and unanswered mysteries that linger to this day.Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateInfo on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScreamInfo on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TVIN THIS EPISODE: When you think of bleak, mysterious murders with a Gothic hue, a small town in early 20th century Kansas is not the first thing that springs to mind. Neither is a postmaster, for that matter. Well, think again. *** Not everything creepy that happens to someone can be classified as paranormal or otherworldly. In fact, a majority of the things that give us goosebumps and set our hair up straight are totally explainable… but that doesn't mean they aren't terrifying. We'll look at some true stories from people who had some creepy experiences that while scary, were not of supernatural origin. *** One girl seemed to be able to move things with the power of her mind. Another girl seemed to have the strength of a dozen men. Were they charlatans, mere entertainers, or were their powers derived from something supernatural? *** AND MORE!CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open00:03:02.701 = The McElheny Murder Mystery00:22:16.154 = Creepy Things This Side of Normal00:55:14.239 = The Electric Girl And The Georgia Wonder01:12:39.244 = The Randonautica Dead Body01:19:04.703 = Show CloseSOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“The Randonautica Dead Body” posted at The Scare Chamber: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/af5u7h9w“The McElheny Murder” from Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2bx9jwep“Creepy Things This Side of Normal” by Michelle Nati for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/brsf4rhe“The Electric Girl and the Georgia Wonder” by Romeo Vitelli for Providentiahttps://weirddarkness.tiny.us/awuppu2n; and Tony Wolf for Atlas Obscura https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/54npznbjWeird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: September 13, 2021SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/postmasterpistolingTRANSCRIPT: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/msdvpf5a

Sasquatch is Southern. And its cultural and economic impact in Appalachia is sizable.Appalachia is Bigfoot territory. In a big way. Today, we give you a taste of The Broadside, a podcast produced by WUNC in Durham, NC. In this episode, you'll hear about the mythical beast's legend, lore and sizable economic impact in the region. And follow one reporter's journey through the mountains and foothills of western North Carolina in search of Sasquatch. Featuring Emily Cataneo, reporter for The Assembly. Check out Emily's story on Appalachian Bigfoot culture at The Assembly here. .

What makes the taste of a Meyer lemon so special? And why is there a secret society in Louisiana that holds a giant omelet festival every year? This week our friends at the The Atlas Obscura Podcast — which celebrates the world's strange and wondrous places — bring us stories that answer each of those questions. First up, professional taster Mandy Naglich tells us the twisty history of the Meyer lemon, from the eccentric man it's named after to the role it played in a citrus epidemic. Then we visit Abbeville, Louisiana, to eat that giant omelet, and learn about the French culture and history preserved in that town.The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell. Special thanks to host Dylan Thuras and the rest of the Atlas Obscura Podcast team: Amanda McGowan, Julia Russo, Katie Thornton, Johanna Mayer, Doug Baldinger, Chris Naka, Kameel Stanley, Manolo Morales, Baudelaire, Gabby Gladney, Alexa Lim, Casey Holford, and Luz Fleming. The Atlas Obscura theme music is by Sam Tindall. Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app.

One of our favorite episodes from Atlas Obscura. Producer Alexa Lim visits a collection of natural aromas in Berkeley, California. She gets a whiff of some of the world's lesser known smells, and stumbles down the rabbit hole of the hidden world of scents. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In this episode... making sense of dream premonitions; how to engage in spirit flight and dream travel - and the need for tethering when you do so; how to begin working with your ancestors in your dreams;  how to receive signs and strengthen your intuition, plus the consequences of NOT listening to your intuition; what to do when you get dream messages for someone else; and the number one thing you need to in order to receive dream messages. All with special guest Autumn Fourkiller. Join us!**********************************FIND OUT MORE ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTSHermit Year Workshop Series with Amanda Yates Garcia via her Mystery Cult platform on Substack. Get the replay when you subscribe as a Yearly or Founders Member.  You can also subscribe to her newsletter for free (!) at www.amandayatesgarcia.substack.comMuses and Guides: Working with Ritual & Poetry to Activate Creative Potential Workshop (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK) - with Amanda Yates Garcia and Rebecca Sharp. A daylong workshop on July 26, 2025 on bringing your spiritual work into your creative practice. Find out more via the link above.Homework Club offers creative people strategies for keeping their projects and practices a priority with monthly webinars, worksheets, live QnA's, accountability pods, and actual homework (that you'll never be graded on. Ever!). If you're an artist or writer looking for structure, support and community, check out Carolyn's project - Homework Club -with with arts consultant and author, Beth Pickens.Midwives of Invention will help you get unstuck in your writing, with Ann Friedman and Jade Chang.**********************************FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST AUTUMN FOURKILLERAutumn Fourkiller is member of the Cherokee Nation, writer and dream analyst. Her work and dream interpretations can be found in NY magazine's the Cut, Longreads, Atlas OBscura and many other places. Autumn also is the Tin House Writing Workshops communications coordinator, and summer scholar and was the 2022 fellow for Ann Friedman Weekly, you can subscribe to her Newsletter Dream Interpretation for Dummies via the link in the show notes.Find her on Instagram: @autumnfourkillerWebsite: autumnfourkiller.comSign up for her newsletter, Dream Interpretation for Dummies**********************************FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE MISSING WITCHES DECK OF ORACLESFrom Missing Witches authors Risa Dickens and Amy Torok comes a magical new deck featuring 52 of history's most inspiring witches.The Missing Witches Deck of Oracles pulls 52 figures—from Zora Neale Hurston to Hildegarde to Mayumi Oda and more—and presents their stories in potent and poignant spells that restore, inspire, and empower.Users may pull a card or spread a day—or find what works for them—to discover each historical witch and the guidance they offer. Each card features a unique illustration along with a simple message on one side; the other shares each witch's story along an insight, prompt, or meditation.The deck invites those new to and experienced with the craft to connect with witches living and legend and offers a uniquely rich experience for discovery, self-reflection, meditation, divination, and daily ritual.The Missing Witches Deck of Oracles is out now. North Atlantic Books is offering listeners 30% off (plus free shipping) on the deck with code MISSING at www.northatlanticbooks.com now through December 31, 2024. This offer is limited to recipients with U.S.-based mailing addresses only.**********************************Learn More About Your Host Amanda Yates GarciaTo join Amanda's MYSTERY CULT on Substack click here.To order Amanda's book, "Initiated: Memoir of a Witch" CLICK HERE.Amanda's InstagramTo book an appointment with Amanda go to www.oracleoflosangeles.com*********************************Original MUSIC by Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs**********************************Get in touch with sponsorship inquiries for Between the Worlds at betweentheworldspodcast@gmail.com.CONTRIBUTORS:Amanda Yates Garcia (host) & Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs (producer, composer). The BTW logo collage was created by Maria Minnis (tinyparsnip.com / instagram.com/tinyparsnip ) with text designed by Leah Hayes. Learn More About Your Host Amanda Yates GarciaTo join Amanda's MYSTERY CULT on Substack click here.To order Amanda's book, "Initiated: Memoir of a Witch" CLICK HERE.Amanda's InstagramTo book an appointment with Amanda go to www.oracleoflosangeles.com*********************************Original MUSIC by Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs**********************************Are you an artist or writer looking for structure, support and community? Check out Carolyn's project - Homework Club -with with arts consultant and author, Beth Pickens:Homework Club offers creative people strategies for keeping their projects and practices a priority with monthly webinars, worksheets, live QnA's, accountability pods, and actual homework (that you'll never be graded on. Ever!). Make 2024 a BIG PROJECT year - first month free with code: YourArtMind Your Practice is our podcast.You can visit https://www.bethpickens.com/homework-club for more details or listen wherever you stream Between the Worlds.**********************************Get in touch with sponsorship inquiries for Between the Worlds at betweentheworldspodcast@gmail.com.CONTRIBUTORS:Amanda Yates Garcia (host) & Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs (producer, composer). The BTW logo collage was created by Maria Minnis (tinyparsnip.com / instagram.com/tinyparsnip ) with text designed by Leah Hayes.

Today, we're sharing an episode from our friends at Terrestrials, a Radiolab spinoff show for families that explores strangeness on Earth. In this episode, host Lulu Miller visits some of our planet's most magical tree stumps – which are anything but dead.   Plus: Cast your vote in Radiolab's quasi-moon naming contest! Voting is open until January 1.

Writer and friend of the show Colin Dickey tries to destroy Dylan's holiday cheer with arguments about why Christmas is actually full of monsters from around the world. (Just a note for parents listening with little ones, Dylan and Colin talk frankly about Santa and his surrounding lore.)  Check out Colin's Atlas Obscura column, Eerie Feeling. 

Order The Memory Palace book now, dear listener. On Bookshop.org, on Amazon.com, on Barnes & Noble, or directly from Random House.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, 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 is a special bonus episode of the podcast sharing a particularly good interview I did with the folks at Atlas Obscura. 

This week, we're presenting Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico. Rising singer-songwriter Andrea Cruz shares how she fell in love with folk music as a young girl in Aibonito. We hear about how the plants, birds and animals of Puerto Rico have shaped the fabric of her work, and the profound ways in which her art connects her to the island she calls home. Hollywood film director Miguel Arteta recalls his colorful childhood in Río Piedras, shares the Puerto Rican role model who inspired him to pursue a creative career, and teases his upcoming project, which is set on the island of birth.Subscribe to Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, we're presenting Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico.   Oscar-nominated screenwriter and playwright José Rivera shares with us his rich memories, both old and new, of his time in Puerto Rico: of spiders, thunderstorms and a deep sense of community in his childhood town of Espino. We hear about the joy of watching one of his plays performed in Santurce alongside the family members who inspired it, and how the island has been a constant source of inspiration that has enriched so much of his work.  Subscribe to Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico wherever you get your podcasts. 

Narrated by Luis Guzmán, Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico pairs stories from some of the Island's most exciting musicians, including Los Rivera Destino, Pachyman, and Andrea Cruz, with major artists outside of music, such as Hollywood film director Miguel Arteta, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Jose Rivera, author Jaquira Diaz, and legendary EGOT Rita Moreno. Listeners will get to know Puerto Rico's incredible towns, cities, beaches, rainforests, mountains, bars, and dance clubs that not only shaped their work but ultimately influenced global culture. Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico is a production of Talkhouse and Atlas Obscura, presented by Discover Puerto Rico. Tap here to subscribe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week and next, we're presenting Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico. The Río Piedras-based comedy band Los Rivera Destino talk about their musical childhoods, how making a music video in Bayamón changed their lives and careers forever, and the extremely unlikely place that has become their source of inspiration. Award-winning author Jaquira Díaz shares how salsa, bacalaítos and coquís defined her time growing up in the east coast towns of Humacoa and Fajardo. We also hear the wild story her grandmother told about aliens in El Yunque, and Jaquira describes the incredible sense of adventure she feels every time she explores the island.Subscribe to Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico wherever you get your podcasts.

Today and tomorrow, we're presenting Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico.  Legendary actress, singer, dancer and EGOT winner Rita Moreno shares memories of sugar cane, coquís and parrandas during her idyllic childhood in Humacao and Juncos. We hear about her recent trips back with Lin-Manuel Miranda, and how she almost turned down West Side Story because of her loyalty to the island. Dub star innovator Pachy García (aka Pachyman) opens up about growing up in Guaynabo's vibrant reggae scene, the integral role Puerto Rico plays in his music now that he lives in Los Angeles, and the “unmistakable breeze” that greets him every time he comes back home to the island.Subscribe to Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico wherever you get your podcasts.

Darkness Syndicate members get the commercial-free version with all artwork created for the YouTube and podcast thumbnails: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/vat86pdzIN THIS EPISODE: Everyone knows about Dracula. Most everyone has seen at least one film starring the undead blood-sucker, or has read the novel by Bram Stoker. But only the real fans of Dracula know about the real people and true stories that inspired Bram Stoker to create the character.SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…BOOK: “Transylvania Superstitions” by Emily Gerard: https://amzn.to/3vsAqrsBOOK: “Carmilla” by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu: https://amzn.to/3cw291IHistory.com, Ranker.com, AtlasObscura.com, InternationalHero.co.uk, HowStuffWorks.com, Universtiy of Iowa's Victorian Wiki, Google Books, HistoryIreland.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mnrpdm36,https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/eeypjjz3, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4et6ysvs,https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/5bcstakc, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/53vbu5dr, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bhd6f7yv,https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y36n7y9v, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2nc96tjx, https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2848x4mkWeird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library.= = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: March 16, 2021CUSTOM LANDING PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/vampiricorigins/