Apocrypha

It’s a good day: I learned a new word. A CBC radio interview about a new podcast, The Apocrypha Chronicles, introduced me to the word.

Apocrypha refers to something hidden or secret. It comes from Greek and is formed from the combination of apo (away) and kryptein (hide or conceal). 

The word was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered too profound or too sacred to be disclosed to anyone other than the initiated. Today apocrypha refers to works of unknown authorship or doubtful origin.

The Roll Call: Lady Butler's first

This week I learned about an artwork with an interesting history that otherwise would have passed me by, thanks to Malcolm Gladwell's podcast.

The Roll Call (officially Calling the Roll After An Engagement, Crimea), an 1874 oil-on-canvas painting by Elizabeth Thompson Butler (Lady Butler) was a first, depicting army forces exhausted and depleted after a battle. At the time, soldiers were only portrayed pre-battle, pristinely groomed and brave. This little-known female artist changed all that.

Thompson was just 26 years old when she submitted the painting to the Royal Academy, and it was an instant hit. Butler wrote that she awoke and "found myself famous". Queen Victoria insisted that she should buy it, and the work remains in the Royal Collection, hidden from public view.

In the inaugural episode of his popular podcast, Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell visited the painting in London and shared his learnings. In particular, Gladwell explores the 'first' nature of the work, and the fact that the artist has remained largely unknown. It's a good listen.

The Lady Vanishes - Revisionist History episode

How a podcast about design works (99% Invisible)

I am a huge fan of 99% Invisible, so I really enjoyed this video interview with Roman Mars.

Meet Roman Mars, the creator and host of one of our favorite shows, 99% Invisible. It's a wonderful podcast that celebrates and obsesses over the overlooked design in our everyday lives. We visited Roman at his recording studio (ie. home office) to geek out over the hidden world of design, radio production, and storytelling through podcasting...

Meet Roman Mars, Creator of 99% Invisible - Adam Savage's Tested episode page about the 2014 interview

Meet Roman Mars, Creator of 99% Invisible - watch Norman Chan's interview on YouTube

99% Invisible  - Roman Mars's podcast website

Columbus, Indiana: an architectural epicentre

The public library in Columbus, Indiana - architecture I. M. Pei
Yes, that's a Henry Moore sculpture ("Large Arch")

It all began with a swimming pool.

Not just any swimming pool, but a kidney shaped one.

It was while listening to episode 370 of 99% Invisible, The Pool and the Stream Redux, that I learned about 2 things:
• The history of skateboarding (some of which I was familiar with), and
• How Columbus, Indiana, USA, became an epicentre of modern architecture... who knew?!?

I am not going to spoil things and try to put the story in a nutshell for you. Take a listen yourself, or read the transcript if you prefer.

In the meantime, Google is my friend and I am off to learn more about this architecture.

Resources
The Pool and the Stream Redux (episode 370) - 99% Invisible podcast
Columbus, Ind.: A Midwestern Mecca Of Architecture - NPR podcast
The Precocious Genius of “Columbus” (movie review) - New Yorker
Small and Mighty Mecca of Modern Architecture in Columbus, Indiana - The Roads Travelled

Here are a few photos of the city's architecture.... which I have intentionally left untitled. If you're into architecture, have fun identifying them:)

Simply brilliant: Be My Eyes

Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

That's really all I could say when I learned about the Be My Eyes app and community.

Imagine being sight impaired and not being able to tell if your socks match, or what intersection you are standing at, or what gate your flight will depart from.

Now imagine the magic that transpires when with a tap a volunteer connects using a video interface that acts like eyes, saying, "that shirt is green", "the corner of Main Street and Johnson Road", or "flight 247 to Boston is on time will depart from gate G27 at 10:25".

Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

FYI, I learned about this brilliant app while listening to episode 200 of CBC's Podcast Playlist.

Listen to the podcast

Resources:
Be My Eyes Blog
Be My Eyes Podcast
Be My Eyes on Twitter

If you want the full lowdown, here's the full description from the Be My Eyes website:

Be My Eyes is a global community that connects people who are blind or have low vision with sighted volunteers or company representatives. On the app, volunteers assist blind and low-vision users through a live video connection and work together to tackle challenges and handle a wide range of tasks. With the Specialized Help feature, blind and low-vision users can connect with company representatives for accessibile customer support. The app harnesses the power of generosity, technology and human connection to help blind and low-vision people lead more independent lives. Be My Eyes is accessible in more than 150 countries worldwide and in over 180 languages. The app is free and available for both iOS and Android.

Emeco 1006

This is not just a chair. It is the the Emeco 1006 Navy Chair, and it has a storied history.

Originally built for US Navy warships during World War II, the Emeco 1006 (pronounced ten-oh-six) found a second life as a designer chair used in high-end restaurants and by interior designers.

The story of Emeco and its famous chair is told in episode 310 of 99% Invisible. I found it fascinating.

Listen to the podcast.

Or read the transcript.

BIG list of museum podcasts

I stumbled across a great blog post the other day, essentially a collection of podcasts by museums around the globe. Whether you're preparing to visit a particular museum, are a podcast-addict or just live a curious life, Hannah Hethmon's hard work collecting all these podcasts, is sure to please.

Hannah Hethmon's BIG list of museum podcasts

Every Museum Podcast in One Big List

My own podcast about Icelandic museums, Museums in Strange Places, has given me the chance to see “behind-the-curtain” in so many amazing museums, and if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that museums are leaving so many of their most human and compelling stories untold. Since it’s through podcasting that I’ve discovered these stories, I started to wonder how museums around the world were using podcasting to have a more intimate platform for telling stories and engaging their audience. To that end, I scoured all the podcasting platforms and reached out to the Twitterverse and Facebook groups to compile the most complete list of podcasts by museums on the internet. 

How the List is Organized (and Who I Left Off)  

I’ve divided the podcasts I’ve found into history museums, science and natural history museum, art museums, and a category for mixed-interest and other museums that don’t fit in the previous groups... [continue reading Every Museum Podcast in One Big List].

Serial podcast and Adnan Syed

I listen to a lot of podcasts, and lately I've been expanding my repertoire. Thought I would share some of what I am listening to.

I'm inspired to do so as a result of my fascination arising out of the podcast Serial.

Serial host Sarah Koenig and her team won a
Peabody Award for the program

I only came across the Serial podcast a month or two ago, and it's interesting to see what it has lead to. I'm late to the story, as Serial broke records in 2014 as the fastest podcast ever to reach 5 million downloads on iTunes.

In a nutshell, Serial is a podcast that examines real life cases, largely defined by the focus of Season 1, the case of Adnan Syed who was convicted in the 1999 murder of Baltimore high school student Hae Min Lee.

I haven't even listened to Season 2 of Serial yet, as there is so much surrounding content in the form of podcasts about the Serial podcast, and developments in Adnan Syed's case, some as recent as this week. It's fascinating, as it's a story with no clear end, no clear answers, just a lot of conflicting and confusing information, and a seemingly obvious miscarriage of justice.

The Innocence Project is now involved, there have been new hearings with witnesses who were passed over initially, missing evidence, and more. I can even see that there is new news this week about a hearing for a new trial (the judge is considering his decision)... (I'm fighting the temptation to delve into the latest, or to continue listening to the evidence...).

About Serial
Podcast: Serial - Season 1
Podcast: Serial Serial
Podcast: Undisclosed - The State vs Adnan Syed
Podcast: Crime Writers on Serial

April 12, 2018: New Trial Upheld for Adnan Syed of ‘Serial’ - great news that the request for a new trial has been granted. I know nothing about guilt or innocence in this case, but I do know there were errors and mistakes, and lingering doubts. Hopefully a new trial will see justice served.