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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

SiriusXM and Atlas Obscura

Your guide to the world's strange, incredible, and wondrous places. Kelly McEvers and a neighborhood of Atlas Obscura reporters transport you to a new wonder every day. Along the way, you'll meet fascinating people and hear their stories.

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

All week, host Kelly McEvers surfaces some of her favorite episodes from the archive. Here's today's story: 

One of the many objects that went down with the ship during the sinking of the Titanic was a beautiful, jewel-encrusted edition of a poetry book called the “Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.” The Rubaiyat was probably the most famous work of poetry in the English-speaking world at that time…which was somewhat unusual, as the book was written by a Persian mathematician 800 years before.

For more information about Omar Khayyam and the Rubaiyat, check out the books “Persian Presence in Victorian Poetry” by Taher-Kermani Reza, “The Wine of Wisdom: The Life, Poetry and Philosophy of Omar Khayyam” by Mehdi Aminrazavi, and the BBC documentary “The Genius of Omar Khayyam.” 

PLUS: Do you have a favorite episode we should bring back to the top of the feed? Tell us what it was and why you picked it. 

Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and story. Our mailbox will cut you off after three minutes so please call in if you get disconnected. Or you can record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com

 
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Kelly's Picks: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Alton, Illinois has been called the most haunted small town in America. It’s a place where practically every building has its own ghost story, from an old penitentiary, an eroding island, and even an old 1920s resort. And bubbling underneath all this lore is the fascinating history of a town shaped by the wild and unpredictable waters of the Mississippi River. We’ll explore some places with their own ghostly lore …and we’ll learn how these stories (and the people who like to tell them) are helping to keep the town’s history alive. Visit EnjoyIllinois.com for more information on booking a hair-raising trip to America’s most haunted small town.

More links:

 • Check out our guest Troy Taylor’s book 
“Haunted Alton” • (He also leads 
ghost tours • , hosts 
his own podcast • , and runs the 
American Oddities Museum • in Alton)
 • For more on the history of penitentiaries in America, revisit our episode on 
Eastern State Penitentiary • …and queue up
 this episode • too for more on the history of duels on Bloody Island!
 • For additional information on the places we discussed today check out the Routes & Rivers guides to 
Alton Prison • , 
Bloody Island • (also called Sunflower Island and Smallpox Island) and the 
McPike Mansion • . 

 
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Is Alton, Illinois America's Most Haunted Small Town?

From opera singers to strange noises emitting from air conditioners, listeners share stories about their unusual neighbors. 

 
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It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Classic)

We share stories about our neighbors – from an unusual pet in Maryland, to an out-of-place front yard in Brooklyn, to a beekeeper with a secret. 

Plus: We want to hear YOUR neighbor stories! Tell us about your neighbors’ yards, their house decor, their habits – and what you like about them. Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message telling us your name and favorite story about your neighbors. Or you can record a voice memo and email it to us at hello@atlasobscura.com

 
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Love Thy Neighbor (Classic)

Dive into the invisible world of seeds, Sefra Alexandra, the self-titled “Seed Huntress.” She tells us about her global mission to preserve our planet's diverse seeds and protect our future food security by uncovering the stories of culinary and cultural significance rooted in these tiny powerhouses.

 
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The Seed Huntress

Today we venture (with flashlights on) into the TNT area, a vast abandoned munitions factory in Point Pleasant, West Virginia – where, in the 1960s, people started reporting sightings of a strange, winged creature with red glowing eyes. The creature became known as “the Mothman,” and these sightings generated a legend that has since inspired books, movies, an annual culture, and a thriving Mothman subculture in Point Pleasant. This episode is brought to you in partnership with West Virginia Tourism. 

For more information on the annual Mothman festival: https://www.mothmanfestival.com/ 

Trying to see the Mothman yourself? Our guest today Sherri Brake has you covered: https://www.hauntedhistory.net/mothman-haunted-history-walk-of-point-pleasant.html 

In the mood for scary stories and places? We’ve got a list for you: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/guide-to-halloween-travel 

 

 
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The Mothman!

Olney, Illinois is your quintessential Midwestern small town. It’s in the middle of farm country - a place you might drive right past. But people do stop, and they come for one thing: squirrels. But for how long?

 
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White Squirrels of Olney

Thompson’s Ice House in Bristol, Maine is one of the only places in the United States where people gather every winter to take part in the age-old process of harvesting ice from a frozen pond. 

 
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Thompson’s Ice House (Classic)

Ross Jennings, aka the First Piper, has been on a world-spanning quest to play the bagpipes in every country of the world. 

LEARN MORE: https://www.thefirstpiper.com/

 
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Pack Your Bag(pipes) with Ross Jennings (Classic)

Producer Manolo Morales is not a fan of cats. But he may just change his mind after taking a walking tour in Brooklyn Heights dedicated to cat history called Cats About Town. 

 

 
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The Cats of Brooklyn

We chat with writer Daniel Kraus, who let his imagination run deep into the ocean after hearing a wild news story about an encounter between kayakers and a whale. And we get the backstory to Kraus’ new novel Whalefall, about a man who finds himself in the belly of a sperm whale.

 
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A Whale of a Tale with Daniel Kraus

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