Episode 5: A Blooming Flower is now available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. First time listening? Here is Episode 1. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds. After listening to Episode 5, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.
Two weeks before the first episode of this podcast debuted, the world’s largest flower, which blooms about once a decade, bloomed in New Hampshire. The corpse flower, as it is called because of the putrid stench that accompanies its blooming, is pictured above at its Dartmouth College home. Read about the blooming here. While it is a mystery to what kind of flower is mentioned in the recording uncovered by Tom Alligost, the infamous corpse flower seemed like a suitable choice to feature.
In this episode a second quote attributed to Sir Lancelot Canning, a fiction creation of author Edgar Allan Poe, was discovered by a listener. The quote (below) was in the introduction to a literary journal, The Stylus, that Poe intended to edit.
——— unbending that all men Of thy firm TRUTH may say — “Lo! this is writ With the antique iron pen.” ~Launcelot Canning
Poe says that “the ‘The Stylus’ will include about one hundred royal octavo pages, in single column, per month; forming two thick volumes per year. In its mechanical appearance — in its typography, paper and binding — it will far surpass all American journals of its kind. Engravings, when used, will be in the highest style of Art, but are promised only in obvious illustration of the text, and in strict keeping with the Magazine character.”
Of course Poe died mysteriously before he could complete the project.
The intended cover to the journal is seen below.
Here is a music video for the song “Black and Blue” by Prom Queen which is featured in this episode. Of note, the version featured is an alternative acoustic version of the song.
And here is a video of Ben Von Wildenhaus performing “The Limping Axeman,” his song featured in the episode.
Additional music for this episode was provided by Rudy Sims performing on his iPad.
This project is a co-production with Partners in Crime Media. Thanks to Tom Alligost, Michael Brobitz, Alison Peruch, Rob Rhetlidge, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks also Matthew Carano and Jeremy Murphy for the support.
Please take a moment to rate and review this program on iTunes so the word can spread about the project. Thank you.
Sincerely,
John Herman
The DISAPPEARANCE 