Episode 2.5 – The Owl in the Fountain

(The Married Priest or the Hesitation Waltz by Rene Magritte)

Episode 2.5 – The Owl in the Fountain is now available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. First time listening? You can start with Series 1, Episode 1. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds. After listening to Series 2, Episode 5, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

For this episode I spent a lot of time at the Barton Public Library. Built in 1892, the Barton Public Library sits in the town square. The library is one of 234 libraries in the state of New Hampshire. In fact, not only does New Hampshire have a library for each of its 234 communities, but it is home to the oldest state library in the country. Check out this report from NHPR, New Hampshire’s NPR local affiliate, on the state library’s 300th birthday.

The library is the setting for a humble stakeout I conduct in order to meet my supposed double, someone locals have been seeing regularly at various locations around town. The appearance of a double, or doppelgänger (German for double walker or goer), is a subject that has been written about or alluded to throughout human history.

Edgar Allan Poe’s 1839 story “William Wilson” describes a ghostly double. Poe’s birthday (January 19), and much of the story narrator’s description of his boyhood days resembles the author’s own life, right down to the name of the school William Wilson attends as a child. Here is a link to the story in its entirety.

Another story of a ghostly double is the equally famous novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Double, most recently adapted for the cinema by director Richard Ayoade. Click the poster below to view the trailer.

Thanks to Josh Strickens, Sarah Fillingate, Tammy Moreleck, and the librarian at the Barton Public Library for making this episode possible. I’m afraid I got the librarian’s permission to record her voice, but I did not get her name. Thanks also to Tori Miller of Four Hands, Prom Queen, and Ben Von Wildenhaus for providing the music. Thanks also Shawn Crapo, Angel Smith, Marina Altschiller, and Tara Mcdonough for the support.

Sincerely,

John Herman

Episode 6 – Requiem

Episode 6: Requiem 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 6, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

Episode 6 is a reference to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem Mass, the famous composer’s final work. Click below for a performance of the work.

The cause of Mozart’s death is a mystery. Officially his death was attributed to “hitziges Frieselfieber” or a severe miliary fever. Researchers have proposed at least 118 causes of death, including strep throat, trichinosis, the flu, and mercury poisoning. Here is a brief video telling the story behind Mozart’s final days and the composition of the requiem which is even more mysterious then the brief telling that Tom Alligost offered.

Also referenced during this episode was Scotland’s Glamis castle, which is also known as Scotland’s most haunted castle. Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public. If anyone is listening from Scotland, then please be in touch with any thoughts.

 

Finally, as promised, here is a list of all the album slipcase covers that I now own as quadruplicates:

1. Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
2. Nether Lands by Dan Fogelberg
3. Stardust by Willie Nelson
4. John Denver’s Greatest Hits by John Denver
5. Philosophy of the World by The Shaggs
6. An Evening with Mantovani by Mantovani and His Orchestra
7. Among My Souvenirs by Bing Crosby
8. Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins featuring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke

This project is a co-production with Partners in Crime Media. Thanks to Tom Alligost, Calista Kira, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks also to Prom Queen, Ben Von Wildenhaus, and Rudy Sims for providing the music. Thanks also Jeremy Murphy, Erika Kestenbaum Skoglund, and Jordan Smith for the support.

Please take a moment to rate and review this program on iTunes so word can spread. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John Herman

 

Episode 4: Eventide

Episode 4: Eventide 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 4, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

Several record albums have been mention during the podcast including Whipped Cream & Other Delights (1965) by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Nether Lands by Dan Fogelberg, and most recently Stardust (1978) by Willie Nelson. Click on the album cover below to hear a track from each album respectively.

The coffee shop where I met Jessica Moreleck during this episode is one of my frequent haunts. It is called Crackskull’s Coffee and Books. If you stop by, then tell them John Herman sent you. I usually have the Chai Charger, medium, hot. Earlier in this post was a photo of how Crackskull’s appeared in the late 1800’s when it was a pharmacy. Below is a photo of how Crackskull’s looks today (photo by Roger Goun).

Finally here is Prom Queen performing “Good Cop, Bad Cop” live:

Music for this episode was provided by Prom Queen and Ben Von Wildenhaus. Thanks to Tom Alligost, Jessica Moreleck, Josh Strickens, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks also to Karen Fei, Jeremy Murphy, Shawn Crapo, and Partners in Crime Media 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

Episode 3: The Garden of Earthly Delights

Episode 3: The Garden of Earthly Delights 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 3, listeners are encouraged to explore companion materials below.

Much of Episode 3 focuses on a medieval altar painting by Hieronymus Bosch commonly called The Garden of Earthly Delights. I found an incredible audio and video rich online experience for which you need to turn on your sound. Or better still: put on headphones. Click below to wander around the painting or take a guided tour. Again, you will really want headphones for this.

And here is a more traditional documentary titled The Mysteries of Hieronymus Bosch. It is a 1980 BBC documentary about the famous painter from the Netherlands. The narrator / researcher is pretty great.

Music for Episode 3 was provided by Prom Queen as well as Ben Von Wildenhaus. Enjoy the video for “Can’t Seem to Cry” by Prom Queen. The video was shot on location at Triple X Root Beer Drive-In and Fred Wildlife Refuge.

And here is a live performance of the same song…

And here is a video of a live performance of the song included in this week’s episode by Ben Von Wildenhaus and his Professional Band:

Thanks to Tom Alligost, Jessica Moreleck, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks also to Jason Robertson, Karen Fei, Jeremy Murphy, and Partners in Crime Media for the support.

Please take a moment to rate and review this program on iTunes so word can spread about the project. Thank you.

Sincerely,

John Herman

Episode 1: A Death Declared

Episode 1: A Death Declared is now (or will soon be) available where ever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play. Subscribe to stay up to date as the mystery unfolds.

After listening to Episode 1, you are encouraged to explore the episode companion materials below.

A Death Declared features music by Ben von Wildenhaus and Prom Queen.

Prom Queen’s song Mystery opens the episode. View Mystery‘s music video by clicking the image below. Also Prom Queen recently went viral with their inspired mashup of the Stranger Things and Twin Peaks themes, aptly titled Stranger Peaks.

How Prom Queen’s music got on the show happened quite serendipitously. Here is the screenshot from a Facebook conversation I had recently with the group’s lead singer  Leeni. Keep in mind that we live approximately 3000 miles apart.

In turn, Leeni got my podcast hooked up with the incredible Ben von Wildenhaus. Two Wildenhaus songs are featured in Episode 1 including Bad Lament 1 and An Nur off of his vinyl release, II.

How these two musicians met was covered in an interview by The Sun Break. Here’s an excerpt:

I also work with Ben Von Wildenhaus, who is this wonder to behold. He’s this amazing guitar player and amazing musician overall, but he’s also the most mesmerizing performer you’ll ever see. He does solo shows a lot and I always bring people out to see him because it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever seen. It’s very David Lynch, moody, and cinematic. I met him because we were doing solo shows together. We played a show together in an art gallery and I asked him if he would ever want to play with Prom Queen and be in a band, and he said yes. So he was actually the first member of the band.

Check back to this site for more companion materials to the podcast as each episode is released. Future posts will include links and images to support your efforts to help me solve the mystery.

Thanks to Tom Aligost, Alfred P. Daniels, and my wife Carol for making this episode possible. Thanks also to Laura Scafati, Jason Robertson, Jon Briggs, Elliot Baker, and Matthew Carano for their support. Learn how you can support the show here.

Sincerely,

John Herman