In this episode, medieval monks try to make a heaven-sent garden, drugs drag a writer to hell, and Bob Dylan creates a now-iconic short film
Listen Now:
Tales of the Odious Opium Eater
Written by
Zak
Ghazi-Torbati
Performed by
Stephen
Fry
Delve Deeper
The National Portrait Gallery has several portraits of Thomas de Quincey. Project Gutenberg has a downloadable copy of de Quincey’s memoires for free. The Wellcome Collection has an article on Victorian drug use.
About this story
Essayist Thomas DeQuincey first takes laudanum - a form of opium - because of pain. He becomes addicted and in 1821 publishes the first ‘drug memoir’ in English literature. He’s not a happy - nor seemingly nice - man.
The Savoy Steps
,
Strand
,
London
The Anthem of the Counterculture
Written by
James
Rampton
Performed by
Robbie
Stamp
Delve Deeper
YouTube has Dylan’s iconic film of his song Subterranean Homesick Blues. IMDb has information on Pennebaker’s documentary of Dylan’s 1965 UK tour, Don’t Look Back. BobDylan.com has the lyrics for the song.
About this story
In 1965, on a slow day, Bob Dylan, with the help of with entourage Joan Baez, Donovan, Bob Neuwirth, Allen Ginsberg and director DA Pennebaker, comes up with an ingenious bit of film to go with one of his songs…
Covent Garden
,
London
Gardening for God
Written by
Sarah
Fleming
Performed by
Kate
Reid
Delve Deeper
At MapofLondon, you can find Ralph Aggas (or Agas)’s 1562 map of London, and can highlight Covent Garden. British History has an article on early Covent Garden. The Gardens Trust has an article on medieval monastic gardens as does HealthyHildegard.
About this story
Writer Sarah Fleming imagines a 15th-Century monk given the task of tending Westminster Abbey’s land in Covent Garden.
