An odd, pre-election bonus episode: a full reading of Song of Myself

the memory palace

Nate DiMeo

Radiotopia, Publicradio, History, Natedimeo

4.8 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2016

⏱️ 96 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As counter-programming to the clamor and nonsense of these last days before the American Presidential election, here is Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" in its entirety. Really.

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

New episode next week.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the memory palace, sort of. I'm Nate Tameh.
0:04.6	So it is November 3rd and I am in a motel in Phoenix, Arizona.
0:09.6	CNN is muted on the TV.
0:12.3	Tomorrow, on the 4th, I will be driving voters to the polls.
0:17.0	And it is certainly not November 3rd 2016 as you listen to this. It may well be after election day.
0:24.6	And so you
0:26.6	know what's gonna happen.
0:28.7	And they kind of envy you, I think.
0:31.3	At least in being past this exhausting and demoralizing election.
0:35.7	And with all the clattering noise of the past months,
0:39.9	I do not have a normal episode for it today. There will be one soon.
0:44.5	But for now, here is a complete reading of Walt Whitman's song of myself.
0:50.7	Because that's what I feel like doing tonight.
0:55.7	I celebrate myself and sing myself.
0:58.6	And what I assume you shall assume for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
1:04.9	I loaf and invite my soul.
1:07.4	I lean in loaf at my ease, observing a spear of summer grass.
1:12.3	My tongue, every atom of my blood,
1:15.2	form it from this soil, this air, born here of parents,
1:19.3	born here from parents the same and their parents the same.
1:23.4	I now 37 years old in perfect health begin,
1:27.0	hoping to cease not till death.
	...

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