The Haunting of Merapi

Well, I sold my first spot for NPR yesterday. I’m sorry to say I don’t know when it might play (likely already), and it won’t be archived. If anyone out there heard it, please let me know. It was a 35 second reader (no recorded quote from a source) about a huge volcano about 300 miles east of here that’s about to blow. I’ve been asked to contact them again if the story develops, so I’ll post a warning on this site if anything happens. For those with parental concerns about a potential eruption, let me add that Jakarta is a safe distance away, even if it pulls a Mt. St. Helens. Feels good to make a little money. I’m following plenty of other story threads at the moment that I also hope to spin into gold.

I've also included another sound postcard. It’s a “live mix” of motorcycle, bajaj, and the call to prayer. It was recorded in the evening after coming out of a movie theater at an arts center in Jakarta. I think it's a good fit with the photo of Mt. Merapi. Ancient Javanese legends say there's a kingdom at its summit.

Click here to hear an urban call to prayer.

The winning collective noun entry for lemurs, by the way, is "A haunting of lemurs". Thank you to Nick, who writes "...lemur comes from the Latin lemures, meaning 'ghosts.'"