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In this spooky Halloween episode, we’re digging into the eerie and the terrifying.
Olivia takes us through the streets of New York to determine if climate change will lead to a catastrophic ratpocalypse — and how we can avoid one.
Then, Elise retells the story of the Wendigo, a mythological creature of Native folklore whose message has gotten muddled by colonizers.
Plus, we talk about how Elise’s new project is heating up, our rat horror stories, and some last-minute DIY Halloween costume ideas.
Story #1: Ratpocalypse (Olivia)
No pictures because I wouldn’t do that to you 🙂
Sources:
‘We are at war’: New York’s rat crisis made worse by climate change, The Guardian, December 21 2018
Is climate change really driving the ratpocalypse?, Grist, June 2019
New York City Rat Complaints Surge as Urban Life Revives, Bloomberg, April 10 2021
Climate change is scary. ‘Rat explosion’ is way scarier., Bloomberg, November 5 2018
New York City’s Rats Are Doing Just Fine, Curbed, January 22 2021
Rodent Control, CDC
Seeing the maligned urban rat in a new light: Q&A with Michael Parsons, Mongabay, September 9 2021
See How Easily a Rat Can Wriggle Up Your Toilet | National Geographic *WATCH WITH CAUTION
Story #2: The Wendigo (Elise)
Sources:
Wendigo – Flesheater of the Forests, Legends of America, Feb 2020
Meet The Wendigo, The Cannibalistic Beast Of Native American Folklore, All That’s Interesting, Aug 2021
The Mythology and Misrepresentation of the Windigo, Back Story, Nov 2016
Insatiable Hunger for Indigenous Flesh, Cultures, and Lands: Colonialism as a Ravenous Monster in Monkey Beach and Kiss of the Fur Queen, Ohio University College of Arts and Sciences, May 2018
Wendigos: The Spirit Of Hunger And Famine In The United States, Exploring History, June 2020
Wendigo, Wikipedia
The Dump
Listen to Elise talk about her mailer reuse project, Repackage, on the Episode 103 of Clotheshorse, which also features an interview with the amazing Aja Barber.
If you’re a seller in Austin, reach out to Repackage for low-cost reused mailers! And if you’re free Friday, come say hi at this party where Elise will be selling vintage through her shop Nyeliner:
The World Is Burning bookshop is live! Help us come up with book list titles and bulk up our reading list.
Our World is Burning themed playlist is on Spotify.
You can keep up with us on Twitter and Instagram.
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Thanks for listening!
World Is Burning 