From Podcast to Book, Alum Shares Little-Known Tales of American History

From the creator of the acclaimed podcast “The Memory Palace,” comes a vivid collection of surprising true stories of both familiar and forgotten American history.

Nate DiMeo ’97 is creator and host of the podcast “The Memory Palace,” which became a Peabody Award finalist and among the first group of podcasts preserved by the Library of Congress.

In his new book, “The Memory Palace: True Short Stories from the Past,” published by Random House, DiMeo shares stories from his podcast along with new ones. He calls this compilation “a cabinet of curiosities.”

There’s the story of a project the CIA dreamed up called Acoustic Kitty in which the CIA intended to use cats to spy on the Kremlin and the Soviet embassy.

There’s the story of one of the most famous archaeological hoaxes in American history – the discovery of a 10-foot-tall, roughly 3,000 pound purported petrified man.

DiMeo has performed stories from “The Memory Palace” live with music, pictures and animation all over the United States and Canada, as well as England, Ireland and Australia.

Prior to producing “The Memory Palace,” he spent a decade in public radio and could be heard on “All Things Considered,” “Morning Edition” and “Marketplace.”

He’s written for television: NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” and ABC’s “The Astronaut Wives Club.”

He is co-author of “Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America” and was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor.

“The Memory Palace: True Short Stories from the Past” is scheduled to be in bookstores by November 2024. DiMeo lives in Los Angeles and is the son of retired RIC special education professors John and Judy DiMeo.