Queens Memory: Memories of Water

In the Season 4 Finale of Memories of Water, “Postcard Memories” travels back to New York summers before air conditioning, pairing newspaper coverage of historic heat waves with handwritten postcards from the early to mid-20th century. Together, these headlines and messages reveal how New Yorkers sought relief from the heat, while capturing the timeless spirit of summer in the city.  This episode is brought to you by the Queen Memory Project with support from Melting Metropolis and the Queens Public Library Digital Archives team. The postcards are from the personal collection of James Supple and can be found on the Digital Archives website. Music featured in this episode include:  “In the Good Old Summertime” by Billy Murray “Moonlight Bay” by the American Quartet “Paddlin' Madelin' Home” by Whitey Kaufman and His Orchestra “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” by Billy Murray and others “A Shady Tree” by Sam Lanin and His Orchestra “By the Beautiful Sea” by Billy Murray and others “Music Box Iterations” by Thomas Park All sourced from the Internet Archive and the Library of Congress. Special thanks to Dr. Kara Schlichting, Thomas and Paul Ort, Katka Harwood, Selina Gershweiler, Ayelet Pearl, Alison Dieguez, Meral Agish, Bijan Girit, Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons, David Engelman, Hannah Eisler-Burnett, Ted Gordon, Josh Atkins, Ty Carlton, Trevor Wallace, Betsey Strock, and Nick Capezzera for their production assistance in reading the postcards and, on several occasions, translating them.

In this Season 4 Finale, "Postcard Memories" travels back to the deadly heat waves of 1896, 1911, and 1936 — pairing newspaper headlines with handwritten postcards from Queens Public Library's digital archives. Written in English, German, and Czech, these century-old messages reveal beach excursions, family traditions, and the everyday ways New Yorkers sought relief from the heat. Full episode premieres September 2 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen.

In "Rockaway Memories," Queens residents share personal stories of summers by the water, from moments of joy and belonging to memories of finding relief from the heat. This episode was recorded in the Far Rockaway and Broad Channel and produced by Queens-based audio producer, Rebecca Seidel, in collaboration with the Queens Memory Project and Melting Metropolis.

In "Rockaway Memories," Queens residents share personal stories of summers by the water, from moments of joy and belonging to memories of finding relief from the heat. This episode was recorded in the Far Rockaway and Broad Channel and produced by Queens-based audio producer, Rebecca Seidel, in collaboration with the Queens Memory Project and Melting Metropolis.

Season four of the Queens Memory Podcast brings you "Memories of Water," which examines the impacts of climate change on local communities in Queens.   In this fourth episode, Flushing teens meet theater artist and urban planner Sabina Sethi Unni to talk about a musical performance she created that turns flood sensors and emergency preparedness into community-centered storytelling. This episode was recorded at Edgemere Farm and the Flushing Library and produced by Queens-based audio producer, Rebecca Seidel, in collaboration with the Queens Memory Project and Queens Public Library's Teen Services team.

Flushing teens interviews a theatre artist about her musical journey of bringing "Flood Sensor Aunty" to communities affected by climate change. This episode, titled "Live from Flushing: Flood Sensor Aunty," was recorded at Edgemere Farm and the Flushing Library and produced by Queens-based audio producer, Rebecca Seidel, in collaboration with the Queens Memory Project and Queens Public Library's Teen Services team.

Four years after Hurricane Ida’s deadly floods, reporter Yiyan Zheng returns to Flushing — and finds the most vulnerable are still being left in the dark, cut off from life-saving information. 本集由陽邊（Sunnyside）居民及社區記者鄭怡嫣製作。她在災後四年重返當年因洪水罹難的冷鴻升一家所在社區以及東法拉盛，走訪當地租客與房東，記錄他們對那一夜的回憶與反思，並探討洪水帶來的持續性衝擊。節目同時納入非營利機構、氣候專家與政府官員的深度訪談，呈現移民社群在資訊不平等與氣候風險夾擊下的脆弱處境。   Links for further reading: What Remains of Kissena Creek They Put Everything Into Their Homes. Not One Was Spared in the Flood. The flood that drowned American dreams Queens Memory Podcast Season 3, "Our Major Minor Voices," Episode 5: Invisible Homeless They had to make homes of illegal basement apartments. Ida's surge killed them. 3.6 Billion in Sales of 1-3 Family Homes at High Risk New Rules on Property Condition Disclosure and Flood Risk Stay Informed with Emergency Alerts! - Notify NYC What To Do After A Flood - NYSDEC Wettest and Driest Months at Central Park (1869 to Present) Increasing extreme hourly precipitation risk for New York City after Hurricane Ida

Listen to a sneak preview of Episode 3 - "After Ida: Left in the Dark." Four years after Hurricane Ida’s deadly floods, reporter Yiyan Zheng returns to Flushing — and finds the most vulnerable are still being left in the dark, cut off from life-saving information.

Season four of the Queens Memory Podcast, brings you "Memories of Water," which examines the impacts of climate change on local communities in the borough.   In this second episode, local teens take the mic to ask questions about climate change. Recorded at the Flushing Library and produced by Queens-based audio producer, Rebecca Seidel, the episode features youth-led interviews with staff from the Queens Botanical Garden, uncovering the roots of flooding in Queens and what we can all do to build a climate-resilient future.   Links for further reading: Three found dead in basement of Flushing apartment in aftermath of Hurricane Ida flooding Sustainable Landscapes at Queens Botanical Garden (QBG) Urban Advantage at QBG Newtown Creek Alliance’s website Hidden Waters Blog Flushing Meadows Corona Park History: The Tale of Two World's Fairs (Waterfront Alliance) How to Steward Rain Gardens in New York City Guardians of Flushing Bay: Green Infrastructure Learn more about Climate Ready at Queens Public Library Queens Public Library’s Teen Centers

In this sneak preview of a very special episode, local teens take the mic to ask their questions about climate change. This second episode was recorded at the Flushing Library and produced by Queens-based audio producer, Rebecca Seidel. 

Season four of the Queens Memory Podcast, brings you "Memories of Water," which examines the impacts of climate change on local communities in the borough.   In this first episode, titled "A Forgotten Place," producer Roxanne Scott takes us to neighborhoods in Southeast Queens, where we meet neighbors who are organizing and demanding accountability for the decades-long flooding that has occurred in the area.    Links for further reading:   In 15 Years, 80,000 Homes in the New York area May Be Lost to Flooding City Announces Progress on $1.9 Billion Commitment to Alleviate Flooding in Southeast Queens DEP projects in Southeast Queens New York City Stormwater Resiliency Plan What is inland flooding? Sewer Backups, Increasing from Climate Change, are Costing City’s Homeowners Testimony by Linda Dada on Sewage Infrastructure in South Jamaica Why One Queens Block Has Flooded For Decades Mayor’s Maps Shows Most of Ida’s Victims Lives Where Rainfall Was Riskiest As NYC Releases New Flood Maps, Here’s What You Can Do Before The Water Starts Rising Double-whammy: How Heavy Rains and High Tides Hurt NYC’s Black and Brown Neighborhoods NYC Real Estate on the Brink: $3.6 Billion in 1-3 Family Home Sales in 2023 at Risk of Flooding Southeast Queens Residents Environmental Justice Coalition (SQREJC) NYC Council Votes on Legislation to Establish a Southeast Queens Flooding Adaptation Task Force NYLPI Celebrates the Passage of 1067-B, A Major Victory for Flood Resilience and Environmental Justice in NYC Support Queens Residents Facing Sewer Backups Learn more about Climate Ready at Queens Public Library

Sneak preview of episode 1 - "A Forgotten Place" - as producer Roxanne Scott takes us to neighborhoods in Southeast Queens.