Best Andrew Porteus Podcasts (2025)

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Niagara History and Poetry

Niagara Falls Poetry Project

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7M ago29w ago

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Niagara Falls and area is rich in both history and poetry. Join Andrew Porteus, retired librarian and historian, as he explores the history of Niagara Falls and area through its poetry. My mantra: if there isn't a poem about it, it didn't happen (although I may write a limerick about it to confirm that it did happen). This podcast is a component of the Niagara Falls Poetry Project at https://niagarapoetry.ca

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Niagara History and Poetry Episode 4: Death and the Photographer: Joseph Avery and Platt Babbitt 16:30

7M ago16:30

16:30

Joseph Avery and his two friends were rowing across the Niagara River Rapids in 1853, when the boat capsized. The two friends were swept to their deaths immediately, but Joseph Avery managed to hold on to a protruding tree trunk until the following day. Despite rescuer's efforts, they were not able to save him. Photographer Platt Babbitt captured a…

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Niagara History and Poetry Episode 3 - Captain Matthew Webb 21:05

10M ago21:05

21:05

Captain Matthew Webb. the first person to swim the English Channel from Dover to Calais, lost his life at Niagara Falls whilst attempting to swim the Niagara River rapids and whirlpool. This tragedy is documented in poems by 3 of the worst poets writing in English and 3 poets laurate, and includes both a poem and a prose description of encounters w…

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Niagara History and Poetry Episode 2 - Bears in a Canoe 21:23

12M ago21:23

21:23

Bears are rarely seen in Niagara today, but they were certainly here in the 19th century. In this episode I examine a story from a guidebook about a bear climbing into a fisherman's canoe in the middle of the Niagara River, and two poems also describing this incident. Poems & other sources mentioned Erieus (Adam Hood Burwell, known as the Pioneer P…

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Niagara History and Poetry Episode 1 - Introduction 10:51

1+ y ago10:51

10:51

In this episode I introduce myself, give a brief history of the Niagara Falls Poetry Project, and what to expect from this podcast. I illustrate my motto - "if something happened but I can't find a poem about it, it didn't happen" with a limerick I wrote to illustrate a really neat picture of a cow at the brink of Niagara Falls. So, because I wrote…