Plants of the Gods: S3E3. Absinthe as Ideogen in Art and Literature

Wormwood - the basis of absinthe - has been valued medicinally since ancient times. However, the development of absinthe several hundred years ago created a drink which turbocharged the creativity of geniuses as diverse as Toulouse Lautrec, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. This episode details that story.   Sources: Adams, Jennifer, et al. Philip Collier's Mixing New Orleans: Cocktails and Legends. Philbeau, 2007.   Baker, Phil. The Book of Absinthe. Grove Press. 2001.  Conrad, Barnaby. Absinthe: History in a Bottle. Chronicle Books, 1997.   Crowley, Aleister. Absinthe, the Green Goddess. Contra/Thought, 1995.   Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls. Scribner, 2020.   Hepworth, David. Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars. Black Swann, 2018.   Mann, J. Turn on and Tune in: Psychedelics, Narcotics and Euphoriants. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2019.   Wittels, Betina J., and T. A. Breaux. Absinthe: The Exquisite Elixir. Fulcrum Publishing, 2017.   Wondrich, David, and Noah Rothbaum. The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails. Oxford University Press, 2022.  

Om Podcasten

“Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation” is a new and unique podcast focusing on the hallucinogenic plants and fungi whose impact on world culture and religion – and healing potential - is only now beginning to be appreciated as never before. Unlike other podcasts relating to these issues, “Plants of the Gods” is hosted by renowned ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin, a Harvard and Yale-trained scientist who has been studying the healing plants and shamans of the Amazon rainforest for almost four decades. An award-winning scientist and best selling author, Dr, Plotkin is a spellbinding storyteller who will be speaking from personal experience and will be joined by other leaders in the field.