Program 747: Ireland in 100 Objects; Midlife Michelangelo; Language City New York

On the next Travel with Rick Steves, Irish writer Fintan O'Toole tells us about the cherished objects on display from Ireland's history, that contribute to its national identity today. 

We'll learn about efforts to capture the words and sounds of languages spoken in New York City that are on the brink of disappearing.

And we take a closer look at the life of Michelangelo, and the midlife mess that threatened to derail him from creating many of the world's most treasured works of art.

• Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole, author of "A History of Ireland in 100 Objects" (Royal Irish Academy)
• Gene Openshaw, author of "Michelangelo at Midlife: Chasing the Tomb of Julius II" (self-published)
• Ross Perlin, co-director of the Endangered Language Alliance, and author of "Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues In New York" (Grove Atlantic)

• Fintan O'Toole has been called "Ireland's leading public intellectual" by his colleagues at the Irish Times. He wrote the text for the book that accompanies the exhibit "Ireland in 100 Objects" at the National Museum of Archaeology in Dublin. His most recent book explains the changes to modern Ireland during his lifetime, in "We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland."
• Gene Openshaw is the author of "Michelangelo at Midlife: Chasing the Tomb of Julius II."
• Gene is also Rick's co-author on "Europe's Top 100 Masterpieces: Art for the Traveler."
• Ross Perlin wrote "Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues In New York" to profile how six New York City residents are working to document or possibly revive their native language before it disappears. Ross is also co-director of the Endangered Language Alliance.
• The ELA has posted an interactive digital version of its language map of metro New York at languagemap.nyc.

• Bob James and Earl Klugh, "New York Samba," Cool / Warner Bros.
• CEZ_CEZ_4429_00301_Irish_Line_Dance_APM
• SON_STT_0006_00801_Saga_Of_Ireland_APM
• John Doan, "Saint Patrick in the Spirit," Eire-Isle of the Saints (A Celtic Odyssey) / Hearts of Space
• James Galway, "Slievenamon," The Celtic Minstrel / RCA Victor
• Enya, "Ebudae," from Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya / Reprise
• * Solas, "The Maid on the Shore," Celtic Tides (collection) / Putumayo
• CEZ_CEZ_4390_00101_Natural_Mechanisms_APM
• KAPT_KAPT_0018_00501_French_Gardens_APM
• SEL_LSC_1099_01601_Concerto_for_Strings_in_G_Major_RV_151_Alla_Rustica_1st_Mvt_APM
• CBM_CBM_0076_00101_Age_Of_Importance_APM
• SON_SONV_0238_00601_Andante_Expresivo_From_Songs_Without_Words_Op_30_Nr_6_APM
• CEZ_CEZ_4303_00301_Global_Company_APM
• CEZ_CEO_2069_00101_Les_Cercles_du_Pouvoir_APM
• * Ryuichi Sakamoto, "Lulu," Heartbeat / Virgin
• Cluster and Eno, "The Belldog," NPR Music Sampler (collection) / NPR Music
• CEZ_CEZ_4304_01501_Getting_There_APM
• Martin Denny, "A-mer-i-ca," Baked Alaska / EMI-Collector's Choice
• Monks of the Nyingmapa Order, "Turning of the Bhutanese Dramnyen," Tibetan Buddhist Rites from the Monasteries of Bhutan, vol. 4 / Lyrichord
• Sadgangbeats, "Cherry Blossom," Beat Collection, Vol. 4 / Sad Boy Clique
• Nina Simone, "Central Park Blues," The Very Best of Nina Simone / Disconforme

* Indicates filler music used during internal breaks on the broadcast

• The objects of Irish history discussed in segment A continue on display, for free, in the archaeology collection at the National Museum in Dublin.
• In the open to the segment C interview, Rick calls New York City "the most linguistically diverse city in the history of the world," and notes that more than half of the world's 7000-some languages are due to disappear in the next century. Ross adds that the borough of Queens is the epicenter of language diversity, and that half of New Yorkers speak another language other than English at home.
• At 48:23, Ross says that there is one native speaker in her eighties in Canada who can still speak the indigenous Lenape language of the New York area.
• In a reset at 53:38, Rick notes that Ross' book was "just released."