Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. For our last 10 minutes today, let's do something completely different and have a little fun, and just ask, what do you collect, and why? 212-433-WNYC. What do you collect, and why? 212-433-9692. I ask because the Oscar-winning documentarian and musician Questlove, who had his moment stolen at the Oscars. It was introducing the best documentary winner, and of course, we feature that category on the show every year with all the directors. Questlove was on for that, and then that's when the slap took place when they were setting up this documentary. Questlove did something else. He published a piece in the New York Times, showcasing his many collections.
In the story were photos of his more than 200,000 records, bins of the magazines, Ebony and Rolling Stone. He says he has almost every issue of each. Walls of sneakers, neatly organized in clear shoe boxes, and much, much more. Questlove wrote, "As a very young child when I listened to music, read interviews or watch movies, they lingered in my memory, and I didn't want them to leave me. Eventually, I got to thinking about the physical objects that brought me those experiences." It was those records and magazines and everything. He wrote, "Collecting those items became a way to prevent the past from slipping away."
Listeners, that's our question. Is that true for you? Do you collect things as a way to keep the past from slipping away or if not that, what do you collect, and why? 212-433-WNYC. We'll take those calls and hear more of what Questlove had to say about why he collects so many things, right after this.
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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. All right. What do you collect, and why? Does it have anything to do with what Questlove wrote in his New York Times essay, that it's a way of keeping the past from slipping away? Donna on Staten Island, what do you collect?
Donna: I collect owls. I collect them because I started working for Channel 13 right before they were going on the air. That's a long time ago. The wise owl was part of our logo. People in the office, something a little an occasion, Christmas, whatever, very often, it would be an owl of some sort. All of these years later, I have quite a collection in which my children have no interest. Some of them are very expensive. Some of them are little tchotchke things, but I do think occasionally of each of the people who may have given this, or then it reminds me of someone that I gave one to. Yes, it's the connection--
Brian Lehrer: So it the people, the connection, and also the idea of the wisdom of the owl, is yet another piece of it for you.
Donna: Perhaps.
Brian Lehrer: Only perhaps. Okay, Donna, thank you very much. Kathy in Rutherford, you're on WNYC. Hi, Kathy, what do you collect?
Kathy: Hi, Brian. Love your show. First-time caller. I collect [unintelligible 00:03:37] types because I just really love the cases that they came in, but then I started really looking at the photos and I realized matter they're just a snippet of that person's life from the 1860s, 1870s, but it also shows so much of how life was back then. I just think it's really beautiful to just have them and hold them and look at them. I have so many, I have to keep a lot of them stored away in boxes, but nonetheless, I have lots of them.
Brian Lehrer: Kathy, thank you. Kathy and Donna, please call us again. Marilyn in Manhattan. Hi, Marilyn, what do you collect?
Marilyn: Oh, hi. I collect vintage postcards, which is not that unusual, but most people have no idea how beautiful and diverse they were from the beginning of the 20th century up through, I guess you could say the current time, but I collect mostly the older ones.
Brian Lehrer: Describe one. Can you describe anyone?
Marilyn: Oh my goodness. Yes, hold on. One I had recent pinned to my wall. It's from the early '60s, and it's an ad for Benny Binion's Horseshoe Club and it shows an atom bomb test. It's from downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. Somehow they were using the atom bomb as a tourist attraction in Nevada. That sounds very strange, but I'd like to put in a plug. I'm also a longtime member of the Metropolitan Postcard Club, which is the oldest postcard collecting club in the country. We welcome anybody. We meet once a month and [unintelligible 00:05:29] online.
Brian Lehrer: There you go. Metropolitan Postcard Club, who knew. Marilyn, thank you very much. Hi, Julie in Brooklyn, what do you collect Julie? Hi, Julie.
Julie: Hello. I collect suitcases, which is an unfortunate thing to collect when you live in a tiny New York City apartment but nevertheless, that's what I have.
Brian Lehrer: Why suitcases?
Julie: Ever since I was a little girl I always had a suitcase. My first one was a powder blue circular Samsonite case with a loop handle that my grandmother gave me. I think they're just a throwback or a reminder of like a more civilized way to travel when you get dressed up and you go somewhere exciting and acquire new things.
Brian Lehrer: Another connection to the past.
Julie: Sure, yes.
Brian Lehrer: Julie, thank you very much. Richard in Nyack. Hi, Richard, what do you collect?
Richard: Hi. I collect soccer scarves. In America, every baseball team has their own logo and their own hat. There is a different whether in England and in Europe, every soccer team has their own woolen color-coordinated soccer scarf. I've never had the finances to travel as much as I want to, so anytime when my friends or family members or coworkers traveled, I have them bring me back one.
Brian Lehrer: When you get ready to travel when you have the means and everything you can call up Julie and Brooklyn and borrow a few of her suitcases.
Richard: Of course, the one I've been wearing lately as before last week when it was colder, was one that was somebody from Ukraine that had brought me back years ago.
Brian Lehrer: A soccer scarf from Ukraine, that is a good one to wear outside in this particular season. Well, thanks for all your calls, folks, on things you collect, inspired by Questlove.
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