The minds behind the former Athanasius Kircher Society, that wondershow of cabinets and other items of curiosity where I whiled away so many pleasant hours as an unhappy temp, returned last summer with the Atlas Obscura, a site to celebrate eccentricities, ephemera, and esoterica. (Since digression is the sunshine of exactly the sort of narrative the defunct Society would appreciate, may I add that it was named for the “Jesuit Leonardo da Vinci,” who also happens to be the hero of the biography-within-a-novel in Jean-Marie Blas De Roblès’ recent French Voices grant winning novel Là où les tigres sont chez eux.)
Atlas Obscura is now sponsoring the exciting Obscura Day, an “international celebration of wondrous, curious, and esoteric places.” From their site:
When and where?
We are celebrating Obscura Day in cities and towns all over the world! Saturday, March 20th 2010. Mark your calendar. These events may fill up fast, so RSVP at the link above. We are not charging anything to attend, but certain venues may charge admission.