Kathryn Nicolai
speaker
1,487 appearances
6 recordings
2 series
first heard Jun 2026
last heard 16 Sep
Kathryn Nicolai’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
Trend
recordings per month · last 12 monthsRecordings per month over the last 12 months — 6 in all, peaking in Sep 2026 with 2.
Appearances
I had a score that would pop tiny holes into the paper to let water or solvent slip behind it and loosen the glue.
and a steamer and a scraper and a few spray bottles.
But before I put any of those implements to work, I indulged myself in just reaching for that little tail of dried out paper and slowly pulling it away from the wall.
I had a sudden visceral memory of peeling the paper in the powder room, how often it would split or rip immediately, and I'd come away with a tiny scrap in my hand, decidedly unsatisfying.
But every once in a while you'd have just the right angle on it, and a huge sheet would come off.
It reminded me of the feeling of trying to get the dregs of a finished candle from its jar.
when it unsticks from the glass and pops out in one whole piece.
And much of my living room was like that for me now.
The paper must have been very old.
It was asking to come down in many places, and I could just slide my finger or the corner of my scraper under it and feel a chain reaction of popping as it released along the sheet and fell to my feet.
There were a few spots around the windows and mantle where I did use the score and the steam.
I gave the stubborn pieces a few minutes to soak up and soften and then scrape them away as well.
When the walls were clear and paper-free, I opened all the windows and gave them a day or two to dry out.
I picked a beautiful pale green sea foam color.
that matched the lake on hazy days.
And after I'd primed and taped
I opened up a fresh can of it and stirred it slowly.
Even this, prying open the lid, stirring the thick liquid with a long clean stir stick, and pouring it into my rolling tray was full of pleasing moments.
I became mesmerized as I worked, rolling out the paint, watching it spread and soak into the wall, the white primer overtaken by the soft, minty green.
Did I still have a favorite color?
Showing 1021–1040 of 1,487 · page 52 of 75
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