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4.5K to 27K🎙 Daily cadence·47 episodes·Last published 3d ago - Monthly Reach
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15K to 90K🇬🇧33%🇦🇺33%🇨🇦33% - Active Followers
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On the show
Recent episodes
(Bonus) Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers with the author Caroline Fraser
Jun 9, 2026
59m 04s
(Archive) We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys with the author Erin Kimmerle
Jun 5, 2026
52m 45s
Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance with the authors Ann Wolbert Burgess & Steven Matthew Constantine
May 29, 2026
54m 52s
(Bonus) A Conversation with Hallie Rubenhold on Forgotten Women, Murder, and the True Crime Genre
May 22, 2026
49m 06s
(Archive) What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator with the author Barbara Butcher
May 15, 2026
56m 44s
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| Date | Episode | Description | Length | ||||||
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| 6/9/26 | ![]() (Bonus) Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers with the author Caroline Fraser | Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Murderland is out TODAY in paperback! Go grab a copy!https://www.carolinefraser.net/About Murderland: Caroline Fraser grew up in the shadow of Ted Bundy, the most notorious serial murderer of women in American history, surrounded by his hunting grounds and mountain body dumps, in the brooding landscape of the Pacific Northwest. But in the 1970s and ’80s, Bundy was just one perpetrator amid an uncanny explosion of serial rape and murder across the region. Why so many? Why so weirdly and nightmarishly gruesome? Why the senseless rise and then sudden fall of an epidemic of serial killing? As Murderland indelibly maps the lives and careers of Bundy and his infamous peers in mayhem—the Green River Killer, the I-5 Killer, the Night Stalker, the Hillside Strangler, even Charles Manson—Fraser’s Northwestern death trip begins to uncover a deeper mystery and an overlapping pattern of environmental destruction. At ground zero in Ted Bundy’s Tacoma stood one of the most poisonous lead, copper, and arsenic smelters in the world, but it was hardly unique in the West. As Fraser’s investigation inexorably proceeds, evidence mounts that the plumes of these smelters not only sickened and blighted millions of lives but also warped young minds, including some who grew up to become serial killers. A propulsive nonfiction thriller, Murderland transcends true-crime voyeurism and noir mythology, taking readers on a profound quest into the dark heart of the real American berserk.Caroline Fraser is the author of Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder, which won the Pulitzer Prize as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Heartland Prize, and the Plutarch Award for Best Biography of the Year. She is also the author of God’s Perfect Child: Living and Dying in the Christian Science Church, and her writing has appeared in the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, and the London Review of Books, among other publications. She lives in New Mexico.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 59m 04s | ||||||
| 6/5/26 | ![]() (Archive) We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys with the author Erin Kimmerle | Welcome to an archive episode! Check out our new website: morbidlycuriousbookclub.com Early and ad-free for Patreon members: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClub In 2024, I launched this podcast to delve deeper into our book club's nonfiction selections by engaging directly with the authors, the experts behind these compelling works. However, the book club has been around since 2021...so there are some 'archive' picks that we need to discuss! In August of 2023, we read what would become a staple for the book club: "We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys" by Erin Kimmerle! Forensic anthropologist Erin Kimmerle investigates of the notorious Dozier Boys School—the true story behind the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Nickel Boys—and the contentious process to exhume the graves of the boys buried there in order to reunite them with their families. The Arthur G. Dozier Boys School was a well-guarded secret in Florida for over a century, until reports of cruelty, abuse, and “mysterious” deaths shut the institution down in 2011. Established in 1900, the juvenile reform school accepted children as young as six years of age for crimes as harmless as truancy or trespassing. The boys sent there, many of whom were Black, were subject to brutal abuse, routinely hired out to local farmers by the school’s management as indentured labor, and died either at the school or attempting to escape its brutal conditions. In the wake of the school’s shutdown, Erin Kimmerle, a leading forensic anthropologist, stepped in to locate the school’s graveyard to determine the number of graves and who was buried there, thus beginning the process of reuniting the boys with their families through forensic and DNA testing. The school’s poorly kept accounting suggested some thirty-one boys were buried in unmarked graves in a remote field on the school’s property. The real number was at least twice that. Kimmerle’s work did not go unnoticed; residents and local law enforcement threatened and harassed her team in their eagerness to control the truth she was uncovering—one she continues to investigate to this day. We Carry Their Bones is a detailed account of Jim Crow America and an indictment of the reform school system as we know it. It’s also a fascinating dive into the science of forensic anthropology and an important retelling of the extraordinary efforts taken to bring these lost children home to their families—an endeavor that created a political firestorm and a dramatic reckoning with racism and shame in the legacy of America. Erin H. Kimmerle is an American forensic anthropologist, artist, and executive director of the Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science at the University of South Florida. She was awarded the 2020 AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility.Find the book's TW here: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/e2f00bfb-6469-4451-87af-6afa94959806Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 52m 45s | ||||||
| 5/29/26 | ![]() Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance with the authors Ann Wolbert Burgess & Steven Matthew Constantine | Welcome to Season 3 Episode 5!Join the Book Club, Subscribe to our book box, support our small business here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/This episode is available ad-free for our Patreon members, and releases slightly early! Become a Patreon Pal today, and check out other episodes, along with bonus bits not included for the general public... https://patreon.com/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClub?In May, the Morbidly Curious Book Club read "Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance" by Ann Wolbert Burgess & Steven Matthew Constantine!From the author of the critically-acclaimed true crime account, A Killer By Design (the inspiration behind Hulu's original docuseries, Mastermind), a groundbreaking look into the crucial role played by expert witnesses in the most high-profile criminal cases, based on Dr. Ann Burgess' personal experiences within the criminal justice system. Written through Burgess' singular lens of compassion and lived experience, Expert Witness pulls back the curtain on some of the biggest cases in the last thirty years--from Bill Cosby to the Menendez brothers to Larry Nassar--to reveal the deeply human stories behind the trials that have captivated a nation. The book explores the role of expert witnesses in high-stakes court cases, offering first-hand accounts and never-before-seen interviews with attorneys, victims, and offenders. Expert Witness places readers inside the mind of the nation's most prominent courtroom expert, following Burgess as she takes on one seismic case after the next. Throughout the narrative, each case deepens the reader's understanding of the art and science of expert testimony, taking readers from the women's movement of the 1970s to the #MeToo movement of today--one of the largest social reckonings in recent history. At its core, Expert Witness is a story of empowerment. It's a story of compassion and the ever-increasing need for individuals to stand up and speak truth to power or to popular opinion. And it's ultimately a story of how revolutionary one voice can be.Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess, DNSc., APRN, is a leading forensic and psychiatric nurse who worked with the FBI for over two decades. She is currently a professor at the Boston College Connell School of Nursing, and she lives in Boston, MA. Steven Matthew Constantine (cowriter) is the assistant director of marketing and communications at the Boston College Connell School of Nursing. He holds an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and lives in Boston, MA.TW can be found here: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/d414428c-a932-438a-8960-ae081f5d3cffAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 54m 52s | ||||||
| 5/22/26 | ![]() (Bonus) A Conversation with Hallie Rubenhold on Forgotten Women, Murder, and the True Crime Genre | Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Hallie's website here: https://hallierubenhold.com/About Story of a Murder: On February 1, 1910, the vivacious, diamond-adorned music hall performer Belle Elmore suddenly vanished from her home, causing alarm among her friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild. Their demands for an investigation would lead to the unearthing of a gruesome secret and trigger a fevered international manhunt for Belle’s husband, medical fraudster Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen. Ethel Le Neve, Crippen’s typist and lover, who fled with Crippen in disguise, has always hidden in the shadows of this tale–was she really just “an innocent young girl” in thrall to a powerful older man? And was there an equally sinister story behind the death of Crippen’s first wife, Charlotte? Brimming with twists and featuring a carnival cast of eccentric entertainers, star lawyers, zealous detectives, medics and liars, STORY OF A MURDER offers an electrifying snapshot of Britain and America at the dawn of the modern era. About The Five: Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Catherine, and Mary Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met. They came from Fleet Street, Knightsbridge, Wolverhampton, Sweden, and Wales. They wrote ballads, ran coffeehouses, lived on country estates; they breathed ink dust from printing presses and escaped human traffickers. What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888. The person responsible was never identified, but the character created by the press to fill that gap has become far more famous than any of these five women. For more than a century, newspapers have been keen to tell us that "the Ripper" preyed on prostitutes. Not only is this untrue, as historian Hallie Rubenhold has discovered, but it has prevented the real stories of these fascinating women from being told. Now, in this devastating narrative of five lives, Rubenhold finally sets the record straight, revealing a world not just of Dickens and Queen Victoria, but of poverty, homelessness, and rampant misogyny. They died because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time--but their greatest misfortune was to be born women. TW for The Five: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/1b3f4bef-f77c-4820-894a-599e55e7c885TW for Story of a Murder: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/91d3c9ea-0249-4d02-b746-64da658f2e09Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 49m 06s | ||||||
| 5/15/26 | ![]() (Archive) What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator with the author Barbara Butcher | Welcome to an archive episode!Check out our new website: morbidlycuriousbookclub.comEarly and ad-free for Patreon members: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubIn 2024, I launched this podcast to delve deeper into our book club's nonfiction selections by engaging directly with the authors, the experts behind these compelling works. However, the book club has been around since 2021...so there are some 'archive' picks that we need to discuss!In September of 2023, we read what would become a staple for the book club: "WHAT THE DEAD KNOW, Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator" by Barbara Butcher!When Barbara Butcher was early in her recovery from alcoholism, she found an unexpected lifeline in a job at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in NYC. As only the second woman ever hired for the role—and the first to last more than three months—she became a vital force in the world of forensic science and criminal investigations. Over the next two decades, Butcher worked thousands of cases: gruesome homicides, suspicious suicides, heartbreaking scenes involving underage victims, and complex mass casualty investigations. In her unforgettable account, she invites readers into the gritty, high-stakes world of crime-scene investigation, from the autopsy room and morgue to tense moments at active crime scenes. Along the way, she uncovered how confronting death every day gave her a new perspective on life—and ultimately saved her from becoming a statistic herself. In vivid, darkly humorous prose, Butcher recounts how she narrowly avoided a booby-trapped suicide scene, and how, during 9/11, she and her colleagues worked tirelessly to identify victims using scraps of clothing, DNA, and the memories of grieving loved ones. Her honesty, resilience, and sharp wit make this a standout in the genre of first responder memoirs and women in law enforcement.Learn more about Barbara here: https://www.barbarabutcherofficial.com/The Death Investigator trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ilLAP28qN0&time_continue=1&source_ve_path=NzY3NTg&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barbarabutcherofficial.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barbarabutcherofficial.comFind the book here with TW: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/369dae9c-ddfd-4d4c-872a-9f83acf2aefdAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 56m 44s | ||||||
| 5/15/26 | ![]() (Bonus) Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Crime Television with the author Claire St. Amant | Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/*Please note! I truly had to Frankenstein this episode... we had so many technical difficulties, unfortunately, it's a shorter episode with some questions missed, but I did the best I could to get you guys a cohesive piece!Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Giveaway info here! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19Zqa7zjeNQOYTtnJhrXow0oB95xFSPnKaF85O8BRQ0M/editAbout the book:Serial killers. Homicidal spouses. Sociopathic criminals. Claire St. Amant has met them all.She spent nearly a decade in network television chasing the biggest true crime stories in the country, including the murder of Chris Kyle, plastic-surgeon-turned-murder-for-hire suspect Thomas Michael Dixon, the Parkland high school mass shooting, the disappearance of Christina Morris, and serial killer Samuel Little. Bringing a true crime story to network television requires quick thinking and tenacious stamina, and in her debut memoir, Claire offers true crime fans a rare in-depth look from the other side of the yellow tape. In Killer Story, readers will learn what it really takes to get these gripping cases on the air with insights such as:How it feels to share space with a dead-eyed murdererWhich TV show has a reputation for “eating their young”How reporters win over skeptical cops and reluctant lawyersWhy TV journalists are always racing against the clock—and competitor sabotageWhat happens when a district attorney decides journalists have committed a felonyThe unresolved crimes that still haunt Claire to this dayThis eye-opening look behind the scenes of true crime television offers an unforgettable read—and a window into the daily reality of investigative journalism.About Claire: Investigative journalist Claire St. Amant is the host of the true crime podcast, Final Days on Earth, and the author of the memoir, Killer Story. St. Amant developed and produced stories for CBS News and is credited on over 20 episodes of 48 Hours, including an assassination attempt on a judge in Austin, a serial killer in South Carolina, and a murder-for-hire sting on two doctors in Houston. She won a New York Press Club award for her work on “Bringing a Nation Together,” a special report on the 2016 Dallas Police shooting, which was also nominated for an Emmy in breaking news. In 2019, St. Amant began contributing to 60 Minutes, with “The Ranger and The Serial Killer.” She built her career one story at a time, rising up through local media to national television, a network podcast, and her latest project, a tell-all memoir about true crime TV. St. Amant got her start at People Newspapers in Dallas, where she earned her first of two Philbin Awards for excellence in legal reporting. She was a founding editor of the popular daily news site CultureMap Dallas, and her investigative series on a faked home invasion led to a new career at CBS News. A graduate of Baylor University and a returned Peace Corps volunteer, St. Amant is a native Texan who is always on the hunt for her next adventure. She loves few things more than a good story and a long run, though her husband and son are notable exceptions.Find user submitted TW here: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/6fef5a61-88c2-4eb9-a8f5-7133e0885249Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 33m 56s | ||||||
| 4/30/26 | ![]() (Bonus) Killers of Roe: My Investigation into the Mysterious Death of Abortion Rights with the author Amy Littlefield | Resources mentioned below.Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Shoutout to Legacy Lit for my copy of Amy Littlefield's Killers of Roe: My Investigation into the Mysterious Death of Abortion Rights.About the book: They are going to kill people, investigative reporter for The Nation Amy Littlefield knew, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. After a decade covering abortion, she wanted to more deeply understand the motives, means, and opportunities behind the antiabortion movement’s victory. So she set out to investigate the murderers of Roe. Killers of Roe chronicles Littlefield’s journey into the unexplored corners of the most successful social movement of our time. As in every good murder mystery, the killers turn out to be the people you least suspect. Plot twists lurk around every corner as Littlefield meets believers, opportunists, and complicated heroes. Along the way, she encounters surprising characters who shed light on how we got to this moment of authoritarian rule: from the former fetus keeper standing trial in Michigan to the antiabortion militant turned long-shot presidential candidate to the pro-choice superfans at the Reagan Library. Throughout the book, Littlefield draws upon women’s stories and her own experience as a mother to reveal the life-and-death stakes of America’s abortion wars. At once clever and poignant reportage, this abortion whodunit uncovers the deeper story of how we lost Roe—and how we will win back so much more. About Amy: She is the abortion access correspondent at The Nation and a freelance investigative reporter who focuses on the intersection of religion and health care. She is the author of Killers of Roe, a whodunit that investigates the death of abortion rights, due out in March 2026.Resources mentioned:https://www.abortionfinder.org/https://www.ineedana.com/https://www.plancpills.org/abouthttps://mahotline.org/https://abortiondefensenetwork.org/https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/resources/resources-for-accessing-abortion-care/StoryGraph link to book: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/b39c91da-b2c1-43ad-add3-5d10420432bcAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 07m 33s | ||||||
| 4/24/26 | ![]() Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York's Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist with the author Jennifer Wright | Welcome to Season 3 Episode 4!Join the Book Club, Subscribe to our book box, support our small business here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/This episode is available ad-free for our Patreon members, and releases slightly early! Become a Patreon Pal today, and check out other episodes, along with bonus bits not included for the general public... https://patreon.com/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClub?In April, the Morbidly Curious Book Club read "Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York's Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist" by Jennifer Wright!About the book: An industrious immigrant who built her business from the ground up, Madame Restell was a self-taught surgeon on the cutting edge of healthcare in pre-Gilded Age New York, and her bustling “boarding house” provided birth control, abortions, and medical assistance to thousands of women—rich and poor alike. As her practice expanded, her notoriety swelled, and Restell established her-self as a prime target for tabloids, threats, and lawsuits galore. But far from fading into the background, she defiantly flaunted her wealth, parading across the city in designer clothes, expensive jewelry, and bejeweled carriages, rubbing her success in the faces of the many politicians, publishers, fellow physicians, and religious figures determined to bring her down. Unfortunately for Madame Restell, her rise to the top of her field coincided with “the greatest scam you’ve never heard about”—the campaign to curtail women’s power by restricting their access to both healthcare and careers of their own. Powerful, secular men—threatened by women’s burgeoning independence—were eager to declare abortion sinful, a position endorsed by newly-minted male MDs who longed to edge out their feminine competition and turn medicine into a standardized, male-only practice. By unraveling the misogynistic and misleading lies that put women’s lives in jeopardy, Wright simultaneously restores Restell to her rightful place in history and obliterates the faulty reasoning underlying the very foundation of what has since been dubbed the “pro-life” movement. Thought-provoking, character-driven, boldly written, and feminist as hell, Madame Restell is required reading for anyone and everyone who believes that when it comes to women’s rights, women’s bodies, and women’s history, women should have the last word.About Jennifer: She is an author of history books, television writer, columnist, podcaster, and speaker. Her books include the upcoming Glitz, Glam, and a Damn Good Time: How Mamie Fish, Queen of the Gilded Age, Partied Her Way to Power (Hachette Books, 2025), Madame Restell (Hachette Books, 2023), as well as It Ended Badly: 13 of the Worst Break-Ups in History, and the Audible bestseller Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and The Heroes That Fought Them.StoryGraph link to Madame Restell: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/145c812f-247c-4d4f-bb9f-08aa416b2e70Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 27m 35s | ||||||
| 4/14/26 | ![]() (Bonus) Bigfoot and Magic Mushrooms with John O'Connor | But not at the same time...unless you're into that; Godspeed.Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/About The Secret History of Bigfoot: From the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest to off-the-wall cryptozoological conventions, one man searches high and low for the answer to the question: real or not, why do we want to believe? Bigfoot is an instantly recognizable figure. Through the decades, this elusive primate has been featured in movies and books, on coffee mugs, beer koozies, car polish, and CBD oil. Which begs the question: what is it about Bigfoot that's caught hold of our imaginations? Journalist and self-diagnosed skeptic John O'Connor is fascinated by Sasquatch. Curious to learn more, he embarks on a quest through the North American wilds in search of Bigfoot, its myth and meaning. Alongside an eccentric cast of characters, he explores the zany and secretive world of "cryptozoology," tracking Bigfoot through ancient folklore to Harry and the Hendersons, while examining the forces behind our ever-widening belief in the supernatural. As O'Connor treks through the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest, listens to firsthand accounts, and attends Bigfoot conventions, he's left wondering―what happens when the lines between myth and reality blur? Perfect for fans of Bill Bryson and Douglas Preston, and with sharp wit and an adventurous spirit, this heartfelt exploration of a cornerstone of American folklore unpacks why we believe in the things that we do, what that says about us, and how it shapes our world.About his NEW release, A Short, Strange Trip: Tag along with clever guide John O'Connor as he leads us on a gonzo journey through the history of psychedelics, the Amazon rainforest, and into the cosmic dimensions of our own minds. This will be the trip of a lifetime. March 4th, 1971: Deep in the Colombian rainforest, a motley crew of "psychonauts" prepared for what they believed would be the ultimate experiment. Convinced that a mixture of powerful hallucinogenic plants held the key to unlocking human consciousness, they soon found themselves entering hyperspace. The return journey was... complicated. Present day: Acclaimed journalist John O'Connor is fascinated by this forgotten expedition. What really happened in those jungle depths? Armed with decades-old field notes, new interviews, and a healthy dose of curiosity, O'Connor ventures into the same Amazon territory, retracing the psychonauts' steps through the remote Putumayo in search of a legendary hallucinogen called ukuè —and the truth about an "experiment" that's been quietly gathering dust. Working alongside indigenous Uitoto people who bore witness to it all, O'Connor explores how humanity's relationship with psychedelics has shaped everything from ancient religion to modern medicine. But as he journeys deeper into both the rainforest and the cosmic dimensions these substances reveal, one question keeps nagging at him: Were the psychonauts onto something truly profound—or just profoundly stoned? Some stories are worth the trip.About the author, John: He is the author of The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster, which explores the obsessive world of Bigfoot believers. His articles and essays have appeared in newsstand publications such as The New York Times, GQ, Financial Times Magazine, Men’s Journal, and The Boston Globe, as well as the literary journals Open City, Post Road, Quarterly West, The Believer, Oxford American, and Creative Nonfiction’s True Story series. His work can also be found in various anthologies, including The Best American Food Writing 2018 and The Best Creative Nonfiction Vol. 1. Born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan (the original home of Gibson guitars), he has taught nonfiction writing in the BFA program at Pratt Institute and now teaches journalism at Boston College. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his wife, children, and rabbit.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 09m 31s | ||||||
| 4/10/26 | ![]() (Bonus) Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult with the author Ellen Huet | Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/OneTaste hoped orgasm would change the world. Emerging in the midst of the late-aughts for-profit wellness boom, the company was unwavering in its faith in orgasmic meditation, or OM, a fifteen-minute practice featuring a woman being clitorally stimulated by a clothed, usually male partner. Nicole Daedone, the group’s magnetic and cunning founder, envisioned a world where OM was as widespread as yoga. But Daedone’s vision came with a price: behind the militant loyalty she inspired and her millions of dollars of sales was what former members describe as a cult of manipulation, abuse, and coercion driven by a relentless quest for control. And by the time the FBI showed up at her door in 2023 with an indictment alleging she conspired to commit forced labor, even Daedone herself was no longer safe.About Ellen: She is an award-winning investigative journalist who currently writes for Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek. She is the author of EMPIRE OF ORGASM, a forthcoming book about OneTaste, a sexual wellness company alleged to be a sex cult. She also hosted two seasons of the podcast Foundering, a narrative audio series from Bloomberg Technology. One season recounts the rise and fall of WeWork; another chronicles the story of OpenAI and examines the trustworthiness of its leader, Sam Altman. EMPIRE OF ORGASM is based on a 2018 investigation she wrote for Bloomberg Businessweek, which explored allegations from former employees and customers that the group operated as a sex cult and exploited its members financially and sexually. Following publication of that piece, the FBI launched an investigation into OneTaste. In 2023, federal prosecutors indicted two company leaders, Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz, on forced labor conspiracy charges. In June 2025, a jury found both guilty; they are currently in jail awaiting sentencing. Her new book presents a definitive account of OneTaste for MCD x FSG and is available for pre-order now, with publication set for November 18. She was featured in the 2022 Netflix documentary Orgasm, Inc., which examined OneTaste. Her reporting on the company has been cited by major outlets including The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, and Slate. Before joining Bloomberg, she was a staff writer at Forbes and a crime reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle. She has a particular interest in covering strange and complex subcultures and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.https://www.ellenhuet.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 20m 09s | ||||||
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| 3/27/26 | ![]() Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder with the author Rachel McCarthy James | Welcome to Season 3 Episode 3! Our March book for the Morbidly Curious Book Club is WHACK JOB: A History of Axe Murder by Rachel McCarthy James!Join the Book Club, Subscribe to our book box, support our small business here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/This episode is available ad-free for our Patreon members, and releases slightly early! Become a Patreon Pal today, and check out other episodes, along with bonus bits not included for the general public... https://patreon.com/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClub?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink"A brilliant and bloody examination of the axe's foundational role in human history, from prehistoric violence, to war and executions, splashed across newspaper headlines and popular culture. For as long as the axe has been in our hands, we have used it to kill. Much like the wheel, the boat, and the telephone, the axe is a transformative piece of technology ― one that has been with us since prehistory. And just as early humans used the axe to chop down trees, hunt for food, and whittle tools, they also used it to murder. Over time, this particular use has endured: as the axe evolved over centuries to fit the needs of new agricultural, architectural, and social development, so have our lethal uses for it. Whack Job is the story of the axe, first as a convenient danger and then an anachronism, as told through the murders it has been employed in throughout history: from the first axe murder nearly half a million years ago, to the brutal harnessing of the axe in warfare, and from its use in King Henry VIII's favourite method of execution, to Lizzie Borden and the birth of modern pop culture. Whack Job sheds brilliant light on this familiar implement, this most human of weapons. This is a critical examination of violence, an exploration of how technology shapes human conflict, the cruel and sacred rituals of execution and battle, and the ways humanity fits even the most savage impulses into narratives of the past and present."Rachel McCarthy James was born in Kansas in 1986. She is the daughter of baseball’s Bill James and artist Susan McCarthy. At Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, she studied political science and creative writing. Her first book, The Man from the Train (coauthored with her father) chronicled the serial killer behind the Villisca axe murders. Published in 2017, The Man from the Train was nominated for an Edgar award for best fact crime, and won the Kansas Notable Book award. Rachel lives in Lawrence, KS with her husband Jason, their dog Milly, and three cats – Burger, Frankie, and Lola. Enjoy the episode!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 22m 09s | ||||||
| 3/20/26 | ![]() (Bonus) All About Allergies: Everything You Need to Know About Asthma, Food Allergies, Hay Fever, and More with the author Zachary Rubin, MD | Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/From viral social media sensation Dr. Zachary Rubin, an in-depth look at both common and surprising allergies, spotlighting patient stories, the history and science behind allergies, common myths, treatment options, and more. Millions of people suffer from various allergic diseases. They're some of the most common but widely misunderstood afflictions today, and Dr Rubin has made it his mission to pull back the curtain and help everyday people understand their allergies and find ways to feel better. In All About Allergies, Dr Rubin explores and explains dozens of allergies and diseases and provides actionable treatment options and information. Sections on the history of allergies, asthma, contact dermatitis, sinusitis, food allergies, anaphylaxis, medication allergies, and more pair with treatment info on medications, immunotherapy, and biologics to equip people with the tools they need to tackle their allergies. Grounded by expert research and propelled by patient stories, science, history, and, of course, Dr. Ru.bin's engaging voice, All About Allergies is the ultimate resource for anyone who's ever felt in the dark about their health.Dr. Zachary Rubin is a double board-certified pediatrician and allergist/immunologist who practices at Oak Brook Allergists in the Chicago area. A nationally recognized medical educator and public health advocate, he shares evidence-based, accessible information on allergies, asthma, and public health with over three million followers under the handle @rubin_allergy. Dr Rubin earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University, completed his pediatrics residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, and his allergy/immunology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Outside of medicine, he enjoys swimming, hiking, hula hooping, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and three German shepherds. All About Allergies is his first book, offering a clear, compassionate guide to managing allergic diseases.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 51m 53s | ||||||
| 3/16/26 | ![]() (Bonus) Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage with the author Heather Ann Thompson | Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode! Early + ad-free for the Patreon members.Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/About the book: On December 22, 1984, in a graffiti-covered New York City subway car, passengers looked on in horror as a white loner named Bernhard Goetz shot four Black teens, Darrell Cabey, Barry Allen, Troy Canty, and James Ramseur, at point-blank range. He then disappeared into a dark tunnel. After an intense manhunt, and his eventual surrender in New Hampshire, the man the tabloid media had dubbed the “Death Wish Vigilante” would become a celebrity and a hero to countless ordinary Americans who had been frustrated with the economic fallout of the Reagan 80s. Overnight, Goetz’s young victims would become villains. Out of this dramatic moment would emerge an angry nation, in which Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post and later Fox News Network stoked the fear and the fury of a stunning number of Americans. Drawing from never-before-seen archival materials, legal files, and more, Heather Ann Thompson narrates the Bernie Goetz Subway shootings and their decades-long reverberations, while deftly recovering the lives of the boys whom too many decided didn’t matter. Fear and Fury is the remarkable account and a searing indictment of a crucial turning point in American history.About the author, Heather Ann Thompson is a historian and the author of Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy, which won the Pulitzer Prize and the Bancroft Prize. She is also the author of Whose Detroit?: Politics, Labor, and Race in a Modern American City. Thompson has written about the criminal justice system for myriad publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker. She has served on the National Academy of Sciences blue ribbon panel that studied the causes and consequences of mass incarceration in the United States, co-runs the Carceral State Project at the University of Michigan, and has been the recipient of numerous honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant, and a Racial Justice Fellowship from the Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights at Harvard University. Thompson has also served as a historical consultant for film and television, including on the Oscar-nominated feature documentary Attica.Buy the book today: https://bookshop.org/lists/morbidly-curious-non-fiction-recommendationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 54m 52s | ||||||
| 3/11/26 | ![]() (Bonus) The Trial of Lizzie Borden with the author Cara Robertson | Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/The Trial of Lizzie Borden tells the true story of one of the most sensational murder trials in American history. When Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally hacked to death in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August 1892, the arrest of the couple’s younger daughter Lizzie turned the case into international news and her trial into a spectacle unparalleled in American history. Reporters flocked to the scene. Well-known columnists took up conspicuous seats in the courtroom. The defendant was relentlessly scrutinized for signs of guilt or innocence. Everyone—rich and poor, suffragists and social conservatives, legal scholars and laypeople—had an opinion about Lizzie Borden’s guilt or innocence. Was she a cold-blooded murderess or an unjustly persecuted lady? Did she or didn’t she? The popular fascination with the Borden murders and its central enigmatic character has endured for more than one hundred years. Immortalized in rhyme, told and retold in every conceivable genre, the murders have secured a place in the American pantheon of mythic horror, but one typically wrenched from its historical moment. In contrast, Cara Robertson explores the stories Lizzie Borden’s culture wanted and expected to hear and how those stories influenced the debate inside and outside of the courtroom. Based on transcripts of the Borden legal proceedings, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from Lizzie herself, The Trial of Lizzie Borden offers a window onto America in the Gilded Age, showcasing its most deeply held convictions and its most troubling social anxieties.About the author: Cara Robertson began researching the Borden case as a Harvard undergraduate in 1990. She holds a PhD from Oxford University and a JD from Stanford Law School. She clerked at the Supreme Court of the United States, served as a legal adviser to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague, and has written for various publications. Her scholarship has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Humanities Center, of which she is a Trustee. The Trial of Lizzie Borden is her first book.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 04m 46s | ||||||
| 2/20/26 | ![]() Rabid: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus with the authors Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy | Welcome to Season 3 Episode 2!Join the Book Club, Subscribe to our book box, support our small business here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Early and ad-free for Patreon members! https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubWith a bite, the creature transforms its prey into another raving monster. It's a scenario that underlies our darkest tales of supernatural horror, but its power derives from a very real virus, a deadly scourge known to humankind from our earliest days. In this lively and engrossing investigation, journalist Bill Wasik and veterinarian Monica Murphy chart four thousand years of the history, science, and cultural mythology of rabies. From Greek myths to zombie flicks, from the laboratory heroics of Louis Pasteur to the contemporary search for a lifesaving treatment, Rabid is a fresh and often wildly entertaining look at one of humankind's oldest and most fearsome foes.Bill Wasik is the editorial director of The New York Times Magazine and Monica Murphy is a veterinarian and writer.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 52m 24s | ||||||
| 1/23/26 | ![]() Blazing Eye Sees All: Love Has Won, False Prophets, and the Fever Dream of the American New Age with the author Leah Sottile | Welcome to Season 3 Episode 1!Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Early and ad-free for Patreon members! https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubWe are kicking off 2026 and season 3 with the book club’s favorite topic: cults. And trust me when I say, we are in good hands with our January 2026 pick… Today, tarot cards, astrology and crystals are everywhere — on Instagram and TikTok, and sold at upscale boutiques and pricey wellness retreats. Journalist Leah Sottile turns her investigative eye toward the recent surge of New Age influencing American Culture with her latest book, BLAZING EYE SEES ALL: Love Has Won, False Prophets, and the Fever Dream of the American New Age. She looks at self-professed gurus like Love Has Won's Mother God and the mysterious channeler Ramtha, who have built devout followings based on their teachings. For more than a century, this pastel-colored world of love, light, and enlightenment has been built upon a foundation of conspiracies, antisemitism, nationalism, and a rejection of science. In Blazing Eye Sees All, Sottile seeks to understand the quest for New Age spirituality in an era of fear that has made us open to anything that claims to bring relief from war, the climate crisis, COVID 19, and the myriad of other issues we face. At the same time, she attempts to draw a line between truly helpful, healing ideas and snake oil—helping us sort through the crystals to find true clarity.Leah Sottile is the author of two books: Blazing Eye Sees All and When the Moon Turns to Blood. Her journalism has been published by The Washington Post, The New York Times Magazine, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Outside, the BBC, The Atlantic and High Country News, where she is a correspondent. She is the host of the podcasts Hush, Burn Wild, Two Minutes Past Nine and the National Magazine Award-nominated series Bundyville. She lives in Oregon.Her website: https://www.leahsottile.com/Enjoy the episode!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 01m 53s | ||||||
| 1/14/26 | ![]() (Archive) Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism with the author Amanda Montell | Welcome to an archive episode!Check out our new website: morbidlycuriousbookclub.comEarly and ad-free for Patreon members: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubIn 2024, I launched this podcast to delve deeper into our book club's nonfiction selections by engaging directly with the authors, the experts behind these compelling works. However, the book club has been around since 2021...so there are some 'archive' picks that we need to discuss!In January of 2022, we read CULTISH: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell a,nd it has become a staple in the MCBC, our Bible...if you will.About the book: What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . .Our culture tends to provide pretty flimsy answers to questions of cult influence, mostly having to do with vague talk of “brainwashing.” But the true answer has nothing to do with freaky mind-control wizardry or Kool-Aid. In Cultish, Montell argues that the key to manufacturing intense ideology, community, and us/them attitudes all comes down to language. In both positive ways and shadowy ones, cultish language is something we hear—and are influenced by—every single day. Through juicy storytelling and cutting original research, Montell exposes the verbal elements that make a wide spectrum of communities “cultish,” revealing how they affect followers of groups as notorious as Heaven’s Gate, but also how they pervade our modern start-ups, Peloton leaderboards, and Instagram feeds. Incisive and darkly funny, this enrapturing take on the curious social science of power and belief will make you hear the fanatical language of “cultish” everywhere.About Amanda: Her nonfiction books include Wordslut and the New York Times bestsellers Cultish and The Age of Magical Overthinking. Translated into over fifteen languages, Amanda’s books have been praised by publications including The Atlantic, The Economist, and NPR and spotlit as monthly selections by Barnes & Noble and the Dylan Mulvaney Book Club. Amanda’s podcasts Sounds Like A Cult and Magical Overthinkers have been downloaded over 40 million times and praised by The New York Times, Vulture, and Esquire. Sounds Like A Cult won the 2023 iHeart Radio Award for Best Emerging Podcast.Amanda’s writing has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, and Harper’s Bazaar, among others. Speaking about her work, Amanda has appeared in documentaries including Netflix’s “How to Become A Cult Leader” and HBO’s “Breath of Fire.” She holds a degree in linguistics from NYU and lives in Southern California, where she is at work on her debut novel, Where to Put Your Tongue (Simon & Schuster, 2028).Find Amanda on Instagram @amanda_montell.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 57m 11s | ||||||
| 1/8/26 | ![]() SEASON 3 (Trailer) | Check out our NEW website! morbidlycuriousbookclub.comHere is our 2026 lineup:January "Blazing Eye Sees All: Love Has Won, False Prophets, and the Fever Dream of the American New Age" by Leah SottileFebruary "Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus" by Bill Wasik & Monica MurphyMarch "Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder" by Rachel McCarthy JamesApril "Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York's Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist" by Jennifer WrightMay "The Forever Witness: How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder" by Edward HumesJune "Still Life with Bones: Genocide, Forensics, and What Remains" by Alexa HagertyJuly "Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum" by Antonia HyltonAugust "American Afterlives: Reinventing Death in the 21st Century" by Shannon Lee DawdySeptember "Empire of the Scalpel: The History of Surgery" by Ira RutkowOctober "Spiritualism's Place: Reformers, Seekers, and Séance in Lily Dale" by Earls/Handley-Cousins/Rhodes/MasarikNovember "Expert Witness: The Weight of our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance" by Ann Wolbert Burgess and Steven Matthew ConstantineDecember "Society of the Snow: The Definitive Account of the Worlds Greatest Survival Story" by Pablo VierciThank you for being here with me on this journey. I cannot wait to discuss these titles with you, and chat with these incredible authors! Which title are you most excited for? Have you read any already? Let me know!Cheers!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 2m 46s | ||||||
| 12/26/25 | ![]() The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels with the authors Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans | Season 2 finale!Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Early and ad-free for Patreon members! https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubOur December 2025 pick was “THE UNCLAIMED: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels" by Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans!For centuries, people who died destitute or alone were buried in potters’ fields—a Dickensian end that even the most hard-pressed families tried to avoid. Today, more and more relatives are abandoning their dead, leaving it to local governments to dispose of the bodies. Up to 150,000 Americans now go unclaimed each year. Who are they? Why are they being forgotten? And what is the meaning of life if your death doesn’t matter to others? In this extraordinary work of narrative nonfiction, eight years in the making, sociologists Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans uncover a hidden social world. They follow four individuals in Los Angeles, tracing the twisting, poignant paths that put each at risk of going unclaimed, and introducing us to the scene investigators, notification officers, and crematorium workers who care for them when no one else will. The Unclaimed lays bare the difficult truth that anyone can be abandoned. It forces us to confront a variety of social ills, from the fracturing of families and the loneliness of cities to the toll of rising inequality. But it is also filled with unexpected moments of tenderness. In Boyle Heights, a Mexican American neighborhood not far from the glitter of Hollywood, hundreds of strangers come together each year to mourn the deaths of people they never knew. These ceremonies, springing up across the country, reaffirm our shared humanity and help mend our frayed social fabric. Beautifully crafted and profoundly empathetic, The Unclaimed urges us to expand our circle of caring—in death and in life.Their website: https://www.theunclaimedbook.com/Happy New Year, friends! Here's to 2026! Cheers!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 09m 59s | ||||||
| 12/20/25 | ![]() (Bonus) Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror with the author Ashley Cullins | Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Here is my conversation with Ashley Cullins on her book, "YOUR FAVORITE SCARY MOVIE: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror."Releasing on the 29th anniversary of Scream hitting theaters!About the book: The ultimate story of the Scream movie franchise, featuring interviews from more than eighty key players and an in-depth exploration of the creation and legacy of the films that revived a dying genre. In Your Favorite Scary Movie, entertainment journalist Ashley Cullins examines the making and impact of the Scream films with behind-the-scenes insight from cast, creators, and crew, as well as sharp analysis on how the movies’ special blend of gruesome violence and humorous self-awareness rewrote the horror playbook. This intimate and thorough history includes brand-new interviews from Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Kevin Williamson, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Jack Quaid, Parker Posey, Hayden Panettiere, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Radio Silence, Roger L. Jackson, and so many more. Perfect for fans of Scream, horror lovers, and cinephiles, this is the story of how a little movie about a ghost-faced killer terrorizing high schoolers overcame countless obstacles to become an historic success that still has audiences screaming to this day.About the author: Ashley Cullins is an award-winning entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. After graduating with a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School, Ashley began her career in broadcast news before making the jump to print.Your Favorite Scary Movie is her first book.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 49m 05s | ||||||
| 12/12/25 | ![]() (Bonus) When We Spoke to the Dead: How Ghosts Gave American Women Their Voice with the author Ilise S. Carter | Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode!Here is my conversation with Ilise S. Carter on her book, "WHEN WE SPOKE TO THE DEAD: How Ghosts Gave American Women Their Voice."About the book: Ghosts spoke. Women listened. Everything changed. It began with whispers in a dimly lit room. In the 1840s, the Fox Sisters—and the legions of mediums they inspired—ignited the Spiritualist movement that swept through Victorian parlors and presidential campaigns alike. Contacting the dead wasn't merely a parlor trick: It was a political statement, a declaration of self that still echoes. Séances attracted suffragists and scientists, skeptics and charlatans, giving women a voice in a society that often refused to hear them. But as Spiritualism surged, it also blurred the lines between faith, fraud, feminism, and financial opportunity, drawing figures as varied as Harry Houdini, Victoria Woodhull, and even modern self-help gurus into its ever-expanding orbit. From wartime séances to the rise of televangelists, from Victorian ghosts to goop-approved wellness rituals, When We Spoke to the Dead unearths the forgotten roots of today's obsession with manifestation, mysticism, and the power of belief. Exploring America's deep-seated hunger for the unseen—whether through politics, personal empowerment, or grief—this book traces how the supernatural, once condemned as heresy, became the ultimate commodity. Step inside the séance room. The spirits have been waiting.About the author: Ilise S. Carter is freelance writer, consulting copywriter to the beauty industry, and sideshow performer based in New York City. She has written for Allure, New York Times, Racked, Wall Street Journal, and others, with a focus on pop culture. In addition, she’s spent over a decade as a consulting copywriter for beauty brands such as Shiseido, bliss, Laura Mercier, Avon, L’Oréal, and Madame CJ Walker, specializing in brand voice and identity. As her stage persona, The Lady Aye, she has worked as professional sideshow performer (sword swallower, fire eater, blockhead, and pain-proof girl) and MC with acts ranging from Rob Zombie to Cirque du Soleil, and has appeared on TV’s Gossip Girl, Odditties, The President Show, Mysteries at the Museum and Dickinson. Carter holds a BA in American Studies from Barnard College at Columbia University and a Certificate in Film Production from NYU.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 16m 28s | ||||||
| 11/29/25 | ![]() Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood with the author Rose George | Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Early and ad-free for Patreon members! https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubOur November 2025 pick was “NINE PINTS: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood" by Rose George!An eye-opening exploration of blood, the lifegiving substance with the power of taboo, the value of diamonds and the promise of breakthrough science. Blood carries life, yet the sight of it makes people faint. It is a waste product and a commodity pricier than oil. It can save lives and transmit deadly infections. Each one of us has roughly nine pints of it, yet many don’t even know their own blood type. And for all its ubiquitousness, the few tablespoons of blood discharged by 800 million women are still regarded as taboo: menstruation is perhaps the single most demonized biological event. Rose George, author of The Big Necessity, is renowned for her intrepid work on topics that are invisible but vitally important. In Nine Pints, she takes us from ancient practices of bloodletting to the breakthough of the "liquid biopsy," which promises to diagnose cancer and other diseases with a simple blood test. She introduces Janet Vaughan, who set up the world’s first system of mass blood donation during the Blitz, and Arunachalam Muruganantham, known as “Menstrual Man” for his work on sanitary pads for developing countries. She probes the lucrative business of plasma transfusions, in which the US is known as the “OPEC of plasma.” And she looks to the future, as researchers seek to bring synthetic blood to a hospital near you. Spanning science and politics, stories and global epidemics, Nine Pints reveals our life's blood in an entirely new light. Nine Pints was named one of Bill Gates recommended summer reading titles for 2019.Rose George is the author of The Big Necessity and Ninety Percent of Everything. A freelance journalist, she has written for The New York Times, Slate, and the Financial Times, among other publications. She lives in Yorkshire.Her latest book: https://www.rosegeorge.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 59m 38s | ||||||
| 10/24/25 | ![]() Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places with the author Colin Dickey | Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Early and ad-free for Patreon members! https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubOur October 2025 pick was “Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places" by Colin Dickey, our 2nd repeat author!"From the author of The Unidentified, an intellectual feast for fans of offbeat history that takes readers on a road trip through some of the country’s most infamously haunted places—and deep into the dark side of our history. Colin Dickey is on the trail of America’s ghosts. Crammed into old houses and hotels, abandoned prisons and empty hospitals, the spirits that linger continue to capture our collective imagination, but why? His own fascination piqued by a house hunt in Los Angeles that revealed derelict foreclosures and 'zombie homes,' Dickey embarks on a journey across the continental United States to decode and unpack the American history repressed in our most famous haunted places. Some have established reputations as 'the most haunted mansion in America,' or 'the most haunted prison'; others, like the haunted Indian burial grounds in West Virginia, evoke memories from the past our collective nation tries to forget. With boundless curiosity, Dickey conjures the dead by focusing on questions of the living—how do we, the living, deal with stories about ghosts, and how do we inhabit and move through spaces that have been deemed, for whatever reason, haunted? Paying attention not only to the true facts behind a ghost story, but also to the ways in which changes to those facts are made—and why those changes are made—Dickey paints a version of American history left out of the textbooks, one of things left undone, crimes left unsolved. Spellbinding, scary, and wickedly insightful, Ghostland discovers the past we’re most afraid to speak of aloud in the bright light of day is the same past that tends to linger in the ghost stories we whisper in the dark."About the author! Colin Dickey grew up in San Jose, California, a few miles from the Winchester Mystery House, the most haunted house in America. As a writer, speaker, and academic, he has made a career out of collecting unusual objects and hidden histories all over the country. He's a regular contributor to the LA Review of Books and Lapham's Quarterly, and is the co-editor (with Joanna Ebenstein) of The Morbid Anatomy Anthology. He is also a member of the Order of the Good Death, a collective of artists, writers, and death industry professionals interested in improving the Western world's relationship with mortality. With a PhD in comparative literature from the University of Southern California, he is an associate professor of creative writing at National University.Articles: https://newrepublic.com/authors/colin-dickeyWebsite: https://colindickey.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 08m 20s | ||||||
| 10/10/25 | ![]() (Bonus) Live Recording of Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away with the author Coltan Scrivner | Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Early + Ad-free for Patreon members: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClub"Not everyone has a strong impulse toward morbid curiosity. Why, then, are some of us powerfully drawn to content that portrays evil, violence, and suffering? Is and interest in the darker side of life a sign of a moral bankruptcy? In my experience, this isn't an accurate assessment. I've met with and studied morbidly curious people all over the world, form haunted attractions to horror conventions to university classrooms. Anecdotally and empirically, morbidly curious people are just as moral, empathetic, and kind a anyone else. If you attend a horror convention or an oddities expo, you won't run into a deranged psychopaths waiting to catch you alone in a dark hallway. Instead, you'll find a genuine community of people with skin thickened from years of side-eyes and hushed comments. You'll find people with dark minds but soft hearts." I was asked by the owners of my amazing local bookstore Fred & June's to moderate a conversation with Coltan Scrivner! Why not the Morbidly Curious Book Club chat with the expert in Morbid Curiosity?! I recorded the event as a bonus podcast episode!Purchase the book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/705578/morbidly-curious-by-coltan-scrivner-phd/About the book: The leading expert on the science behind morbid curiosity explains our spooky, gory, and macabre fascinations! What makes us peek at a car wreck or binge-watch true crime shows late into the night? Why are some of us drawn to horror movies while others shudder at the thought? In Morbidly Curious, scientist Coltan Scrivner takes readers on a thrilling journey into the psychology of morbid curiosity, uncovering why we can’t resist the macabre. From grisly serial killers to spine-chilling paranormal stories, Scrivner reveals the psychological forces that compel us to explore our darkest fears—and explains how this proclivity is more than just a quirk. It’s a powerful survival instinct, helping us mentally prepare for real-world threats, all from the safety of our imaginations. Blending fascinating insights and cutting-edge research at haunted houses across the world, Scrivner makes a powerful argument for the value of playing with fear and embracing the gruesome. Whether you’re a horror fan yourself or just want to better understand the true crime craze, Morbidly Curious will open your eyes to the hidden benefits of exploring the dark side of human nature.About Coltan! Coltan Scrivner, PhD, is a behavioral scientist and horror entertainment producer. He is the world’s leading expert on the science behind morbid curiosity and the appeal of frightening entertainment. He is also the executive director of the Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival and the Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl, one of the largest gatherings of zombies in the world.Enjoy!!Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 12m 57s | ||||||
| 9/26/25 | ![]() In the Mouth of the Wolf: A Murder, a Cover-Up, and the True Cost of Silencing the Press with the author Katherine Corcoran | Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Our September 2025 pick was “In the Mouth of the Wolf: A Murder, a Cover-Up, and the True Cost of Silencing the Press" by Katherine Corcoran.Early and ad-free for Patreon members! Join the Patreon today to get exclusive goodies, including the Morbidly Curious Fiction Edition book club: https://patreon.com/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClub?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink“Regina dove in, focusing on the marginalized people who made the news at the time only in positive stories about government handouts that said nothing about the conditions in which the people lived. She interviewed the indigenous, the peasants, and the union workers, all of whom had never had a voice in the traditional press. Regina's reporting was legendary among her colleagues – so much so, that when I first heard of it, I was sure it must be an exaggeration, an assassinated journalist being lionized by her peers. In death, people become at least a small bit mythological. And the quality of journalism in the provinces was marginal at best, the standards by which they reported even more questionable.”Former AP Mexico bureau chief Katherine Corcoran's pulsating investigation into the murder of a legendary woman journalist on the verge of exposing government corruption in Mexico. Regina Martínez was no stranger to retaliation. A journalist out of Mexico's Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, Regina's stories for the magazine Proceso laid out the corruption and abuse underlying Mexican politics. She was barred from press conferences, and copies of Proceso often disappeared before they made the newsstands. In 2012, shortly after Proceso published an article on corruption and two Veracruz politicians, and the magazine went missing once again, she was bludgeoned to death in her bathroom. The message was clear: No journalist in Mexico was safe. Katherine Corcoran, then leading the Associated Press coverage of Mexico, admired Regina Martínez's work. Troubled by the news of her death, Corcoran journeyed to Veracruz to find out what had happened. Regina hadn't even written the controversial article. But did she have something else that someone didn't want published? Once there, Katherine bonded with four of Regina's grief-stricken mentees, each desperate to prove who was to blame for the death of their friend. Together they battled cover-ups, narco-officials, red tape, and threats to sift through the mess of lies-and discover what got Regina killed. A gripping look at reporters who dare to step on the deadly “third rail,” where the state and organized crime have become indistinguishable, In the Mouth of the Wolf confronts how silencing the free press threatens basic protections and rule of law across the globe.A little about our author, Katherine Corcoran: She is a former Associated Press bureau chief for Mexico and Central America and a former codirector of Cronkite Noticias, the bilingual reporting program at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She has been an Alicia Patterson fellow, the Hewlett Fellow for Public Policy at the Kellogg Institute at the University of Notre Dame, and a Logan Nonfiction Program fellow. At the AP, she led an award-winning team that broke major stories about cartel and state violence and abuse of authority in Mexico and Central America. Her columns about Mexican politics and press freedom have appeared in the Washington Post, the Houston Chronicle, and on Univision Online, among other publications. She is currently codirector of MasterLAB, an investigative editor training program in Mexico City.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 1h 00m 49s | ||||||
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3 placements across 3 markets.
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3 placements across 3 markets.

























