S4 Ep5: Jadoo

S4 Ep5: Jadoo

From Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf by Astonishing Legends Productions

April 10, 2026 · 1h 12m · Season 4 · Episode 5

About this episode

The episode explores John A. Keel's adventures in search of magic and Richard's own journey of self-discovery.

“I am a professional cliffhanger. Peddling adventure is my business, and at times it’s a mighty lean one. But the leanness is a part of it. Going hungry and thirsty and weird places that aren’t even marked on the map is part of it. My specialty is magic, the forbidden arts. Jadoo is my stock in trade.” – John A. Keel, Jadoo Long before ‘The Mothman Prophecies’ there was ‘Jadoo’. Barely out of his teens, John Keel set out across the world in search of magic: both fake -- and real. He traveled alone through Egypt, Iraq and India, fighting off bandits, breaking bread with mystical holy men and dodging deadly cobras. He was Indiana Jones before there was an Indiana Jones. But instead of a whip, his iconic sidearm was his portable typewriter. All of his adventuring was in service of his one true dream – becoming a writer. Richard shares this dream. And in the summer of 1987, he too sets off on an adventure – armed only with a tattered copy of ‘Lonesome Dove’ and a cassette tape of the Sex Pistols. He’s on the run – but whether it’s toward something or away, he’s not quite sure. And after a life-changing weekend in Chicago, he wonders if the road he’s been on his whole life might be…

People in this episode

Host: Richard

Topics covered

  • adventure
  • magic
  • writing
  • travel
  • personal journey

Keywords

  • John A. Keel
  • Jadoo
  • adventure
  • magic
  • writing
  • travel
  • Lonesome Dove

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Jadoo, The Mothman Prophecies, Lonesome Dove

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