In this episode, Katie is bewitched by three women of the Dutch Resistance: Hannie Schaft and Truus and Freddie Oversteegen. When the German Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940, local resistance groups and everyday Dutch folks organized ingenious ways to fight back against their occupiers. From distributing illegal newspapers to bombing supply lines to killing Nazis, the Dutch resistance was a powerful example of how even against the biggest forces of evil, everyone can do something to fight b...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 33 min
In this episode, we are bewitched by Dolly Patron (again!) After leaving the Porter Wagoner Show and striking it big on her own as a solo country artist, Dolly turned to yet another industry: the movies. The commercial and critical success of 9 to 5 (and the award-winning single of the same name Dolly wrote for the film) propelled her to superstardom. Since then, Dolly has been featured in over a dozen films, including classics like The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Steel Magnolias along w...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr
In this episode, we are bewitched by Dolly Parton. Dolly Parton came from very humble beginnings but turned herself into a star. In this first part of a two-part series, we cover Dolly's childhood, spent in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Though Dolly's family lived in poverty, they never lacked love, and her early life remains a source of inspiration for her music. After teaching herself how to play guitar and compose music, Dolly earned a spot singing on a local radio show and was feat...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 19 min
Sometimes, we all need a vacation! For us, that meant being together in person for the first time in two years and chatting about our favorite weird topics. In this episode, Katie and Hailee are bewitched by the legend that is Reesa Teesa, the absurdity of medieval animals on trial, and the Dave Matthews Band tour bus incident. Plus, we share some of our favorite feel-good books and media for self-care when our mental health is on the rocks. Staff picks (available in our bookshop! ) Fangirl by R...
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 26 min
Come on down! You’ve been accused of cheating on The Price is Right! In this episode, Katie is bewitched by Terry Kneiss’ perfect showcase bid. In 2008, a man named Terry Kneiss had a perfect bid on his showcase. But he was robbed of his celebratory moment when new host Drew Carey and tPIR producers assumed the historical bid was the result of cheating. While Kneiss maintained that his perfect bid was a combination of careful studying and a bit of sheer luck, producers thought he’d been given th...
Apr 03, 2024•53 min
In this episode, Katie is bewitched by the favorite game show of sick children everywhere, The Price is Right. For over 50 years, The Price is Right has ruled the early-afternoon TV lineup, with millions of viewers tuning in each day to see who will be the next to COME ON DOWN! What is it that makes the Price is Right so endearing? Maybe it’s the long, skinny microphone that looks so fun to hold. Or the games that reward you for remembering the price of Capzasin arthritis cream. Or the endlessly...
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr 7 min
In this episode, Hailee explains the quirky and beloved tradition of Groundhog Day in America, from origins in ancient beliefs to a quaint local observance to a nationally recognized phenomenon. We will also explore a few other quirky American traditions, including the Presidential turkey pardon and a unique form of communication in the rural south. All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop! Staff picks: Big by Vashti Harrison There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reyno...
Feb 28, 2024•1 hr 12 min
In this episode, Katie is bewitched by the lives and legacies of Annie Turnbo Malone and Madam CJ Walker. Many of us are familiar with the story of Madam CJ Walker, often cited as the first self-made Black millionaire, but fewer recognize the name Annie Turnbo Malone. Years before the formula for Walker’s hair treatment came to her in a dream, Malone was dominating the hair care market. It was her Poro Company system that brought Sarah Walker’s hair back to life, inspiring the happy client to jo...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 33 min
This week, we continue the harrowing experiences of the survivors from the Uruguayan Old Christians Rugby Team whose plane crashed in the Andes mountains. The survivors begin attempting expeditions to seek help, though efforts were put on hold after another tragedy: the plane was hit with an avalanche. Eventually, a few of the strongest were able to hike out of the Andes in a rescue expedition. Were they successful? All books shared in this episode can be purchased at our Bookshop! Staff picks: ...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 17 min
On October 13, 1972, a chartered Fairchild F-227 carrying 45 people, most rugby players from Uruguay, crashed in the Andes mountains. Of the 45 people on board, 16 survived. The survivors were stranded in the mountains for 72 days, during which time they faced freezing temperatures, life-threatening injuries, an avalanche, and imminent starvation. To save their own lives, the survivors had to make an impossible decision: Should they eat the flesh of their dead friends? All books shared in this e...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 3
How much would you be willing to pay for a bag of dirt that could rid your body of toxins? How about a personalized vitamin regimen backed by Donald Trump? In this second part of our MLM series, Katie covers the viral sensation of Black Oxygen Organics, an MLM that sold literal dirt to thousands of crunchy moms who were convinced they were healing their families. We also dive into Donald Trump’s relationship with the MLM industry, from his ad placements on The Apprentice to his use of MLM-approv...
Jan 10, 2024•54 min
In this episode, Katie is bewitched (more like deeply bothered) by multi-level marketing. MLMs are synonymous with #bossbabes, promises of easy money, and uncomfortable sales pitches that make it hard to say no. But below the pyramid, er, surface, MLMs are far more insidious. In this first episode of a two-part series, we cover the history of multi-level marketing from its connection to direct selling, the genius of Brownie Wise, and the birth of Amway. We also take a look at the structure of ML...
Jan 03, 2024•1 hr 15 min
In this previously- Patreon-only episode, Katie is bewitched by the psychic megastar Sylvia Browne. What's worse than a bogus psychic hotline charging people hundreds of dollars for mediocre advice? How about a TV psychic that predicts the death of children? In the early 2000s, Browne was a daytime TV darling and was charging up to $700 for a half-hour psychic reading. One of her signature moves was to predict the fate of missing persons, often incorrectly. In 2004, she told the mother of Amanda...
Dec 20, 2023•22 min
In this previously-Patreon-only episode, Hailee is bewitched by the List family Murders. If you have listened to our episode on The Watcher, you will know that those creepy letters the Broaddus family received were hardly the only terrible thing to happen in the town of Westfield. Here is a brief overview of the List Family murders, which took place in Westfield, NJ, in 1971. Support the show
Dec 06, 2023•15 min
In this previously-Patreon-only episode, Katie shares the story behind the African Cemetery located at Higgs Beach in Key West. In 1860, three slave ships were intercepted en route to Cuba and diverted to Key West. While most of the African refugees onboard were eventually transported to Liberia, 295 died in Key West. Their graves now comprise the only known cemetery in the U.S. of African refugees during the international slave trade. Sources: Lincoln's Evolving Thoughts On Slavery, And Freedom...
Nov 22, 2023•29 min
In this very special season 4 spooktacular, we are bewitched by haunted houses and the Nazi-fighting New Forest Coven. It took less than a hundred years for haunted houses to go from a vague spooky story concept to a half-billion-dollar yearly industry inextricably linked to the Halloween season. Katie explains the humble Great Depression-era origins of the haunted house, why they always seem to be Victorian-style mansions, and how the neighborhood haunts evolved into modern massive money-makers...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 32 min
This week, Hailee continues to be bewitched by the strange case of Patricia Hearst! Patty has been held captive by a small radical political group called the Symbionese Liberation Army for over two months when she shocks the world with an announcement: she has changed her name to Tania and is joining her "brothers and sisters in the SLA. This is our last episode of season three! Thank you so much for being a patron of our show! We absolutely will be back, and will be posting some patron exclusiv...
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Patty Hearst - Early Access! In this episode, Hailee is bewitched by Patty Hearst. The nineteen year old granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, the powerful newspaper publisher who owned a media conglomerate, was living a mostly normal life, engaged to be married, attending classes at UC Berkley. But everything changed when she was kidnapped by a radical political group who called themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army. In this episode, learn about the life of Patricia Hearst before the ki...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 3Ep. 16
This week, Katie concludes the unbelievable tale of James Strang, the Mormon king of Beaver Island. After crowning himself as king, Strang lands himself a seat in the Michigan legislature, survives a public trial, and finds new messages from God inscribed on brass plates buried on Beaver Island. But his Strangite followers question his new decree that polygamy is just and faithful and grow weary of his ever-tightening control over all aspects of their life. When Strang begins inflicting cruel pu...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Did you know there was once an American monarch who ruled over an island in Lake Michigan? This week, Katie is bewitched by the story of James Strang, the Mormon King of Beaver Island. In the first episode of this two-part series, we meet a confidence man who leaves a trail of fraud in his wake before claiming to be the next prophet and church leader following Joseph Smith’s death. While Brigham Young convinced most Mormons in the Midwest to follow him to Utah, James Strang established his own s...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 33 min
In Part Two of the Bly Balloon Bomb Tragedy, we learn about the manufacturing of the Japanese Balloon Bombs by young Japanese schoolgirls in terrible working conditions. We also learn about the terrible loyalty questionnaire given to incarcerated Japanese Americans, which, when answered “incorrectly” sent hundreds of families to a maximum security incarceration camp. And, we will learn about the only civilian casualties on mainland American soil during the war. Staff Picks Remarkably Bright Crea...
May 10, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 3Ep. 14
In this episode, Hailee is bewitched by the Bly Balloon Bomb Tragedy of WWII. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States officially entered WWII. Immediately, Americans began interrogating and then incarcerating Japanese Americans, many of them citizens, along the west coast. After America responded to the Pearl Harbor attack by bombing Tokoyo, Japan was infuriated that America remained relatively untouched by warfare. So, they tasked scientists with creating a weapon that would reach A...
May 03, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Call me now for your free reading! In this episode, Katie is bewitched by Miss Cleo and the Psychic Readers Network. Late-night advertising in the 1990s and early 2000s was full of 900-number hotlines promising everything from video game tips to proof that Elvis was still alive. But the most pervasive and perhaps harmful were hotlines promising to connect you with a psychic reader. Miss Cleo became a pop culture icon in this space with her sassy tarot readings, no-nonsense advice, and signature ...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Season 3Ep. 12
In this episode, Hailee is bewitched by explores the life and impact of Fred Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers. From his early days in television to his enduring legacy, we delve into the world of this beloved figure and examine the ways in which he touched the lives of countless people. Staff Picks Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Turado Recommendations Movies and TV It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Won't You Be My Neighbor? Mister Rogers Neighborhood Books Knitting in the Neighborhood...
Apr 05, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 3Ep. 11
This week, we get to share a super special crossover episode with Unsinkable: the Titanic Podcast! Join the Reference Desk, along with Unsinkable host L. A. Beadles as we look into the lives of some of the fortunate folks who were meant to be on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, but due to a plethora of circumstances, just missed the ship. From crew members to some very wealthy people. we will chat about their lives, why they ended up missing the boat, and what might have happened if they ha...
Mar 22, 2023•2 hr 32 min
In this episode, Katie shares what America knew about the Holocaust as it was unfolding. Recently, Katie volunteered as a docent for the ALA's traveling "Americans and the Holocaust" exhibition in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The exhibition explores how much Americans knew about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews in Europe and examines the U.S. response in a global, historical context. The exhibition also invites visitors to consider what more could have bee...
Mar 08, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this episode, Hailee is bewitched by some unsung heroines of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. While we all know the name Rosa Parks and her rightful place in history, too few know the names Claudette Colvin, Georgia Gilmore, and Elizabeth Jennings. These brave women fought for transportation justice, helping in their own ways a century apart to end segregation on public transportation. Elizabeth Jennings sued the Third Avenue Railroad Company because of their discrimination of African-American peo...
Feb 22, 2023•1 hr 30 min
This week, Katie is bewitched by the incredible rescue of 13 people from the flooded Tham Luang cave in Thailand. In part 2 of this story, efforts at Tham Luang shift from search to rescue as the Thai government explores three possible options to save the Wild Boars: dive, drill, or delay. But when conditions in the cave begin to deteriorate rapidly, their options shrink, and expert cave divers John Volanthen and Rick Stanton are tasked with planning the impossible. With the help of Australian c...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 8
This week, Katie is bewitched by the incredible rescue of the Wild Boars youth soccer team from Tham Luang cave. In June 2018, twelve boys and their soccer coach headed into a local cave system to celebrate a teammate's birthday. But what was a typical afternoon for kids in this rural northern Thailand town quickly became an unthinkable emergency when an unexpected rainstorm left their only exit underwater. Within days, the entire world watched with bated breath as expert cave divers fought agai...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In 2014, the Broaddus family of New Jersey closed on their dream home in the beautiful town of Westfield. But before even moving in, their dream home turned into a nightmare. Just three days after closing, the family received a letter in a white, card-shaped envelope addressed to “the New Owners” in thick, chunky letters. This letter is the first of several frightening letters the family would receive. Netflix recently released a show based on this mysterious case but here is the real story of w...
Jan 18, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Season 3Ep. 6
