Morbidly Curious Book Club Podcast

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comEarly 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/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join us if you're curious: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comEarly + 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!!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comOur 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.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comOur August 2025 pick was “BRIEFLY PERFECTLY HUMAN: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End" by death doula Alua Arthur.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=copyLinkReminder: the May episode with Mary Roach is coming in September, and my July episode with Lindsay Fitzharris is coming sometime next year!About the book: "For her clients and everyone who has been inspired by her humanity, Alua Arthur is a friend at the end of the world. As our country’s leading death doula, she’s spreading a transformative message: thinking about your death—whether imminent or not—will breathe wild, new potential into your life. Warm, generous, and funny AF, Alua supports and helps manage end-of-life care on many levels. The business matters, medical directives, memorial planning; but also honoring the quiet moments, when monitors are beeping and loved ones have stepped out to get some air—or maybe not shown up at all—and her clients become deeply contemplative and want to talk. Aching, unfinished business often emerges. Alua has been present for thousands of these sacred moments—when regrets, fears, secret joys, hidden affairs, and dim realities are finally said aloud. When this happens, Alua focuses her attention at the pulsing center of her clients’ anguish and creates space for them, and sometimes their loved ones, to find peace. This has had a profound effect on Alua, who was already no stranger to death’s periphery. Her family fled a murderous coup d’état in Ghana in the 1980s. She has suffered major, debilitating depressions. And her dear friend and brother-in-law died of lymphoma. Advocating for him in his final months is what led Alua to her life’s calling. She knows firsthand the power of bearing witness and telling the truth about life’s painful complexities, because they do not disappear when you look the other way. They wait for you. Briefly Perfectly Human is a life-changing, soul-gathering debut, by a writer whose empathy, tenderness, and wisdom shimmers on the page. Alua Arthur combines intimate storytelling with a passionate appeal for loving, courageous end-of-life care—what she calls 'death embrace.' Hers is a powerful testament to getting in touch with something deeper in our lives, by embracing the fact of our own mortality. 'Hold that truth in your mind,' Alua says, 'and wondrous things will begin to grow around it.'"About the author: Alua Arthur is a New York Times bestselling author Alua Arthur is the most visible and active death doula working in America today. She is a recovering attorney and the founder of Going with Grace, a death doula training and end-of-life planning organization. Her TED Talk titled, “Why Thinking About Death Helps You Live a Better Life,” went online in July 2023 and has already received 1.5 million views. A frequent guest on TV and radio, Arthur has been featured on CBS’s The Doctors and in Disney's Limitless docu-series with Chris Hemsworth, as well as in national print media outlets, such as Vogue, InStyle, the Los Angeles Times, The Cut, The New Yorker, and the New York Times. International newspaper features on Arthur include Brazil’s Estadão and Norway’s Årets Avis. She has appeared on dozens of podcasts, and a Refinery29 video feature on Arthur and her work received ten million views across social platforms. She travels the country and world as a keynote speaker, addressing audiences of several hundred to several thousand people at medical and end-of-life conferences, universities, seminaries, senior citizens’ communities, and more.Going with Grace link: https://goingwithgrace.com/about/More videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPQ-UihGYQASupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comOur June 2025 pick was “TRAIL OF THE LOST: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail" by Andrea Lankford.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=copyLinkReminder: the May episode with Mary Roach is coming later this year!"From an award-winning former law enforcement park ranger and investigator, this female-driven true crime adventure follows the author’s quest to find missing hikers along the Pacific Crest Trail by pairing up with an eclectic group of unlikely allies. As a park ranger with the National Park Service's law enforcement team, Andrea Lankford led search and rescue missions in some of the most beautiful (and dangerous) landscapes across America, from Yosemite to the Grand Canyon. But though she had the support of the agency, Andrea grew frustrated with the service's bureaucratic idiosyncrasies and left the force after twelve years. Two decades later, however, she stumbles across a mystery that pulls her right back where she left off: three young men have vanished from the Pacific Crest Trail, the 2,650-mile trek made famous by Cheryl Strayed's Wild, and no one has been able to find them. It’s bugging the hell out of her. Andrea’s concern soon leads her to a wild environment unlike any she’s ever encountered: missing person Facebook groups. Andrea launches an investigation, joining forces with an eclectic team of amateurs who are determined to solve the cases by land and by screen: a mother of the missing, a retired pharmacy manager, and a mapmaker who monitors terrorist activity for the government. Together, they track the activities of kidnappers and murderers, investigate a cult, rescue a psychic in peril, cross paths with an unconventional scientist, and reunite an international fugitive with his family. Searching for the missing is a brutal psychological and physical test with the highest stakes, but eventually their hardships begin to bear strange fruits—ones that lead them to places and people they never saw coming. Beautifully written, heartfelt, and at times harrowing, TRAIL OF THE LOST paints a vivid picture of hiker culture and its complicated relationship with the ever-expanding online realm, all while exploring the power and limits of determination, generosity, and hope. It also offers a deep awe of the natural world, even as it unearths just how vast and treacherous it can be. On the TRAIL OF THE LOST, you may not find what you are looking for, but you will certainly find more than you seek."About the author: Andrea Lankford is the author of Ranger Confidential and three trail guides. During her career with the National Park Service, Andrea won several awards for her criminal investigations. After leaving the ranger ranks, the accomplished outdoorswoman thru-hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, kayaked from Miami to Key West, and she and her friend, Beth Overton, were the first to mountain bike the 800-mile Arizona Trail. Andrea is now a registered nurse living in Northern California.As mentioned in the author's note: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the book club, subscribe to the book box, buy a shirt, and more...https://themorbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Welcome to another archives episode! Where I speak to a previously selected book club pick author.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.Over the years, our club has explored some exceptional books, and today, I got the chance to speak with Sarah Edmondson about her book, "SCARRED: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life," a book we read in 2022!This episode is being released on a special day: around this time marks the 8-year anniversary of Sarah and her husband Nippy leaving the cult!About the book: "Scarred is Sarah Edmondson's compelling memoir of her recruitment into the NXIVM cult, the 12 years she spent within the organization (during which she enrolled over 2,000 members and entered DOS—NXIVM's 'secret sisterhood'), her breaking point, and her harrowing fight to get out, to expose Keith Raniere and the leadership, to help others, and to heal. Complete with personal photographs, Scarred is also an eye-opening story about abuses of power, female trust and friendship, and how sometimes the search to be 'better' can override everything else."Sarah Edmondson is a Canadian actress who has starred in the CBS series Salvation and more than twelve films for the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime. She is also a well-established voice-over artist for popular series such as Transformers: Cybertron and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. In 2005, when NXIVM, a personal and professional development company, promised to provide the tools and insight Sarah needed to reach her potential, she was intrigued. Over her twelve-year tenure, she went from student to coach and eventually operated her own NXIVM center in Vancouver. Questions kept coming up about the organization’s rules and practices, which came to a head in 2017 when she accepted an invitation from her best friend to join DOS, a “secret sisterhood” within NXIVM.In 2019, Sarah published Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life, with Kristine Gasbarre. In this tell-all memoir, she shares her story from the moment she takes her first seminar to her harrowing fight to get out. Her full story as a whistleblower is featured in the CBC podcast Uncover: Escaping NXIVM (downloaded over 25 million times) and The Vow, the critically acclaimed HBO documentary series on NXIVM. Now with the launch of A Little Bit Culty, Sarah and her co-host/husband Anthony “Nippy” Ames are keeping the conversation going by discussing the healing process with the help of experts and fellow survivors.Links:PRE ORDERSCARREDMe in IGALBC on IGEnjoy the episode!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join us if you're curious: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.com"There is a common, nebulous understanding among Americans that MLM is off and exploitative. But a shrug goes along with it, too, as one does with Scientology, or other factions of this country's colorful fringe. It is one of our many freak sideshows, falling somewhere between a cult, a crime, and a joke. Something to gawk at, pity, or ignore."Order "Little Bosses Everywhere" here: https://bookshop.org/lists/morbidly-curious-non-fiction-recommendationsWelcome 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 Bridget Read on her book, "LITTLE BOSSES EVERYWHERE: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America."Companies like Amway, Mary Kay, and Herbalife advertise the world’s greatest opportunity: the chance to be your own boss via an enigmatic business model called multilevel marketing, or MLM. They offer a world of pink Cadillacs, white-columned mansions, tropical vacations, and—most precious of all—financial freedom. If, that is, you’re willing to shell out for expensive products and recruit everyone you know to buy them, and if they recruit everyone they know, too, thus creating the 'multiple levels' of MLM. Overwhelming evidence suggests that most people lose money in multilevel marketing, and that many MLM companies are pyramid schemes. Yet the industry’s origins, tied to right-wing ideologues like Ronald Reagan, have escaped public scrutiny. MLM has slithered in the wake of every economic crisis of the last century, from the Depression to the pandemic, ensnaring laid-off workers, stay-at-home moms, and teachers—anyone who has been left behind by rising inequality. In Little Bosses Everywhere, journalist Bridget Read tells the gripping story of multilevel marketing in full for the first time, winding from sunny postwar California, where a failed salesman started a vitamin business, through the devoutly religious suburbs of Michigan, where the industry built its political influence, to stadium-size conventions where today’s top sellers preach to die-hard recruits. MLM has enriched powerful people, like the DeVos and Van Andel families, Warren Buffett, and President Donald Trump, all while eroding public institutions and the social safety net, then profiting from the chaos. Along the way, Read delves into the stories of those devastated by the majority-female industry: a veteran in Florida searching for healing; a young mom in Texas struggling to feed her children; a waitress scraping by in Brooklyn. A wild trip down an endless rabbit hole of greed and exploitation, Little Bosses Everywhere exposes multilevel marketing as American capitalism’s stealthiest PR campaign, a cunning grift that has shaped nearly everything about how we live, and whose ultimate target is democracy itself."About the author: Bridget Read is a features writer at New York magazine, reporting on housing inequality and the real estate industry for Curbed. Previously, she wrote for The Cut and was a culture writer at Vogue. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.Enjoy!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Part 2/2 of my conversation with Rick Emerson on his book, Unmask Alice. Listen to part 1 before this one!Join the book club, subscribe to the book box, buy a shirt, and more...https://themorbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Welcome to another archives episode! Where I speak to a previously selected book club pick author.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.Over the years, our club has explored some exceptional books, and today, I am finally releasing my 2 part episode covering "Unmask Alice: LSD, the Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries" by Rick Emerson. This is one of my favorite books of all time, and easily one of the best podcast episodes I've been a part of.About the book: "In 1971, Go Ask Alice reinvented the young adult genre with a blistering portrayal of sex, psychosis, and teenage self-destruction. The supposed diary of a middle-class addict, Go Ask Alice terrified adults and cemented LSD's fearsome reputation, fueling support for the War on Drugs. Five million copies later, Go Ask Alice remains a divisive bestseller, outraging censors and earning new fans, all of them drawn by the book's mythic premise: A Real Diary, by Anonymous. But Alice was only the beginning. In 1979, another diary rattled the culture, setting the stage for a national meltdown. The posthumous memoir of an alleged teenage Satanist, Jay's Journal merged with a frightening new crisis—adolescent suicide—to create a literal witch hunt, shattering countless lives and poisoning whole communities. In reality, Go Ask Alice and Jay's Journal came from the same dark place: Beatrice Sparks, a serial con artist who betrayed a grieving family, stole a dead boy's memory, and lied her way to the National Book Awards. Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries is a true story of contagious deception. It stretches from Hollywood to Quantico, and passes through a tiny patch of Utah nicknamed 'the fraud capital of America.' It's the story of a doomed romance and a vengeful celebrity. Of a lazy press and a public mob. Of two suicidal teenagers, and their exploitation by a literary vampire."About the author: Rick Emerson is a longtime radio and television broadcaster, the former host of the nationally-syndicated Rick Emerson Show, and the coauthor (with Lisa Desjardins) of Zombie Economics: A Guide to Personal Finance. He's a regular guest on America's finer podcasts, and can be seen in occasional television roles and a truly dreadful commercial for tires. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his two dogs, Willard and Philo.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the book club, subscribe to the book box, buy a shirt, and more...https://themorbidlycuriousbookclub.com/Welcome to another archives episode! Where I speak to a previously selected book club pick author.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.Over the years, our club has explored some exceptional books, and today, I am finally releasing my 2 part episode covering "UNMASK ALICE: LSD, the Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries" by Rick Emerson. This is one of my favorite books of all time, and easily one of the best podcast episodes I've been a part of.About the book: "In 1971, Go Ask Alice reinvented the young adult genre with a blistering portrayal of sex, psychosis, and teenage self-destruction. The supposed diary of a middle-class addict, Go Ask Alice terrified adults and cemented LSD's fearsome reputation, fueling support for the War on Drugs. Five million copies later, Go Ask Alice remains a divisive bestseller, outraging censors and earning new fans, all of them drawn by the book's mythic premise: A Real Diary, by Anonymous. But Alice was only the beginning. In 1979, another diary rattled the culture, setting the stage for a national meltdown. The posthumous memoir of an alleged teenage Satanist, Jay's Journal merged with a frightening new crisis—adolescent suicide—to create a literal witch hunt, shattering countless lives and poisoning whole communities. In reality, Go Ask Alice and Jay's Journal came from the same dark place: Beatrice Sparks, a serial con artist who betrayed a grieving family, stole a dead boy's memory, and lied her way to the National Book Awards. Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries is a true story of contagious deception. It stretches from Hollywood to Quantico, and passes through a tiny patch of Utah nicknamed 'the fraud capital of America.' It's the story of a doomed romance and a vengeful celebrity. Of a lazy press and a public mob. Of two suicidal teenagers, and their exploitation by a literary vampire."About the author: Rick Emerson is a longtime radio and television broadcaster, the former host of the nationally-syndicated Rick Emerson Show, and the coauthor (with Lisa Desjardins) of Zombie Economics: A Guide to Personal Finance. He's a regular guest on America's finer podcasts, and can be seen in occasional television roles and a truly dreadful commercial for tires. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his two dogs, Willard and Philo.Part 2 will be uploaded right after this one.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comWelcome to the Morbidly Curious Book Club’s Podcast! In this episode, we are discussing our April 2025 book pick, “WACO RISING: David Koresh, the FBI, and the Birth of America's Modern Militias” by Kevin Cook.Shout out to member Jillian for helping me with the outro to this one...Early and ad-free for Patreon members! Get reading vlogs, an exclusive fiction book club, and more: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubJoin us for the live show discussion of Waco Rising on the Morbidly Curious Book Club's Facebook, Instagram, and/or YouTube page 4/27 at 7pm EST!"In 1993, David Koresh and a band of heavily armed evangelical Christians took on the might of the US government. A two-month siege of their compound in Waco, Texas, ended in a firefight that killed seventy-six, including twenty-five children. America is still picking up the pieces; we still haven’t heard the full story.Kevin Cook, who revealed the truth behind a mythic, misunderstood murder in his 2014 Kitty Genovese, finally provides the full story of what happened at Waco. He gives readers a taste of Koresh’s deadly charisma and takes us behind the scenes at the Branch Davidians’ compound, where 'the new Christ' turned his followers into servants and sired seventeen children by a dozen 'wives.' In vivid accounts packed with human drama, Cook harnesses never-reported material to reconstruct the FBI’s fifty-one-day siege of the Waco compound in minute-to-minute detail. He sheds new light on the Clinton administration’s approval of a lethal governmental assault in a new, definitive account of the firefight that ended so many lives and triggered the rise of today’s militia movement. Waco drew the battle lines for American extremists—in Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh’s words, 'Waco started this war.' With help from sources as diverse as Branch Davidian survivors and the FBI’s lead negotiator during the siege, Cook draws a straight line from Waco’s ashes to the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol and insurrections yet to come.Unmissable reading for anyone interested in the truth of what happened in Texas three decades ago, Waco Rising is chillingly relevant today. Here is the spark that ignited today’s antigovernment militias."About the author: Kevin Cook is the author of more than ten books, including The Burning Blue, Ten Innings at Wrigley, and Kitty Genovese. He has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, GQ, Smithsonian, and many other publications and has often appeared on CNN, NPR, and Fox News. An Indiana native, he lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comWelcome to the Morbidly Curious Book Club’s Podcast! In this episode, we are discussing our March 2025 book pick, “GORY DETAILS: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science” by Erika Engelhaupt.Early and ad-free for Patreon members! Get reading vlogs, an exclusive fiction book club, and more: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubJoin us for the live show discussion of Gory Details on the Morbidly Curious Book Club's Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube page 3/30 at 7pm EST!Check out the Archives episode of 18 Tiny Deaths with the author Bruce Goldfarb: https://redcircle.com/shows/17f819be-161a-4326-b504-f9fe87e6dad2/episodes/aaf8ad8f-567c-4a0d-9dce-1c5dc693e877About the book: "Using humor and real science in the tradition of Mary Roach, this narrative illuminates the gross, strange, morbid, and outright absurd realities of our bodies, our earth, and our universe. Filled to the brim with far-out facts, this wickedly informative narrative from the author of National Geographic's popular Gory Details blog takes us on a fascinating journey through an astonishing new reality. Blending humor and journalism in the tradition of Mary Roach, acclaimed science reporter Erika Engelhaupt investigates the gross, strange, and morbid absurdities of our bodies and our universe. From the research biologist who stung himself with every conceivable insect to the world's most murderous mammals, this entertaining book explores oft-ignored but alluring facets of biology, anatomy, space exploration, nature, and more. Featuring interviews with leading researchers in the field and a large dose of wit, this provocative book reveals the most intriguing real-world applications of science in all their glory."Erika Engelhaupt is a freelance science writer and editor based in Knoxville, Tenn. She began her blog, Gory Details, while she was an editor at Science News. She continues the blog at National Geographic, where she was online science editor and managed the Phenomena science blog network. Her work has also appeared at NPR, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Story Collider podcast, and in other newspapers and magazines.Enjoy the episode!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Welcome to the Archives bonus episodes!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.Over the years, our club has explored some exceptional books, and today, I got the chance to speak with Bruce Goldfarb on his book, "18 TINY DEATHS: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Invented Modern Forensics" that the book club read in March 2022!This episode is being released on March 25th, which was Frances Glessner Lee's birthday.About the book: "An enthralling journey into the remarkable life and groundbreaking contributions of a pioneering woman in the field of forensics: In 18 Tiny Deaths, readers are transported to a time when forensic science was in its infancy, and a woman named Frances Glessner Lee emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Through meticulous recreations of crime scenes, Lee revolutionized the way investigators approached criminal investigations, forever changing the face of modern forensics. Bruce Goldfarb's impeccable attention to detail brings Lee's compelling story to life, weaving together elements of history, science, and true crime. Discover how Lee's determination and unwavering passion defied the norms of her era, paving the way for future generations of forensic scientists. With a masterful blend of suspense and historical narrative, 18 Tiny Deaths captivates readers from the first page. Uncover Lee's groundbreaking contributions to forensic science, from her creation of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death―intricate dioramas that challenged investigators' skills―to her influential role in establishing the Department of Legal Medicine at Harvard University. This gripping account showcases Lee's enduring legacy, shedding light on her profound impact on modern crime-solving techniques. Whether you're a true crime enthusiast, a history buff, or simply intrigued by the remarkable accomplishments of extraordinary women, 18 Tiny Deaths is a must-read."Bruce Goldfarb is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, USA Today, Baltimore magazine, American Archaeology, American Health, and many other publications. For ten years, Bruce has served as executive assistant to the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland. He was a public information officer for the OCME and curator of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. His first book of popular nonfiction, 18 TINY DEATHS, was released by Sourcebooks in February 2020. Bruce’s next book, OCME, which was released by Steerforth Press in February 2023.Like Bruce mentions in the episode, here are the incredible VR images he has on YouTube. You can pause the video and use the cursor on the top right to look around:Living Room: https://youtu.be/uqr52qQ1i5ABathroom: https://youtu.be/kGVH2MaupU0Kitchen: https://youtu.be/dnpa-vxWMRg Here are the Smithsonian VR images: https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/nutshellsEnjoy the episode!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comWelcome to the Morbidly Curious Book Club’s Podcast! In this episode, we are discussing our February 2025 book pick, “TREMORS IN THE BLOOD: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector” by Amit Katwala.Early and ad-free for Patreon members! Get reading vlogs, an exclusive fiction book club, and more: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClubJoin us for the live show discussion of Tremors in the Blood on the Morbidly Curious Book Club's Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube page 2/23 at 7pm EST!About the book: "Late one evening in the summer of 1922, Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of the emergency room covered in his wife’s blood. But was he a grieving husband, or a ruthless killer who conspired with bandits to have her murdered? To find out, the San Francisco police turned to technology and a new machine that had just been invented in Berkeley by a rookie detective, a visionary police chief, and a teenage magician with a showman’s touch. John Larson, Gus Vollmer and Leonarde Keeler hoped the lie detector would make the justice system fairer – but the flawed device soon grew too powerful for them to control. It poisoned their lives, turned fast friends into bitter enemies, and as it conquered America and the world, it transformed our relationship with the truth in ways that are still being felt. As new forms of lie detection gain momentum in the present day, Tremors in the Blood reveals the incredible truth behind the creation of the polygraph, through gripping true crime cases featuring explosive gunfights, shocking twists and high-stakes courtroom drama. Touching on psychology, technology and the science of the truth, Tremors in the Blood is a vibrant, atmospheric thriller, and a warning from history: beware what you believe."Amit Katwala is an editor and writer at WIRED, based in London. He works across the UK print magazine and on features, science, and culture. He graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in experimental psychology.https://www.wired.com/author/amit-katwala/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjoxLjQB9noSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

WELCOME TO SEASON 2! Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comOur January 2025 pick was “ALL THAT IS WICKED: A Gilded-Age Story of Murder and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind" by the wonderful Kate Winkler Dawson.Early and ad-free for Patreon members! If you'd like to join you can here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/s2e1-all-that-is-120547097?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkKate's latest release: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727618/the-sinners-all-bow-by-kate-winkler-dawson/About the book: "Acclaimed crime historian, podcaster, and author of American Sherlock Kate Winkler Dawson tells the thrilling story of Edward Rulloff—a serial murderer who was called “too intelligent to be killed”—and the array of 19th-century investigators who were convinced his brain held the key to finally understanding the criminal mind. Edward Rulloff was a brilliant yet utterly amoral murderer, whose crimes spanned decades and whose victims were chosen out of revenge, out of envy, and sometimes out of necessity. From his humble beginnings in upstate New York to the dazzling salons and social life he established in New York City, at every turn Rulloff used his intelligence and regal bearing to evade detection and avoid punishment. He could talk his way out of any crime...until one day, Rulloff's luck ran out. By 1871 Rulloff sat chained in his cell—a psychopath holding court while curious 19th-century "mindhunters" tried to understand what made him tick. From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyze the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analyzed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made? Eventually, Rulloff’s brain would be placed in a jar at Cornell University as the prize specimen of their anatomy collection...where it still sits today, slowly moldering in a dusty jar. But his story—and its implications for the emerging field of criminal psychology—were just beginning. Expanded from season one of her hit podcast on the Exactly Right network (7 million downloads and growing), in All That Is Wicked Kate Winkler Dawson draws on hundreds of source materials and never-before-shared historical documents to present one of the first glimpses into the mind of a serial killer—a century before the term was coined—through the scientists whose work would come to influence criminal justice for decades to come."A little about Kate: she was the field producer for Fox News Channel in San Francisco, where she covered many atrocities. She’s also reported on local crime stories in London, New York, Boston, and San Francisco. She says, “None of them were pleasant but all were intriguing.” Speaking of London, back in college, she was a reporter for UPI in London for about six months where she studied the history of the city, including the Great Smog of 1952, one of the most intriguing periods in London’s history. Her father was a criminal law professor at the University of Texas in Austin for almost two decades. And fun fact, they both started teaching at the age of 28—he at UT and her at Fordham University in New York. In 2003 he decided to start a clinic to investigate cases of innocence aptly titled the Actual Innocence Clinic. She settled back home in Austin in 2005 after working as a writer and producer at WCBS and ABC News Radio in New York. When her father died, she became involved in the clinic and organized a quote, “metaphorical bridge between UT’s journalism school and the law school class” Here she co-taught the clinic for several years: “My journalism students learned about investigating cases and law students learned basic journalism skills.” I escorted them into prison to interview prisoners; the students bristled at the sign that read: “We will shoot all hostages past this point.” We went over case files, searched court records, and filed public information requests. She says it was one of her favorite classes. In my other life away from writing books, I’m a senior lecturer in broadcast journalism at UT-Austin. I’ve also produced almost two-dozen documentaries including longer form pieces for Nightline, WCBS and Fox as well as independent films. I consider myself a good storyteller, but I suppose you’ll be the judge.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Welcome friends to SEASON 2!With 2024 now [almost] behind us, it's time to prepare for our 2025 reading year and companion podcast!Here is our 2025 lineup:January "All That Is Wicked: A Gilded-Age Story of Murder and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind" by Kate Wrinkler DawsonFebruary "Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector" by Amit KatwalaMarch "Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science" by Erika EngelhauptApril "Waco Rising: David Koresh, the FBI, and the Birth of America's Modern Militias" by Kevin CookMay "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" by Mary RoachJune "Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail" by Andrea LankfordJuly "The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine" by Lindsey FitzharrisAugust "Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real about the End" by Alua ArthurSeptember "In the Mouth of the Wolf: A Murder, a Cover-Up, and the True Cost of Silencing the Press" by Katherine CorcoranOctober "Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places" by Colin DickeyNovember "Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood" by Rose GeorgeDecember "The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels" by Pamela Prickett and Stefan TimmermansThank 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!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comWelcome to the Morbidly Curious Book Club’s Podcast! In this episode, we are discussing our November 2024 book pick, “BOYS ENTER THE HOUSE: The Victims of John Wayne Gacy and the Lives They Left Behind” by David Nelson.As investigators brought out the bagged remains of several dozen young men from a small Chicago ranch home and paraded them in front of a crowd of TV reporters and spectators, attention quickly turned to the owner of the house. John Gacy was an upstanding citizen, active in local politics and charities, famous for his themed parties and appearances as Pogo the Clown.But in the winter of 1978–79, he became known as one of many so-called "sex murderers" who had begun gaining notoriety in the random brutality of the 1970s. As public interest grew rapidly, victims became footnotes and statistics, lives lost not just to violence, but to history.Through the testimony of siblings, parents, friends, lovers, and other witnesses close to the case, Boys Enter the House retraces the footsteps of these victims as they make their way to the doorstep of the Gacy house itself.David Nelson is a Chicago-based author whose fiction has been published in the Rappahannock Review, the Tishman Review, and Another Chicago Magazine. His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and received honorable mentions from Glimmer Train. His coverage of ongoing war crime trials and the DNA identification process for victims of the Balkans conflicts was published by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comWelcome to the Morbidly Curious Book Club’s Podcast! In this episode, we are discussing our October 2024 book pick, “GOODBYE HELLO” by Adam Berry!From paranormal investigator and host of Kindred Spirits Adam Berry comes Goodbye Hello, which blends supernatural and psychological research to explore the paranormal and afterlife to try and help answer big questions about the end.Death affects us all—not just at the end of our lives, but every day. And yet, it’s one of the most feared and misunderstood things we face. But what if there was a way to know more and use that knowledge to inform our daily lives? The first of its kind, Goodbye Hello blends supernatural research with psychology to explore death and grief. Written by paranormal investigator and star of Kindred Spirits and Ghost Hunters Adam Berry, this book will not only entertain but offer comfort to those struggling to come to terms with loss, grief, and the end of life.Goodbye Hello answers questions such as: Why do spirits linger around in this world? Is there a “light” at the end of the tunnel? Can you connect with spirits in your dreams? How do you prepare for what’s next? Featuring incredible stories of real people who connected with the spirits of loved ones as well as interviews with paranormal experts Amy Bruni, Chip Coffey, and many more, Goodbye Hello helps you understand where you go after this life and why some stick around. Whether you want to believe in the afterlife, don’t believe in it at all, or just want to come to your own conclusions, Goodbye Hello is the ultimate paranormal guide for you.Adam Berry is the co-star and Executive Producer of the hit television series Kindred Spirits now on Travel Channel. Adam’s love and passion for the paranormal ignited from an extremely haunting experience he had in Gettysburg PA. After many years of studying, research and founding his own paranormal research team with his husband Ben Berry he was asked to join the SyFy Channel original series Ghost Hunters Academy. This competition reality show tested the strengths of investigators from around the country and Adam proved to be the best of the best by winning and was awarded a spot on the TAPS team and the original series Ghost Hunters. Adam likes to say he was awarded Amy Bruni as his prize because the two paired up and have since became a paranormal powerhouse. With similar beliefs and styles Adam and Amy possess the capabilities to connect with those in the after life with uncanny accuracy. Focusing on helping families and spirits alike, they have traveled the country changing the way the world thinks about ghosts and what happens after we shuffle off this mortal coil.When Adam isn’t looking for ghosts he is the Executive Director of Peregrine Theatre Ensemble, a non-profit theater company based in Provincetown MA. This educational summer theater program produces some of the most spectacular musicals and plays on the Cape while also nurturing young actors in a professional working environment.Adam also sits on the board of directors for “Tim’s Fund”, a non-profit scholarship program created to support social activists who change the world through art, music, literature and filmmaking.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comWelcome to the Morbidly Curious Book Club’s Podcast! In this episode, we are discussing our September 2024 book pick, “CANNIBALISM: A Perfectly Natural History” by Bill Schutt.For centuries scientists have written off cannibalism as a bizarre phenomenon with little biological significance. Its presence in nature was dismissed as a desperate response to starvation or other life-threatening circumstances, and few spent time studying it. A taboo subject in our culture, the behavior was portrayed mostly through horror movies or tabloids sensationalizing the crimes of real-life flesh-eaters. But the true nature of cannibalism--the role it plays in evolution as well as human history--is even more intriguing (and more normal) than the misconceptions we’ve come to accept as fact.In Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History, zoologist Bill Schutt sets the record straight, debunking common myths and investigating our new understanding of cannibalism’s role in biology, anthropology, and history in the most fascinating account yet written on this complex topic. Schutt takes readers from Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains, where he wades through ponds full of tadpoles devouring their siblings, to the Sierra Nevadas, where he joins researchers who are shedding new light on what happened to the Donner Party--the most infamous episode of cannibalism in American history. He even meets with an expert on the preparation and consumption of human placenta (and, yes, it goes well with Chianti).Bringing together the latest cutting-edge science, Schutt answers questions such as why some amphibians consume their mother’s skin; why certain insects bite the heads off their partners after sex; why, up until the end of the twentieth century, Europeans regularly ate human body parts as medical curatives; and how cannibalism might be linked to the extinction of the Neanderthals. He takes us into the future as well, investigating whether, as climate change causes famine, disease, and overcrowding, we may see more outbreaks of cannibalism in many more species--including our own.Cannibalism places a perfectly natural occurrence into a vital new context and invites us to explore why it both enthralls and repels us...Bill Schutt is an Emeritus Professor of Biology at LIU Post and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. His newest non-fiction book, Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans will be published on August 13, 2024. Bite has already garnered a starred review from Kirkus Reviews.Pump: A Natural History of the Heart was published in September 2021 and is currently available everywhere books are sold. Pump received great reviews from Publisher’s Weekly (starred review), Kirkus Reviews, The Wall Street Journal, Cool Green Science, and elsewhere. Schutt’s Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History, garnered widespread raves from The New York Times (Editor’s Choice) The Boston Globe and a long list of reviewers. Schutt’s first popular science book, Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures, was selected as a Best Book of 2008 by Library Journal and Amazon, and was chosen for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers program.Schutt’s first novel, Hell’s Gate, was published in 2016. The Himalayan Codex  (R.J. MacCready novel #2) followed in June 2017 and The Darwin Strain (R.J. MacCready novel #3) made its debut in August 2019.Born in New York City and raised on Long Island by parents who encouraged his love for turning over stones and peering under logs, Schutt quickly grew a passion for the natural world, with its enormous wonders and its increasing vulnerability.Schutt received his Ph.D. in zoology from Cornell and held a post-doctoral fellowship at the AMNH where he received a Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Grant. He has published over two dozen peer-reviewed articles on topics ranging from terrestrial locomotion in vampire bats to the precarious, arboreal copulatory behavior of a marsupial mouse. His research has been featured in Natural History, The New York Times, Newsday, The Economist, and Discover. Schutt lives on Long Island with his wife and son.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join us if you're curious: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.com“It might come as a surprise to know that, for millennia, people all over the world have actively cultivated a relationship with death, as an important part of both living and dying well. Shamans and priests acted as psychopomps—literally, soul guides—to help people move through the death process. People consulted ‘books of the dead,’ guides to preparing for a good death and after-life experience. And Those who learned to know death, rather than to fear and fight it, become our teachers about life. our ancestors utilized memento mori (Latin for “remember you must die”), which were objects, works, or practices meant to remind them of their death in order to encourage them to live the life they truly wished, before it was too late. Paradoxically— or so it might seem to us—by forging a relationship with death, our ancestors mitigated their fear of it, and were able to live fuller and more meaningful lives.” In our modern culture, talking about death is often deemed morbid, or even taboo. But not long ago, contemplation of death was widely used as a powerful tool for countering fear, putting the difficulties of life in perspective, and helping you live according to your higher values. Now scientists, psychologists, and spiritual leaders agree - it’s key to living a life with meaning. This life-changing book will lead you on a 12-week program to befriend death in your own way, creating your own personal, daily meditation on what it means to be mortal. Filled with lessons learned across cultures and with the help of insightful prompts and questions, Memento Mori will help you both come to terms with what death means and to live alongside it without fear. In doing so, you will see your own in a new light and discover what makes life worth living, swapping anxiety for joy. As our ancestors knew so well, there’s no better motivation to seize the day than a regular reminder that your days are numbered.Follow Memento Mori on a journey of authentic self-discovery and transformation. Whether you're currently experiencing grief or loss, facing your own mortality, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of the profound mysteries of existence, this book offers invaluable insights to help you navigate your life with courage, resilience, and meaning.Joanna Ebenstein founded Morbid Anatomy as a blog in 2007. An award-winning curator, photographer, graphic designer and author, her books include Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life, Anatomica: The Exquisite and Unsettling Art of Human Anatomy and Death: A Graveside Companion. Joanna teaches a number of popular classes for Morbid Anatomy on topics ranging from death and art to exploring creativity and ambivalent deities. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Morbid Anatomy Online Journal. Her paternal grandparents were emigres from Hitler’s Vienna, and her ancestor Judah Loew ben Bezalel was credited with creating the Golem in 16th century Prague. She is a proud member of The Order of the Good Death, and her TEDx Talk—Death as You've Never Seen it Before—has been viewed over 16,000 times.Links:https://www.joannaebenstein.com/https://www.joannaebenstein.com/books-articleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FBFvWc7zf0Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Join the Morbidly Curious Book Club Today: themorbidlycuriousbookclub.comWelcome to the Morbidly Curious Book Club’s Podcast! In this episode, we are discussing our August 2024 book pick, “OVER MY DEAD BODY: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries” by Greg Melville.Journalist Greg Melville’s Over My Dead Body is an “astonishing . . . fascinating . . . powerful” (New York Times Book Review) tour through the history of US cemeteries that explores how, where, and why we bury our dead.“You hold in your hands a treasure map, a gentle, sly, and poignant presence leading us to places in America and in our lives that have been hiding in plain sight. This tale is about cemeteries, but it’s really about how beautiful is life.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Doug StantonThe summer before his senior year in college, Greg Melville worked at the cemetery in his hometown, and thanks to hour upon hour of pushing a mower over the grassy acres, he came to realize what a rich story the place told of his town and its history. Thus was born Melville’s lifelong curiosity with how, where, and why we bury and commemorate our dead.Melville’s Over My Dead Body is a lively (pun intended) and wide-ranging history of cemeteries, places that have mirrored the passing eras in history but also have shaped it. Cemeteries have given birth to landscape architecture and famous parks, as well as influenced architectural styles. They’ve inspired and motivated some of our greatest poets and authors—Emerson, Whitman, Dickinson. They’ve been used as political tools to shift the country’s discourse and as important symbols of the United States’ ambition and reach.But they are changing and fading. Embalming and burial is incredibly toxic, and while cremations have just recently surpassed burials in popularity, they’re not great for the environment either. Over My Dead Body explores everything about cemeteries—history, sustainability, land use, and more—and what it really means to memorialize.GREG MELVILLE is an author, adventure journalist, and tombstone tourist whose writing has appeared in many of the country's top print publications including Outside, National Geographic Traveler, Slate, and The New York Times. He is also a U.S. Navy veteran. Melville's acclaimed environmental book Greasy Rider was the 'campus common read' for six colleges and universities, and named by the American Library Association as one of the top 100 "Outstanding Books for the College Bound" for the first decade of the 2000s. He has served as an editor at Men's Journal, Sports Afield, and Footwear News and as a crime reporter for a daily newspaper in Northern Virginia. Melville is in the Navy Reserve. He has deployed to Afghanistan, written speeches for top military officials, and taught English for five years at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was the recipient of the school's Apgar Award for Teaching Excellence in 2019. Born and raised in the Boston area, he now lives with his wife and two kids in Delaware.Author website: https://www.gregmelville.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-morbidly-curious-book-club-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy