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Have you ever fallen down a rabbit hole into an obscure topic and suddenly need to know all the details and consume all the media related to it? You've found your people. Every other Wednesday, librarians Hailee and Katie take turns sharing the topic that has them bewitched. After a deep-dive into the subject-du-jour, fill your "to read" list with their related book recommendations.
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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 …
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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 chea…
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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 l…
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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…
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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, Malo…
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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 t…
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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. …
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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 …
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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…
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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-…
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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 plac…
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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 …
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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 origi…
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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 ou…
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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 …
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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 t…
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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 lead…
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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 …
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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 To…
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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 …
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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 Recommen…
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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…
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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 Je…
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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 s…
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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 rapidl…
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