Author Conversations

Jenni and Jonny discuss the events surrounding America's first reported poltergeist, The Wizard Clip. 

Wizard Clip had a need, a compulsion to cut clothes in a crescent shape, cut trousers, give a flock of ducks a brutal ending, and demand prayers. Was this a real phenomenon or something else? How was this story used to keep old world beliefs alive during the age of the enlightenment? Find out on this episode of Author Conversati...

Alabama governor George Wallace ran for president four times between 1964 and 1976. In the Badger State, his campaigns fueled a debate over constitutional principles and values. Wallace weaponized states’ rights, arguing that the federal government should stay out of school segregation, promote law and order, restrict forced busing and reduce burdensome taxation. White working-class Wisconsinites armed themselves with Wallace’s rhe...

In 2000, the newly created Montpelier Foundation took over management of the historic home of James Madison with a seemingly insurmountable task before it. The house was no longer recognizable as the home of the Madisons, and most other structures were in poor condition. Within ten years, the foundation overcame numerous hurdles to restore the house and turn Montpelier into a monument to the Father of the Constitution. Over the nex...

Union general John Reynolds was one of the most beloved and respected military leaders of the Civil War, yet beyond the battlefield, the captivating true story of his secret romance with Catherine “Kate” Mary Hewitt remains etched into his legacy. Clandestinely engaged before John marched off to war, the couple’s love remained a secret. Kate made a poignant “last promise,” a commitment to enter into a religious life if her beloved ...

The abolitionist John Brown still roams the West Virginia panhandle—and beyond. In Lexington, a statue sheds real tears, mourning Virginians killed in battle. Decades of abuse at a sanatorium unleashed malevolent entities in Staunton. Spirits of Native Americans, Civil War soldiers and children frequent natural springs in Frederick County and caves near Strasburg. Ghosts stay free of charge at the nation’s oldest inn in Middletown,...

Nestled between Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point, what was once a sleepy little village, just a stop on the Great Wagon Road, became a thriving community in the nineteenth century. Residents have spent lifetimes looking after one another—and sometimes they continue to do so even in death. Does a young soldier haunt the Kernersville Museum, flirting with the women who work there? Learn the truth of the ghost of the old McCui...

On February 2, 1963, a tanker with thirty-nine men aboard departed Beaumont and never returned. In the mid-spring of 1882, Billy the Kid’s friend, foe and equal escaped Huntsville Penitentiary and vanished. On December 9, 1961, a young boy in Wichita Falls disappeared without a trace. On November 18, 1936, a father and son were swallowed by a “Walled Kingdom.” On December 23, 1974, three girls went to a Fort Worth mall and were nev...

One of the surest ways to connect with the past is to sample what was on its plate. That’s the goal with this gustatory journey through Alabama history. Sweetmeats with the governor’s lonely, oft-depressed wife in 1832 Greensboro. Shrimp and crabmeat casserole at a long-departed preacher’s house at the Gaines Ridge Dinner Club in Camden. Pimento cheese and tea with notes of cinnamon and citrus at the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion in Mobil...

These artists were also adventurers!  

Florida’s amazing landscapes and fascinating wildlife were sources of inspiration for early naturalists seeking new horizons. Among them was John James Audubon. Elegant herons, acrobatic terns, endearing pelicans and colorful roseate spoonbills all feature among his beloved artwork. But Audubon was not the first nature artist inspired by Florida. Mark Catesby, an English country squire turned ...

George Pullman’s legacy lies in the town that bears his name. As one of the first thoroughly planned model industrial communities, it was designed to give the comforts of a permanent home to the employees who built America’s most elegant form of overnight railroad travel. But the town was more than just a residential wing of sleeper car manufacturing; its 1894 railroad strike led to the national Labor Day holiday. In the early twen...

The epic saga of Big Basin began in the late 1800s, when the surrounding communities saw their once “inexhaustible” redwood forests vanishing. Expanding railways demanded timber as they crisscrossed the nation, but the more redwoods that fell to the woodman’s axe, the greater the effects on the local climate. California’s groundbreaking environmental movement attracted individuals from every walk of life...

Ebenezer Allen was born during political instability and hardships in an unknown frontier. He matured during the tipping point of the American Revolution as an invincible leader who personified patriotism. Unlike his better-known cousins, Ebenezer was a skilled commando and combat veteran in Warner’s Regiment and Herrick’s Rangers. Following the capture of a British rear-guard force in 1777, Captain Allen took leave of his regiment...

From a man who rivals Benedict Arnold and Aaron Burr in treachery to a State Treasurer who absconded with $7 Million in today's money. This book has it all!

Does a Civil War General deserve the moniker "The Butcher of Kentucky"? What does a mysterious blood stain in the U.S. Capitol Building have to do with the Bluegrass State?  Listen to this week's episode of Author Conversations to find out! 

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