Author Conversations: Recent Episodes
arcadiaauthorconversations@gmail.com
Join us as we have conversations with local history authors all across America to learn how local history is national history.
This week Jenni and Jonny talk about June Hersh's new title, Food, Hope & Resilience.
This book features a collection of stories from Holocaust survivors and recipes that helped those survivors remember their life before World War II during their postwar lives.
You can find the book online at arcadiapublishing.com. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the book will benefit organisations committed to Holocaust education.
If you thought part one was crazy wait until you listen to part 2. Undercover newsmen, angry prostitutes, armed cowboys, angry sheriffs, a sketchy media personality and hypocritical politicians make up this week's episode.
Again this episode is rated "E" for explicit.
If you get offended easily or get the "vapors" this one is not for you. If you're wearing pearls you may clutch them while listening. It's our first explicit podcast and a two parter!
Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch gives a detailed history of the world famous brothel. Jenni and Jonny talk about the book and author. We also tell some of the history of the ranch's rise and fall.
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 Conversations.
Step-siblings getting married. A lonely wife on the farm. A love triangle or quadrangle and of course murder! We have a lot to unpack in this one.
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 rhetoric, pushing back on changes that threatened the status quo. Civil rights activists and the Black community in Wisconsin armed themselves with a different constitutional principle, equal protection, to push for strong federal protection of their civil rights. This clash of ideals nearly became literal as protests and counterprotests erupted until gradually diminishing as Wallace’s political fortunes waned. Historian Ben Hubing reveals the tensions that embroiled Wisconsinites as Wallace took his struggle north of the Mason-Dixon line.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467151375
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 next decade, the site also became a monument to Montpelier’s enslaved. The buildings in their community next to the Madisons’ home were reconstructed, and award-winning exhibits dramatically illustrate the tragedy of slavery and essential role of enslaved people in Madison’s life. Foundation co-founder William H. Lewis details the nonprofit’s ambitious preservation projects and remarkable achievements.
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 were to be killed. Tragically, Reynolds lost his life leading troops into action during the opening phases of the Battle of Gettysburg. Within days Kate was embraced by the Reynolds family and soon began to honor her promise of a religious life. Yet a few years later she seemed to disappear. Author Jeffrey J. Harding unveils new findings on Kate’s life before and after John’s death as he recounts Gettysburg’s saga of star-crossed love.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467151597
Rosalind and Maggie Bunn have recently written a great children’s book which explores the Peach State entitled, All aboard Georgia. In the book A young child rides the train through Georgia's beautiful, historic, and interesting landscapes.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781455626144
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, and at the Natural Bridge Hotel, phantom children play in the halls. Visitors from beyond the grave enjoy live performances at several theaters in the region, while spectral soldiers gather for combat in the battlefields scattered throughout the area. Join Denver Michaels as he delves into folklore, eyewitness accounts and urban legends to bring you the best ghost stories from the Shenandoah Valley.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467149426
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 McCuiston House. Local institutions like the P&N Store and Snow’s Diner also claim their share of spooky experiences. Kernersville Museum director Kelly Hargett and local theater founder Scott Icenhower tell ghost tales that are sometimes comical, sometimes heartwarming and sometimes a little hair-raising.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467147552
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 never seen or heard from again. This collection explores twenty baffling disappearances that investigators have studied for decades, to no avail. Homicide, patricide, filicide, genocide, devil worship, the Devil’s Triangle, the Devil’s River, the assassination of JFK, UFO abductions, legal limbo, literal limbo—oblivion. Award-winning author E.R. Bills drags the facts of these mystifying cases back from the void.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467147378
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 Mobile. Poundcake from Georgia Gilmore’s kitchen in Montgomery, where workaday freedom fighters and luminaries of the civil rights movement sought sustenance. Author Monica Tapper serves up a stick-to-your-ribs trek through Alabama history, providing classic recipes modified for the modern kitchen along the way.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467149730
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 adventurer, helped introduce the wonders of Florida to a European audience in the 1700s. And William Bartram, a Pennsylvania Quaker, traveled south to explore the Florida wilderness, where he canoed across a lake full of alligators and lived to sketch the creatures. Author Chris Fasolino shares the stories of these artistic expeditions in a collection replete with gorgeous artwork that includes high-definition images of Audubon’s rarely seen original paintings.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467150323
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 twentieth century, the Pullman Company became the country’s largest employer of African Americans, who then formed the nation’s first successful Black labor union. Author Kenneth Schoon revisits Pullman’s monumental history and the lessons it continues to provide.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467149860
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. From the adopted son of a robber baron to a bohemian woman winemaker to a Jesuit priest, resilient campaigners produced an unparalleled model of citizen action. Join author Traci Bliss as she reveals the untold story of a herculean effort to preserve the ancient redwoods for future generations.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467145046
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 and wrote an emancipation statement for a captured enslaved woman and her child. The document, which he filed with the Bennington town clerk, read, “It is not right in the sight of God to keep slaves.” Join historian and Vermont native Glenn Fay as he recounts how Colonel Allen became the forefather and elected legislator of two towns and one of the most prominent men in Vermont.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467149358
On this special edition of Author Conversations I speak with 16 year old Jack Drake who has authored his first book with us entitled Preston Hollow.
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!
Click the link below to order your copy of Hidden History of Kentucky Political Scandals.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467145824
From ghostly tales to joke books with big facts, Arcadia Kids has it all. Nancy Ellwood joins me again to talk about new books from Arcadia Kids and exciting new series that are on the horizon.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Search?searchtext=ghostly%20tales&searchmode=anyword&searchoption=allbooks
In 1778, two years after the British forced the Continental Army out of New York City, George Washington and his subordinates organized a secret spy network to gather intelligence in Manhattan and Long Island. Known today as the “Culper Spy Ring,” Patriots like Abraham Woodhull and Robert Townsend risked their lives to report on British military operations in the region. Vital reports clandestinely traveled from New York City across the East River to Setauket and were rowed on whaleboats across the Long Island Sound to the Connecticut shore. Using ciphers, codes and invisible ink, the spy ring exposed British plans to attack French forces at Newport and a plot to counterfeit American currency. Author Bill Bleyer corrects the record, examines the impact of George Washington’s Long Island spy ring and identifies Revolutionary War sites that remain today.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467143479
On a sultry August morning in 1970, the battered body of a young woman was hoisted from a dry well just outside Hogansville, Georgia. Author and investigator Clay Bryant was there, witnessing the macabre scene. Then fifteen, Bryant was tagging along with his father, Buddy Bryant, Hogansville chief of police. The victim, Gwendolyn Moore, had been in a violent marriage. That was no secret. But her husband had connections to a political machine that held sway over the Troup County Sheriff’s Office overseeing the case. To the dismay and bafflement of many, no charges were brought. That is, until Bryant followed his father’s footsteps into law enforcement and a voice cried out from the well three decades later.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467150071
In the summer of 1967, nineteen-year-old Brenda Joyce Holland disappeared. She was a mountain girl who had come to Manteo to work in the outdoor drama The Lost Colony. Her body was found five days later, floating in the sound. This riveting narrative, built on unique access to the state investigative file and multiple interviews with insiders, searches for the truth of her unsolved murder. This island odyssey of discovery includes séances, a suicide and a supposed shallow grave. Journalist John Railey cuts through the myths and mistakes to finally arrive at the long-hidden truth of what happened to Brenda Holland that summer on Roanoke Island.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467147392
The dark woods of Maine have been the setting for many eerie and unexplained events, none more captivating than sightings of a giant hominid known as Bigfoot. But what makes this corner of New England such a perfect place for this cryptid to live? Learn about the ecology and geography that support the legend and meet the people forever changed by close encounters with it. From previously unpublished eyewitness accounts to modern-day media portrayals, author and illustrator Michelle Souliere presents this detailed history of the phenomenon and folklore that has lurked in shadows for generations.
https://greenhandbookshop.com/products/preorder-bigfoot-in-maine-by-michelle-souliere-signed?_pos=1&_sid=a4ff9ee7f&_ss=r
Newly elected president George Washington set out to visit the new nation aware that he was the singular unifying figure in America. The journey's finale was the Southern Tour, starting in March 1791. The long and arduous trek from the capital, Philadelphia, passed through seven states and the future Washington, D.C. But the focus was on Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia. The president kept a rigorous schedule, enduring rugged roads and hazardous water crossings. His highly anticipated arrival in each destination was celebrated with countless teas, parades, dinners and dances. Author Warren Bingham reveals the history and lore of the most beloved American president and his survey of the newly formed southern United States.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467119795
The summer of 1996. In nineteen days, six million visitors jostled about in a southern city grappling with white flight, urban decay and the stifling legacy of Jim Crow. Six years earlier, a bold, audacious partnership of a strong mayor, enlightened business leaders and Atlanta’s Black political leadership dared to bid on hosting the 1996 Olympic Games. Unexpectedly, the city won, an achievement that ignited a loose but robust coalition that worked collectively, if sometimes contentiously, to prepare the city and push it forward. This is a story of how once-struggling Atlanta leveraged the benefits of the Centennial Games to become a city of international prominence. This improbable rise from the ashes is told by three urban planning professionals who were at the center of the story.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467147248
The state of Florida has a rich history of African Americans who have contributed to the advancement and growth of today. From slaves to millionaires, African Americans from all walks of life resided in cabins, homes, and stately mansions. The lives of millionaires, educators, businessmen, community leaders, and innovators in Florida’s history are explored in each residence. Mary McLeod Bethune, A.L. Lewis, and D.A. Dorsey are a few of the prominent African Americans who not only resided in the state of Florida but also created opportunities for other blacks to further their lives in education and ownership of property and to have a better quality of life. One of the most humanistic traits found in history is the home of someone who has added something of value to society. Today, some of these residences serve as house museums, community art galleries, cultural institutions, and monuments that interpret and share the legacy of their owners.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467106559
Throughout the long and colorful history of Galveston, no name has embodied the “Spirit of the Island” quite like the name Maceo. Two penniless Sicilian immigrants rose from modest beginnings to lead an entire city to prosperity, yet the nature of their industry and its abrupt and embarrassing end resulted in a legacy cloaked in stereotypes and rumor. For nearly forty years, Sam and Rose Maceo ruled a far-reaching underground economy of illegal booze and gambling but used their influence to infuse the “Free State of Galveston” with glamour, fame and fortune—a vision later used as a template for Las Vegas. The island city responded in kind, and its acceptance of the Maceos insulated their empire for decades. Pairing personal interviews of living descendants with her own meticulous research, Kimber Fountain lifts the veil on the Maceo family’s closely guarded heritage.
A century on, the twisted wreckage from the Ricohoc disaster smolders, passenger trains turned into husks amid predawn fog. Would-be assassins draw straws to determine who will take out Huey Long. And pickers stroll the banks of the Vermilion River during the heyday of the Spanish moss industry, plucking their livelihood from majestic oaks, many of which still stand. This strange country bewilders Vermilion Parish pioneers, and the Olive once again plies the waters of the Mermentau River. Author William Thibodeaux plumbs the record of Southwest Louisiana, breathing fresh life into the fascinating history of Acadiana.
Hamburg is perhaps South Carolina’s most famous ghost town. Founded in 1821, it grew to four thousand residents before transportation advances led to decline. During Reconstruction, recently freed slaves reshaped Hamburg into a freedmen’s village, where residents held local, county and state offices. These gains were wiped away after the Hamburg Massacre in 1876, a watershed event that left seven African Americans dead, most of them executed in cold blood. Yet more than a century after Hamburg, the one white supremacist killed in the melee is canonized by the racially divisive Meriwether Monument in downtown North Augusta. Author Michael Smith details the amazing events that created this unique community with a lasting legacy.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467148559
Thad Carter joins me for this episode. Thad is the author of The Railroads of Lake Charles which is available now. This week we talk about Thad's memories of the railroad growing up, the importance of the railroad today and where it may go in the future.
If you would like to purchase Thad's latest book you can do so by clicking the link below:
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467106153
A true crime story that captured the attention of the nation.
On Christmas Eve 1881, a horrible crime shook the small town of Ashland, Kentucky, and captivated the entire nation. Three children were brutally murdered and their house set ablaze. Nothing in the small town’s past had prepared it for what followed. Three men were convicted of the crimes, and two were sentenced to death. But the murderers were protected by the governor’s untrained militia, which would eventually turn their guns on Ashland’s innocent citizens. Join author H.E. “Joe” Castle as he adds to the work of J.M. Huff and discover this incredible, captivating true story of one of the darkest chapters in the history of Kentucky.
The Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington is perhaps the single most significant stretch of railroad in the country, connecting dozens of cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. The line carries thousands of passengers daily on a mix of long-distance, regional, and commuter trains. Before it emerged as a vital stretch of railway, some of the earliest railroads in America created a foundation for the future corridor. They constructed a patchwork of lines that laid the groundwork for the Northeast Corridor of today, which later formed integral portions of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. The impact of this line is still felt in the many communities that developed along the tracks. While the Northeast Corridor continues to evolve, it remains as relevant as it was when the original developers conceived the rail link nearly two centuries ago.
You can purchase The Northeast Corridor by following the link below:
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467105583
Racing is more than just turning left. It is about grit and determination. Technology and skill. Author Robert Redd joins me today on this special episode as we get ready for the Daytona 500.
Long before the Speedway was even a glimmer in Bill France Sr.’s eye, racers in Daytona Beach were careening along at the fastest possible clip. Cars were still a novelty in 1903 when Daytona Beach drivers were pushing for land speed records on a track near today’s Granada Avenue beach entrance. A reputation was born here early, drawing racing pioneers like Sara Christian, who famously raced her husband on the combination dirt and paved track in 1949. From the brave forerunners who tore up the hard-packed sand to the modern vehicles blasting away at nearly two hundred miles per hour on Daytona Beach International Speedway, Robert Redd explores the driving tradition that has made Daytona Beach a racing mecca.
You can purchase Racing in Daytona Beach by clicking the link below:
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467142779
This week we learn the history of a serial killer who took the lives of over 20 victims yet hardly anyone knows his story or more importantly the story of those who's lives were cut short. Until now. Join me this week as I talk with Janie Jones who is the author of The Arkansas Hitchhike Killer and learn the story of how the nationwide murderer slipped under the radar of true crime writers for so long.
You can purchase this week's title by following the link below: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467148177
On this episode we learn the intriguing history of Macon, GA during the Civil War.
Macon was a cornerstone of the Confederacy’s military-industrial complex. As a transportation hub, the city supplied weapons to the Confederacy, making it a target once the Union pushed into Georgia in 1864. In the course of the war’s last year, Macon faced three separate cavalry assaults. The battles were small in the grand scheme but salient for the combatants and townspeople. Once the war concluded, it was from Macon that cavalry struck out to capture the fugitive Jefferson Davis, allowing the city to witness one of the last chapters of the conflict. Author Niels Eichhorn brings together the first comprehensive analysis of the military engagements and battles in Middle Georgia.
Order the book here: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467146944
Atlanta has a rich history that goes far beyond a town in flame during the Civil War. Learn about the rich Native American History and how Atlanta's crossroads with ancient trails have been bringing cultures to a point in what is now Georgia for millennia. People from all over the world have helped shape Atlanta into the city it is today.
Order the book by by following the link below:
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467146074
Today I speak with Retired United States Coast Guard Captain Jeffrey Hartman. Join us for the interesting history of the academy and stories from the Captain's career.
The predecessor of the US Coast Guard (USCG) was the Revenue Marine, formed to enforce the customs laws. The officers for the service were drawn from the Merchant Marines, and occasionally the US Navy, and political connections were often more important than competency. To ensure consistent training, the original Revenue Cutter School of Instruction became the US Coast Guard Academy, moving to its present location in New London, Connecticut, in 1932. Prior to that, instruction had been afloat on four different vessels, known as cutters, and ashore in New Bedford, Massachusetts; Curtis Bay, Maryland; and Fort Trumbull in New London. The training has grown from a two-year program, providing primarily practical seamanship, to one of the highest ranked small engineering undergraduate schools in the nation, offering nine majors and graduating male and female officers with a liking for the sea and its lore.
This week we travel out west to Haunted Prescott, AZ!
When Arizona was created as a U.S. territory in 1864, Prescott became its first capital. Accompanying the city's rich history is an equally dramatic heritage of supernatural manifestations. Visitors report a strange chill in the Palace Restaurant and taps on the shoulder at the Smoki Museum. Lingering spirits crowd famed hotels like the Vendome and the Hassayampa Inn, as well as theaters such as the Elks Opera House and Prescott Center for the Arts. Learn the secrets of Prescott's cemeteries and the truth about the hangings on the Courthouse Plaza as Darlene Wilson and Parker Anderson lead an excursion through the haunted sites of Arizona's mile-high city.
On this episode continue our journey into the spooky month of October by exploring Haunted Charleston with author and Tour Guide Ed Macy.
You can book a tour with Ed by visiting his website here: https://edmacytours.com/
In a land occupied for thousands of years, mystery and unrest linger. Anguished soldierly figures dot the landscape of Pasco County, from the doomed march of Major Dade and his haunted hill to the ghost of Captain Jeffries standing watch over his homestead in Zephyrhills. A pair of spirits drifts about near a Dade City pond, perhaps the brother and sister cut down during the infamous Bradley Massacre. Echoes of the once rugged frontier rebound from the Ellis-Gillett feud, vigilantism and Sheriff Bart’s justice. Obliterating the mounds of indigenous people cast an ever-present and ominous tone over sacred grounds throughout the county. Author Madonna Wise shares ethereal accounts of the Meighan Theatre, the treacherous Road to Nowhere, the Edwinola Hotel and more.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467146814
Today I am joined by the Director of Children's Books for Arcadia Publishing, Nancy Ellwood to talk about Arcadia Publishing's new Spooky Tales series.
Spooky America is adapted from Arcadia’s bestselling Haunted America series (more than 300 titles strong), and brings you the ghoulishly gruesome, fantastically phantasmal stories of our nation’s undead souls. Rewritten for the middle-grade audience, these terrifically terrifying tales bring local history to life—even if the main players are dead. Ghosts, hauntings, legends and unexplained phenomena keep readers rapt and celebrate local history and lore.
You can find the books by following the link below:
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Search?searchtext=spooky%20tales&searchmode=anyword&searchoption=allbooks
The Powder Magazine is South Carolina's oldest public building and today's serves as a museum. The museum's director and author of Arsenal of History, Alan Stello joins me to discuss the site's history and the museums upcoming virtual luncheon series.
You can find out more about the museums Zoom luncheon series by visiting powdermagazine.org/programs
Nashville’s Music Row is as complicated as the myths that surround it. And there are plenty, from an adulterous French fur trader to an adventurous antebellum widow, from the early Quonset hut recordings to record labels in glass high-rise towers and from “Your Cheatin’ Heart” to “Strawberry Wine.” Untangle the legendary history with never-before-seen photos of Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Kris Kristofferson and Shel Silverstein and interviews with multi-platinum songwriters and star performers. Authors Brian Allison, Elizabeth Elkins and Vanessa Olivarez dig into the dreamers and the doers, the architects and the madmen, the ghosts and the hit-makers that made these avenues and alleys world-famous.
Elizabeth Elkins is a professional songwriter and writer. A military brat, she holds degrees from the University of Georgia and Emory University. She has written for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Creative Loafing, Art & Antiques and many others. She is president of Historic Nashville Inc. and the author of the upcoming Your Cheatin’ Heart: Timothy Demonbreun and the Politics of Love and Power in Nascent Nashville (Vanderbilt University Press).
Vanessa Olivarez is a professional songwriter and vocalist. A Texas native, she was a Top 12 finalist on the second season of American Idol and received a Dora Award nomination for her work in the Toronto, Canada production of Hairspray.
Together, Elkins and Olivarez are Granville Automatic, an alt-country band that has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today and the Bitter Southerner. Their songs have been used in numerous television programs and films, and they have written songs recorded by more than seventy-five other artists, including Billy Currington, Wanda Jackson and Sugarland. They were the songwriters in residence at the Seaside Institute’s Escape to Create program (Florida), where they wrote a Civil War concept album, An Army without Music. Their 2018 album Radio Hymns focuses on the lost history of Nashville, and the 2020 follow-up, Tiny Televisions, was inspired by Music Row stories in this book. You may have seen their videos on CMT. The pair live in Nashville, Tennessee, and regularly tour across the United States.
While not a musician himself, Brian Allison was born and raised on stories of country music. His father, Joe, was a producer, songwriter, radio personality and pioneer, and without his stories, this book would not have been possible. A professional historian, museum consultant and writer, Brian is the author of two other books for The History Press, Murder & Mayhem in Nashville and Notorious Nashville. He lives in Nashville.
This week we focus in on the fascinating history of the Revolutionary War in the Adirondacks.
Much of New York during the Revolutionary era was frontier wilderness, sparsely populated and bitterly divided. Although the only major campaign in the region would end at the Battle of Saratoga, factional raiding parties traversed the mountains and valleys of the Adirondacks throughout the war. Sir Christopher Carleton led groups of Loyalists, Hessians and Iroquois in successful attacks along Lake Champlain, capturing forts and striking fear in local villages. Mohawk war chief Joseph Brant led a motley band of irregulars known as “Brant’s Volunteers” in chaotic raids against Patriot targets. Marauding brothers Edward and Ebenezer Jessup brought suffering to the very lands they had purchased years before in Kingsbury, Queensbury and Fort Edward. Author Marie Danielle Annette Williams covers the history of the Adirondacks during the Revolutionary War.
This week we explore the Bizzare History of the Bluegrass State with author Keven McQueen. From ghost towns to circus performers to mass hysteria, the Bluegrass State is no stranger to the strange. Read stories of famed President Abraham Lincoln you’ve never heard before. Find possible solutions to the mystery of Pearl Bryan’s missing head and decipher the outrageous hoaxes involving an unsolvable puzzle and monkeys trained to perform farm work. Learn about the time when the author wrote to Charles Manson as a joke and Manson wrote back—four times. Join author Keven McQueen as he recounts some of the weirder vignettes from Kentucky lore.
This week we discuss a site who's role is not well known but was vital in bringing about an end to the Civil War. The site? Fort Clinch in Fernandina, FL.
Even though Fernandina was tucked away in the far southern reaches of the Confederacy, Fort Clinch had been abandoned to Federal forces by March 1862. It proved a boon to the Union war effort, and the island became a haven for runaway slaves, with many joining the Federal army. The military occupation of this vital seaport helped end the war, and the Reconstruction period that followed bore witness to Union and Confederate veterans working together to bring Fernandina into a golden era of prosperity. Author and local historian Frank A. Ofeldt III captures the vital and under-told story of Amelia Island during the Civil War.
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467145961
Authors Patricia and Robert Heyer join me this episode to tell us about famous attacks along the Jersey Shore including attacks in the early 1900's that influenced pop culture.
Every summer, thousands flock to the Jersey Shore for its beaches and boardwalks, but lurking in the depths beyond is a historic threat to tranquility. Dozens of shark attacks and interactions have occurred throughout Jersey Shore history that reveal bravery, heartbreak and the hubris of man. A boy paid a gruesome price for teasing a trapped shark in the first recorded attack in 1842. The three bloody attacks of 1960 left one man’s limb amputated. The horrific summer of 1916 included seven attacks in a two-week span and crafted the caricature of the killer shark that remains in popular culture today. Authors Patricia and Robert Heyer dive into the history of when two apex predators, man and shark, cross paths on the shores of New Jersey.
Join me this week as I talk with the author of Hidden History of East Texas, Tex Midkiff about Texas Rangers, Big Tex, Shootouts, UFO's and theories around the JFK assassination.
The heritage of East Texas partakes in the same degree of unexpected turns and hidden depths as its backroads and bayous. One line of inquiry meanders into another. Start out searching for La Salle’s grave and end up chasing Spanish gold in Upshur County. From Sam Houston’s Bible to the Longview nightclub that hosted both Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, one tale follows another and introduces a cast of characters that includes Candace and Peter Ellis Bean, Old Rip, Jack Lummus and Vernon Wayne Howell. Part the Pine Curtain with Tex Midkiff for a history as heated as the La Grange Chicken Ranch’s parlor and irresistible as a batch of Golden sweet potatoes.
It was September 12, 1962, when Pres. John F. Kennedy delivered a speech at Rice University before nearly 50,000 people. By that time, America had launched but four men into space—the suborbital flights of Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom and the nearly identical three-orbit journeys of John Glenn and Scott Carpenter. Buoyed by the success of those missions and cognizant of the danger that lay ahead, the president rearticulated his vision and reissued his challenge to reach the moon before 1970. "We choose to go to the moon, in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills." The assassination of President Kennedy, in the words of flight director Gene Kranz, turned his vision into a "quest to do it and do it in the time frame he allotted." On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped off the ladder of the lunar module known as Eagle, taking "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
This week we look forward to launching astronauts to space once again from US soil. So what better time to speak with an author of not one but three books regarding NASA testing facilities? Cindy Manto joins me this week as we look to the future while remembering the past.
With more than eighty recipes and stunning photography, writer and radio host Stella Fong marries cherished local ingredients with world flavors. Sourced from waterways, mountains, plains and local farmers’ markets, Montana’s resources shine in a diverse array of savory and sweet applications. Dishes like Pheasant Stir-Fry with Black Bean Sauce and Elk Kielbasa with Pomegranate bring international flair to familiar game. Rhubarb Raspberry Polenta Cake and Pavlova Roulade with Sour Cherry Sauce and Toasted Almonds give new life to market and garden staples. And stories of local culinary trailblazers pay tribute to the Treasure State’s abundance. The host of Yellowstone Public Radio’s Flavors Under the Big Sky: Celebrating the Bounty of the Region offers a fresh take on Big Sky Country’s finest fare.
Maine has never been regarded as a pirate haven, but only because witnesses were few and far between. With a rugged coast and more than four thousand offshore islands, Maine’s dark waters attracted sea raiders like Dixie Bull from the 1600s through colonial times. Pirate treasure still awaits discovery in Phippsburg and Machias, and pirate deceit prompted a massacre in ancient Fort Loyall. The infamous Captain Kidd may have prowled the waters off Deer Isle, while farther down the coast a woman and a bloodthirsty band of cutthroats lured ships to disaster at Isles of Shoals. Award-winning investigative journalist Greg Latimer separates historical fact from fiction and leads readers on an adventure through the state’s foggy and treacherous past.
Baseball may be the great American pastime, but in New York, it is a religion. Names like Ruth, Mays, Gehrig, Wright and Robinson live in the hearts and minds of New York fans like apostles. From the street corner to the subway car, debates about which Yankee, Giant, Dodger or Met is better than another have raged on for more than one hundred years. Now, the best of the best are chosen for each position as New York’s all-time greatest team is imagined. Shoo-ins like the Babe and Jackie have their stories told with a fresh perspective. The compelling case for Mike Piazza, not Yogi Berra, as catcher is sure to spark arguments. Sportswriter Mark Healey crafts the Gotham baseball team through captivating tales of the legends of the New York game.
Fly Fishing enthusiast Tim Travers joins us for few moments to talk about fly fishing in Vermont.
Wendy Davis Author of Nevada County Wine, joins us to talk about what makes her hometown special.
Was the Lost Colony of Roanoke never really lost at all?
The legend of the Lost Colony has been captivating imaginations for nearly a century. When they left Roanoke Island, where did they go? What is the meaning of the mysterious word Croatoan? In the sixteenth century, Croatoan was the name of an island to the south now known as Hatteras. Scholars have long considered the island as one of the colonists’ possible destinations, but only recently has anyone set out to prove it. Archaeologists from the University of Bristol, working with local residents through the Croatoan Archaeological Society, have uncovered tantalizing clues to the fate of the colony. Hatteras native and amateur archaeologist Scott Dawson compiles what scholars know about the Lost Colony along with what scholars have found beneath the soil of Hatteras.
Author of Lost Restaurants of Santa Cruz County, Liz Pollock joins us to let us know about her hometown.
Known as a top tourist destination due to its white sand beaches and emerald waters, Northwest Florida is a place for sun, sand, and swimming, as well as springs and cave systems millions of years old. Along with the natural beauty of this area lies the abandoned, forgotten, and left behind. From buildings to boats and planes, Northwest Florida has a lot to offer the urban explorer.Whether it's a building that housed one of the fastest growing sports in the country or the dark history of a conspiracy uncovered after decades, Northwest Florida combines the beautiful and the abandoned.In Abandoned Northwest Florida, photographer Kim Hill allows a glimpse into the beauty of what has been left behind.
Husband and wife author team Jim and Vicki Erwin join us again to give us a bit more history about life along the Lower Missouri River.
Vicki Berger Erwin has written twenty-nine books in varied genres: picture books, middle-grade mysteries and novels, local histories and true crime. Her husband, James W. Erwin, has written only four previous books, three on the Civil War in Missouri and a history of St. Charles, Missouri. They owned a bookstore in St. Charles for eight years before they retired. Vicki and Jim met in the Ellis Library at the University of Missouri–Columbia; they checked each other out, and the rest is history. They live in Kirkwood, Missouri. This is their first book together.
Author Tom Poland tells us about what life was like growing up in a small Georgia town and how life there hasn't changed too much.
Tom Poland grew up in Lincoln County, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in journalism and education. He taught at the University of Georgia, Columbia College and the University of South Carolina. He writes about nature and the South and its people, traditions and lifestyles. His work appears in books and magazines, journals and newspapers throughout the South. He’s a member of the South Carolina Humanities Speaker’s Bureau. In October 2018, Governor Henry McMaster conferred the Order of the Palmetto upon Tom. He lives in Irmo, South Carolina.
From the Battle of Port Royal, to Defending Fort Sumter, to the Crater at Petersburg General Stephen Elliot was there.
General Stephen Elliott rose from captain of a militia artillery battery to command of an infantry brigade. His early war reputation as a daring raider and superb artilleryman grew to true hero status through his exemplary service at Fort Sumter. Handpicked to defend Sumter to the last extremity, Elliott performed so well that his Yankee foes saluted him by dipping the Union flag in recognition of his courage and steadfastness. Wounded on five separate occasions, Elliott exemplified courage and inspirational leadership that justified promotions advocated by Generals Robert E. Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard and President Jefferson Davis. In the first in-depth study of Elliott, D. Michael Thomas presents the life of a renowned soldier with fresh, previously unpublished material.
Introducing "Your Town in 3 Minutes"
During this time we all need a reminder of the incredible places we call home. We have asked authors to tell us in 3 minutes (or around 3 minutes) what makes their hometown, county or state, so special.
What binds us all together is community. From the local bookstore, to the local parks, to our favorite eateries. Even though the majority of us now find ourselves isolated we are all a community of history lovers.
Akron Beacon Journal cartoonist Web Brown was one of the best political cartoonists in America during World War II. After serving in the Spanish-American War, Brown returned to the States and began a forty-six-year career lasting from 1899 through 1945. Before and during the Second World War, Brown’s cartoons lampooned Hitler, Mussolini and Japan with a strong sense of justice, humor and history. Featured six days a week in the Journal, his work boosted morale at home and lifted the spirits of soldiers overseas. Compiling more than two hundred of Brown’s best cartoons, Akron native and author Tim Carroll recalls the history of World War II through the outstanding creations of one of Akron’s most prolific and noteworthy artists.
Today I am honored to be joined by retired Lt. Col Joseph W. McCorskie who’s new book The War for Missouri 1861-1862 will be available beginning April 27, 2020.
Missouri was filled with bitter sentiment over the Civil War. Governor Claiborne Jackson had a plan to seize the St. Louis Arsenal and arm a pro-secessionist force. Former governor and Mexican-American War hero Sterling Price commanded the Missouri State Guard charged to protect the state from Federal troops. The disagreements led to ten military actions, causing hundreds of casualties before First Bull Run in the East. The state guard garnered a series of victories before losing control to the Union in 1862. Guerrilla and bushwhacker bands roamed the state at will. Author Joseph W. McCoskrie Jr. details the fight for the Show Me State.
They are the sites that capture our imaginations as we try to imagine life in a place that seems devoid of life. These are lost towns or maybe you call them ghost towns. However, there is life when you look. Especially in Georgia's ghost towns where kudzu reclaims structures and animals make nests or fish now inhabit remains of buildings of towns now under man made lakes. Lisa Russel will be our guide into what happened to these town of Georgia’s past. Lisa not only tells us of the fates of these towns but of their interesting pasts.
This week I speak with another husband and wife team, Vicki and James Erwin.
During the nineteenth century, more than three hundred boats met their end in the steamboat graveyard that was the Lower Missouri River, from Omaha to its mouth. Although derided as little more than an “orderly pile of kindling,” steamboats were, in fact, technological marvels superbly adapted to the river’s conditions. Their light superstructure and long, wide, flat hulls powered by high-pressure engines drew so little water that they could cruise on “a heavy dew” even when fully loaded. But these same characteristics made them susceptible to fires, explosions and snags—tree trunks ripped from the banks, hiding under the water’s surface. Authors Vicki and James Erwin detail the perils that steamboats, their passengers and crews faced on every voyage.
The legend of the Yellow Rose of Texas holds an indisputable place in Lone Star culture, tethered to a familiar song that has served as a Civil War marching tune, a pop chart staple and a halftime anthem. Almost two centuries of Texas mythmaking successfully muddled fact with fable in song. The true story of Emily D. West remains mired in dispute and unrecognizable beneath the manipulative tales that grew up around it. The complete truth may never be recovered, but author Lora-Marie Bernard seeks an honest account honoring the grit and determination that brought a free black woman from the abolitionist riots of Connecticut to the thick of a bloody Texas revolution. A Lone Star native who grew up immersed in the Yellow Rose legend, Bernard also traces other stories that legend has obscured, including the connection between Emily D. West and plans for a free black colony in Texas.
This week we go back to the Revolutionary War and look at the events that led to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and with author John Maas.
Around the North Carolina village of Guilford Courthouse in the late winter of 1781, two weary armies clashed on a cold, wet afternoon. American forces under Nathanael Greene engaged Lord Cornwallis’s British army in a bitter two-hour battle of the Revolutionary War. The frightful contest at Guilford was a severe conflict in which troops made repeated use of their flintlock muskets, steel bayonets and dragoon swords in hand-to-hand fighting that killed and wounded about eight hundred men. Historian John R. Maass recounts the bloody battle and the grueling campaign in the South that led up to it, a crucial event on the road to American independence.
Running for 664 miles along Kentucky's border, the Ohio River provided a remarkable opportunity for the enslaved to escape to free soil in Indiana and Ohio. The river beckoned fugitive slave Henry Bibb onto a steamboat at Madison, Indiana, headed to Cincinnati, where he discovered the Underground Railroad. Upriver from Cincinnati, a lantern signal high on a hill from the Rankin House in Ripley, Ohio, stirred others to flee for freedom. These stories and more along the borderland of the Ohio River also served as the setting for Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, which became an inspiration of human resistance. Author Nancy Theiss, PhD, takes readers on a tour through American history to places of courage and sacrifice.
On this special episode I am joined by husband and wife authors Wil Elrick and Kelly Kazek. Between the two of them they have written about forgotten history that affected the nation, weird facts and strange stories. From a maritime disaster with a loss of life on par with the Titanic which took place on the Mississippi River to a man simply vanishing from his farm in Alabama this episode has it all.
When Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine in 1565, his New World survival kit included gambling, liquor and ladies for hire. For the next four hundred years, these three industries were vital in keeping the city financially afloat. With the cooperation of law enforcement and politicians, St. Augustine’s madams, bootleggers and high-rollers created a veritable Riviera where tourists, especially the wealthy, could indulge in almost every vice and still bring the family along for a wholesome vacation picking oranges and gawking at alligators. Join historian Ann Colby’s tour of spots not on the standard tourist map to discover hidden-in-plain-sight bordellos, speakeasies, casinos and the occasional opium den.
Ever driven by, walked by or flown over an abandoned building or house and wondered what the inside looked like? Do you see a haunting beauty in the decay? Jay Farrell does and he joins me this week to talk about exploring abandoned places throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi.
It was an unlikely place for a city, scourged by disease-ridden mosquitos and pummeled by hurricanes. But for more than three hundred years, Mobile has thrived on the unlikely and endured the unimaginable. Mobilians love their gumbo but are likely unaware that it was first served up here by women sent from France to foster population growth. Times were once so dire for free blacks that a shocking number petitioned the courts to become slaves. The city witnessed the first operational submarine, the first Mardi Gras celebration and the last major battle of the Civil War. Author Joe Cuhaj navigates the backwaters of Mobile’s fascinating history.
On this episode I speak with author Dale Perelman.
In the summer of 1978, a mother and her four-year-old were stabbed to death in the quiet town of New Castle. Police suspected the husband, Lou Kadunce, but were unable to find either a weapon or a motive. Sitting in a Lawrence County jail in 1981, convicted serial killer Michael Atkinson accused Frank Costal—a carny, petty thief and Satanist—of having an affair with the Kadunce husband and participating in the murder. A series of intense trials ensued as Costal was convicted of the homicides and a jury found the husband not guilty. Questions surrounding the case gripped the region and grabbed headlines in the Pittsburgh Press. Author Dale Richard Perelman tells this tragic story.
We are back for a new year and with a new theme song!
What do Edgar Allan Poe and Pirates have in common? The city of Charleston, SC obviously. This week author Chris Downey is my guest as we speak about what brought Edgar Allan Poe to Charleston which is the subject of his latest book. We also delve into the Golden Age of Piracy. A subject about which Chris is not a stranger having already published two books on the matter
This week we speak with the "King of Nostalgia" Tim Hollis. Tim has a museum attached to his house in Alabama full of collectibles and has written multiple books about roadside attractions, amusement parks of by gone eras, and the way things used to be in yesteryears. Who better to talk about to about Christmas and the Holidays of days gone by?
A mother and her young children are found dead in a burning home and the husband is no where to be found in this true crime story from the 1930's.
What do the Railroads have to do with modern time keeping and two presidents who died on the same date 180 years apart.
The Gold Coast of Florida is our setting this week for pirate, rum runners, and smuggler tales.
Warring preachers, a Revolutionary War Hero, A Vice President of the United States and so much more in this episode of Author Conversations.
In this midweek feature we hit highlights from this week in history. Not everyday is discussed but we do talk about a Rough Rider, a bad Tuesday, a man knocking on a door on October 31st and a man and his new home.
This week author Brian Clune Joins me as we learn about the history and ghosts of both Alcatraz and the former ocean liner turned hotel, The Queen Mary.
Do the Earp along with Doc Holliday still fight it out in Tombstone, AZ? On this episode I talk with the author of Haunted Tombstone, Cody Polston.
Join me this week as a speak with the author of 3 Haunted titles. Explore the haunted history of Washington State.
Get ready for an intense episode! This week I speak with Lynn J. Buonviri the author of Moll Dyer and Other Witch Tales of Southern Maryland.
This week is week one on our journey into the unexplained. Join me as I speak with the authors of Haunted Michigan.
Starting on Monday, September 30th, Author Conversations will feature some of our spookier books up until Halloween.
Join me as I have a conversation with Robert Geake. Robert is the author of New England Citizen Soldiers of the Revolutionary War. Personally the Revolutionary War is my favorite period of history and Robert shines light on who these soldiers were, where they came from, where they fought and different types of fighting units.
Sean Davis joins me on this edition of Author Conversations. Sean is the author of Oregon Wildland Firefighting which is now available. Join us as we explore the history of fighting these devastating disasters.
Join me this week as I speak with Tyler Boyd who is the author of Tennessee Statesman Harry T Burn. Tyler is the great grand nephew of Harry T Burn who cast the deciding vote which allowed Tennessee to pass the 19th amendment which made women's voting rights law. But there is more to the story including the legendary note from his mother which swayed Harry to vote for the 19th amendment.
Join me as a talk with Jason Wetzel who is the co-author of Georgia POW Camps in World War II.
When we think about the Homefront during WWII we forget or don't know about the prisoner of war camps. Jason clues us in on this often forgotten part of history.
Jason Barney joins us for a conversation today as we learn about the causes of the War of 1812, why Northern Vermont was sought after and what role the state played in the war.
On this edition of Author Conversations I speak with Michael Gabriele. Michael and I discuss the history of Folk Music and the Folk Music Revival in New Jersey. We also spend time talking about the History of New Jersey Diners and the people who love them. Michael also discusses the history of bicycle racing as a spectator sport.
Today I have a conversation with Martin Tucker who is the author of Vietnam Photographs from North Carolina Veterans. These moving photographs are from veterans all over the country who now call North Carolina home. Join me as we take a look at the story of these veterans and what it means to them to be able to share these photographs.
Mark Muncy joins me today for a conversation. Mark is the author of "Eerie Florida", "Freaky Florida" and the upcoming "Creepy Florida". We discuss how learning the folk lore of an area helps in understanding that area's history and we delve into creepy stories from not just Florida but all over the country.
Join me as I speak with author, journalist and photographer Tom Poland. We discuss his books "Classic Carolina Road Trips", "South Carolina Country Roads" and his upcoming book "The Last Sunday Drive". Tom enjoys slowing and taking the roads that were once traveled but now considered roads less traveled.
Introducing Author Conversations where authors of local history books join us to discuss their works.