The Goth Librarian Podcast

Some may say the parallels between the 1918 Spanish Flu and COVID-19 are unsettling. You be the judge after hearing this special episode.  A big thank you to Justin from Generation Why for assisting with research!

Did you know London had a graveyard just for outcasts? Or that San Francisco was built from the remains of ships? Find out more in this top 5 episode about the secret histories of popular tourist destinations.

In this episode, I explore different types of abandoned settlements and ghost towns. Who was the 'Bad Man from Bodie'? Why was a popular resort town on the Salton Sea deemed "an ecological terror"? And how does a fire stay ignited for centuries?

In this episode, I delve into the stories of the earliest female criminals sentenced to death. Who were these women and what were their crimes? Highlights include Velma Barfield, June Champion, and Lizzie Halliday.

In this special Halloween episode I cover two crimes and one mysterious death, all of which transpired one Halloween night. Has anyone ever actually found a razor blade in their candy bar or is it an urban myth? What code word did Houdini give his wife so only she would know if he were speaking to her from beyond the grave?

In the 1940s and early 1950s, Americans afflicted with cancer feared their only treatment options: radiation and surgery. They sought a miraculous cure, and both Norman Baker and Harry Hoxsey claimed to have the answer.

In episode 31, Zoe and Miyuki of the podcast "Weird Kids Wanted" share their stories about Philly - from their real-life haunted mansion to the city's overcrowded graveyards. I also tell a few tales about my time as a Salem resident.

In this mini episode, I wanted to stay true to my affinity for the gothic subculture by doing a top 5 list on the most regrettable gothic trends. #gothic #gothicculture #darkfashion

In this top 5 episode, you'll hear all about 5 beastly cryptids and the legends that surround them. Could you believe in the unbelievable? #cryptids #cryptozoology #legends #folklore #beasts #podcasts #oddities

In this episode, I explore three hoaxes that are strange beyond belief. Hear the tale of a man who disappeared into a bottle, and a woman who gave birth to rabbits! If you like oddities, you won't want to miss this one.

In this top 5 episode, I explain how I earned my nickname and delve into the dark history of libraries that are reportedly haunted.

Have you ever wondered how places earned their hellish name? From Hell's Kitchen to Devil's Promenade, I investigate the stories of 5 darkly-named places.

In episode 25, I explore the lives and crimes of four women. These lives span decades and continents, but all have one sinister commonality: murder.

The films discussed episode 24 are all believed to be cursed. From Rosemary's Baby to The Omen, hear all about the ominous tales behind some of your favorite dark films. Thank you to my special guest, Justin from Generation Why, for covering the tragic death on the set of The Crow.

In this mini episode, I explore 5 museums in the U.S. full of spooky delights.

Join me in exploring the ladies of dark legend. From Bloody Mary to La Llorona, find out where these stories originated and why they continue to be told.

In Episode 21, I explore the history of mental institutions in the U.S. - from social reformer Nellie Bly to extreme treatment methods used in the name of healing.

In this mini episode, I highlight the top 5 haunted places in the U.S. to grab a bite. So arrive hungry, pull up a chair, and await your phantom guests...

Lonely hearts ads, singles columns, personal ads - all interchangeable terms present the opportunity for unattached individuals seeking another for a special connection.  But what happens when a killer is reading through, or even posting their own ads?  In this episode, I cover three cases - The Lonely Hearts Killers, Harvey Carignan aka 'Harv the Hammer' and the notorious Craigslist Killer.

Dive into the grim world of resurrectionists in the 19th century. What methods did body snatchers use to avoid detection? Why was it such a lucrative trade?  And what in the world is 'burking'?

In 1953, the CIA began implementing a series of experiments on test subjects - many of whom were unknowing participants. The goal was to see if drugs could tap into parts of the mind to enable what the U.S. government referred to as 'brain warfare.' They called it Project MKUltra.

What gothic podcast would be complete without a little dash of death? Join me in exploring taphophobia, or the fear of being buried alive. Which historical figures were taphophobes? What's a safety coffin? And why did Hans Christian Anderson sleep with a sign around his neck? Find out in this particularly macabre episode.

In this mini episode, I highlight my top 5 most haunted places to stay in the U.S. From the phantoms of the Queen Mary to the tortured souls of the Bordens, find out where I think you should lay your head for some frightfully dark dreams.

In this episode, I look into fashions from bygone eras that were treacherous. Hear about corsetry, crinolines, chopines, foot binding, and the strange case of the man who avenged Lincoln.

It seems only fitting that Episode 13 explores the spirit realm. Meet the Fox sisters, who spawned spiritualism; get acquainted with the dazzling Davenport brothers and their spectacular spirit cabinet; gaze upon a spectral image courtesy of William H. Mumler.

Continuing my two-part exploration of con artists, I focus on three men who were masters of deception: Dr. Joseph Brinkley otherwise known as The Goat Gland Man, C.L. Blood with his oxygenized air, and Joseph Weil who could dupe a dictator.

In this episode, I profile four women who almost got away with elaborate schemes and what led them down that path. From promises of eternal beauty to claiming to be Carnegie's illegitimate daughter, these female con artists used clever tactics to captivate their marks.

In this mini episode, I go through a list of the top 5 grisliest medical tools used in a time before anesthesia or sterilization.

How easy is it to fake your own death? Here are some cases of people who have made the attempt, and a few dead celebrities who many want to believe are still alive.  The book mentioned in this episode is Elizabeth Greenwood's 'Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud. '

Three separate cases from different eras will examine a rare form of true crime: twin outlaws. Questions or comments? thegothlibrarianpodcast@gmail.com Follow me on Twitter: @GothPodcast Instagram: that_gothlibrarian Thank you for listening! Other shows from the PODCAST JUKEBOX network: Off the Cuffs: a Kink and BDSM podcast Will Sean Podcast? ProudToBeKinky Podcast Drinks with God NO LOVE LOST & Being There

This episode will take you down the rabbit hole of quackery and patent medicine. In an age when cure-alls and miracle elixirs were all the rage, people believed the remedy for their greatest ills sat in a tiny medicine bottle.  A big thank you to Dick of Being There and Off the Cuffs for indulging my wild idea for an intro.

Explore three cases where couples killed together - Faye and Ray Copeland, Alvin and Judith Neelley, and Charlie Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate.  Questions or comments? thegothlibrarianpodcast@gmail.com Follow me on Twitter: @GothPodcast Instagram: that_gothlibrarian Thank you for listening! Check out other shows from PODCAST JUKEBOX: Will Sean Podcast? ProudToBeKinky Podcast Drinks with God NO LOVE LOST & Being There

On a special extended episode, Dick from the podcasts Off the Cuffs and Being There joins me in discussing and reacting to bizarre state laws.  Questions or comments? thegothlibrarianpodcast@gmail.com Follow me on Twitter: @GothPodcast Instagram: that_gothlibrarian Thank you for listening! Check out other shows from PODCAST JUKEBOX: Will Sean Podcast? ProudToBeKinky Podcast Drinks with God NO LOVE LOST & Being There

What do Carl Tanzler, Amy Fisher, and Burt Pugach have in common? Find out in Episode 4.

Join me in exploring the legend of the Lady of Lake Ronkonkoma, the curse of Giles Corey, and the torment of the Winchester widow.

In this episode I take listeners on a journey to the Capuchin Crypt in Rome and the Paris Catacombs. Interspersed with my narrative on their complex histories is my interview with Dr. Paul Koudounaris, author of The Empire of Death, Heavenly Bodies, and Memento Mori.

Delve into two cases of Long Island serial killers - one that remains unsolved.

This is a trailer for the upcoming podcast, The Goth Librarian Podcast. It is debuting on August 20th.