Podcasts about Gothic

Communion After Dark - features the latest and best in Dark Alternative-Electronic Music. This week's show featured the World Premier of the New Massive Ego song "Broken Tomorrow" feat. Boy George plus music by Diorama, ESA, Synthattack, Alex Braun, and many more artists from around the world. 

Matt and Eric tackle Sam Raimi's film-right-before-Spider-Man, 2000's THE GIFT, starring Cate Blanchett as a small town Southern psychic who everyone treats as a therapist instead of going to actual much-needed therapy. Anyways, there's also a murder...

Episode 51: The Unfortunate Pirate For over a century, "Annabel Lee" has been read as Edgar Allan Poe's final love poem—a haunting elegy to his child bride Virginia, written months before his death. But what if we've been wrong about the poem's true subject all along? In this episode, Mike follows a trail of evidence from a forgotten 1827 tale about a murderous pirate to the windswept shores of Sullivan's Island, where Poe was stationed as a young soldier. Along the way, he uncovers a family accusation that pursued Poe his entire life, a poem he was forced to burn, and the testimony of a woman who nursed him through his darkest hours. What emerges is a radical reinterpretation of America's most famous poem of loss—and a story about what it means to defend someone you love when the whole world has turned against them. The grave of Annabel Lee has finally been found. It was never where anyone thought to look.   Sources Referenced in Episode 51: The Unfortunate Pirate Primary Sources & Archival Materials Ellis & Allan Papers, Library of Congress (John Allan's 1824 letter to William Henry Leonard Poe) Charleston Courier, December 4, 1807 ("The Mourner" by D.M.C.; theatrical advertisements for Placide's company) Charleston News and Courier, September 15, 1912 (account of the Pirate's House legend) The North American (Baltimore periodical containing "The Pirate" by W.H.P., published November 27, 1827) Flag of Our Union (Boston, 1849 — publication of "To My Mother") New York Tribune (publication of "Annabel Lee," October 1849) Broadway Journal, 1845 (Poe's defense of his mother's profession) John Henry Ingram correspondence with Marie Louise Shew (1875–1877) Works by Edgar Allan Poe "Annabel Lee" (1849) "To My Mother" (1849) "Song" (from Tamerlane and Other Poems, 1827) "To M. L. S." (1847) "To Marie Louise" (1848) The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket Secondary Sources & Biographies Hervey Allen — Poe biographer (collaborated with Thomas Ollive Mabbott) Thomas Ollive Mabbott — Poe scholar (1927 discovery of W.H.P. works in The North American) Robert Adger Law, "A Source for 'Annabel Lee'" (April 1922) — article tracing the poem to the Charleston Courier John Henry Ingram — early Poe biographer J.W. Ocker, Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe Scott Peeples — Poe scholar (quoted in Poe-Land) Contemporary Accounts & Memoirs John Sartain — account of Poe's 1849 Philadelphia breakdown N.P. Willis — description of Maria Clemm as "Edgar's sole ministering angel" Marie Louise Shew — correspondence and forty pages of notes from Fordham Mary Starr — recollections of the Poe household in Baltimore Samuel Mordecai — letter describing fashionable visitors to Elizabeth Poe's deathbed Colonel James House — March 30, 1829 letter requesting Poe's discharge Historical & Architectural References Robert Mills — architect of the Fireproof Building (Charleston, 1827) and Monumental Church (Richmond, 1814) Richmond Theatre Fire accounts (December 26, 1811) Previous Episodes Referenced "Night Sea Voyage" (Dock Street Theatre, Julian Wiles's Nevermore!) "Buried Treasures" (Charleston's Gold-Bug mythology, Alexander Lenard) "Juliet's Tomb" (Alexander Lenard's biography, the A.L.R. tombstone) "Tekeli" (Robert Adger Law's discovery, Eliza Poe's Charleston performances, Tekeli connection)

H.A. & Pagans Indicted While Black Outlaws Party — Open Biker TalkGood morning friends. Today on Black Dragon Biker TV, we're covering a wide range of developing stories that highlight just how broad the biker world really is — from indictments and court cases to awareness, accountability, and prevention.We begin in Canada, where Hells Angels clubhouse owners in Surrey are pushing back against allegations of illegal activity. The B.C. government is seeking to seize a property allegedly linked to criminal enterprise, while the owner insists they knew nothing of any wrongdoing. We'll talk about civil forfeiture, burden of proof, and how these cases are increasingly being handled.Next, we head stateside.A violent daytime melee on Sunrise Highway in Suffolk County involving Pagans MC and Hells Angels has left multiple victims with life-threatening injuries. Prosecutors say five men used weapons during the clash, and those men have now been indicted. We'll discuss what's been reported, what charges mean, and how public incidents change the legal landscape.From there, we shift continents.A deadly Chinese manjha (glass-coated kite string) incident caught on camera in Varanasi, India, shows a biker narrowly escaping death when the string catches his neck, leaving a severe shoulder injury. We'll talk about the dangers of manjha, why it continues to be a threat, and what riders worldwide should know.We'll also highlight a positive development:Bikers Against Predators strikes again. An Indiana group's investigation has led to the arrest of a Baxter County man charged with sexual solicitation of minors. We'll discuss how these groups operate, why they're controversial to some, and why they continue to get results.And finally, a reminder that danger isn't always criminal:A navigation app led a biker straight into a 15-foot open well, raising serious questions about over-reliance on GPS and rider awareness.No hype.No sugarcoating.Just real conversation.This is one of those shows where:• Indictments get unpacked• Enforcement tactics get examined• Safety issues get highlighted• And the set talks to the set Call in. Drop comments. Join the discussion.Join Black Dragon, Lavish T. Williams, and Logic as we break it all down. Watch on: Black Dragon Biker TV – /blackdragonbikertv Lavish T. Williams – /@lavishtwilliams Keep It Logical – /keepitlogicalBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Hey today we interview Capone with Blok Burnaz founder of an iconic MC. Join us as we discuss. Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

President Trump Say's Hells Angels Are Sweet! Plus Outcast & Thunderguards Sue for Peace! — Open Biker TalkGood morning friends, today on Black Dragon Biker TV we're covering statements, protocol, and real developments across the set.President Donald Trump has made comments saying the Hells Angels are “sweet,” and that has people asking questions. Today we take a closer look at who the Hells Angels are, why statements like this get attention, and how people outside the biker world often misunderstand outlaw motorcycle clubs.We'll also discuss reports that major MCs — including the Pagans MC — are making it clear that members doing unauthorized interviews are OUT BAD. We'll talk about why interviews matter, who is authorized to speak, and how media exposure affects clubs and protocol.And finally, we'll turn to something that doesn't always get highlighted:The Outcast MC Nation and Thunderguards MC Nation have held their third peace summit in Louisiana, continuing efforts focused on peace. We'll also touch on the Mongols, who have publicly stated they are suing for peace as well.Join Black Dragon, Lavish T. Williams, and Logic as we talk it through. Watch on: Black Dragon Biker TV – /blackdragonbikertv Lavish T. Williams – /@lavishtwilliams Keep It Logical – /keepitlogicalBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Can a Brother MC Remove the President of a Social ClubToday on Black Dragon Biker TV, we're diving into MC protocol and questions that require clarity, not emotion.Can a Brother MC remove the President of a Social Club?And along with that:Can a Brother MC shut chapters down?Can members be removed?Where does influence end and authority begin?This conversation is about structure, respect, protocol, and boundaries between Motorcycle Clubs and Social Clubs—not rumor, not ego, and not internet mythology.We'll also address another question circulating across the set:Can a mosque bless a 1%er Motorcycle Club to be on the set?Today we take a look at a rumor involving a mosque that has allegedly blessed a 1%er motorcycle club onto the set, and we'll talk through what that would mean, what authority religious institutions do or do not have in biker protocol, and where faith, culture, and MC structure intersect—or don't.No disrespect.No sensationalism.Just honest discussion.This is one of those shows where:• Protocol gets clarified• Influence is separated from authority• Rumors are examined logically• And the set talks to the setIf you've ever questioned how far authority reaches, how decisions are supposed to be made, or how outside institutions factor into MC life, this is the conversation. Call in. Drop comments. Join the discussion.Join Black Dragon, Lavish T. Williams, and Logic as we break it down respectfully and thoroughly. Watch on: Black Dragon Biker TV – /blackdragonbikertv Lavish T. Williams – /@lavishtwilliams Keep It Logical – /keepitlogicalRide safe — and let's talk protocol.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Del Roscoe's website describes them as a "Gothic indie Americana band." That's the best definition we've heard. We talked with singer/songwriter Robert Lee.For more information, or to get a copy of their record, check out their website.

In this episode, best-selling author Simone St. James comes to talk about her new book, A Box Full of Darkness, available January 20 in the US through publisher Berkley. She talks with Trevor about her Gothic stories, about writing complicated characters, and the effect of trauma on personal relationships.You can find more Simone St. James at simonestjames.com, and you can find A Box Full of Darkness and her other novels at your local library or your favorite book retailer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Communion After Dark - features the latest and best in Dark Alternative-Electronic Music. This week's show features music from Lord of the Lost, Ladytron, Antibody, Grendel, BlakLight, Dulce Liquido, and many more artists from around the world. 

Step into Unknown Broadcast — classic old-time radio horror stories and vintage radio suspense pulled from the dark, stitched together, and left to play in the corners of your feed. Tonight, four nightmares unfold: a royal smile that means life… a desperate man pushed into crime… a murder heard in the dark… and an island where gunfire answers the tide.

In this video, Chris and Gerry take an in-depth look at The Innocents (1961), one of the most unsettling and beautifully crafted psychological horror films ever made. Directed by Jack Clayton and based on Henry  James' The Turn of the Screw, this chilling classic stars Deborah Kerr in a haunting performance as a governess who may - or may not - be losing her grip on reality. We explore the film's eerie atmosphere, Gothic cinematography, use of sound and silence, and its lasting influence on psychological and supernatural horror. Is The Innocents truly a ghost story, or a disturbing portrait of repression and madness? Join the discussion as we break down themes, performances, and why this film remains essential viewing more than 60 years later.  Perfect for fans of classic horror, Gothic cinema, and slow-burn psychological thrillers. Like subscribe and share your interpretation of The Innocents in the comments!

Black Dragon Biker TV Podcast Episode: No Jail Time, Guilty Pleas, & That Question Again — Open Biker TalkWelcome back to Black Dragon Biker TV! Today we're keeping it open and real — no heavy script, just straight talk on three things that are moving in the MC world right now.1. Ryan Lane — No Jail Time After Guilty Plea in Pagans-Linked Case (Fairmont, West Virginia)Ryan Lane — once alleged to be a leader in the Pagans Motorcycle Club — pleaded guilty to an “organized criminal enterprise” charge tied to the 2022 murder of Henry Silver in Marion County. Outcome: No jail time. Probation, fines, and conditions instead.This one's got people talking:How does a murder-connected case end with zero prison?Was the plea deal smart, soft, or something else?What does it say about how prosecutors handle MC-related cases these days?We'll break it down — the facts, the sentence, and why this decision is stirring the pot.2. Massachusetts Meth Ring Guilty Plea — Unknown Bikers MC ConnectionA man has pleaded guilty in federal court for his role in a methamphetamine distribution ring linked to the Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club in Massachusetts.Details are still emerging, but the case involves:Drug trafficking chargesMC ties used to frame the group as an organized enterpriseTypical federal playbook: RICO-style language, even if not full RICO chargesWe'll look at:How these cases get builtWhy MC affiliation is always highlightedWhat brothers can learn about staying clear of the feds3. That Question Again — Is Black Dragon a Snitch?Yeah… it's back.The rumor mill never sleeps. Someone's always asking, whispering, or posting: "Is Black Dragon a snitch?"Today we address it head-on — again:Where this nonsense keeps coming fromWhy certain corners of biker media love pushing itHow misinformation spreads (and who benefits)Straight facts from the setNo dodging. No games. Just truth.This is one of those shows where:Court outcomes get questionedFederal cases get dissectedNarratives get challengedAnd the set talks to the setIf you've got thoughts on plea deals, sentencing, MC prosecutions, or the endless snitch rumors — call in, drop comments, bring it.Let's get into it. No scripts, no filter — just real biker talk.This is Black Dragon Biker TV. Ride safe, stay sharp, and speak your truth.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro talks to John Wilson about his cultural influences. From his 1992 debut Cronos to his recent big budget spectacular retelling of Frankenstein, del Toro's 12 feature films mix fantasy, horror and Gothic romance to create modern fairy tales about innocence, brutality and redemption. His movies have won eight Academy Awards including three for Pan's Labyrinth in 2006, and four Oscars for The Shape Of Water in 2017, plus seven BAFTAs and three Golden Globes.Producer: Edwina PitmanArchive used: Clip from Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro, 2006 Clip from Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro, 2025 Clip from Frankenstein, James Whale, 1931 Clip from I Confess, Alfred Hitchcock, 1953

In this week's episode of Spanish Loops, we look into one of the most fascinating and misunderstood artistic languages of the Iberian Peninsula: Mudejar art.Together with Fran, we explore how Mudejar emerged in Christian territories between the 12th and 16th centuries, shaped by Muslim artisans who continued working after the Christian reconquest. While often confused with Islamic or Arabic art, Mudejar is not a religious style but a cultural and architectural hybrid, blending Islamic decorative techniques with Christian Romanesque, Gothic, and later Renaissance structures.We break down the key differences between Arabic art, developed under Islamic rule from the 8th century onward and Mudejar art, which reused elements such as horseshoe arches, intricate tilework, wooden ceilings, and geometric patterns, but placed them in churches, palaces, and civic buildings commissioned by Christian patrons.Fran and I guide you through timelines, visual clues, and real examples across Spain, helping you understand when, where, and why these styles evolved the way they did. More importantly, we share how recognizing these differences changes the way you look at Spanish cities forever.This episode is not just about art history. It's about coexistence, adaptation, and the unique cultural DNA that defines Spain.Plug in, look closer, and let the walls speak.

CHARLESTON GOTHIC Episode 4: Tekeli   The Charleston Library Society has survived fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and war—emerging each time with its treasures intact. Among those treasures: the world's most complete archive of Charleston newspapers from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.   In this episode, we enter the stacks where a ghost named Hinson is said to wander, where Henry Timrod's blood-stained manuscript bears witness to a poet's final days, and where a century-old scholarly article waited decades for someone to understand what it revealed. What was Edgar Allan Poe really searching for when he visited Charleston's archives during his time at Fort Moultrie? For over a hundred years, the legend said he came looking for pirate treasure—the buried gold that would inspire "The Gold-Bug." But a 1922 discovery by a Texas scholar suggested something far more personal. Following threads that connect the Poetry Society of South Carolina, a Harvard-trained philologist, and the vanished stage of the Charleston Theatre, we trace Poe's footsteps to a secret hidden in plain sight—one that may unlock the strangest passage he ever wrote.   The answer lies where it has always been: in the newspapers, in the archives, in the advertisements for a play called Tekeli.   Sources:   Books   - Allen, Hervey. Israfel: The Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe (1926) - Allen, Hervey and DuBose Heyward. Carolina Chansons (1922) - Allen, Hervey and Thomas Ollive Mabbott. Poe's Brother: The Life and Poetry of William Henry Leonard Poe (1926) - Downey, Christopher Byrd. Edgar Allan Poe's Charleston (2020) - Kopley, Richard. Edgar Allan Poe: A Life (2025) - Mabbott, Thomas Ollive, ed. Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Volume 1: Poems (Harvard University Press, 1969) - Poe, Edgar Allan. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838) - Ravenel, Beatrice Witte. The Arrow of Lightning (1926)   Academic Articles   - Law, Robert Adger. "A Source for 'Annabel Lee'" Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Volume 21 (April 1922) - Peeples, Scott and Michelle Van Parys. "Unburied Treasure: Edgar Allan Poe in the South Carolina Lowcountry." Southern Cultures (2016)   Newspapers & Periodicals   - Charleston Courier (December 4, 1807) - Charleston Courier (March 22, 1811) - Charleston Mercury (2011) - News and Courier (February 6, 1889) - News and Courier (1938) - Southern Patriot (July 25, 1833) - Russell's Magazine - Southern Literary Messenger - Texas Review / Southwest Review   Archival & Primary Sources   - Charleston Library Society archives - Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Volume 21 — inscribed "Gift of author, Oct. 1934" - Surveyor's plat for Captain William C. Hammer (February 16, 1867) - Affidavit dated September 5, 1745 (Cid Campeador treasure deposition)   Plays   - Hook, Theodore Edward (libretto) and James Hook (music). Tekeli; or, The Siege of Montgatz   Television   - "Time Enough at Last." The Twilight Zone (1959)   Reference Works   - South Carolina Encyclopedia (entry on Henry Timrod)   Interviews & Personal Communications   - Christopher Byrd Downey (conversation at Owlbear Café) - Danielle Cox, Digital Historian, Charleston Library Society - Scott Peeples, phone interview   

Communion After Dark - features the latest and best in Dark Alternative-Electronic Music. This week's show features music from Mesh, A Spell Inside. Absurd Minds, Blaklight, Alienare, and many more artists from around the world. 

Fluent Fiction - Catalan: Raindrops and Gothic Dreams: An Architect's Awakening Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ca/episode/2026-01-12-23-34-02-ca Story Transcript:Ca: El dia començava fred i humit.En: The day began cold and wet.Ca: El Raimon caminava lentament pel Barri Gòtic de Barcelona.En: Raimon walked slowly through the Barri Gòtic of Barcelona.Ca: Treballava com arquitecte.En: He worked as an architect.Ca: Sempre mirava els edificis antics amb admiració, però sentia que la seva vida personal estava buida.En: He always looked at the old buildings with admiration but felt that his personal life was empty.Ca: De sobte, va començar a ploure intensament.En: Suddenly, it started to rain intensely.Ca: El Raimon va córrer fins a un arc de pedra antic per refugiar-se.En: Raimon ran to an old stone arch to take shelter.Ca: Allà va trobar l'Ariadna, una jove estudiant d'història de l'art.En: There he found Ariadna, a young art history student.Ca: Estava absorbida per les textures de les pedres que l'envoltaven.En: She was absorbed by the textures of the stones that surrounded her.Ca: —Hola!En: "Hello!"Ca: —va dir ella amb un somriure tímid—.En: she said with a shy smile.Ca: Aquest lloc és impressionant, oi?En: "This place is impressive, isn't it?"Ca: —Sí, és magnífic, —el Raimon va respondre.En: "Yes, it's magnificent," Raimon replied.Ca: Ell sentia difícil obrir-se, però hi havia quelcom en el somriure de l'Ariadna que li cridava l'atenció.En: He found it difficult to open up, but there was something in Ariadna's smile that caught his attention.Ca: L'Ariadna li va explicar que feia la seva tesi sobre l'arquitectura gòtica.En: Ariadna explained to him that she was writing her thesis on Gothic architecture.Ca: Necessitava trobar connexió emocional amb la història.En: She needed to find an emotional connection with the history.Ca: Parlaven del passat, de com cada pedra tenia una història, com els edificis eren més que simples construccions.En: They talked about the past, about how each stone had a story, how buildings were more than just constructions.Ca: Mentre la pluja continuava, el Raimon començà a descriure els seus detalls preferits: les columnes, els vitralls, els arcs.En: As the rain continued, Raimon began to describe his favorite details: the columns, the stained glass windows, the arches.Ca: Les paraules fluïen amb passió, i l'Ariadna escoltava fascinada.En: The words flowed with passion, and Ariadna listened, fascinated.Ca: —La teva visió és increïble, —va dir ella—.En: "Your vision is incredible," she said.Ca: És just el que necessitava per la meva tesi.En: "It's just what I needed for my thesis."Ca: En aquell moment, el Raimon es va adonar que havia trobat una cosa més que un refugi del temps.En: At that moment, Raimon realized that he had found more than just a refuge from the weather.Ca: Sentia un nou entusiasme per la seva feina i per compartir-la amb altres persones.En: He felt a new enthusiasm for his work and for sharing it with others.Ca: Quan la pluja va parar, els carrers brillaven, reflectint les llums del Barri Gòtic.En: When the rain stopped, the streets shone, reflecting the lights of the Barri Gòtic.Ca: Van decidir continuar la seva conversa.En: They decided to continue their conversation.Ca: Van prometre explorar junts més secrets de la ciutat.En: They promised to explore more of the city's secrets together.Ca: Ara, el Raimon mirava el futur amb una nova esperança.En: Now, Raimon looked to the future with new hope.Ca: I l'Ariadna, amb el cor ple d'inspiració, se sentia més connectada amb la història que tant estimava.En: And Ariadna, with a heart full of inspiration, felt more connected to the history she so loved.Ca: Sota aquell antic arc de pedra, dos desconeguts van trobar allò que els faltava: companyia i passió renovada.En: Under that old stone arch, two strangers found what they lacked: companionship and renewed passion. Vocabulary Words:the architect: l'arquitectethe admiration: l'admiracióintensely: intensamentthe stone: la pedrathe arch: l'arcto take shelter: refugiar-seabsorbed: absorbidathe textures: les texturesto surround: envoltarthe thesis: la tesithe connection: la connexióthe past: el passatthe column: la columnastained glass windows: els vitrallsthe passion: la passióto flow: fluirfascinated: fascinadato realize: adonar-sethe enthusiasm: l'entusiasmeto share: compartirto shine: brillarthe hope: l'esperançainspiration: l'inspiracióto explore: explorarthe secret: el secretthe history: la històriato promise: prometrethe future: el futurthe companionship: la companyiarenewed: renovada

Fluent Fiction - Catalan: Art, Youth, and Heartbeats: A Museum Love Tale Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ca/episode/2026-01-10-08-38-20-ca Story Transcript:Ca: En un matí fred d'hivern, un grup d'estudiants de l'institut va arribar al Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.En: On a cold winter morning, a group of high school students arrived at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.Ca: Marc, un noi tranquil i amant de la història i l'art, caminava amb el cor bategant una mica més ràpid de l'habitual.En: Marc, a quiet boy and lover of history and art, walked with his heart beating slightly faster than usual.Ca: Estava emocionat i, al mateix temps, nerviós.En: He was excited and, at the same time, nervous.Ca: Avui volia impressionar Laia, la seva companya de classe.En: Today he wanted to impress Laia, his classmate.Ca: "Mira, Marc," va dir la Laia, apuntant amb curiositat a una escultura gòtica.En: "Look, Marc," said Laia, pointing curiously at a Gothic sculpture.Ca: Les seves paraules van tallar el silenci del museu com un raig de llum.En: Her words cut through the museum's silence like a beam of light.Ca: Ell somrigué, intentant mantenir la calma.En: He smiled, trying to stay calm.Ca: "És veritat que els artistes d'aquesta època només volien representar temes religiosos?"En: "Is it true that the artists of this era only wanted to portray religious themes?"Ca: Marc va inspirar profundament.En: Marc took a deep breath.Ca: "Sí... bé, en part," va començar, recordant el que havia llegit sobre l'art medieval.En: "Yes... well, partly," he began, remembering what he had read about medieval art.Ca: "Volien mostrar la seva devoció a Déu i també explicar històries als qui no sabien llegir.En: "They wanted to show their devotion to God and also tell stories to those who couldn't read.Ca: Però..." Va posar-se nerviós, conscient que podia perdre la seva atenció.En: But..." He got nervous, aware that he might lose her attention.Ca: La Núria, la professora que acompanyava els estudiants, els va escoltar de prop i va intervenir amb un somriure engrescador.En: Núria, the teacher accompanying the students, listened closely and intervened with an encouraging smile.Ca: "Molt bé, Marc.En: "Very good, Marc.Ca: Però recorda que l'art també reflectia la vida quotidiana i els valors de l'època."En: But remember that art also reflected the everyday life and values of the time."Ca: "És molt interessant," va dir la Laia.En: "That's very interesting," said Laia.Ca: "Què et sembla aquesta pintura, Marc?" Van aturar-se davant d'un gran llenç del Renaixement.En: "What do you think of this painting, Marc?" They stopped in front of a large Renaissance canvas.Ca: La Laia va somriure, i Marc va sentir el calor a les seves galtes.En: Laia smiled, and Marc felt the warmth on his cheeks.Ca: "Saps alguna cosa especial sobre ella?"En: "Do you know anything special about it?"Ca: El cor de Marc va començar a córrer.En: Marc's heart began to race.Ca: "Bé... l'art del Renaixement... eh, volia capturar la realitat amb precisió," va dir, vacil·lant.En: "Well... Renaissance art... uh, it wanted to capture reality with precision," he said, hesitating.Ca: "Està ple de detall i... eh... comitats... no, no, commutatives... oh!"En: "It's full of detail and... uh... commulations... no, no, commutatives... oh!"Ca: Laia va riure amb dolçor.En: Laia laughed sweetly.Ca: "Tranquil, Marc. M'agrada que t'esforcis.En: "Relax, Marc. I like that you try.Ca: Potser podríem preguntar a la Núria?"En: Maybe we could ask Núria?"Ca: Amb un sentiment de alleugeriment, Marc va acceptar l'ajuda.En: With a feeling of relief, Marc accepted the help.Ca: "Sí," va dir, formant un somriure amb confiança renovada.En: "Yes," he said, forming a smile with renewed confidence.Ca: "Núria, ens dones un cop de mà amb això?"En: "Núria, could you give us a hand with this?"Ca: "Per descomptat!" va dir la Núria, apropant-s'hi.En: "Of course!" said Núria, approaching.Ca: Els va parlar sobre l'evolució de les tècniques artístiques, la influència de la ciència i l'humanisme.En: She talked to them about the evolution of artistic techniques, the influence of science, and humanism.Ca: Marc i Laia escoltaven amb atenció, compartint mirades de complicitat.En: Marc and Laia listened attentively, sharing glances of complicity.Ca: Després d'aquell matí al museu, Marc va sentir que alguna cosa havia canviat.En: After that morning at the museum, Marc felt that something had changed.Ca: No només havia après més sobre l'art, sinó que havia après que no calia impressionar ningú.En: Not only had he learned more about art, but he had also learned that he didn't need to impress anyone.Ca: El seu esforç sincer ja era prou especial.En: His sincere effort was already special enough.Ca: La Laia ho apreciava, i això valia més que qualsevol coneixement.En: Laia appreciated it, and that was worth more than any knowledge.Ca: Junts, van prometre seguir aprenent i explorant les belleses de l'art, mà a mà, sota la llum tènue i càlida del museu.En: Together, they promised to keep learning and exploring the beauties of art, hand in hand, under the dim and warm light of the museum. Vocabulary Words:the morning: el matíthe heart: el corto beat: bategarthe breath: l'alèthe devotion: la devocióthe sculpture: l'esculturathe beam: el raigthe era: l'èpocato portray: representarthe teacher: la professorato intervene: intervenirencouraging: engrescadorthe painting: la pinturathe canvas: el llençthe warmth: el calorto hesitate: vacil·larto appreciate: apreciarthe influence: la influènciahumanism: l'humanismethe glance: la miradaattentively: amb atencióthe relief: l'alleugerimentthe effort: l'esforçthe silence: el silencito approach: apropant-s'hithe technique: la tècnicathe values: els valorscomplicity: la complicitatdim: tènueto explore: explorar

In this episode of Rock Paper Swords, Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill speak with novelist Essie Fox about her latest book, Catherine – a Gothic retelling of Wuthering Heights told from Catherine Earnshaw's perspective.Essie explores the enduring power of Emily Brontë's novel, the risks and rewards of retelling a literary classic, and why writing Catherine as a ghost opened up new emotional and thematic depth. The conversation also dives into unreliable narrators, Gothic tradition, historical language, and how writers balance authenticity with accessibility.A must-listen for fans of Gothic fiction, classic literature, and historical storytelling.

Black Dragon Biker TV Episode: Open Biker Talk — PROC, The Set, & Whatever Comes UpWelcome back to Black Dragon Biker TV! Today we're keeping it chill—no heavy headlines, no scripted deep dive. I'm getting ready to hit the road out of town, so we're just kicking back with some open biker talk.We'll check in on the PROC scene—what's moving, who's showing up, any shifts worth noting. Then we'll touch on what's happening around the set—local vibes, rides, events, or whatever brothers are dealing with day-to-day.And the rest? Whatever comes up. General biker life, culture, current issues—protocol questions, new club dynamics, road stories, or anything on your mind.No scripts. No filters. Just real conversation.If you're watching live—drop comments, call in, bring your topic. This is one of those shows where the chat drives it as much as I do.Let's ride into it. What's on your mind today?This is Black Dragon Biker TV—real talk, open road.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Guest: Professor Edward J. Watts. Following Julian's failed attempt to restore paganism, Theodosius embraced Christianity and suppressed traditional Roman religion. Simultaneously, the mishandling of Gothic refugees fleeing the Huns led to rebellion. After the Roman leadership refused to negotiate extortion payments, Alaric the Goth sacked the city of Rome in anger.

More One Order Arrested — Pro-Maduro Motorcycle Gangs Hunt Trump SupportersToday on Black Dragon Biker TV, we're breaking down three very different biker-related stories happening across the globe — from Canada, to Venezuela, to right here at home — and what they reveal about power, perception, and purpose on two wheels. More One Order MC Arrests in CanadaIf you want to run with the big dogs, you pick up big fleas — and it appears One Order MC in Canada has finally attracted the full attention of law enforcement.Police in Edmonton have laid charges against nine more men as part of a long-running investigation into an alleged organized crime group that expanded west after establishing itself out east. Authorities have publicly displayed seized colors and evidence, signaling that One Order's push toward a hardened outlaw image has come with serious consequences.We'll break down:Why these arrests matterHow organized-crime cases are built over timeWhat happens when clubs chase notorietyAnd what this means for the Canadian MC landscape Venezuela: Pro-Maduro Motorcycle Gangs Take to the StreetsMeanwhile in Caracas, armed pro-Maduro motorcycle gangs—often referred to as colectivos—have reportedly taken control of neighborhoods following the U.S. capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro.According to multiple reports, these militant bike groups are hunting down Venezuelans believed to support the U.S. action or former President Trump, setting up checkpoints, intimidating civilians, and enforcing regime loyalty through fear.We'll discuss:Who these motorcycle militias really areHow bikes are being used as tools of political enforcementThe dangers of armed biker groups aligned with state powerAnd what separates outlaw culture from government-sanctioned violence️ Back Home: MC Steps Up for the CommunityFinally, we'll highlight a powerful reminder of what motorcycle clubs can be when purpose outweighs ego.A local motorcycle club in Ohio has stepped up to pay off outstanding school lunch debts for Clinton-Massie students, ensuring kids aren't punished or embarrassed over unpaid balances.We'll talk about:Why stories like this rarely get mainstream attentionHow MCs quietly support their communities every dayAnd why giving back is just as much a part of biker culture as riding

In this interview, she discusses her book, Race, Politics, and Irish America: A Gothic History (Oxford UP, 2023), which inserts successive Irish-American identities--forcibly transported Irish, Scots-Irish, and post-Famine Irish--into American histories and representations of race. Figures from the Scots-Irish Andrew Jackson to the Caribbean-Irish Rihanna, as well as literature, film, caricature, and beauty discourse, convey how the Irish racially transformed multiple times: in the slave-holding Caribbean, on America's frontiers and antebellum plantations, and along its eastern seaboard. This cultural history of race and centuries of Irishness in the Americas examines the forcibly transported Irish, the eighteenth-century Presbyterian Ulster-Scots, and post-1845 Famine immigrants. Their racial transformations are indicated by the designations they acquired in the Americas: 'Redlegs,' 'Scots-Irish,' and 'black Irish.' In literature by Fitzgerald, O'Neill, Mitchell, Glasgow, and Yerby (an African-American author of Scots-Irish heritage), the Irish are both colluders and victims within America's racial structure. Depictions range from Irish encounters with Native and African Americans to competition within America's immigrant hierarchy between 'Saxon' Scots-Irish and 'Celtic' Irish Catholic. Irish-connected presidents feature, but attention to queer and multiracial authors, public women, beauty professionals, and performers complicates the 'Irish whitening' narrative. Thus, 'Irish Princess' Grace Kelly's globally-broadcast ascent to royalty paves the way for 'America's royals,' the Kennedys. The presidencies of the Scots-Irish Jackson and Catholic-Irish Kennedy signalled their respective cohorts' assimilation. Since Gothic literature particularly expresses the complicity that attaining power ('whiteness') entails, subgenres named 'Scots-Irish Gothic' and 'Kennedy Gothic' are identified: in Gothic by Brown, Poe, James, Faulkner, and Welty, the violence of the colonial Irish motherland is visited upon marginalized Americans, including, sometimes, other Irish groupings. History is Gothic in Irish-American narrative because the undead Irish past replays within America's contexts of race. Aidan Beatty is a historian at the Frederick Honors College of the University of Pittsburgh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

The Cinematography Podcast Episode 340: Steve Yedlin, ASC Cinematographer Steve Yedlin, ASC, and director Rian Johnson have shared a creative shorthand for over thirty years. Their collaboration is so deep that it rarely requires extensive dialogue. “Rian will mention things he wants to do differently or specifically, but a lot of it is already in the script,” says Yedlin. Johnson describes the vision; Yedlin elevates and translates it to the screen. While Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) remains the series' constant touchstone, each Knives Out installment is a visual standalone. “Rian and I are adamant that we don't want to repeat ourselves—that's boring,” Yedlin notes. “We want to push the medium forward and tell the story in the most visually arresting way possible.” For Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man, the duo pivoted toward a Gothic aesthetic with horror overtones. Yedlin introduced inky, high-contrast blacks and utilized "creep zooms" to heighten the tension. However, the film's atmosphere is most heavily dictated by the lighting. Within the central church setting, outdoor light shifts were meticulously programmed using Yedlin's proprietary software, as the external environment mirrors the internal drama of the scene. The most technical challenge of a Knives Out production is managing the sprawling ensemble cast. Filming large groups can risk "breaking the stageline"—violating the 180-degree rule that maintains spatial consistency for the audience. To avoid disorienting cuts, Johnson and Yedlin identify the strongest "stageline" between two key characters and commit to it. Rather than relying on traditional coverage, they use anchored shots that emphasize depth, showing how characters interact across the foreground and background. Reflecting on their lifelong partnership, Yedlin views the work as both professional and personal. “He's been my best friend,” he says. “Rian is a brilliant filmmaker. Even if I had nothing to do with his movies, they would be my favorites. And then I get to work on them because he keeps bringing me along.” See Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man streaming on Netflix. Find Steve Yedlin: https://www.yedlin.net/ Instagram @steveyedlin SHOW RUNDOWN: 01:27 Close Focus 10:45 Steve Yedlin, ASC interview 58:57 Short ends 01:07:27 Wrap up/Credits The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

Today I welcome back one of my favorite Gothic writers, Simone St. James. Her new book, A BOX FULL OF DARKNESS is out this month, perfect for fans of THE SUN DOWN MOTEL. We are careful not to reveal spoilers, but we enjoy revisiting her haunting fictional town of Fell, New York, and we chat about her inspirations that range from The X-Files to Stephen King novels read way too young. Simone is also my guest this month for my Patreon Book Club, so feel free to join us for a chance to ask her your questions directly. All links and show notes available at https://www.sheworeblackpodcast.com/

Welcome back to Black Dragon Biker TV! Today we're tackling a topic that's quiet in public but loud in private conversations: the real responsibilities—and dangers—of being a support club to a 1%er dominant.A lot of clubs jump into support status thinking it's just colors, rides, and respect. But once you're in, the rules change. Mandatory runs (show up or pay fines). Hidden fees (dues to the dominant, event "contributions"). And sometimes you're expected to back the dominant in situations that cross lines—shady deals, conflicts, even violence you never signed up for.We've heard stories:Support clubs forced to ride into rival territory during wars they had no part in starting.Restricted from riding certain roads or attending events because "it's hot right now."One club told: "Back us up or lose your colors"—putting freedom and safety on the line.Then comes the hardest part: leaving.When a support club decides the cost is too high and wants to go independent, the dominant often doesn't let go easy. Threats, intimidation, forced "talks," or worse. Striking out on your own can turn dangerous fast.Is this the price of "earning respect"? Or has the support system become something it wasn't meant to be?Today we'll discuss:What support really means in 2026.The unspoken rules and risks.How clubs navigate leaving without burning bridges—or getting burned.If you've lived this—support club, dominant, or independent—call in. What's your take?This is Black Dragon Biker TV—real talk, no filter. Let's ride into it.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Communion After Dark - features the latest and best in Dark Alternative-Electronic Music. This week's show features music from Leaether Strip, Apoptygma Berzerk, Beyond Border, Das Ich, spankthenun, and many more artists from around the world. 

The podcast episode explores the perceived "2-year rule" for new motorcycle clubs (MCs) throwing parties or annuals, stipulations from coalitions, blacklisting practices, and whether any of this violates U.S. anti-trust laws. Let's break it down.Why Can't an MC Just Throw a Party Whenever It Wants? Stipulations & the "2-Year Rule"Traditional MC protocol often requires new clubs to "earn" the right to host events by demonstrating respect, loyalty, and commitment to the existing MC community. This isn't a universal "law" but a common practice enforced by regional Confederations of Clubs (COCs) or coalitions—loose alliances of established MCs that set guidelines to avoid conflicts, overcrowding of events, and territorial issuesrcvsmc.net +1.The "2-Year" Practice: Many COCs expect new clubs to start as riding clubs (RCs) and spend 1-2 years attending other clubs' functions, supporting events, and building relationships before "graduating" to full MC status and hosting their own parties. This includes paying entry fees, showing up consistently, and getting a "sponsor club" (an established MC vouching for them). The idea is to prove you're not a "pop-up" club causing drama or diluting the scenereddit.com +1.Why the Stipulations?: Overcrowded calendars (e.g., multiple parties on the same weekend) lead to low attendance and resentment. Coalitions coordinate to "space out" events and ensure new clubs "pay dues" by supporting others first. It's about maintaining order in a scene where rivalries can escalate fastfacebook.com +1.Origins: This stems from post-WWII MC culture, where clubs like Hells Angels and Outlaws established informal "rules" through dominance and respect. Coalitions (e.g., in Ohio, Texas) formalized it in the 1980s–90s to reduce violence and promote unity. It's not in any "official MC bible"—just evolved customscribd.com +1.Blacklisting/Blackballing by Coalitions: Is It Legal Under Anti-Trust Laws?Blacklisting (coalitions agreeing not to support or attend a club's events) or blackballing (excluding a club from alliances) happens when a new club violates protocol—e.g., throwing parties too soon or not supporting others. Is it anti-trust?Not Likely Illegal: U.S. anti-trust laws (e.g., Sherman Act 1890, Clayton Act 1914) target commercial boycotts by competitors with market power that harm trade (e.g., price-fixing, refusing to deal to raise prices)ftc.gov +1. MC coalitions are social/non-commercial—they're not businesses competing for profit. Boycotts here are about community norms, not economic harm. Courts have ruled similar social boycotts (e.g., NCAA rules, political actions) don't violate anti-trust if not commercially motivatedftc.gov +1.1920s/30s Anti-Trust Context: You mentioned anti-trust battles (e.g., Standard Oil breakup, Sherman Act enforcement). Those targeted monopolies and business cartels—not social groups. No cases apply to MC coalitions, as they're not "restraining trade" in a legal sensenyulawreview.org.Potential Gray Area: If a coalition has "market power" (e.g., controlling events in a region) and blacklisting harms a club's "business" (e.g., charity funds, dues), it could be challenged—but MCs aren't typically seen as commercial. No known successful anti-trust suits against MC coalitions.Should MC Protocol Change?Protocol isn't set in stone—it's evolved from military/veteran roots to modern realities. The 2-year rule and blacklisting promote stability, but critics say it's gatekeeping that stifles new clubs. With social media, recruiting is easier, so perhaps shorten probation or make coalitions more inclusive. But change risks diluting tradition—strong clubs adapt carefully.What do you think? Is the 2-year rule fair, or outdated? Call in and let's discuss. Ride safe, brothers—Black Dragon out.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

https://www.harrislahti.comGet the book here:https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/foreclosure-gothic-9781662602825/

Fluent Fiction - Hungarian: Unveiling Secrets: A Historic Discovery at Matthias Church Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hu/episode/2026-01-05-08-38-19-hu Story Transcript:Hu: A templom harangjai halkan kondultak meg, ahogy a téli hó lassan beterítette Buda várnegyedét.En: The bells of the church tolled softly as the winter snow slowly covered Buda's castle district.Hu: A Mátyás-templom, Budapest egyik ékköve, ünnepi díszben várta január hatodikát, Vízkereszt ünnepét.En: The Matthias Church, one of Budapest's jewels, awaited January sixth, the celebration of Epiphany, in festive decor.Hu: Belső tere csodás gótikus díszítései és színes csempéi közt rejtett titkok lapultak, ahogyan Zoltán is sejtette.En: Among its marvelous Gothic decorations and colorful tiles, hidden secrets lay, as Zoltán suspected.Hu: Aznap reggel furcsa dolgot talált a kórusnál.En: That morning, he found something strange near the choir.Hu: Egy régi énekeskönyv lapjai közül kicsúszott egy sárgult papírdarab.En: A yellowed piece of paper slipped out from the pages of an old songbook.Hu: A kézírás már-már olvashatatlanná fakult, de az üzenet titokzatossága megfogta Zoltánt.En: The handwriting had nearly faded to illegibility, but the mysteriousness of the message intrigued Zoltán.Hu: Zoltán lelkes történész és szenvedélyes templomlátogató volt.En: Zoltán was an enthusiastic historian and passionate church visitor.Hu: Gyakran mesélt barátainak a templom körüli legendákról, de Eszter, a gondos restaurátor, mindig szkeptikusan hallgatta.En: He often told his friends about the legends surrounding the church, but Eszter, the meticulous restorer, always listened skeptically.Hu: "Csak valaki vicce lehet" - mondta, amikor Zoltán megmutatta neki a cetlit.En: "It must be someone's prank," she said when Zoltán showed her the note.Hu: Mégis, Zoltán belül érezte, hogy valami fontosat talált.En: Still, Zoltán felt inside that he had found something important.Hu: Tudta, hogy Gábor, a fiatal történész is kutatja a templom titkait, és talán ez a cetli lehet a kulcs a disszertációjához.En: He knew that Gábor, the young historian, was also researching the church's secrets, and perhaps this note could be the key to his dissertation.Hu: A templomban zajló ünnepi előkészületek miatt korlátozottan fértek hozzá a terekezékhez, de Zoltán nem adta fel.En: Due to the festive preparations taking place in the church, their access to the area was limited, but Zoltán did not give up.Hu: "Ne aggódj, Eszter, ha megtaláljuk, biztosan meg fogsz lepődni" - mosolygott rá biztatóan.En: "Don't worry, Eszter, if we find it, you'll surely be surprised," he encouraged her with a smile.Hu: Gábort is bevonta kutatásába.En: He also involved Gábor in his research.Hu: Aznap este, amikor a templomajtók bezárultak az utolsó látogató után, Zoltán és Gábor csendesen visszatértek.En: That evening, when the church doors closed behind the last visitor, Zoltán and Gábor quietly returned.Hu: A papír rejtett utalásai vezették őket a sekrestye egyik eldugott sarkába.En: The hidden clues in the paper led them to a secluded corner of the sacristy.Hu: A fali tábla mögött rejtőzött egy kis rekesz.En: Behind a wall panel hid a small compartment.Hu: Zoltán izgalommal teli szívvel nyitotta ki.En: With a heart full of excitement, Zoltán opened it.Hu: Ami bent lapult, nem volt kincs, de mégis felbecsülhetetlen értékű kincs volt: egy régi kehely, egy ködbe vesző időből.En: What lay inside was not treasure in the usual sense, but it was of priceless value: an old chalice from a bygone era.Hu: "Ez egy Mátyás-kori királyi relikvia!" - kiáltott fel Gábor.En: "It's a royal relic from the time of Matthias!" exclaimed Gábor.Hu: Mindketten tudták, hogy jelentős történelmi felfedezést tettek.En: Both knew they had made a significant historical discovery.Hu: Másnap Eszter is meglátogatta őket, már nem szkeptikus, hanem kíváncsian.En: The next day, Eszter visited them as well, no longer skeptical but curious.Hu: "Igazad volt, Zoltán. Tévedtem" - ismerte el.En: "You were right, Zoltán. I was wrong," she admitted.Hu: Együtt dokumentálták a felfedezést, és elhatározták, hogy még több régi történetet fognak felkutatni.En: Together, they documented the discovery and resolved to uncover even more ancient stories.Hu: A kehely nem hozott aranyat vagy ezüstöt, de feltárta a múlt egy rég elfeledett darabját.En: The chalice brought no gold or silver, but it did reveal a long-forgotten piece of the past.Hu: Zoltán büszkén és megújult hittel nézte a város felett a holdfényben fürdő templomot.En: Zoltán looked at the moonlit church over the city with pride and renewed faith.Hu: Tudta, hogy a történetek, amelyeket mesél, nemcsak legendák.En: He knew that the stories he told were not just legends.Hu: És Eszter is megtanulta, hogy minden mesében van egy szikrányi igazság, amit érdemes keresni.En: And Eszter learned that in every tale, there is a kernel of truth worth seeking.Hu: A Vízkereszt nemcsak a bölcsek látogatását hozta el, hanem új reményt és barátságokat is a Mátyás-templom árnyai közé.En: The Epiphany brought not only the visit of the wise men but also new hope and friendships within the shadows of the Matthias Church. Vocabulary Words:tolled: kondultakcastle district: várnegyedEpiphany: Vízkeresztfestive: ünnepicraftsman: mesteremberGothic: gótikusdecorations: díszítéseicombination: kombinációchoir: kórustidbits: apróságokillegibility: olvashatatlanságintrigued: megfogtameticulous: gondosskeptically: szkeptikusandissertation: disszertációcompartment: rekeszchalice: kehelybygone: ködbe veszőrelic: relikviaenthusiastic: lelkessecluded: eldugottsacristy: sekrestyehistorian: történészdecor: dekorációpriceless: felbecsülhetetlen értékűreveal: feltárjamoonlit: holdfényben fürdőhope: reménykern: szikrányilegend: monda

Forget Santas and sleighs, it’s time for cold sadness and dark days! The XRV Scream Queens are here to discuss the genre of “winter gothic”, how they each define it and their favorites in this burgeoning subgenre. Joelle’s picks:Sleepy Hollow30 Days of NightKill Bill Rosie’s picks:The LodgeRavenousGingersnaps back Carmen’s picks: Batman ReturnsCrimson PeakMothman Prophecies Plus an interview with Lee Lai, illustrator, cartoonist, and National Book Foundation Honoree. Follow Jason: IG & Bluesky Follow Rosie: IG & Letterboxd Follow X-Ray Vision on InstagramJoin the X-Ray Vision DiscordSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this interview, she discusses her book, Race, Politics, and Irish America: A Gothic History (Oxford UP, 2023), which inserts successive Irish-American identities--forcibly transported Irish, Scots-Irish, and post-Famine Irish--into American histories and representations of race. Figures from the Scots-Irish Andrew Jackson to the Caribbean-Irish Rihanna, as well as literature, film, caricature, and beauty discourse, convey how the Irish racially transformed multiple times: in the slave-holding Caribbean, on America's frontiers and antebellum plantations, and along its eastern seaboard. This cultural history of race and centuries of Irishness in the Americas examines the forcibly transported Irish, the eighteenth-century Presbyterian Ulster-Scots, and post-1845 Famine immigrants. Their racial transformations are indicated by the designations they acquired in the Americas: 'Redlegs,' 'Scots-Irish,' and 'black Irish.' In literature by Fitzgerald, O'Neill, Mitchell, Glasgow, and Yerby (an African-American author of Scots-Irish heritage), the Irish are both colluders and victims within America's racial structure. Depictions range from Irish encounters with Native and African Americans to competition within America's immigrant hierarchy between 'Saxon' Scots-Irish and 'Celtic' Irish Catholic. Irish-connected presidents feature, but attention to queer and multiracial authors, public women, beauty professionals, and performers complicates the 'Irish whitening' narrative. Thus, 'Irish Princess' Grace Kelly's globally-broadcast ascent to royalty paves the way for 'America's royals,' the Kennedys. The presidencies of the Scots-Irish Jackson and Catholic-Irish Kennedy signalled their respective cohorts' assimilation. Since Gothic literature particularly expresses the complicity that attaining power ('whiteness') entails, subgenres named 'Scots-Irish Gothic' and 'Kennedy Gothic' are identified: in Gothic by Brown, Poe, James, Faulkner, and Welty, the violence of the colonial Irish motherland is visited upon marginalized Americans, including, sometimes, other Irish groupings. History is Gothic in Irish-American narrative because the undead Irish past replays within America's contexts of race. Aidan Beatty is a historian at the Frederick Honors College of the University of Pittsburgh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Black Dragon Biker TV Podcast Episode: Prospects, Bylaws, & Social Media RecruitingWelcome back to Black Dragon Biker TV! Today we're diving into three hot-button questions that stir up strong opinions in the MC world. No fluff—just real talk from 38+ years on the set.1. Are Prospects Members or Not?Short answer: Prospects are members—of a kind. They're not full patches with voting rights or equal say—that's earned. But calling them "not members at all" is wrong and dangerous.Prospects wear the club's colors (bottom rocker, prospect patch).They represent the club 24/7—on rides, at events, in public.They take risks for the club (backing brothers, handling tasks).If something goes down, they're expected to stand tall like any patch.Treating prospects like outsiders ("you're nothing") breeds resentment and turnover. Good prospects are investments—treat them as probationary members with limited privileges but real belonging. They earn the full patch by proving loyalty, not by being treated like dirt.Bottom line: Prospects are part of the club family, just not the inner circle yet. Respect that, and you'll patch better brothers.2. Should Prospects Be Allowed to See the Bylaws?Hell yes—they absolutely should.Hiding bylaws from prospects is crazy. How can someone commit to a club without knowing the rules they're signing up to live (or die) by?Common arguments against:"Bylaws are sacred—only for full patches.""Prospects might leak them.""They haven't earned it."All weak.Trust is built early—if you can't trust a prospect with bylaws, why trust him with your back on a run?Informed prospects make better decisions—if bylaws are too harsh, they'll self-select out early (saves drama).Transparency shows confidence in your club's structure.My take: Give prospects the bylaws day one. Let them read, ask questions, understand quorum, discipline, patching requirements. It weeds out the wrong fits and builds buy-in from the start.Clubs hiding bylaws often have something to hide—or fear scrutiny. Strong clubs stand by their rules.3. Should MCs Advertise on Social Media to Gain New Members? Is It Against Protocol—and Should Protocol Change?Traditional protocol says no advertising—clubs grow organically: word of mouth, hangarounds proving themselves, reputation drawing the right men.Social media recruiting (posts like "Join our brotherhood—DM us") breaks that. Reasons:Looks desperate—strong clubs don't beg.Attracts wrong types: wannabes, cops, drama queens.Exposes club to scrutiny (LE monitoring pages).Dilutes vetting—hard to screen online strangers.But times change. Younger riders find clubs online. Some new/support clubs openly recruit on Instagram/Facebook with success.Is it against protocol? In traditional/1%er circles—yes, big time. In riding/support clubs—more accepted.Should protocol change? For outlaw/traditional clubs—no. Organic growth preserves quality and security.For newer/riding clubs—maybe. But even then, never direct "join us" posts. Better: Show club life (rides, charity, brotherhood) and let interested men approach privately.Smart compromise: Maintain public pages for events/pride, but recruiting stays old-school—face-to-face, proven worth.Final word: Protocol evolves, but core values (loyalty, respect, organic brotherhood) shouldn't. Advertise rides and charity—never membership.That's today's discussion—prospects as probationary members, show them the bylaws early, and keep recruiting personal, not public.What do you think? Prospects members? Bylaws for prospects? Social media recruiting—yes or no?Drop comments, call in next show. This is Black Dragon Biker TV—ride safe, stay loyal. Out.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Happy New Year 2026! I love January and the opportunity to start afresh. I know it's arbitrary in some ways, but I measure my life by what I create, and I also measure it in years. At the beginning of each year, I publish an article (and podcast episode) here, which helps keep me accountable. If you'd like to share your goals, please add them in the comments below. 2026 is a transitional year as I will finish my Masters degree and continue the slow pivot that I started in December 2023 after 15 years as an author entrepreneur. Just to recap that, it was: From digitally-focused to creating beautiful physical books; From high-volume, low cost to premium products with higher Average Order Value; From retailer-centric to direct first; and From distance to presence, and From creating alone to the AI-Assisted Artisan Author. I've definitely stepped partially into all of those, and 2026 will continue in that same direction, but I also have an additional angle for Joanna Penn and The Creative Penn that I am excited about. If you'd like to join my community and support the show every month, you'll get access to my growing list of Patron videos and audio on all aspects of the author business — for the price of a black coffee (or two) a month. Join us at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Leaning into the Transformation Economy The Creative Penn Podcast and my Patreon Community Webinars and live events Finish my Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture Bones of the Deep — J.F. Penn Add merch to CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com How to Write, Publish, and Market Short Stories and Short Story Collections — Joanna Penn Other possible books Experiment more with AI translation Ideally outsource more marketing to AI, but do more marketing anyway Double down on being human, health and travel You can find all my books as J.F. Penn and Joanna Penn on your favourite online store in all the usual formats, or order from your local library or bookstore. You can also buy direct from me at CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com. I'm not really active on social media, but you can always see my photos at Instagram @jfpennauthor. Leaning into the Transformation Economy I've struggled with my identity as Joanna Penn and my Creative Penn brand for a few years now. When I started TheCreativePenn.com in 2008, the term ‘indie author' was new and self-publishing was considered ‘vanity press' and a sure way to damage your author career, rather than a conscious creative and business choice. It was the early days of the Kindle and iPhone (both launched in 2007), and podcasting and social media were also relatively new. While US authors could publish on KDP, the only option for international authors was Smashwords and the market for ebooks was tiny. Print-on-demand and digital audio were also just emerging as viable options. While it was the early era of blogging, there were very few blogs and barely any podcasts talking about self-publishing, so when I started TheCreativePenn.com in late 2008 and the podcast in March 2009, it was a new area. For several years, it was like howling into the wind. Barely any audience. Barely any traffic, and certainly very little income.  But I loved the freedom and the speed at which I could learn things and put them into practice. Consume and produce. That has always been my focus. I met people on Twitter and interviewed them for my show, and over those early years I met many of the people I consider dear friends even now. Since self-publishing was a relatively unexplored niche in those early years, I slowly found an audience and built up a reputation. I also started to make more money both as an author, and as a creative entrepreneur. Over the years since, pretty much everything has changed for indie authors and we have had more and more opportunity every year. I've shared everything I've learned along the way, and it's been a wonderful time.  But as self-publishing became more popular and more authors saw more success (which is FANTASTIC!), other voices joined the chorus and now, there are many thousands of authors of all different levels with all kinds of different experiences sharing their tips through articles, books, podcasting, and social media. I started to wonder whether my perspective was useful anymore. On top of the human competition, in November 2022, ChatGPT launched, and it became clear that prescriptive non-fiction and ‘how to' information could very easily be delivered by the AI tools, with the added benefit of personalisation. You can ask Chat or Claude or Gemini how you can self-publish your particular book and they will help you step by step through the process of any site. You can share your screen or upload screenshots and it can help with what fields to fill in (very useful with translations!), as well as writing sales descriptions, researching keywords, and offering marketing help targeted to your book and your niche, and tailored to your voice. Once again, I questioned what value I could offer the indie author community, and I've pulled back over the last few years as I've been noodling around this. But over the last few weeks, a penny has dropped. Here's my thinking in case it also helps you. Firstly, I want to be useful to people. I want to help. In my early days of speaking professionally, from 2005-ish, I wanted to be the British (introvert) Tony Robbins, someone who inspired people to change, to achieve things they didn't think they could. Writing a book is one of those things. Making a living from your writing is another. So I leaned into the self-help and how-to niche. But now that is now clearly commoditised. But recently, I realised that my message has always been one of transformation, and in the following four areas.  From someone who doesn't think they are creative but who desperately wants to write a book, to someone who holds their first book in their hand and proudly says, ‘I made this.' The New Author. From someone who has no confidence in their author voice, who wonders if they have anything to say, to someone who writes their story and transforms their own life, as well as other people's. The Confident Author. From an author with one or a handful of books who doesn't know much about business, to a successful author with a growing business heading towards their first six figure year. The Author-Entrepreneur. And finally, from a tech-phobic, fearful author who worries that AI makes it pointless to create anything and will steal all the jobs, to a confident AI-assisted creative who uses AI tools to enhance and amplify their message and their income. The AI-Assisted Artisan Author. These are four transformations I have been through myself, and with my work as Joanna Penn/The Creative Penn, I want to help you through them as well. So in 2026, I am repositioning myself as part of The Transformation Economy. What does this mean? There is a book out in February, The Transformation Economy by B. Joseph Pine II, who is also the author of The Experience Economy, which drove a lot of the last decade's shift in business models. I have the book on pre-order, but in the meantime, I am doing the following. I will revamp TheCreativePenn.com with ‘transformation' as the key frame and add pathways through my extensive material, rather than just categories of how to do things. I've already added navigation pages for The New Author, The Confident Author, The Author-Entrepreneur, and The AI-Assisted Artisan Author, and I will be adding to those over time. My content is basically the same, as I have always covered these topics, but the framing is now different. The intent is different. The Creative Penn Podcast will lean more heavily into transformation, rather than just information — And will focus on the first three of the categories above, the more creative, mindset and business things.  My Patreon will continue to cover all those things, and that's also where I post most of my AI-specific content, so if you're interested in The AI-Assisted Artisan Author transformation path, come on over to patreon.com/thecreativepenn I have more non-fiction books for authors coming, and lots more ideas now I am leaning into this angle. I'll also continue to do webinars on specific topics in 2026, and also add speaking back in 2027. It's harder to think about transformation when it comes to fiction, but it's also really important since fiction books in particular are highly commodified, and will become even more so with the high production speeds. Yes, all readers have a few favourite authors but most will also read a ton of other books without knowing or caring who the author is. Fiction can be transformational. Reader's aren't buying a ‘book.' They're buying a way to escape, to feel deeply, to experience things they never could in real life. A book can transform a day from ‘meh' into ‘fantastic!' My J.F. Penn fiction is mostly inspired by places, so my stories transport you into an adventure somewhere wonderful, and they all offer a deeper side of transformative contemplation of ‘memento mori' if you choose to read them in that way.  They also have elements of gothic and death culture that I am going to lean into with some merch in 2026, so more of an identity thing than just book sales. I'm not quite sure what this means yet, but no doubt it will emerge. I'll also shape my JFPennBooks.com site into more transformative paths, rather than just genre lists, as part of this shift. My memoir Pilgrimage always reflected a transformation, both reflecting my own midlife shift but I've also heard from many who it has inspired to walk alone, or to travel on pilgrimage themselves. Of course, transformation is not just for our readers or the people we serve as part of our businesses. It's also for us. One of the reasons why we are writers is because this is how we think. This is how we figure out our lives. This is how we get the stories and ideas out of our heads and into the world. Writing and creating are transformative for us, too. That is part of the point, and a great element of why we do this, and why we love this. Which is why I don't really understand the attraction of purely AI-generated books. There's no fun in that for me, and there's no transformation, either. Of course, I LOVE using Chat and Claude and Gemini Thinking models as my brainstorming partners, my research buddies, my marketing assistants, and as daily tools to keep me sparkly. I smiled as I wrote that (and yes, I human-wrote this!) because sparkly is how I feel when I work with these tools. Programmers use the term ‘vibe coding' which is going back and forth and collaborating together, sparking off each other. Perhaps that I am doing is ‘vibe creation.' I feel it as almost an effervescence, a fun experience that has me laughing out loud sometimes. I am more creative, I am more in flow. I am more ‘me' now I can create and think at a speed way faster than ever before. My mind has always worked at speed and my fingers are fast on the keys but working in this way makes me feel like I create in the high performance zone far more often. I intend to lean more into that in 2026 as part of my own transformation (and of course, I share my experiences mainly in the Community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn ). [Note, I pay for access to all models, and currently use ChatGPT 5.2 Thinking, Claude Opus 4.5, and Gemini 3 Pro). So that's the big shift this year, and the idea of the Transformation Economy will underpin everything else in terms of my content. The Creative Penn Podcast and my Patreon Community The Creative Penn Podcast continues in 2026, although I am intending to reduce my interviews to once every two weeks, with my intro and other content in between. We'll see how that goes as I am already finding some fascinating people to talk to!  Thank you for your comments, your pictures, and also for sharing the episodes that resonate with you with the wider community. Your reviews are also super useful wherever you are listening to this, so please leave a review wherever you're listening this as it helps with discovery.  Thanks also to everyone in my Patreon Community, which I really enjoy, especially as we have doubled down on being human through more live office hours. I will do more of those in 2026 and the first one of the year will blearily UK time so Aussies and Kiwis can come. I also share new content almost every week, either an article, a video or an audio episode around writing craft, author business, and lots on different use cases for AI tools.  If you join the Patreon, start on the Collections tab where you will find all the backlist content to explore. It's less than the price of a coffee a month so if you get value from the show, and you want more, come on over and join us at patreon.com/thecreativepenn My Books and Travel Podcast is on hiatus for interviews, since the Masters is taking up the time I would have had for that. However I plan to post some solo episodes in 2026, and I also post travel articles there, like my visits to Gothic cathedrals and city breaks and things like that. Check it out at https://www.booksandtravel.page/blog/  Webinars and live events Along with my Patreon office hours, I'm enjoying the immediacy and energy of live webinars and they work with my focus on transformation, as well as on ‘doubling down on being human' in an age of AI, so I will be doing more this year. The first is on Business for Authors, coming on 10 and 24 January, which is aimed at helping you transform your author business in 2026, or if you're just getting started, then transform into someone who has even a small clue about business in general!Details at TheCreativePenn.com/live and Patrons get 25% off. In terms of live in-person events, it looks like I will be speaking at the Alliance of Independent Authors event at the London Book Fair in March, and I'll attend the Self-Publishing Show Live in June, although I won't be speaking. There might be other things that emerge, but in general, I'm not doing much speaking in 2026 because I need to … Finish my Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture This represents a lot of work as I am doing the course full-time. I should be finished in September, and much of the middle of the year will be focused on a dissertation. I'm planning on doing something around AI and death, so that will no doubt lead into some fiction at a later stage! Talking of fiction … Bones of the Deep — J.F. Penn The Masters is pretty serious, as is academic research and writing in general, and I found myself desperate to write a rollicking fun story over the holiday break between terms. I've talked about this ‘tall-ship' story for a while and now I'm committing to it. Back in 1999, I sailed on the tall-ship Soren Larsen from Fiji to Vanuatu, one of the three trips that shaped my life. It was the first time I'd been to the South Pacific, the first time I sailed blue water (with no land in sight), and I kept a journal and drew maps of the trip. It also helped me a make a decision to leave the UK and I headed for Australia nine months later in early 2000, and ended up being away 11 years in Australia and New Zealand. I came home to visit of course, but only moved back to the UK in 2011, so that trip was memorable and pivotal in many ways and has stuck in my mind. The story is based on that crossing, but of course, as J.F. Penn my imagination turns it into essentially a ‘locked room,' there is no escape out there, especially if the danger comes from the sea. Another strand of the story comes from a recent academic essay for my Masters, when I wrote about the changes in museum ethics around human remains and medical specimens i.e. body parts in jars, and how some remains have been repatriated to the indigenous peoples they were stolen from. I've also talked before about how I love ‘merfolk' horror like Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, and Merfolk by Jeremy Bates. These are no smiling fantasy mermaids and mermen. They are predators. What might happen if the remains of a mer-saint were stolen from the deep, and what might happen to the ship that the remains are being transported in, and the people on board?  I'm about a third in, and I am having great fun! It will actually be a thriller, with a supernatural edge, rather than horror, and it is called Bones of the Deep, and it will be out on Kickstarter in April, and everywhere by the summer.  You can check out the Kickstarter pre-launch page with photos from my 1999 trip, the cover for the book, and the sales description at JFPenn.com/bones Add merch to CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com I've dipped my toe into merch a number of times and then removed the products, but now I'm clear on my message of transformation, I want to revisit this. My books remain core for both sites, but for CreativePennBooks, I also want to add other products with what are essentially affirmations — ‘Creative,' ‘I am creative, I am an author,' and variants of the poster I have had on my wall for years, ‘Measure your life by what you create.' This is the affirmation I had in my wallet for years! For JFPennBooks, the items will be gothic/memento mori/skull-related. Everything will be print-on-demand. I will not be shipping anything myself, so I'm working with my designer Jane on this and then need to order test samples, and then get them added to the store. Likely mid-year at this rate! How to Write, Publish, and Market Short Stories and Short Story Collections — Joanna Penn I have a draft of this already which I expanded from the transcript of a webinar I did on this topic as part of The Buried and the Drowned campaign. It turns out I've learned a lot about this over the years, and also on how to make a collection, so I will get that out at some point this year. I won't do a Kickstarter for it, but I will do direct sales for at least a month and include a special edition, workbook, and bundles on my store first before putting it wide. I will also human-narrate that audiobook. Other possible books I'm an intuitive creative and discovery writer, so I don't plan out what I will write in a year. The books tend to emerge and then I pick the next one that feels the most important. After the ones above, there are a few candidates. Crown of Thorns, ARKANE thriller #14. Regular readers and listeners will know how much I love religious relics, and it's about time for a big one! I have a trip to Paris planned in the spring, as the Crown of Thorns is at Notre Dame, and I have some other locations to visit. My ARKANE thrillers always emerge from in-person travels, so I am looking forward to that. Maybe late 2026, maybe 2027. AI + religion technothriller/short stories. I already have some ideas sketched out for this and my Masters thesis will be something around AI, religion, and death, so I expect something will emerge from all that study and academic writing. Not sure what, but it will be interesting! The Gothic Cathedral Book. I have tens of thousands of words written, and lots of research and photos and thoughts. But it is still in the creative chaos phase (which I love!) and as yet has not emerged into anything coherent. Perhaps it will in 2026, and the plan is to re-focus on it after my Masters dissertation.  I feel like the Masters study and the academic research process will make this an even better book, But I am holding my plans for this lightly, as it feels like another ‘big' book for me, like my ‘shadow book' (which became Writing the Shadow) and took more than a decade to write! How to be Creative. I have also written bits and bobs on this over many years, but it feels like it is re-emerging as part of my focus on transformation. Probably unlikely for 2026 but now back on the list … Experiment more with AI translation AI-assisted translation has been around for years now in various forms, and I have experimented with some of the services, as well as working with human narrators and editors in different languages, as well as licensing books in translation. But when Amazon launched Kindle Translate in November 2025, it made me think that AI-assisted translation will become a lot more popular in 2026. AI audiobook narration became good enough for many audiobooks in 2025, and it seems like AI-translation will be the same in 2026. Yes, of course, human translation is still the gold standard, as is human narration, and that would be the primary choice for all of us — if it was affordable. But frankly, it's not affordable for most indie authors, and indeed many small publishers. Many books don't get an audiobook edition and most books don't get translated into every language. It costs thousands per book for a human translator, and so it is a premium option. I have only ever made a small profit on the books that I paid for with human translators and it took years, and while I have a few nice translation deals on some books, I'm planning to experiment more with AI translation in 2026. More languages, more markets, more opportunities to reach readers. More on this in the next episode when I'll cover trends for 2026. Ideally outsource more marketing to AI, but do more marketing anyway You have to reach readers somehow, and you have to pay for book marketing with your time and/or your money. Those authors killing it on TikTok pay with their time, and those leaning heavily on ads are paying with money. Most of us do a bit of both. There is no passive income from books, and even a backlist has to be marketed if you want to see any return. But I, like most authors, am not excited about book marketing. I'd rather be working on new books, or thinking about the ramifications of the changes ahead and writing or talking about that in my Patreon Community or here on the podcast. However, my book sales income remains about the same even as I (slowly) produce more books, so I need to do more book marketing in 2026. I said that last year of course, and didn't do much more than I did in 2024, so here I am again promising to do a better job! Every year, I hope to have my “AI book marketing assistant” up and running, and maybe this will be the year it happens. My measure is to be able to upload a book and specify a budget and say, ‘Go market this,' and then the AI will action the marketing, without me having to cobble together workflows between systems. Of course, it will present plans for me to approve but it will do the work itself on the various platforms and monitor and optimize things for me. We have something like that already with Amazon auto-ads, but that is specific to Amazon Advertising and only works with certain books in certain genres. I have auto-ads running for a couple of non-fiction books, but not for any fiction. I'd also ideally like more sales on my direct stores, JFPennBooks.com and CreativePennBooks.com which means a different kind of marketing. Perhaps this will happen through ChatGPT shopping or other AI-assisted e-commerce, which should be increasing in 2026. More on that in trends for the year to come in the next show. Double down on being human, health and travel I have a lot of plans for travel both for book research and also holidays with Jonathan but he has to finish his MBA and then we have some family things that take priority, so I am not sure where or when yet, but it will happen! Paris will definitely happen as part of the research for Crown of Thorns, hopefully in the spring. I've been to Paris many times as it's just across the Channel and we can go by train but it's always wonderful to visit again. Health-wise, I'll continue with powerlifting and weight training twice a week as well as walking every day. It's my happy place! What about you? If you'd like to share your goals for 2026, please add them in the comments below — and remember, I'm a full-time author entrepreneur so my goals are substantial. Don't worry if yours are as simple as ‘Finish the first draft of my book,' as that still takes a lot of work and commitment! All the best for 2026 — let's get into it! The post My 2026 Creative And Business Goals With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Victoria finally watches a Rian Johnson movie. SUPPORT THE SHOW: PATREONSHOP THE SHOW: TEE PUBLICFOLLOW THE SHOW: INSTAGRAM // TIKTOK // YOUTUBEEMAIL THE SHOW: abreathoffreshmovie@gmail.com    

Pour yourself some orphange grog and settle in as a colony of homeless furries seeks revenge against the blood-drinking elites during our Midnight Ritual of Underworld(2003)! TNC: https://linktr.ee/thenightclub

After 38+ years in this lifestyle, Black Dragon breaks down the RIGHT way to discipline members at an MC trial.Too many clubs today rely on group think, politics, popularity, or "out bad" shortcuts. That's not justice—it's sad, and it destroys clubs.A serious Sergeant at Arms approaches every issue with professionalism, efficiency, fairness, honor, loyalty, and respect. Your club should last beyond your time—here's how to make it happen.Key Pillars of a Fair MC Trial:Charges must be in writing from a full patch in good standing.SAA investigates like a Grand Jury—only bring strong cases to trial.Accused gets written notice of date/time/place + adequate prep time.Accused knows the charges and accusers.Right to assistance (club elder, legal-like counsel).Speedy, public, impartial trial by neutral full-patch brothers.Unanimous guilty verdict for major cases.Right to appeal process (ensure due process was followed).Trial in Absentia: You still hold the trial. Prove the case. Jury can find it BS—even if he doesn't show up. No shortcuts like "He didn't show, so he's out."If you want your MC to have real respect and longevity, get your trial process right. SAA, this is your responsibility.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Welcome to the Black Dragon Biker TV New Year's Biker News Podcast! We're kicking off 2026 with the latest stories shaking up the MC world. I'm your host, bringing you straight talk on these headlines—no BS, just the facts.Two Charged After Stabbing Involving Pagan's Motorcycle Club Members (Tazewell, Tennessee)Late December 2025: A large group of Pagan's MC affiliates rolled into Catdaddy's Market in Tazewell. Things turned ugly fast—one guy stabbed in the chest, airlifted to UT Medical Center. Police chased fleeing bikers across county lines; one crashed hard.Arrests: Patrick "Troy" Warren (34, Cleveland, TN) and Christopher Hughes (45, Johnson City) charged with aggravated assault (Hughes also aggravated kidnapping/robbery). Both wore Pagan's colors.This incident sparked broader concerns about outlaw MC activity in East Tennessee—rare but raises eyebrows when it hits. Investigation ongoing with TBI and THP.2 & 6. Biker Brawl at Jolly Dolphin Leads to Lifetime Bans (Jeffreys Bay, South Africa)Boxing Day 2025 turned into a full-on fistfight at the Jolly Dolphin pub. Viral video shows rival bikers (rumored Crusaders vs. Macs) throwing punches, glasses flying, chaos on the floor.Police contained it—no criminal cases opened (no complaints filed). Venue management: "All involved permanently banned." Increased security, apology issued—urging holidaymakers to keep coming.Wild one overseas—reminder that booze + rivals can ignite anywhere.3. Claims of Bryant Police Captain's Possible Ties to Bandidos Led to Detective's Firing (Bryant, Arkansas)Former Detective Shanna Hastings sued the City of Bryant, Chief Carl Minden, and Mayor Chris Treat (December 2025). Claims retaliatory firing after raising concerns about Captain Nate Johnson's alleged Bandidos ties during a bar disturbance investigation.Hastings says she reported suspicions to prosecutor/superiors—terminated shortly after for "insubordination." Lawsuit alleges First Amendment/whistleblower violations.City hasn't responded yet. Highlights tensions when lines blur between LE and MCs.4. Thug Riders Motorcycle Club Member Pleads Guilty to RacketeeringOngoing federal RICO case against Thug Riders MC (Dayton, Ohio area). Latest: Brent Egleston ("B-Easy") pleaded guilty to attempted assault with dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering (December 2025).Part of broader indictment (murder, shootouts, arson). 10+ members already pled guilty; sentences 15-36 months so far. Club labeled violent outlaw gang.5. Outlaw Motorcycle Club Incident Sparks Concerns in East TennesseeTies directly to the Pagan's stabbing/chase in Tazewell. Local reports highlight renewed worries about outlaw MC presence/activity in the region—though experts say most clubs are lawful riding groups.7. Judge Rules Against Gang Expert Testimony in Iron Wings Motorcycle Club Assault Hearing (Erie, Pennsylvania)In the 2024 Saga Club assault case (16 Iron Wings charged with attacking Varangians MC rivals), judge barred prosecution's gang expert from testifying at preliminary hearing.Defense argued prejudicial/irrelevant; judge agreed. Weakens "organized gang" angle for now—hearing proceeds without expert.That's the rundown for early 2026—plenty of heat from Pagan's action to courtroom battles. What stands out to you? Call in or comment—let's discuss!Stay safe out there, brothers.Ride free in the new year. This is Black Dragon Biker TV—out.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dragon-s-lair-motorcycle-chaos--3267493/support.Sponsor the channel by signing up for our channel memberships. You can also support us by signing up for our podcast channel membership for $9.99 per month, where 100% of the membership price goes directly to us at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-.... Follow us on:Instagram: BlackDragonBikerTV TikTok: BlackDragonBikertv Twitter: jbunchiiFacebook: BlackDragonBikerBuy Black Dragon Merchandise, Mugs, Hats, T-Shirts Books: https://blackdragonsgear.comDonate to our cause:Cashapp: $BikerPrezPayPal: jbunchii Zelle: jbunchii@aol.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BlackDragonNPSubscribe to our new discord server https://discord.gg/dshaTSTSubscribe to our online news magazine www.bikerliberty.comGet 20% off Gothic biker rings by using my special discount code: blackdragon go to http://gthic.com?aff=147Join my News Letter to get the latest in MC protocol, biker club content, and my best picks for every day carry. https://johns-newsletter-43af29.beehi... Get my Audio Book Prospect's Bible an Audible: https://adbl.co/3OBsfl5Help us get to 30,000 subscribers on www.instagram.com/BlackDragonBikerTV on Instagram. Thank you!We at Black Dragon Biker TV are dedicated to bringing you the latest news, updates, and analysis from the world of bikers and motorcycle clubs. Our content is created for news reporting, commentary, and discussion purposes. Under Section 107 of the Copyright

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein reimagines Mary Shelley's classic Gothic tale through a richly visual, character-driven lens. The story follows the brilliant but obsessive scientist Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), who defies nature by assembling and animating a living being from the dead. When his creation—a sensitive, intelligent Creature (Jacob Elordi)—awakens, Victor recoils in horror and abandons it, setting off a tragic chain of events. As the Creature seeks understanding, acceptance, and purpose in a world that fears him, the bond between creator and creation becomes deeply strained, leading to heartbreak, confrontation, and ultimately a poignant reckoning about humanity, responsibility, and forgiveness. Chad-Large                 Jordan-Large    

"The Steam Portland Chronicles" is a Gothic, Steampunk, Alternative Reality Horror Series set in an Alternative-World Portland, Oregon, where the year is "always 1889". In this timeless setting, vampires are integrated into society (albeit somewhat reluctantly) and the world is sprinkled with monsters, mystical beings, and mysterious phenomena one might expect to find in the Dark Gothic Horror genre. Join our intrepid reporter Janice Jefferies of the Portland Chronicle as she investigates the unusual and macabre to satisfy her sensationalist editor and explores the Dark Side of 1889 Portland! This week: Intrepid reporter Janice Jefferies is assigned an angle for a story on a serial killer known as the "Eastside Ripper" that has been terrorizing the East Side of 1889 Portland, Oregon.  The current rumor is that the killer is a vampire, which puts all the vampire citizens in the Vampire Quarter of the city at risk for reprisals from the human citizens.  Janice Jefferies must interview the Vampire Liaison Fredrich Von Krause and get his unguarded opinion on the matter.  In the meantime, the Eastside Ripper has struck again! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"The Steam Portland Chronicles" is a Gothic, Steampunk, Alternative Reality Horror Series set in an Alternative-World Portland, Oregon, where the year is "always 1889". In this timeless setting, vampires are integrated into society (albeit somewhat reluctantly) and the world is sprinkled with monsters, mystical beings, and mysterious phenomena one might expect to find in the Dark Gothic Horror genre. Join our intrepid reporter Janice Jefferies of the Portland Chronicle as she investigates the unusual and macabre to satisfy her sensationalist editor and explores the Dark Side of 1889 Portland! This week: Intrepid reporter Janice Jefferies is assigned an angle for a story on a serial killer known as the "Eastside Ripper" that has been terrorizing the East Side of 1889 Portland, Oregon.  The current rumor is that the killer is a vampire, which puts all the vampire citizens in the Vampire Quarter of the city at risk for reprisals from the human citizens.  Janice Jefferies must interview the Vampire Liaison Fredrich Von Krause and get his unguarded opinion on the matter.  In the meantime, the Eastside Ripper has struck again! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy New Year! This week Josh and Drusilla discuss their favorites of the year, both first time watches for the show (The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, Pitfall, Day of Wrath,  The Shout, The Vanishing, Deliverance, The Ugly Stepsister, Martin, Who Killed Teddybear?, etc.)   and new brand new movies that just came out (Weapons, Eddington, Bugonia, Pavements, Dust Bunny, Train Dreams, Universal Language, One Battle After Another, Sinners, etc.)The movie of the week is The Eternal Daughter (2022). From wiki: “The Eternal Daughter is a 2022 Gothic mystery drama film produced, written and directed by Joanna Hogg. It stars Tilda Swinton in a double role, as both a middle-aged filmmaker and her elderly mother who are guests at a mysterious hotel. Joseph Mydell and Carly-Sophia Davies are featured in supporting roles.”NEXT WEEK: Onibaba (1964) Bloodhaus:https://www.bloodhauspod.com/https://www.instagram.com/bloodhauspod/https://letterboxd.com/bloodhaus/Drusilla Adeline:https://www.sisterhydedesign.com/https://letterboxd.com/sisterhyde/https://www.instagram.com/sister__hyde/Joshua Conkelhttps://www.joshuaconkel.com/https://www.instagram.com/joshua_conkel/https://letterboxd.com/JoshuaConkel/  

In this episode, KyLee and Darcy share a few holiday highlights, then KyLee sits down with author Julie Klassen to talk about research, faith, and her latest Regency release. Key takeaways Holiday traditions can be simple, and still feel special. Teachers and read-aloud stories can shape a reader and a writer for life. Julie Klassen weaves themes of grace, forgiveness, and second chances into her fiction. Real places and local legends can add weight and texture to historical novels. Whispers at Painswick Court blends romance with gothic atmosphere and a murder plot. Holiday baking, hot chocolate, and an Instagram invite A Bookworm Review of The Lost Girl of Astor Street, Stephanie Morrill KyLee: Today I will be talking with Julie Klassen. Darcy will not be with us because she’s gone to spend some time with her family. We’re recording this beforehand, and Darcy, we are about 10 days until Christmas. I know you are full of Christmas cheer and doing tons of Christmas things. No, that is not true. Darcy and I were talking about how it feels like the season has not quite started because we have been so busy. However, there are a couple special things we would like to share with you. Darcy: The most Christmas-y thing I am doing this year is making hot chocolate over and over at the ice cream shop. I’m not complaining — I love hot chocolate. I love making it, frothing the milk and everything. I am really looking forward to visiting my sister for Christmas. She lives five hours away. We see each other regularly through the year, but I’m going to spend a whole week at her place with my younger sister. The three of us will be hanging out. She has to work, so we’ll probably be doing some reading during the day. I have a couple of Christmas novellas picked out, one by Rosanna White. I’m looking forward to relaxing and doing Christmas-y things after I get the chaos behind me. KyLee: Do you ever throw something in with your hot chocolate, or make it different? Darcy: I’m very classic. I like to stir it with a candy cane and let that slowly melt in. So it’s like a peppermint hot chocolate. KyLee: I only ask because I started baking while procrastinating on preparing for this episode. I had this idea to take peanut butter cookies, make them a little bigger, and put a Reese's cup in the middle. Like you put a chocolate kiss in the middle. We got Reese's cups and they were PB&J, which I’m not the biggest fan of. I thought, let's see if I can make this work. I get halfway through the recipe. I have my sugar out, shortening measured, flour measured, and I have no peanut butter. I do not know how this happened in my house. My oldest has a pretty severe allergy to milk that affects her esophagus. Finding things like proteins is something we’re constantly trying to do. I pulled out some plant-based chocolate protein powder and mixed that in with the cookies, then cooked them up. They are so good. They are a little heavy on the sugar. Along with having my daughter with this severe allergy, my husband has diabetes. So I rarely bake. I was procrastinating and it is Christmas time, so I broke that out. He tried them against my recommendation. He hates coconut, and since it is plant-based, it has coconut, so he does not want them. So it worked out. Darcy: I love that you are improvising with your holiday baking. This may be a new tradition. You might end up making these chocolate-protein-powder cookies every Christmas now. KyLee: They might be the start of a beautiful Christmas dessert. For our listeners, we are going to do something fun. Pop over to Instagram, on the Historical Bookworm Podcast page. On Instagram, it is Historical Bookworm Podcast, not Historical Bookworm Show. You will find a picture of my cookies, and Darcy, a picture of some hot chocolate. Darcy: Yes, absolutely. KyLee: We would love to see pictures of your sweet treats that you are making this holiday season. Now we are going to get on to the show with Julie Klassen. Meet Julie Klassen Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. She has also won the Minnesota Book Award, the Midwest Book Award, and Christian Retailing's BEST Award. Julie is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota.  KyLee: Julie, welcome to the Historical Bookworm Show. Julie: Thank you, KyLee. I’m happy to be here. The most Jane Austen thing, besides tea KyLee: Tea drinking goes without saying for an Anglophile. What is the most Jane Austen thing, other than drinking tea, that you might incorporate into your daily life? Julie: True confessions, I do not drink as much tea as I’m probably alleged to do. I am a coffee drinker. Normally it is coffee in the morning, and then I might switch to tea. I just went to the Jane Austen Christmas and birthday party for my local Jane Austen Society of North America meeting and drank lots of tea. Today I drank lots of tea, but it’s not usual. I don’t incorporate a lot of things from the Regency era into my real life because I like my computer and technology. A few things I do. I love candles. I’m not a writer who writes with music or soundtracks, but I do love to burn sweet-smelling candles when I write. If we’re talking about Christmas, then I do love to go to church. We have candlelit services. Charity was very big in the Jane Austen time during Christmas in general. Those kinds of things I am a fan of, but I also like modern medicine and other ways of modern life. KyLee: I agree with you about the modern thing. There is something homey and romantic about candles. Aromatherapy would be great for when you are writing. Julie: I do enjoy it. Ordinary people who leave a lasting impact KyLee: Jane Austen's characters are average people with ordinary lives, often drawn from real life observations. Can you tell us about a time an ordinary person left a lasting impact on your life? Julie: There are a lot. I’ll name teachers. Mrs. Hayes read Jane Eyre to us out loud over several weeks in the sixth grade. That cemented my love of all things English, British literature. Even though I grew up in Illinois, she had a big impact on me. Later, Mrs. Mitchell, a high school writing English teacher, encouraged me in my writing. I am still connected with both of those women online, and I send them my books every year. KyLee: Teachers have a big impact on our lives. There is something special about having a story read aloud to you. It builds trust and imagination. I am a teacher, so I try to read out loud to my students often. I read to them every day. When my children were younger, I read out loud to them too. They don’t really let me do that anymore. How faith and writing intersect KyLee: Could you share a little bit about how faith and writing intersect for you? Julie: I came to Christ later, in my 20s. A lot of my books carry similar themes of grace, forgiveness, second chances, things that I appreciate in my own life. God was very generous to me and wooed me and called me and saved me when I was not interested in Christianity. I try to weave those kinds of things into my books. I have imperfect characters who make mistakes, because that is what I did and continue to do. I am grateful for His mercy, and I try to weave that into all of my books. KyLee: It makes sense that you would share those experiences. We write what we know. Real history, and writing historical fiction versus fantasy Is there anything especially interesting you haven’t covered in other interviews for this book? Julie: One of the things I love about being a historical writer is that, even though I am writing fiction, I love to base things on what was really happening. My book is set in a real place called Painswick in England. Someone praised me about how I continue to show great historical medical knowledge. I laughed because I have zero real medical knowledge, but it shows I have to do a lot of research. For this book, the main character is a surgeon's daughter. She is trying to serve as a sick room nurse to an older woman. It was a fun connection that Jenner, who came up with the smallpox vaccination, was related to Painswick. I did not know that when I made the setting there. It was interesting to include some real history about medical practices. I do a lot of research, but I am not a medical expert. KyLee: You do your research and write those characters and that story, and it takes off. Weaving in historical details makes a difference. I am a fan of fantasy too, but I like that historical fiction is anchored in the way it really was. Julie: In fantasy, you have to build that whole world. In historical, I have anchors, but you still have to build the world for the story. I don’t think I could be a fantasy writer. You would have to make up all your rules and keep track of it. KyLee: I would have to have lists of rules, then I would lose the list and find it a decade later on my computer. Julie: You and I have a similar organizational system. There are so many resources in historical. I can check if a word is too modern. I can see if Jane Austen used it. Whispers at Painswick Court KyLee: Let's talk about your latest release, Whispers at Painswick Court. Anne Loveday, a surgeon's daughter, is determined to live a single, useful life. To escape her matchmaking stepmother, she accepts an invitation from an old friend to return to Painswick, the place she and her sister spent many happy summers until that last, fateful year. Soon after arriving, Anne is asked to serve as sick-room nurse to Lady Celia, who forbade her nephew to marry Anne's sister years before. Pushing aside resentments, Anne moves into Painswick Court, a shadowy old house rumored to be haunted. Also in residence are Lady Celia's spinster daughter, her handsome adult nephews, and a secretive new lady's maid.  Two local doctors visit regularly as well, one of whom admires Anne while concealing secrets of his own. As an escalating series of mishaps befalls her patient, Anne realizes someone is trying to kill the woman. But who? When Anne finds herself a suspect and her determination to avoid romance challenged, can she discover the real killer—and protect her heart—before it's too late? KyLee: Somehow the title did not prepare me for the secrets to include a murder plot. Anne has medical knowledge at her disposal. Why has she set her heart on remaining single? A heroine committed to the single life Julie: Women in that time period, in general, their main goal was to marry and marry well. There were not a lot of options for women. Anne has gotten a taste of helping others and having a greater purpose than marriage. She thinks that because she has a sister who married in an arranged marriage and is unhappy. That’s been her example. Her young stepmother is trying to marry Anne off to completely inappropriate men. Men who are strangers, far too old, and not at all suitable. Men who want a wife and do not appreciate Anne's qualities. She’s determined that marriage is not for her. In that time period, many marriages were more like business arrangements. She does not want to marry for those reasons. She does not want to give up helping others and using the knowledge she has. The men interested in her would expect her to give that up to be their wife. KyLee: She found something she loves. Being pulled away from that would be heartbreaking. Julie: In a different world, she would have loved to be a doctor, a physician, a surgeon. She is smart enough and capable enough, but that was not an option for women. This is as close as she can get. The men in Anne's orbit KyLee: There seem to be several gentlemen of interest. Two nephews of Lady Celia, and a young doctor who admires Anne. Could you sketch a quick portrait of each? Julie: Anne and her sisters spent summers in Painswick because her grandparents lived there. She knows the two grown nephews from her younger days. One is very handsome and charming, and untrustworthy. Jude Dalby is the man her sister fell in love with years ago. His aunt said no, you are not going to marry this surgeon's daughter with very little money. So Anne has resentment toward him. The other nephew is a former military man. They were friends. He takes a shine to her and vice versa, but it is more of a friendship. There are actually two doctors in the story. Both doctors have secrets. The one who takes an interest in Anne has other stuff going on, so he cannot be forthcoming right away. Anne has to review her plan for her life. Sometimes God has other plans. She has to reevaluate if there is a way for her to have both marriage and purpose. KyLee: Which is the happily ever after we hope for. Julie: When you read a Julie Klassen book, you are going to have a happily ever after. It’s pretty much guaranteed. Gothic atmosphere, real legends, and place-based history KyLee: Did this book uncover any new historical tidbits, or give you an opportunity to weave in detail you had not shared before? Julie: There is poison involved, so I had to research those things. I love that the setting, Painswick, has real history I could weave in. The house I based it on is a real place with gothic legends surrounding it for generations. King Charles I stayed there, and people report seeing his ghost around the house and the adjacent churchyard. I am not that interested in ghosts except the Holy Spirit, but it is a well-known legend, and he really did stay in the house. The old house had jail cells in the basement because it used to be used as a courthouse. Prisoners were sent there. I love when I can take something real and weave it into the novel. I think it makes the world more believable and more real for readers. KyLee: Especially when there is somewhere they can go. If you can’t go to England, you can use street view and at least have an idea of what it looks like. Julie: Painswick has a beautiful church and a churchyard that is famous. It has 99 yew trees, and there is legend around it. If they plant another to make it 100, one of the other ones will die, and they will have to cut it down. I did not know yew has lore around it. It is a symbol for eternal life. It is also used for poison. I love to weave in that symbolism. You can Google it and see beautiful pictures. KyLee: I did not know yew wood was poisonous either. That will be handy if it is part of the murder plot. What's next for Julie Klassen KyLee: What is next for your writing, looking forward to 2026? Julie: I turned in my draft for the 2026 novel. Most of my books have been standalone. Whispers at Painswick Court is a standalone, and the 2026 book is also a standalone. It’s not a murder mystery, per se, but it’s a romantic story set on the coast of North Cornwall. It has gothic elements, bumps in the night, rumors, smugglers, those kinds of good things. It’s more of a romance with those gothic elements. It’s set to come out in December of 2026. The title is The Widow of Woodlark Cottage. It’s about a woman who rents Woodlark Cottage on this estate. There are a couple of men with different agendas and a lot of other things going on. Connect with Julie: Newsletter, Pinterest, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram. Bookworm review: The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill In “The Lost Girl of Astor Street,” Stephanie Morrill combines a gusty heroine, chronic illness representation, a swoony detective, feuding mafia families, and raw emotion into a gripping YA mystery that'll keep readers guessing till the very end. Fans of first-person narratives will fall for Piper Sail's vibrant voice that practically zings off the page. Determined and devoted, Piper is a compelling character sure to win readers' hearts as they're immersed in her dualistic world of Chicago amid the Roaring Twenties. If you love to hunt for clues with gumshoes and amateur sleuths, join the search for The Lost Girl of Astor Street! Read more about Stephanie at her website. (www.stephaniemorrill.com) ~ Angela Bell, author of A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure If you enjoyed this episode, we hope you'll subscribe for more on your favorite listening platform, and join our newsletter (see the sidebar). Don't forget to share it with a fellow historical fiction reader! And if you really enjoyed this episode and would like to support, you can always buy us a coffee.

Today we have the pleasure of sharing an episode from one of our favorite podcasts, the Lit Ladies Podcast. Here is more about their show: We are three writers and moms exploring how to live out our faith in our literary lives. We span the country—from the coasts to the Midwest—and with different stages of life, careers, and favorite genres, we are sure to cover the literary landscape. In every episode, we'll discuss books we love, reading life, and writing craft, using the Bible as our guide for beauty, goodness, and truth. New episodes drop every other Friday! Historical Fiction, War Stories, and What We Sip While We Read This Lit Ladies Podcast crossover with the Historical Bookworm team covers why historical fiction matters, how war settings shape stories, and what everyone is reading right now. Key takeaways Historical fiction makes history personal, which helps you see how everyday people lived. Accuracy matters most when it grounds the characters and the social pressures of the era. War settings work best when the focus stays on human cost, resilience, and the ripple effects on families. Reading older books can mean meeting older blind spots, which calls for discernment instead of reflexive dismissal. Lesser-known conflicts can add fresh perspective, especially when anchored in solid research. Welcome to the crossover Karissa: Hello and welcome to the Lit Ladies Podcast. Today we’re doing a special crossover episode with our friends KyLee Woodley and Darcy Fornier and their historical fiction podcast. We’re so excited to have you here today. Darcy: So excited to be here. We have so much fun hanging out with you guys. KyLee: Thanks for the invite. Glad to be here. Karissa: KyLee Woodley is a podcaster and author of the Outlaw Hearts series, adventure romances set in the American Wild West. Darcy Fornier is a podcaster and author of The Crown and the Axe, and they are both the hosts of the Historical Bookworm podcast, which is in its fifth season. It’s for lovers of inspirational historical fiction, and the show features author interviews, bookish and historical segments, and a wide variety of guests, from Christy Award-winners to high-quality indie authors. Favorite reading beverages Karissa: Before we jump in today, I want to know what is everyone’s favorite reading beverage of choice? Christie: I usually drink water, or else I don’t really drink anything because I’m too busy speed reading. But today for the podcast, since we’re doing it in the morning, I get to drink coffee. Darcy: Usually coffee. If I said anything else, my sisters would say I was lying. But I also enjoy hot chocolate or tea. Anything hot. I’m not going to be drinking lemonade even in the summer. KyLee: The nice thing about being in the South is that the AC is always blasting. So it’s hot cocoa, coffee, soup, any time of the day. My current favorite beverage to go with my reading, which I seldom read, but audiobooks, big on audiobooks these days, is the Iced Pecan Crunch Oat Milk Latte. I don’t usually go to Starbucks. I find their coffee very bitter, but this is a blonde espresso. I get it without the foam. It’s too sweet and it takes up too much in my cup. Karissa: I like to drink herbal tea. That’s my main comfort drink. Why historical fiction Karissa: What draws you to historical fiction? KyLee: For me, I like the nostalgia. I grew up very sheltered. We didn’t have a TV until I was 12. My mom would just drop us off at the library, then go shopping, then pick us up whenever. We always had audiobooks or books on tape. When we did get a TV, it was black and white. We watched a lot of black and white shows. For me, I remember those good times with old classic films and literature. There’s also this idea of, “What was.” Historical and fantasy are best friends because there’s that sense of wonder. But historical is like, this really did happen. This was really true. I like to dig into history and see who someone was, and go back to where they were if that’s possible. I love to research the way people lived and thought, the things they invented, and how resourceful they were. Darcy: Mine is similar. It’s about the people that came before, and how their stories influenced our lives today. You can go to historical sites and almost touch the lives that they had there. We tend to study history as the big overview. This person was king, these wars happened, all this stuff. Historical fiction lets you dive into what it was like for the day-to-day person. Even if you’re writing about a king, you’re asking what motivated him and what it felt like. People are people as long as they’ve lived. Karissa: That’s my favorite part too. How did people actually live, what challenges did they face, and what did they wear? KyLee: I also like when an author challenges what we accept as historical norms. Bring out something different that we wouldn’t expect. Like a female rancher who ran a ranch with hundreds of cowboys. I heard on a podcast that there was an African-American college in Waco in the 1860s. I had never heard of that. I want to learn the things that go against what people believe as a whole. I want to see the people who were counterculture in their time. Christie: Whoever wins writes the history book. There’s so much that was lived and done that you don’t know about because it was shut down, or the history books made it seem nice and clean. Favorite eras and the appeal of time travel Karissa: Christie, do you have a favorite era to read or write about? Christie: I haven’t read much historical in a while. I used to read a lot of Jen Turano because her voice is funny, witty, and sharp. For an era, late 1800s to 1940s. If there’s too much work to live, it pulls me out. I’m modern. I don’t want to learn about churning butter. Darcy: A few modern conveniences is okay. Christie: I would do a castle, like medieval, every now and then. KyLee: That’s what’s fun about time travel or slip time. You get the comparison. Especially time travel, when someone modern comes into the past and you see how they react to everything. Karissa: I just discovered Gabrielle Meyer. It’s sort of time travel. KyLee: In those books, the women exist in two timelines until a certain age. Then they have to choose which timeline they’ll live in. What’s fun is that she explores different eras. You get contrast between two past timelines, like the Civil War and the 1920s. Christie: I’d choose the ’20s, not the war. Karissa: I love the Victorian era and the Regency era. I also love reading classics written in the period. You get the perspective of someone who lived in that era and took so much for granted. Darcy: If you read Jane Austen, she doesn’t explain everything because her readers would understand it. Then you read a Regency novel by a modern author, and they explain everything. It’s cool to do both. Karissa: Darcy and KyLee, do you have favorite time periods? Darcy: Medieval is my favorite to read in and write in. Then the Regency era, then the American West. I probably read mostly Westerns. Some people say cowboys are the truest heirs to medieval knights. There are similarities in how unlawful it could feel. There was law in both places, but it only extended so far. Christie: I watch black and white westerns with my mom. The body count is wild. They’re just shooting people in the street and it’s cool. I would never want to live back then. KyLee: I overanalyze it too. It’s set in the 1800s, but it was made in the ’40s or ’50s. So I’m thinking about their worldview and ideologies, and how that shaped what they presented. Christie: They’re pretty racist. Sometimes I’m like, how is this still on TV? Darcy: Everything we write is a product of our time. It’s just more glaring the further back you go. KyLee: I started Gone with the Wind. It’s too long for my taste. Some language made me pause. Karissa: We never see the sins of our own era. Our descendants will look back and see the sins of today. Darcy: Grace Livingstone Hill wrote in the late 1800s and early 1900s. You see elements of racism and classism, and ideas like bloodline influencing character. Looking through modern eyes, it’s horrible. She’s still one of my favorites because her stories are sweet and encouraging in faith, but you see how even a good person is a product of their time. KyLee: That’s why it’s important to be kind. I’m not going to stop reading her because I can see flaws. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Karissa: That comes up in English teaching too. How do you teach classics responsibly without canceling them completely? War settings in historical fiction Karissa: I wanted to talk about books set during wars. We see a lot set with the backdrop of World War II. Do you have a favorite war setting to read about, and any favorite books? KyLee: I’ve always been drawn to the Civil War. When I was growing up, there were quite a few Civil War movies and books in the Christian genre. The brother against brother aspect pulls me in. As an adult, I look at the events that led up to it and grimace, hoping history doesn’t repeat itself. More recently, the Franco-Prussian War, partly because some of my ancestors' sisters came over during that time. It only lasted about a year. France declared it, and France lost. Their people suffered. Germany demanded huge remunerations in gold. By today’s standards, I did the math before we started, it was about 84 to 95 billion dollars. (FACT CHECK – In today’s purchasing power, estimates for that 5 billion francs generally range between $80 billion and $100 billion USD.) France had promised not to tax people during the war, but afterward they charged back taxes. There was a civil uprising in Paris, and a week-long massacre called the Bloody Week. That history comes into book one of the Outlaw Heart series. It’s lesser known French history. My people were German, and my characters are French, but I was fascinated by it. You don’t hear about that war as much. Darcy: That’s obscure for Americans because it didn’t affect us directly, so it doesn’t make it into our history books. But it made a huge difference in Europe. KyLee: My dad’s side always wrote Prussia on census records, not Germany. That led me to dig into where Prussia was and how that history unfolded. Writing trauma and war without being gratuitous Karissa: What challenges did you find writing about something so difficult in a way that worked for your story? KyLee: The main character in book one, Lorraine, lived through the Bloody Week. She’s in America now. I looked at where she is as an immigrant and how she tries to settle when there is nothing left for her in France. People were rounded up, imprisoned, and shipped off to New Caledonia, a penal colony near Australia, I believe. No trial. Later, there were pardons, but many people were still imprisoned because they were never tried, and their names were never even taken down. Lorraine is haunted by the past and has post-traumatic stress disorder. She refuses to speak English even though she understands it. She holds tightly to French roots, clothing, and food, and stays close to other French people. Jesse challenges her to put down roots in a country where she feels like an alien. That Bible phrase kept coming up to me, be kind to the immigrant, the alien, the foreigner. Remember when you were in Egypt and you were a stranger in a strange land. For research, I relied on as many documents as I could find, plus academic papers written about the Bloody Week and why it happened. I want to respect history and the people who lived it. Karissa: I love how you included the war because we feel the weight she carries without putting everything on the page in an overly graphic way. Christie: The Bandit’s Redemption is the first in the series. It has such a pretty cover too. Darcy: It’s such a good one. Darcy's pick: World War II Karissa: Darcy, do you have a favorite war setting? Darcy: Probably World War II, because it’s so vast. You have the European theater and the Pacific theater, plus the home front in America and Britain. Every time I pick up a World War II book, it’s like, “I did not know that.” The Civil War is hard for me. I grew up in Georgia, and in some places it feels like it happened this century. It was my country. World War II lets me detach a bit more. I did read one Civil War book by Rosanna M. White that was fabulous, Dreams of Savannah. It handled the loyalty conflict very gracefully. Karissa: What makes a good war book? Christie: Accuracy doesn’t matter much to me because I’m not going to catch mistakes. I want characters and their journeys, battles and close calls, romance, and a happy ending. Darcy: I appreciate historical facts because I want to be grounded in the setting. But if I’m reading fiction, I’m there for story and characters. I want to see what the war is doing to them, to their society, to their family, and how it changes their lives. KyLee: I want it at the character level too. I also like seeing people on both sides. I want everyday heroes, and small choices that mattered. I also love surprising historical technology I didn’t know about. Karissa: Accuracy matters to me, but not at the expense of story. I just want what happens to feel believable for the era. In Regency romances, for example, two people being alone in a room can be a big deal. A kiss behind a barn could ruin lives. Darcy: Historical characters in books sometimes have a modern disregard for societal pressure, which is inaccurate. We all feel societal pressure today too. It’s just different pressures. When classics meet modern retellings Christie: Karissa, you like reading the Brontës because they wrote in that time. Do they have stolen kisses, or is it different because they were writing then? Karissa: If it’s Emily and Wuthering Heights, it’s more dramatic and Gothic. With Jane Eyre, I think it’s more bound by the era. Darcy: If someone did a modern retelling, I think they’d put stolen kisses in. KyLee: It depends on the character and how they were raised. There were orphanages and homes for widows who were pregnant, and women who had gotten pregnant outside marriage. There are records showing pregnancies starting before marriage dates in some places in the 1700s. On the whole, the societal expectation mattered. So you need to look at your character. If she’s proper and ladylike, she probably won’t have modern levels of physical intimacy. Karissa has proofread my stuff and told me, this would never happen. She was right. It pushes you to be creative. Make the little things special too. Karissa: What might seem small to us might be very steamy to someone in the Regency era. Like touching a hand without a glove. Darcy: He’ll be proposing within the week. War book recommendations and lesser-known conflicts Christie: I read The Ice Swan by J'nell Ciesielski. That was during the Russian Revolution in 1917. I remember really liking that one. Darcy: Rosemary Sutcliff does this well in her books about Britain after Rome officially withdrew. It spans generations. The first is The Eagle of the Ninth. It’s technically YA and she wrote in the 1950s or ’60s. Sword at Sunset is an adult book with some adult content. She personalizes the conflict and shows conflicting loyalties, and friendships across cultures. It’s history, not fantasy. Karissa: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. Not to be confused with anything else. It’s YA historical set during World War II, but it focuses on Stalin’s reign and deportations to Siberia. It takes place in Lithuania and the Baltic states, where there were multiple occupations. It’s about a girl whose family is sent to a prison camp. I studied abroad in Lithuania, so that history sticks with me. Ruta Sepetys researches a lot and her books are well done. Kelly mentioned The Women by Kristin Hannah, set during the Vietnam War. Darcy: I had someone tell me she read The Women three times because it was so good. It's on my list. My sister highly recommends Kristin Hannah. She read The Nightingale and said it was worth the pain. Christie: I need happy ones. I can only do one super tearjerker a year. What everyone is currently reading KyLee: I borrowed The Dark of the Moon by Fiona Valpy. I’ve read The Dressmaker’s Gift and The Beekeeper’s Promise by her. They're World War II, like French resistance. Melanie Dobson does this well too, like The Curator’s Daughter, a time slip about a woman married to a Nazi soldier. I like books that feel sobering, like they changed my life. I also borrowed Angel from the East by Barbara A. Curtis. I borrowed The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson, a World War II story about a lady who helps rescue Jewish children. Darcy: I just finished The Bounty Hunter’s Surrender by KyLee Woodley. I had never read it cover to cover. I helped brainstorm, and apparently the villain is my fault. I enjoyed it so much. I’m also reading a contemporary by Becky Wade, Turn to Me, in her Misty River romance series set in Northeast Georgia. I know exactly what she’s describing. Christie: I’m reading The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena. Karissa: I'm listening to the audiobook of Long Bright River by Liz Moore. It’s about a police officer in Philadelphia. Her sister struggles with addiction, then goes missing. There are flashbacks and a modern timeline, plus mysterious murders. I can't stop listening. Where to find Historical Bookworm and Lit Ladies KyLee: You can connect with us at HistoricalBookworm.com. You can find me at KyLeeWoodley.com and Darcy at DarcyFornier.com Darcy: I’m most active on Instagram, DarcyFornierWriter Karissa: Thank you for joining us today on our literary journey. If you love the podcast, share it with a friend and rate and review. And don’t forget to follow us on social media at Lit Ladies Pod. Our quote today is from Barbara Tuchman: “Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled. Thought and speculation are at a standstill.”

Find the grave of Annabel Lee and you find the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe!   In this episode, a hand-drawn map pulls us through a locked iron gate into Charleston's most overgrown churchyard, where legends gather like mist and names disappear into leaves. A lady in white wanders the paths. Sixty-four people have collapsed before this very gate.   We follow the trail of Annabel Lee—the girl Poe loved, or invented, or summoned—and uncover the stranger story beneath the legend: a visiting scholar who survived war and exile, stood before Juliet's Tomb in Verona, and quietly planted a grave that may never have existed.   The map points toward a burial—but the real treasure may be hidden elsewhere. What if the grave was a lie but the lie was true?   Sources:   The Ghosts of Charleston by Julian Buxton Edgar Allan Poe's Charleston by  Christopher Byrd Downey   A History Lover's Guide to Charleston by Christopher Byrd Downey   Unburied Treasure: Edgar Allan Poe in the South Carolina Lowcountry Scott Peeples, Michelle Van Parys Southern Cultures, Vol. 22, No. 2   Haunted Charleston by Sarah Pitzer   Nevermore! Edgar Allan Poe- The Final Mystery by Julian Wiles Source for Alexander Lenard: Primary Sources by Alexander Lenard   Die Kuh auf dem Bast (Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1963) The Valley of the Latin Bear (New York, 1965) - English translation Am Ende der Via Condotti: Römische Jahre (München: DTV Verlag, 2017) - translated by Ernö Zeltner Stories of Rome (Budapest: Corvina, 2013) - translated by Mark Baczoni O Vale Do Fim Do Mundo (São Paulo: Cosac Naify, 2013) - translated by Paulo Schiller Die römische Küche (München, 1963) Sieben Tage Babylonisch (Stuttgart, 1964) A római konyha (1986) Winnie Ille Pu (Latin translation of Winnie-the-Pooh) Völgy a világ végén s más történetek (Budapest: Magvető, 1973)   Secondary Sources - Books and Academic Articles   Siklós, Péter. "Von Budapest bis zum Tal am Ende der Welt: Sándor Lénárds romanhafter Lebensweg" (online) Siklós, Péter. "The Klára Szerb – Alexander Lenard Correspondence." The Hungarian Quarterly 189 (2008): 42-61 Sachs, Lynne. "Alexander Lenard: A Life in Letters." The Hungarian Quarterly 199 (Autumn 2010): 93-104 Lénárt-Cheng, Helga. "A Multilingual Monologue: Alexander Lenard's Self-Translated Autobiography in Three Languages." Hungarian Cultural Studies 7 (January 2015) Vajdovics, Zsuzsanna. "Gli anni romani di Sándor Lénárd." Annuario: Studi e Documenti Italo-Ungheresi (Roma-Szeged, 2005) Vajdovics, Zsuzsanna. "Alexander Lenard: Portrait d'un traducteur émigrant." Atelier de Traduction 9 (2008): 185-191 Rapcsányi, László & Szerb, Klára. "Who Was Alexander Lenard? An Interview with Klára Szerb." The Hungarian Quarterly 189 (2008): 26-30 Lenard, Alexander. "A Few Words About Winnie Ille Pu." The Hungarian Quarterly 199 (2010): 87-92 Humblé, Philippe & Sepp, Arvi. "'Die Kriege haben mein Leben bestimmt': Alexander Lenard's Narratives of Brazilian Exile." In Hermann Gätje / Sikander Singh (Eds.), Grenze als Erfahrung und Diskurs (Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto, 2018) Badel, Keuly Dariana. "Writing oneself and the other: A biography of Alexander Lenard (1951-1972)." Proceedings of the XXVI National History Symposium – ANPUH (São Paulo, July 2011) Nascimento, Gabriela Goulart. "Erich Erdstein and the hunt for Nazis: A study on the book 'The Rebirth of the Swastika in Brazil.'" Federal University of Santa Catarina (Florianópolis, 2021) Mosimann, João Carlos. Catarinenses: Gênese E História (Florianópolis/SC, 2010) Kroener, Sebastian (Ed.). Das Hospital auf dem Palmenhof (Norderstedt, 2016) Ilg, Karl. Pioniere in Brasilien (Innsbruck/Wien/München, 1972) Lützeler, Paul Michael. "Migration und Exil in Geschichte, Mythos, und Literatur." In Bettina Bannasch / Gerhild Rochus (Eds.), Handbuch der deutschsprachigen Exilliteratur (Berlin/Boston, 2013): 3-25 Said, Edward. Culture and Imperialism (New York, 1993) Said, Edward. Representations of the Intellectual: The 1993 Reith Lectures (New York, 1994) Herz-Kestranek, Miguel; Kaiser, Konstantin & Strigl, Daniela (Eds.). In welcher Sprache träumen Sie? Österreichische Lyrik des Exils und des Widerstands (Wien, 2007) Lomb, Kató. Harmony of Babel: Profiles of Famous Polyglots of Europe (Berkeley/Kyoto, 2013)   Hungarian Periodical Obituaries and Commemorations   Egri, Viktor. "A day in the invisible house." In Confession of Quiet Evenings (Bratislava: Madách, 1973): 162-166 Antalné Serb [Mrs. Antal Szerb]. "About Sándor Lénárd." Nagyvilág 1972/8: 1241-43 Kardos, György G. "Man at the end of the world: On the death of Sándor Lénárd." Élet és Irodalom (Life and Literature), May 6, 1972: 6 Bélley, Pál. "Tomb at the end of the world." Magyar Hírlap, April 29, 1972: 13 Kardos, Tibor. "Farewell to the doctor of the valley: The memory of Sándor Lénárd." Magyar Nemzet (Hungarian Nation), May 14, 1972: 12 (also in Az emberiség műhelyei, Budapest: Szépirodalmi Könyvkiadó, 1973) Bodnár, Györgyi. Radio broadcast, Petőfi Rádió "Two to Six," June 21, 1972   Newspaper and Magazine Sources (Hungarian)   Magyar Napló, 2005 (17. évfolyam, 11. szám) Kurír, 1990 (1. évfolyam, 124. szám) Magyarország, 1969 (6. évfolyam, 9. szám) Élet és Irodalom, 2010 (54. évfolyam, 11. szám) Siklós, Péter. Budapesttől a világ végi völgyig – Lénárd Sándor regényes életútja Berta, Gyula. "Egy magyar orvos, aki megtanította latinul Micimackót"   Other Sources   Lenard, Andrietta. "In Memory of Alexander." O Estado, May 11, 1980 (Florianópolis) Rosenmann, Peter. "Lénárd Sándor." Web-lapozgató, November 30, 2004 Wittmann, Angelina. "Alexander Lenard – Sándor Lénárd – Chose Dona Emma SC" (blog, June 24, 2022) Spiró, György & Kallen, Eve Maria. "No politics, no ideology, just human relations." Hungarian Lettre 92 (2014): 4-7 FCC – Fundação Catarinense de Cultura Cultural Heritage Inventory (2006) AMAVI (Association of Municipalities of Alto Vale do Itajaí) Registry (2006) FamilySearch genealogical records Lenard Seminar Group website (mek.oszk.hu) Scherman, David E. "Roman Holiday for a Bashful Bear Named Winnie" (article on Winnie Ille Pu)   Film   Sachs, Lynne. The Last Happy Day (experimental documentary film, 2009) - premiered at New York Film Festival

Turn online alignment into an offline community — join us at TheWayFwrd.com to connect with like-minded people near you.What if the real “advanced technology” on this planet isn't in Silicon Valley — it's buried in temples, encoded in stone, sung by animals, and waiting inside your own nervous system?Tyler Engle is the creator behind the mind-bending videos on animal “language,” sacred architecture, cymatics, and plasma intelligence that have taken over the internet. In this conversation, we trace how a kid from Wichita cleaning skyscraper windows and making bass music ended up reverse-engineering reality itself — through sound, geometry, water, and ancient temple science.We get into how slowing down animal calls exposes a shared structure in communication; why the Kogi, bees, and birds might be using channels humans have forgotten; and how noise, screens, and stress have muted senses we were born with. From Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat to Egyptian pyramids and Gothic cathedrals, Tyler lays out why these sites look less like “monuments” and more like consciousness-amplifying technology built from water, gold, plasma, and sacred geometry.You'll Learn:[00:00:00] Introduction[00:09:53] The music production trick that revealed how all animals speak the same language[00:13:14] How bees and plants communicate through the electromagnetic spectrum[00:14:14] Our natural antennas have been snipped[00:21:00] Why Tyler stopped asking "how did they build the pyramids" and started asking "what mindset did it require"[00:25:39] How Egyptian temples functioned as a university including one where initiates had to swim through alligator pits[00:30:46] What Tyler believes the true purpose of the pyramids is[00:40:30] We stopped building resonance structures to live in and started building soulless boxes[00:50:55] The lost temple science that tuned human senses and served as portals to communicate with the divine[01:17:42] Why the ancients prioritized water and gold, and how humans serve as the conduit between them[01:40:32] Why Angkor Wat looks like a giant circuit board designed for non-human intelligence communications[01:46:42] Ancient aliens theory is actually a psyop that diminishes human potentialResources Mentioned:Cryptex Esoterica by Tyler Engle | BookCodex Esoterica by Tyler Engle | BookThe Geomatrix by Tyler Engle | BookThe Secret History of the World by Mark Booth | Book or AudiobookMutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan | Book or AudiobookKybalion by The Three Initiates | BookThe Way Forward episode on Beyond Verbal Autists, Telepathy & The Nature Of Thought with Melissa Jolly Graves | YouTubeThe Way Forward episode on Thought, Light & The Liquid Language of God with Veda Austin | YouTubeUnlock the full spectrum of ancient wisdom and modern insight with Tyler's Esoteric Mastery Suite. Use code WAYFORWARD for 20% off.Find more from Alec:Alec Zeck | InstagramAlec Zeck | XThe Way Forward | InstagramThe Way Forward is Sponsored By:Create a cleaner energetic space, go to AiresTech.com and use code TWF25 at checkout for 25% off your entire order. New Biology Clinic: Redefine Health from the Ground UpExperience tailored terrain-based health services with consults, livestreams, movement classes, and more. Visit www.NewBiologyClinic.com and use code TheWayForward for $50 off activation. Members get the $150 fee waivedRMDY Academy & Collective: Homeopathy Made AccessibleHigh-quality remedies and training to support natural healing. Enroll hereExplore here

Communion After Dark - features the latest and best in Dark Alternative-Electronic Music. This week's show features music from ZyniC, X-Marks The Pedwalk, Tyske Ludder, Wumpscut, Peter Murphy, and many more artists from around the world. 

In this episode, we follow the Annabel Lee legend backward: from modern ghost tours to nineteenth-century poetry, from pirate treasure maps to academic footnotes, from Sullivan's Island beaches to a forgotten corner of a graveyard. What emerges is not a simple ghost story, but an obsession—shared by scholars, storytellers, and an entire city convinced that something precious was buried in the South Carolina Lowcountry and must be found.   Edgar Allan Poe's Charleston by  Christopher Byrd Downey   Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle By C.G. Jung   Unburied Treasure: Edgar Allan Poe in the South Carolina Lowcountry Scott Peeples, Michelle Van Parys Southern Cultures, Vol. 22, No. 2   Nevermore! Edgar Allan Poe- The Final Mystery by Julian Wiles   The New York Evening Post   The Charleston News and Courier The Sullivan's Island Edition of The Gold-Bug by Edgar Allan Poe, Frank Durham and Elizabeth Verner Hamilton