The AP Strange Show

AP Strange
  • 5.0 (24)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

A show about Weird Stuff, hosted by AP Strange. AP interviews cool weirdos about their work, and invites friends on to discuss second sequels in franchises in a series called "Third Time's the Charm". Other fun surprises await...

  1. 2h ago

    Celebrating Poe (and more!) with Meg Smith

    This week's show is a celebration of Edgar Allan Poe with journalist, poet, and events producer Meg Smith! Meg is one of the organizers behind the Poe in Lowell Festival, an annual event entering its third year in her hometown of Lowell, MA. In conversation, she explains Poe's connections to the city, the people he interacted with, and influence throughout the region. Of course, there's plenty to talk about with Poe, from his beginnings in Boston to his death in Baltimore- and the spectral imprint he left on all the places in between! Meg also discusses the strange correlations between Poe and Lowell's own Jack Kerouac, whose festival occurs in the week's leading up to Poe's in the city. In exploring local literary history, Meg and AP dig into the almost mythic presence such well-known writers occupy in the public imagination- and how locales frequented by them retain some of their spirit. If that's not enough, they also get into Poe's influence on H. P. Lovecraft and the Providence festival that celebrates him, Meg shares stories from working at Spooky World in the 90s, and she talks about her upcoming Martian New Year's party in Worcester! The conversation covers a lot of ground, from the gothic to the beat generation and onward into space- and Meg had so many great insights to share! Check out Meg's work at http://megsmithwriter.com/ , find her on instagram at @megsmithwriter , and follow along with her journalism at https://www.worcestermag.com/

    Celebrating Poe (and more!) with Meg Smith

  2. Sep 20

    Entering the Fairy Realm with Jo Hickey-Hall

    This week, Jo Hickey-Hall joins AP to discuss all things fairy and much more! Jo is a folklore researcher, and has long hosted The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast- a show where she invites guests to share their experiences with the otherworldly. In conversation, she and AP discuss some of her investigations, her personal encounters, and thoughts about public perceptions about fairies and those who report seeing them. They talk about nature, and the connection of places to the more ethereal entities which inhabit them- and the spiritual or emotional energies which drive such encounters.  Jo's years worth of work researching and exploring the fairy realm have also culminated in a book called Modern Fairy Sightings: Personal Encounters in Extraordinary Times, which will release in November of 2026. They discuss the upcoming book, (which sounds like a great Christmas gift for the discerning Fortean in your life!), as well as the rapidly changing and often terrifying mundane world we inhabit- and what that means for the more ethereal planes of reality. Jo's insights and knowledge leave listeners with a lot to think about! If you haven't already, be sure to check out The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast wherever you find your shows- and keep your eyes peeled for Jo's book when it releases!

    Entering the Fairy Realm with Jo Hickey-Hall

  3. Sep 13

    Taking a Look at Experiencer Narratives with Dona Masi

    This week, author, journalist, playwright, and editor Dona Masi joins AP for a discussion about alien abductions and her novel inspired by them, The Taking. Her book is a coming of age story for a young girl named Vera, who must navigate the normal trials of growing up alongside troublesome dreams and strange experiences she can't explain- or even tell anyone about. The story is a heartfelt and sympathetic tale which speaks to the isolation of experiencers, and as the story unfolds one gets a sense of the private struggles abductees might deal with. In conversation, she and AP discuss the book and some of the real-life accounts that inspired it- notably, the Betty and Barney Hill Incident which occurred in Dona's home state of New Hampshire, the accounts of Whitley Strieber, and others. Dona also relates some of her own personal experiences, as well as her inspirations and philosophies regarding how she writes fiction. Throughout the interview, she and AP explore the various ways storytelling impacts us all, notable UFO events and how they are studied, and much more! For more on Dona and her work, and to order your own copy of The Taking, click here: https://donamasi.com/

    Taking a Look at Experiencer Narratives with Dona Masi

  4. Sep 6

    Celebrating 100 Episodes with Listener Questions

    This week, we're celebrating 100 episodes of The AP Strange Show with questions from YOU, the listener! In anticipation of the milestone, AP put out a call on social media for questions to be answered in an "AMA" format, and listeners did not disappoint- several people sent really thoughtful, great questions (as well as a few absurd and fun ones) for AP to answer.  It is hoped that the listener will find this episode fun and enlightening, as it deviates a bit from the usual format with guests or pre-prepared bonus material. Questions from listeners led to a lot of strange and disparate areas of the Weird, from time travel to mystical concepts, to personal stories and poltergeists- and gave AP a chance to cut loose and get a little philosophical about things. Of course there's some humor and perhaps a few goofy voices and corny jokes, which is hard to avoid when you are AP Strange.  Enjoy the show, and here's looking forward to 100 more episodes! Harrumph!

    Celebrating 100 Episodes with Listener Questions

  5. Aug 30

    Celebrating Kubrick with Chris Ernst

    This week's show is a celebration of Stanley Kubrick, with filmmaker, teacher, and student of the weird Chris Ernst dropping in to discuss the legendary movie director with AP, and ther was a lot to talk about! From an in-depth discussion of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb to overall influence of Kubrick's oeuvre, they get into the nitty-gritty about his methods, subjects, and style. They discuss major themes that run throughout Kubrick's work, as well as some of the more esoteric aspects of his framing of shots and visual rhyming which act as a through line in his corpus of films. They also talk about the mystique around the iconic director, and the attendant conspiracy theories and synchromystical interpretations such as whether he helped to fake the moon landing. Further, they get into associated films such as Room 237, and how art- whatever the medium- inspires all manner of different interpretations. It's a fascinating deep dive into the man and his movies, yet still barely scratches the surface of one of the 20th century's greatest auteurs.  Chris is a semi-regular co-host on Where Did the Road Go?, and you can find him there- also, be sure to check out the film he co-directed with prior guest Bill Darmon, The Hill and the Hole, distributed by Troma.

    Celebrating Kubrick with Chris Ernst

  6. Aug 23

    Entertaining the Ghostly with Kjersti Beth

    This week, paranormal tour guide, researcher, and investigator Kjersti Beth joins AP for a very fun and wide-ranging discussion about hauntings and associated weirdness. Kjersti presented ideas about the Stone Tape Theory at the 2023 Paranormal Research Symposium, the paper for which appears in their published journal- and in conversation she gets into various ideas about ghosts and ghostly phenomena, based on both research and her personal experiences. She and AP get into ideas about residual hauntings, the role of animals in paranormal experiences, and much more! In her hometown of Madison, WI, Kjersti leads tours for Mad City Ghost Walks, and talks about some of her tour locations and what it's like to show people around and hear their stories. She gets into some of her inspirations and varied other interests, culminating in her current adventures- including camping out on Bray Road, home of the Beast! Kjersti brings an open mind and a lot of fun energy to these topics, making this conversation well worth a listen! Follow Kjersti on Instagram at @kjee83 , and check out Mad City Ghost Walks here: https://www.madcityghostwalks.com/ The Journal of Presentations from the Paranormal Research Symposium can be found on Amazon, where you can read Kjersti's paper- and AP's as well!

    Entertaining the Ghostly with Kjersti Beth

  7. Aug 16

    Looking Skyward with Andrew B. Watt

    This week, AP is joined by astrologer, poet, and teacher Andrew B. Watt for a fascinating conversation about magic, time, and the hidden mechanisms behind it all. Andrew offers services as an astrologer and consultant, building upon years of study and practice, but he and AP came to know each other through a mutual love of poetry years ago; and Andrew's forecasts and astrological writings online are a wonderful fusion of both his zodiacal and poetic talents. Getting into the nitty-gritty of what the planets tell us, Andrew has built a corpus of writings including odes, hymns, sonnets, and other poems dedicated to specific aspects of astrology- providing readers with insights that otherwise might be obscure. In conversation, Andrew talks about where his interest in magic and astrology began; he explains a bit of modern history of astrology in western occult and popular culture, his own experiences as a consultant, how myths and legends inform our understanding of reality, and how patterns of movement in the night's sky have guided humanity for ages. If that's not enough, he talks a bit about mundane astrology and what conjunctions on larger timescales tell us about the state of the world- and where we might be headed in the near future.  Check out Andrew's work here: https://andrewbwatt.com/

    Looking Skyward with Andrew B. Watt

  8. Aug 9

    Historical Venting with April Brucker (and Friends)

    This week's show is a unique and fun one, as ventriloquist, comedienne, actor, and author April Brucker joins AP for a fascinating discussion about America's relationship with ventriloquism and her own personal experiences as a performer. April's new book, 250 Years of American Ventriloquism: How Ventriloquism Influenced American Culture explores the many and varied ways the particular form of performing art has informed not just popular entertainment, but our society more broadly! It's an entertaining read, with poignant observations about the ways puppets have given voice to underrepresented groups and have largely been able to get away with saying things mere human performers might have difficulty with. As an added treat, April's "children" join the conversation at different points. Her longtime partner Mae Wilson regales AP with road stories and shares pivotal moments in her and April's career- from a breakout appearance on the popular TV show My Strange Addiction to gigs in Vegas, to altercations as a result of appearing on What Would You Do? - and even a televised lawsuit on Judge Jerry. If all of that isn't enough, there's even appearances by presidential puppets Tramp and Bidentime, conversations about classic vents such as Paul Winchell, and some of the supernatural origins of voice-throwing. April's knowledge of ventriloquism technique and history is well presented in this high energy chat- and if you're questioning the logic of venting in an audio medium, keep in mind it worked for Edgar Bergen! 250 Years of American Ventriloquism can be found wherever fine books are sold. Check out April's website for more about her work here: http://www.aprilbrucker.tv/

    Historical Venting with April Brucker (and Friends)
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About

A show about Weird Stuff, hosted by AP Strange. AP interviews cool weirdos about their work, and invites friends on to discuss second sequels in franchises in a series called "Third Time's the Charm". Other fun surprises await...

Information

  • Creator
    AP Strange
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    107
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 AP Strange

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