Morbidly Curious Book Club Podcast

Morbidly Curious Book Club®
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The Morbidly Curious Book Club® is an 18+ non-fiction book club diving into the darke,r macabre parts of your library, with a passion for learning more about what may be too niche for your family gatherings. What started in 2021 as a dream quickly became a reality, and as of mid-2024, we have over 17,000 global members worldwide with localized chapters sprouting up around the world. The podcast started in 2024 as a way to give the members a little bit more by chatting with the authors themselves about their books. There are also bonus episodes where I chat with the book's subjects or updates regarding the book's topics, and 'archive' episodes where I chat with authors from previous book club picks. Join the book club today at https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/ Thank you for being a part of this weird, incredible book club. Enjoy the podcast!

  1. (Archive) We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys with the author Erin Kimmerle

    3d ago ·  Bonus

    (Archive) We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys with the author Erin Kimmerle

    Welcome to an archive episode! Check out our new website: morbidlycuriousbookclub.com Early and ad-free for Patreon members: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClub In 2024, I launched this podcast to delve deeper into our book club's nonfiction selections by engaging directly with the authors, the experts behind these compelling works. However, the book club has been around since 2021...so there are some 'archive' picks that we need to discuss! In August of 2023, we read what would become a staple for the book club: "We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys" by Erin Kimmerle! Forensic anthropologist Erin Kimmerle investigates of the notorious Dozier Boys School—the true story behind the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Nickel Boys—and the contentious process to exhume the graves of the boys buried there in order to reunite them with their families. The Arthur G. Dozier Boys School was a well-guarded secret in Florida for over a century, until reports of cruelty, abuse, and “mysterious” deaths shut the institution down in 2011. Established in 1900, the juvenile reform school accepted children as young as six years of age for crimes as harmless as truancy or trespassing. The boys sent there, many of whom were Black, were subject to brutal abuse, routinely hired out to local farmers by the school’s management as indentured labor, and died either at the school or attempting to escape its brutal conditions. In the wake of the school’s shutdown, Erin Kimmerle, a leading forensic anthropologist, stepped in to locate the school’s graveyard to determine the number of graves and who was buried there, thus beginning the process of reuniting the boys with their families through forensic and DNA testing. The school’s poorly kept accounting suggested some thirty-one boys were buried in unmarked graves in a remote field on the school’s property. The real number was at least twice that. Kimmerle’s work did not go unnoticed; residents and local law enforcement threatened and harassed her team in their eagerness to control the truth she was uncovering—one she continues to investigate to this day. We Carry Their Bones is a detailed account of Jim Crow America and an indictment of the reform school system as we know it. It’s also a fascinating dive into the science of forensic anthropology and an important retelling of the extraordinary efforts taken to bring these lost children home to their families—an endeavor that created a political firestorm and a dramatic reckoning with racism and shame in the legacy of America.   Erin H. Kimmerle is an American forensic anthropologist, artist, and executive director of the Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science at the University of South Florida. She was awarded the 2020 AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility. Find the book's TW here: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/e2f00bfb-6469-4451-87af-6afa94959806 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    53 min
  2. Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance with the authors Ann Wolbert Burgess & Steven Matthew Constantine

    May 29

    Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance with the authors Ann Wolbert Burgess & Steven Matthew Constantine

    Welcome to Season 3 Episode 5! Join the Book Club, Subscribe to our book box, support our small business here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/ This episode is available ad-free for our Patreon members, and releases slightly early! Become a Patreon Pal today, and check out other episodes, along with bonus bits not included for the general public... https://patreon.com/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClub? In May, the Morbidly Curious Book Club read "Expert Witness: The Weight of Our Testimony When Justice Hangs in the Balance" by Ann Wolbert Burgess & Steven Matthew Constantine! From the author of the critically-acclaimed true crime account, A Killer By Design (the inspiration behind Hulu's original docuseries, Mastermind), a groundbreaking look into the crucial role played by expert witnesses in the most high-profile criminal cases, based on Dr. Ann Burgess' personal experiences within the criminal justice system. Written through Burgess' singular lens of compassion and lived experience, Expert Witness pulls back the curtain on some of the biggest cases in the last thirty years--from Bill Cosby to the Menendez brothers to Larry Nassar--to reveal the deeply human stories behind the trials that have captivated a nation. The book explores the role of expert witnesses in high-stakes court cases, offering first-hand accounts and never-before-seen interviews with attorneys, victims, and offenders. Expert Witness places readers inside the mind of the nation's most prominent courtroom expert, following Burgess as she takes on one seismic case after the next. Throughout the narrative, each case deepens the reader's understanding of the art and science of expert testimony, taking readers from the women's movement of the 1970s to the #MeToo movement of today--one of the largest social reckonings in recent history. At its core, Expert Witness is a story of empowerment. It's a story of compassion and the ever-increasing need for individuals to stand up and speak truth to power or to popular opinion. And it's ultimately a story of how revolutionary one voice can be. Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess, DNSc., APRN, is a leading forensic and psychiatric nurse who worked with the FBI for over two decades. She is currently a professor at the Boston College Connell School of Nursing, and she lives in Boston, MA. Steven Matthew Constantine (cowriter) is the assistant director of marketing and communications at the Boston College Connell School of Nursing. He holds an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and lives in Boston, MA. TW can be found here: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/d414428c-a932-438a-8960-ae081f5d3cff Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    55 min
  3. (Bonus) A Conversation with Hallie Rubenhold on Forgotten Women, Murder, and the True Crime Genre

    May 22 ·  Bonus

    (Bonus) A Conversation with Hallie Rubenhold on Forgotten Women, Murder, and the True Crime Genre

    Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode! Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/ Hallie's website here: https://hallierubenhold.com/ About Story of a Murder: On February 1, 1910, the vivacious, diamond-adorned music hall performer Belle Elmore suddenly vanished from her home, causing alarm among her friends, the entertainers of the Music Hall Ladies’ Guild. Their demands for an investigation would lead to the unearthing of a gruesome secret and trigger a fevered international manhunt for Belle’s husband, medical fraudster Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen. Ethel Le Neve, Crippen’s typist and lover, who fled with Crippen in disguise, has always hidden in the shadows of this tale–was she really just “an innocent young girl” in thrall to a powerful older man? And was there an equally sinister story behind the death of Crippen’s first wife, Charlotte? Brimming with twists and featuring a carnival cast of eccentric entertainers, star lawyers, zealous detectives, medics and liars, STORY OF A MURDER offers an electrifying snapshot of Britain and America at the dawn of the modern era.  About The Five: Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Catherine, and Mary Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met. They came from Fleet Street, Knightsbridge, Wolverhampton, Sweden, and Wales. They wrote ballads, ran coffeehouses, lived on country estates; they breathed ink dust from printing presses and escaped human traffickers. What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888. The person responsible was never identified, but the character created by the press to fill that gap has become far more famous than any of these five women. For more than a century, newspapers have been keen to tell us that "the Ripper" preyed on prostitutes. Not only is this untrue, as historian Hallie Rubenhold has discovered, but it has prevented the real stories of these fascinating women from being told. Now, in this devastating narrative of five lives, Rubenhold finally sets the record straight, revealing a world not just of Dickens and Queen Victoria, but of poverty, homelessness, and rampant misogyny. They died because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time--but their greatest misfortune was to be born women.  TW for The Five: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/1b3f4bef-f77c-4820-894a-599e55e7c885 TW for Story of a Murder: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/91d3c9ea-0249-4d02-b746-64da658f2e09 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    49 min
  4. (Archive) What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator with the author Barbara Butcher

    May 15 ·  Bonus

    (Archive) What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator with the author Barbara Butcher

    Welcome to an archive episode! Check out our new website: morbidlycuriousbookclub.com Early and ad-free for Patreon members: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClub In 2024, I launched this podcast to delve deeper into our book club's nonfiction selections by engaging directly with the authors, the experts behind these compelling works. However, the book club has been around since 2021...so there are some 'archive' picks that we need to discuss! In September of 2023, we read what would become a staple for the book club: "WHAT THE DEAD KNOW, Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator" by Barbara Butcher! When Barbara Butcher was early in her recovery from alcoholism, she found an unexpected lifeline in a job at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in NYC. As only the second woman ever hired for the role—and the first to last more than three months—she became a vital force in the world of forensic science and criminal investigations. Over the next two decades, Butcher worked thousands of cases: gruesome homicides, suspicious suicides, heartbreaking scenes involving underage victims, and complex mass casualty investigations. In her unforgettable account, she invites readers into the gritty, high-stakes world of crime-scene investigation, from the autopsy room and morgue to tense moments at active crime scenes. Along the way, she uncovered how confronting death every day gave her a new perspective on life—and ultimately saved her from becoming a statistic herself. In vivid, darkly humorous prose, Butcher recounts how she narrowly avoided a booby-trapped suicide scene, and how, during 9/11, she and her colleagues worked tirelessly to identify victims using scraps of clothing, DNA, and the memories of grieving loved ones. Her honesty, resilience, and sharp wit make this a standout in the genre of first responder memoirs and women in law enforcement. Learn more about Barbara here: https://www.barbarabutcherofficial.com/ The Death Investigator trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ilLAP28qN0&time_continue=1&source_ve_path=NzY3NTg&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barbarabutcherofficial.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barbarabutcherofficial.com Find the book here with TW: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/369dae9c-ddfd-4d4c-872a-9f83acf2aefd Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    57 min
  5. (Bonus) Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Crime Television with the author Claire St. Amant

    May 15 ·  Bonus

    (Bonus) Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Crime Television with the author Claire St. Amant

    Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode! Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/ *Please note! I truly had to Frankenstein this episode... we had so many technical difficulties, unfortunately, it's a shorter episode with some questions missed, but I did the best I could to get you guys a cohesive piece! Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode! Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/ Giveaway info here! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19Zqa7zjeNQOYTtnJhrXow0oB95xFSPnKaF85O8BRQ0M/edit About the book: Serial killers. Homicidal spouses. Sociopathic criminals. Claire St. Amant has met them all. She spent nearly a decade in network television chasing the biggest true crime stories in the country, including the murder of Chris Kyle, plastic-surgeon-turned-murder-for-hire suspect Thomas Michael Dixon, the Parkland high school mass shooting, the disappearance of Christina Morris, and serial killer Samuel Little. Bringing a true crime story to network television requires quick thinking and tenacious stamina, and in her debut memoir, Claire offers true crime fans a rare in-depth look from the other side of the yellow tape. In Killer Story, readers will learn what it really takes to get these gripping cases on the air with insights such as: How it feels to share space with a dead-eyed murdererWhich TV show has a reputation for “eating their young”How reporters win over skeptical cops and reluctant lawyersWhy TV journalists are always racing against the clock—and competitor sabotageWhat happens when a district attorney decides journalists have committed a felonyThe unresolved crimes that still haunt Claire to this dayThis eye-opening look behind the scenes of true crime television offers an unforgettable read—and a window into the daily reality of investigative journalism. About Claire: Investigative journalist Claire St. Amant is the host of the true crime podcast, Final Days on Earth, and the author of the memoir, Killer Story. St. Amant developed and produced stories for CBS News and is credited on over 20 episodes of 48 Hours, including an assassination attempt on a judge in Austin, a serial killer in South Carolina, and a murder-for-hire sting on two doctors in Houston. She won a New York Press Club award for her work on “Bringing a Nation Together,” a special report on the 2016 Dallas Police shooting, which was also nominated for an Emmy in breaking news. In 2019, St. Amant began contributing to 60 Minutes, with “The Ranger and The Serial Killer.” She built her career one story at a time, rising up through local media to national television, a network podcast, and her latest project, a tell-all memoir about true crime TV. St. Amant got her start at People Newspapers in Dallas, where she earned her first of two Philbin Awards for excellence in legal reporting. She was a founding editor of the popular daily news site CultureMap Dallas, and her investigative series on a faked home invasion led to a new career at CBS News. A graduate of Baylor University and a returned Peace Corps volunteer, St. Amant is a native Texan who is always on the hunt for her next adventure. She loves few things more than a good story and a long run, though her husband and son are notable exceptions. Find user submitted TW here: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/6fef5a61-88c2-4eb9-a8f5-7133e0885249 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    34 min
  6. (Bonus) Killers of Roe: My Investigation into the Mysterious Death of Abortion Rights with the author Amy Littlefield

    Apr 30 ·  Bonus

    (Bonus) Killers of Roe: My Investigation into the Mysterious Death of Abortion Rights with the author Amy Littlefield

    Resources mentioned below. Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode! Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/ Shoutout to Legacy Lit for my copy of Amy Littlefield's Killers of Roe: My Investigation into the Mysterious Death of Abortion Rights. About the book: They are going to kill people, investigative reporter for The Nation Amy Littlefield knew, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. After a decade covering abortion, she wanted to more deeply understand the motives, means, and opportunities behind the antiabortion movement’s victory. So she set out to investigate the murderers of Roe. Killers of Roe chronicles Littlefield’s journey into the unexplored corners of the most successful social movement of our time. As in every good murder mystery, the killers turn out to be the people you least suspect. Plot twists lurk around every corner as Littlefield meets believers, opportunists, and complicated heroes. Along the way, she encounters surprising characters who shed light on how we got to this moment of authoritarian rule: from the former fetus keeper standing trial in Michigan to the antiabortion militant turned long-shot presidential candidate to the pro-choice superfans at the Reagan Library. Throughout the book, Littlefield draws upon women’s stories and her own experience as a mother to reveal the life-and-death stakes of America’s abortion wars. At once clever and poignant reportage, this abortion whodunit uncovers the deeper story of how we lost Roe—and how we will win back so much more.  About Amy: She is the abortion access correspondent at The Nation and a freelance investigative reporter who focuses on the intersection of religion and health care. She is the author of Killers of Roe, a whodunit that investigates the death of abortion rights, due out in March 2026. Resources mentioned: https://www.abortionfinder.org/ https://www.ineedana.com/ https://www.plancpills.org/about https://mahotline.org/ https://abortiondefensenetwork.org/ https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/resources/resources-for-accessing-abortion-care/ StoryGraph link to book: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/b39c91da-b2c1-43ad-add3-5d10420432bc Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    1h 8m
  7. Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York's Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist with the author Jennifer Wright

    Apr 24

    Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York's Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist with the author Jennifer Wright

    Welcome to Season 3 Episode 4! Join the Book Club, Subscribe to our book box, support our small business here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/ This episode is available ad-free for our Patreon members, and releases slightly early! Become a Patreon Pal today, and check out other episodes, along with bonus bits not included for the general public... https://patreon.com/TheMorbidlyCuriousBookClub? In April, the Morbidly Curious Book Club read "Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York's Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist" by Jennifer Wright! About the book: An industrious immigrant who built her business from the ground up, Madame Restell was a self-taught surgeon on the cutting edge of healthcare in pre-Gilded Age New York, and her bustling “boarding house” provided birth control, abortions, and medical assistance to thousands of women—rich and poor alike. As her practice expanded, her notoriety swelled, and Restell established her-self as a prime target for tabloids, threats, and lawsuits galore. But far from fading into the background, she defiantly flaunted her wealth, parading across the city in designer clothes, expensive jewelry, and bejeweled carriages, rubbing her success in the faces of the many politicians, publishers, fellow physicians, and religious figures determined to bring her down. Unfortunately for Madame Restell, her rise to the top of her field coincided with “the greatest scam you’ve never heard about”—the campaign to curtail women’s power by restricting their access to both healthcare and careers of their own. Powerful, secular men—threatened by women’s burgeoning independence—were eager to declare abortion sinful, a position endorsed by newly-minted male MDs who longed to edge out their feminine competition and turn medicine into a standardized, male-only practice. By unraveling the misogynistic and misleading lies that put women’s lives in jeopardy, Wright simultaneously restores Restell to her rightful place in history and obliterates the faulty reasoning underlying the very foundation of what has since been dubbed the “pro-life” movement. Thought-provoking, character-driven, boldly written, and feminist as hell, Madame Restell is required reading for anyone and everyone who believes that when it comes to women’s rights, women’s bodies, and women’s history, women should have the last word. About Jennifer: She is an author of history books, television writer, columnist, podcaster, and speaker. Her books include the upcoming Glitz, Glam, and a Damn Good Time: How Mamie Fish, Queen of the Gilded Age, Partied Her Way to Power (Hachette Books, 2025), Madame Restell (Hachette Books, 2023), as well as It Ended Badly: 13 of the Worst Break-Ups in History, and the Audible bestseller Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and The Heroes That Fought Them. StoryGraph link to Madame Restell: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/145c812f-247c-4d4f-bb9f-08aa416b2e70 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    1h 28m
  8. (Bonus) Bigfoot and Magic Mushrooms with John O'Connor

    Apr 14 ·  Bonus

    (Bonus) Bigfoot and Magic Mushrooms with John O'Connor

    But not at the same time...unless you're into that; Godspeed. Welcome to a special BONUS episode, where I chat with an author about their nonfiction book that is morbidly curious book club adjacent, but it hasn't been a pick. Thus, a bonus episode! Join the book club here: https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/ About The Secret History of Bigfoot: From the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest to off-the-wall cryptozoological conventions, one man searches high and low for the answer to the question: real or not, why do we want to believe? Bigfoot is an instantly recognizable figure. Through the decades, this elusive primate has been featured in movies and books, on coffee mugs, beer koozies, car polish, and CBD oil. Which begs the question: what is it about Bigfoot that's caught hold of our imaginations? Journalist and self-diagnosed skeptic John O'Connor is fascinated by Sasquatch. Curious to learn more, he embarks on a quest through the North American wilds in search of Bigfoot, its myth and meaning. Alongside an eccentric cast of characters, he explores the zany and secretive world of "cryptozoology," tracking Bigfoot through ancient folklore to Harry and the Hendersons, while examining the forces behind our ever-widening belief in the supernatural. As O'Connor treks through the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest, listens to firsthand accounts, and attends Bigfoot conventions, he's left wondering―what happens when the lines between myth and reality blur? Perfect for fans of Bill Bryson and Douglas Preston, and with sharp wit and an adventurous spirit, this heartfelt exploration of a cornerstone of American folklore unpacks why we believe in the things that we do, what that says about us, and how it shapes our world. About his NEW release, A Short, Strange Trip: Tag along with clever guide John O'Connor as he leads us on a gonzo journey through the history of psychedelics, the Amazon rainforest, and into the cosmic dimensions of our own minds. This will be the trip of a lifetime. March 4th, 1971: Deep in the Colombian rainforest, a motley crew of "psychonauts" prepared for what they believed would be the ultimate experiment. Convinced that a mixture of powerful hallucinogenic plants held the key to unlocking human consciousness, they soon found themselves entering hyperspace. The return journey was... complicated. Present day: Acclaimed journalist John O'Connor is fascinated by this forgotten expedition. What really happened in those jungle depths? Armed with decades-old field notes, new interviews, and a healthy dose of curiosity, O'Connor ventures into the same Amazon territory, retracing the psychonauts' steps through the remote Putumayo in search of a legendary hallucinogen called ukuè —and the truth about an "experiment" that's been quietly gathering dust. Working alongside indigenous Uitoto people who bore witness to it all, O'Connor explores how humanity's relationship with psychedelics has shaped everything from ancient religion to modern medicine. But as he journeys deeper into both the rainforest and the cosmic dimensions these substances reveal, one question keeps nagging at him: Were the psychonauts onto something truly profound—or just profoundly stoned? Some stories are worth the trip. About the author, John: He is the author of The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster, which explores the obsessive world of Bigfoot believers. His articles and essays have appeared in newsstand publications such as The New York Times, GQ, Financial Times Magazine, Men’s Journal, and The Boston Globe, as well as the literary journals Open City, Post Road, Quarterly West, The Believer, Oxford American, and Creative Nonfiction’s True Story series. His work can also be found in various anthologies, including The Best American Food Writing 2018 and The Best Creative Nonfiction Vol. 1. Born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan (the original home of Gibson guitars), he has taught nonfiction writing in the BFA program at Pratt Institute and now teaches journalism at Boston College. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his wife, children, and rabbit. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    1h 10m
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About

The Morbidly Curious Book Club® is an 18+ non-fiction book club diving into the darke,r macabre parts of your library, with a passion for learning more about what may be too niche for your family gatherings. What started in 2021 as a dream quickly became a reality, and as of mid-2024, we have over 17,000 global members worldwide with localized chapters sprouting up around the world. The podcast started in 2024 as a way to give the members a little bit more by chatting with the authors themselves about their books. There are also bonus episodes where I chat with the book's subjects or updates regarding the book's topics, and 'archive' episodes where I chat with authors from previous book club picks. Join the book club today at https://www.morbidlycuriousbookclub.com/ Thank you for being a part of this weird, incredible book club. Enjoy the podcast!

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