Strange Country
292 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★ - 170 ratingsWelcome to Strange Country, a podcast devoted to bizarre, surreal and extraordinary stories that make America the weird place it is. Co-hosts Kelly and Beth are former newspaper reporters turned school librarians who have always had a soft spot for a good story--the stranger the better. Discover the first woman to survive a barrel ride over Niagara Falls and the man who invented “complex marriage” in one of the most successful utopian experiments. Things get weird pretty quickly around here.
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Episodes
Strange Country Ep.134: Brittany Smith
March 12, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 37 MBYes it ain’t. That is Kelly and Beth’s stance on womanhood fun these days. Listen in as we discuss the sad but true tale of Brittany Smith of Alabama. We read this article "How Far Can Abused Women Go to Protect Themselves" in The New Yorker and got damn angry. But you Dash Hounds know it doesn’t take much to get us riled up. Thank you always for listening and we hope this short and angry episode is a small distraction from the germ-filled world around us. Theme music: To Be A Woman by A C...
Strange Country Ep. 133: Sarah Bennett, redux
March 05, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 73.1 MBWell Dear Readers, if you don't need another refill of Beth's Nexium prescription, stick with us this week for a new topic. Sarah Bennett was one of our early Strange Country topics (episode 18 if you are working as one of our personal historians). And her story was right up our alley, with bizarre over-mothering, wild woman of the woods ways, and a finale of life in and insane asylum. But sadly, Kelly was not on her A-game during the writing and research of this story, and missed a lot of c...
Strange Country Ep. 132: NXIVM, Part IV
February 27, 2020 11:00 - 59 minutes - 68.6 MBWe have reached the zenith or the nadir of our look into NXIVM, the self-help sex slave cult in Albany. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly slog through to the bitter end and test their acting chops with some outstanding readers' theater. What do you make it mean, dash hounds? Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands Cite your sources: Barnes, Steve. “NXIVM Doctor Facing State Charges.” Times Union, Times Union, 7 May 2018, www.timesunion.com/nxivm/article/NXIVM-doctor-fa...
Strange Country Ep.131: NXIVM, Part III
February 20, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 88.5 MBWelcome back, cultees! We can call you that, right? Well if it feels wrong then it must be right according to NXIVM. We're now in Part III and things are getting darker and more horrible. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly delve into DOS, a master/slave group billed as super empowering. Get ready for branding, readiness drills and puppy plugs! Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands Cite your sources: "Abrams wants 'buying club' shut down." UPI Archive: Domestic News, 19...
Strange Country Ep. 130: NXIVM, Part II
February 13, 2020 11:00 - 58 minutes - 67.7 MBGreetings Espians! Welcome to Part II of NXIVM, the Albany-based self-help program, that will improve your life through indebtedness and slavery. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly continue their hero-journey quest into explaining how Keith Raniere roped so many people into believing he had all the answers. Spoiler alert: He doesn't. Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands Cite your sources: "Abrams wants 'buying club' shut down." UPI Archive: Domestic News, 19 Apr. 1993...
Strange Country Ep. 129: NXIVM, Part 1
February 06, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 72.5 MBIn a three-episode arc, Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly delve into NXIVM, a self-help seminar/cult set in Albany NY. Part I explores the history of NXIVM founder Keith Raniere, the self-proclaimed smartest, most ethical, best volleyballer, top Vanguard player in the whole, wide world. Dive deep with us dashhounds and get ready to transform your life and you can too! Send checks! Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands Cite your sources: "Abrams wants 'buying club' shu...
Strange Country Ep. 128: Refrigerator Moms
January 30, 2020 11:00 - 20 minutes - 24.2 MBIt's fun to be a woman, y'all. Strange Country features a brand-new installment: the mini-episode about one particular joy of womanhood. It features a new song and a new challenge to Kelly and Beth to try to keep this to a tight 20 minutes. In our inaugural episode, moms get all the glory when they get blamed for causing autism in their children by being cold, withholding iceboxes. Theme music: To Be A Woman by A Cast of Thousands Cite your sources “Bernard Rimland.” The Independent, I...
Strange Country Ep. 127: John du Pont
January 23, 2020 11:00 - 54 minutes - 62.8 MBThe fine line between eccentric and mentally ill is actually a gigantic pile of money. John du Pont used his piles of money to buy Olympic glory and in his quest ends up murdering a Olympic star Dave Schultz. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about this sad tale and pontificate about America's obsession with the filthy rich. Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands Cite your sources: Bever, Lindsey. “The Twisted Saga of John Du Pont, the Scion Played by Steve Carell...
Strange Country Ep. 126: Pamela Smart
January 16, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 73.6 MBStrange Country tackles another trial of the century. This time it's the trial of Pamela Smart, a woman accused of bewitching a teen and his friends into murdering her husband. Co-hosts Beth and Kelly take about the impact of the media's glare. Smart's trial was the first to be broadcast live as it was happening and many of the participants acted more than a little starstruck. Also Beth does a spectacularly poor job of trying to explain a principle of quantum physics. Theme music: Big Whit...
Strange Country Episode 125: Louisa May Alcott
January 09, 2020 11:00 - 59 minutes - 68 MBLet’s face it, it just ain’t easy being a woman. Wait, who wrote that? A man or a woman? What is the narrative of our fragile little lives in the books we grew up reading? if a woman dared to write the story of a strong woman who lived a life without getting married in the end, would it ever make it to print in the 1800’s? If a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound? This week on Strange Country, Kelly and Beth explore the stories of women in the publishing world. From Louisa May Alcot...
Strange Country Ep. 124: The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
January 02, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 76.4 MBIt's the start of a new decade and impeachment is in the air. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about the very first time the Congress tried to get rid of a very unfit president in 1868. Andrew Johnson, a virulent racist, wanted to pretend the Southern states didn't actually secede and Radical Republicans weren't keen on a prez playing king. Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands Cite your sources: Gordon-Reed, Annette. “The Fight Over Andrew Johnson's Impeachment...
Strange Country Ep. 123: Tennessee Children's Home Society
December 12, 2019 11:00 - 59 minutes - 68.2 MBStrange Country is ringing out the old year with a story to remind all of its readers that people are just really awful. Georgia Tann popularized adoption in the 1920s, but she did it by stealing kids and selling them for primo profit. Gross. She's gross. Co-hosts Beth and Kelly will be back in the new year with more stories to remind you that maybe our mass extinction isn't such a bad thing. Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands Cite your sources: Christie, Judy Pace, and ...
Strange Country Ep.122: Rhoda Eats Bark
December 05, 2019 11:00 - 56 minutes - 64.5 MBWinter is upon us in Strange Country. How will you get through? Listen as Beth and Kelly discuss the brief and questionable tale of Rhoda Beebe of upstate New York who survived a hellish winter in the 1700's. Or did she? This is a ramble through winter worries, special tips intended for rich people who venture into the cold on purpose, and typical mother fail admissions. We are two friends, librarians, and writers, who are certainly not perfect, and we so greatly appreciate those who accept ...
Strange Country Epi. 121: Human Radiation Experiments
November 28, 2019 11:00 - 59 minutes - 81.5 MBOver a 30 year period, from 1944 - 1974, the U.S. government deliberately and purposefully conducted radioactive tests on its citizens and released radioactive elements into the environment. Strange Country cohosts Beth and Kelly explore some of these experiments like the boys of Fernald fed Quaker Oats laced with radioactive iron or the pregnant women visiting Vanderbilt Hospital given "cocktails" to help with their prenatal problems. Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands Ci...
Strange Country Ep. 120: Jackie Mitchell
November 21, 2019 11:00 - 51 minutes - 70.6 MBWe are changing things up here at Strange Country starting with our newest intro song. Keep listening as Strange Country podcasters Kelly and Beth discuss our belief that the #metoo movement stretches way into the past. So many of our leading ladies dealt with misogynist bullshit, including this week’s Jackie Mitchell. Mitchell likely would have been one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history...if she wasn’t a woman. But she did her best to show up on the mound, strike out two well-kno...
Strange Country Ep. 119: Nancy Clem
November 14, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 85.6 MBStrange Country Episode 119 has it all--greed, betrayal, murder, the hazards of women's fashion, and even patent medicine. Nancy Clem, a 19th century grifter, likely killed her business partner and his wife, but after only about a bazillion trials was she set free. Co-hosts Beth and Kelly showcase their financial illiteracy as they talk about the Notorious Mrs. Clem. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: GAMBER, WENDY. NOTORIOUS MRS. CLEM: Murder and Mon...
Strange Country Ep. 118: The Hum
November 07, 2019 13:27 - 57 minutes - 79.2 MBHuuuummmm. If you went in the direction of anything related to a phallus- go turn on another podcast. This one is all about the hum that is heard round the world by 2 percent of the people in the world- and driving them a little crazy. Have you heard it Dash Hounds? If you have there is a map you need to go to right now to help those trying to figure out what and where that noise is coming from. Meanwhile Beth and Kelly will remind you it is all about the greed, the climate change, and why b...
Strange Country Ep. 117: Ed and Lorraine Warren
October 31, 2019 10:00 - 58 minutes - 80.9 MBVelcome Dashounds, to Strange Country: The Halloween Edition. In ep. 117, co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about the paranormal investigators who started it all, Ed and Lorraine Warren. Hear the story of Annabelle, the doll, and the Snedeker Funeral Home Haunting. . . if boo dare!!! Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: “Arne Cheyenne Johnson.” The Courtroom Sketches of Ida Libby Dengrove, https://archives.law.virginia.edu/dengrove/writeup/arne-cheyenne-joh...
Strange Country Ep. 116: Prudence Crandall
October 24, 2019 10:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBWelcome Dear Dash Hounds to another weekly tale of strange behavior from Merkins. Back in the day when slavery was legal and it was illegal to teach slaves to read, there was a woman named Prudence Crandall who knew that was wrong and set to change such terrible ways that white people ran education. In her frustration, Prudence, a highly educated and obviously intelligent woman, opened a school only for black girls. Well Prudence knew damn well this is how we move forward and progress toward...
Strange Country Ep. 115: The Lonely Doll
October 17, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBOn the surface, The Lonely Doll depicts the glamour of city life. But when you dig deeper, you realize it's a disturbing portrait of deep loneliness, which is way to describe its author, Dare Wright. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about Wright's upbringing, the weird relationship with her mother and whether some people should even have children. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your Sources: Bengal, Rebecca. “The Creepiest Children's Book.” The New ...
Strange Country Ep. 114: Carry A. Nation
October 10, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBReaders, we welcome you to this millionth episode of Strange Country. As much as Kelly and Beth want you to drink and be merry whilst listening to this tale of a woman named Carry A Nation, maybe you should get a glass of water and listen earlier than 9 pm. We are getting old people, and really is drinking that good for you? If Carry were alive today she would say def not- and she would also swing a hatchet in your general direction. Which is why we love her a little bit and she joins the ra...
Strange Country Ep. 113: Mary Surratt
October 03, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBWe like to recognize our firsts, like the first American woman doctor. But sometimes being the first ain't so great especially if you're the first woman executed by the U.S. government. That distinction belongs to Mary Surratt who was executed for her role in the conspiracy to assassinate Pres. Abraham Lincoln and members of his cabinet. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about this first as well as consider interesting ideas for throw pillows. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cas...
Strange Country Ep. 112: Diabetes
September 26, 2019 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.5 MBReaders of Strange Country- we have made a milestone- episode 1000! That is a terrible lie, but maybe it will help us in our efforts to become world famous. Also this episode learn how Kelly stays alive everyday along with the other Type 1 Diabetics of the world as Beth and Kelly discuss the discovery of insulin in 1922. Learn all kinds of new things this week including just how many cows it takes to keep a Diabetic alive each year. And why this podcast is way more fun when Beth is pissed.
Strange Country Ep. 111: Raffi Kodikian
September 19, 2019 20:43 - 53 minutes - 48.9 MBIf your best friend asked you to kill him, would you do it? That's what Raffi Kodikian told the park rangers when they found him in Rattlesnake Canyon, four days past his camping permit. Kodikian said he killed his best friend Dave Coughlin because Coughlin asked him to. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly ponder mercy killings, sinus infections and this sad case in episode 111. Cite your sources: Barcott, Bruce. “Two Went Out, One Came Back.” The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2003, https...
Strange Country Ep. 110: Zantop Murders
September 12, 2019 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBRobert Tulloch and Jim Parker were like a modern day Leopold and Loeb. The two teenagers believed they were higher beings who could commit murder with impunity. And like their 19th century counterparts, they got caught. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly discuss this ghastly murder that took the lives to two beloved Dartmouth professors in 2001. This episode's PSA: If you think you're a superior being, you're not. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources:...
Strange Country Ep.109: Evelyn Nesbit
September 05, 2019 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBIf only Evelyn Nesbit were alive today, she may have really appreciated the Me Too movement, good therapy, and the songs of Aimee Mann. But her life happened during the turn of the Century- not this one- the last one. And guess what? She also was part of the first actual Trial of the Century! Full of misogyny, murder, and velvet red swings. Beth and Kelly of the century’s most famous Strange Country podcast love that term - Trial of the Century-and use it rather loosely. But in today’s episo...
Strange Country Ep. 108: Hossack Murder
August 29, 2019 10:00 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBAround midnight on Dec. 6, someone took an ax to John Hossack's head twice. Ten hours later the farmer and father of nine was dead. His wife Margaret claimed she heard an intruder, but she and the children were immediately viewed with suspicion. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly discuss another "trial of the century" that took place in Iowa in 1900 that rattled the notion of what women were capable of. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: Bryan, P...
Strange Country Ep. 107: Papa Pilgrim
August 22, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBPapa Pilgrim brought his giant family to McCarthy, AK to live a simple life, love the lord and escape vice and sin. Or that's what he told the residents who eagerly embraced this new, strange family. What he did in the isolated wilderness was much, much worse. Another gross one for Strange Country fans. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: Kirby, Mark. “Papa Pilgrim's Progress.” Outside Online, 29 July 2019, https://www.outsideonline.com/1928141/papa-p...
Strange Country Ep. 106: Jemima Wilkinson
August 15, 2019 10:00 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBWhen Jemima Wilkinson woke up from a fever in October 1776, she was no longer Jemima, she was a Christ vessel sent by God to warn humanity that the end is nigh. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about the first American-born female messiah and this one isn't murdery or gross as some of the others they've profiled. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources of face my wrath: “Driving Tour Follows the Footsteps of Religious Pioneer Jemima Wilkinson.” ...
Strange Country Ep. 105: Operation Paperclip
August 08, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBAfter WW2, Americans were not fans of Nazis. It was a time that if someone were to remark there were fine Nazis, that person would get a fist in the face. That's why it was imperative that the military not let it get out that it was hiring a bunch of Nazi scientists, doctors and technologist who had just committed crimes against humanity to work for us. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about Operation Paperclip and how the drumbeat to best the Soviet Union led America to give som...
Strange Country Ep. 104: Milli Vanilli
August 01, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBReaders, you know it's true. We love you. In case you are wondering how we came up with that amazing poem, just ask some German man who really is in charge of what you hear each week on Strange Country. That's right we are all smoke and mirrors. No, that isn't true. Because if we were lying to you about our identity and our script writing skills, Kelly and Beth would be throwing up on air and that really isn't something you want to hear. Ladies and Gentlemen we are bringing you the strange s...
Strange Country Ep. 103: Hex Hollow Murder
July 25, 2019 10:00 - 59 minutes - 55 MBMake sure to grab some five-finger grass (whatever that might be) for this episode because you are in for a primer on powwow healing. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly discuss the hex murder of 1928--yes, you read that right--when one powwow healer killed another powwow healer he thought was cursing him. So add some dust to your coffee and find that pig's bladder and get ready for some magical thinking. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite Your Sources: “Boy De...
Strange Country Ep. 102: Paula and Elyse
July 18, 2019 10:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBDearest Readers: Imagine you are having a typical day in your life when the phone rings (right there, we know, we just dated ourselves) and you pick it up (again with the old) and the woman on the line informs you that you have had a twin all your life. You were separated at birth, for the reasons only mad scientists from Nazi Germany can conjure up, and told a lie your whole life until now. It is time to hear the story of Paula and Elyse of NYC and many others born in NYC put up for adoptio...
Strange Country Ep. 101: Harry Anslinger
July 11, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBHarry Anslinger wanted to save his bureaucratic machine and he needed an enemy fast--enter marijuana. Thanks to policies he put into place, we've been fighting a futile War on Drugs for nearly 80 years. Strange Country cohosts Beth and Kelly try to stave off their reefer madness as they talk about the impact of Anslinger's life work. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite Your Sources: Adams, Cydney. “The Man behind the Marijuana Ban for All the Wrong Reasons.” CBS New...
Strange Country Ep. 100: D.B. Cooper
July 04, 2019 10:00 - 53 minutes - 49.7 MBWell, well, well, readers Strange Country is now Centenarians in the podcast world! We have made it to our 100th episode. Beth and Kelly pull out all the stops for you Dear Readers as we tell the tale of D.B. Cooper the man who jumped into oblivion in 1971 with $200,000 in a knapsack from a 727 Boeing. Of course we talk about our periods and our dislike of POTUS SCROTUS- it is all related! What makes this tale strange is that yes, Dan, D.A., D.B. hijacked an airplane pretty successfully, but...
Strange Country Ep. 99: Parrot Fever
June 27, 2019 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.9 MBYou know what they say, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. In this case it's probably best to keep those birds in the bushes and wash your hands immediately. On this week's episode Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly talk about the Parrot Fever Epidemic of 1930 where it seemed Polly wanted more than a cracker...she wanted your soul! Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: Honigsbaum, Mark. Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteri...
Strange Country Ep. 98: Child's Play
June 20, 2019 10:00 - 58 minutes - 54.2 MBHey Dash Hounds- You’re still here? That means you managed to listen to Strange Country's longest podcast ever, and still come back for more. Or you skipped that one for later- we understand. It is time now dear readers to sit back relax and enjoy Kelly and Beth unwind and eventually get to the topic of play in the Victorian Era. We glean our research from Therese Oneill’s, Ungovernable a wonderful book about all the crazy things parents did back in the day. Today we are way more advanced, I...
Strange Country Ep. 97: The Mueller Report Part 2
June 13, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 86 MBWhew! Mueller Report Part 2 is here and, readers, this is the longest one and the most obstructy. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly nearly didn't make it, but like a good marathon partner, Kelly dragged an exhausted Beth over the finish line, diarrhea running in rivulets down her legs. Slog through this with us and it will be worth it because then you'll know the president obstructed justice and, yet, he still remains president so you eat your feelings...or is that just me? Theme mus...
Strange Country Ep. 96: The Mueller Report Part 1
June 06, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 73 MBIt's Mueller Time, readers. Beth spent the last week reading the entire Mueller Report so you didn't have to. But you should. Really. Go read it. Now. I'll wait. Get ready for Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly to mangle some Russian names, attempt terrible Russian accents and get really, really angry. Total exoneration? This ain't it. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: Abramson, Seth. “A Thread Written by @SethAbramson.” Threader, threader.app/t...
Strange Country Ep. 95: Theodosia Burr Alston
May 30, 2019 10:00 - 58 minutes - 54 MBDear Theodosia, what to say to you? Plenty--on today's Strange Country. Co-hosts Beth and Kelly discuss Theodosia Burr Alston, the daughter of Alexander Hamilton's dueler Aaron Burr, her squicky relationship with dad, and her disappearance in 1813. Get ready for some really amazing sound effects in this episode. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: Cote, Richard. Theodosia Burr Alston: Corinthian Books, 2005. "The Portrait of Theodosia Burr Alston." ...
Strange Country Ep. 94: SS Eastland Disaster
May 23, 2019 10:00 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBToday on Strange Country we dive into the terrible tale of the SS Eastland Disaster. Have you ever heard if it? If you aren’t from Chicago ( Yes we will mention Da Bears), and you don’t have a passion for macabre maritime disasters, then this story is probably one you have never heard before. Why? Find out on this 94th episode lovingly handcrafted for your listening pleasure by your favorite friends, mothers, librarians and sister wives, Kelly and Beth. And make sure to check this website ou...
Strange Country Ep. 93: Chang and Eng
May 16, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 68.6 MBChang and Eng, conjoined twins from Siam, arrived in America in 1829 to tour as curiosities. Why are we compelled to gawk at those who appear "abnormal"? Is it a manifestation of our own inner anxieties? Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly tackle these questions, which lead to some bizarre tangents on pooping and farting that should not be missed. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: Barbier, Laetitia. “Morbid Monday: The Death of Chang and Eng, Con...
Strange Country Ep. 92: Abortion
May 09, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBStrange Country cohosts Beth and Kelly want to keep things light and frothy with this week's episode so that's why they're talking about. . . abortion. They talk about some really dope laws that have been passed recently, discuss abortion's history, and wonder how women dying unnecessarily is considered "pro-life." Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: Abbott, Karen. “Madame Restell: The Abortionist of Fifth Avenue.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institut...
Strange Country Ep. 91: The Pitch That Killed
May 02, 2019 10:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBHey Dash Hounds! (Why do we call you that anyway? Listen to today's episode and you'll find out) It's baseball season and high time Kelly and Beth took a swing at a good old-fashioned baseball story full of death, sadness, and inappropriate jokes. Listen to today's episode as we retell the story of the 1920 Pennant Race between the Yankees (have you ever heard of them?) and the Cleveland Indians (when are they going to change their name already?). Cantankerous Carl Mays was pitching against ...
Strange Country Ep. 90: Love Canal
April 25, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 63.1 MBWhat if your home sat on 22,000 tons of buried chemical waste? That was the reality of the roughly 1,000 residents of the Love Canal neighborhood in Niagara Falls, NY. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly use their chemaginations to take us back to the 1970s, the idyllic time when polluters could just dump whatever wherever. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: “Background Information.” University at Buffalo Libraries Love Canal Collections, library....
Strange Country Ep. 89: Beauty Tips
April 18, 2019 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBIn Strange Country Ep. 89, co-hosts Beth and Kelly share their beauty secrets before candida auris takes over the planet and destroys us all. Might as well look good during the next pandemic, right? Here's what you can do: make your breasts look like pineapples, enamel your face, and slather on the spermaceti. Cook for 20 minutes, and viola! Cancer! Cite your sources: O'Neill, Therese. Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners. Little, Brown and Company, 2016.
Strange Country Ep. 88: Road Trip
April 11, 2019 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBStrange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly hit the road and travel to the place that started this whole venture--the Fox sisters home in Hydesville, NY. They are there to celebrate the anniversary of the knocking that launched the spiritualist movement and enjoy the thicker thin mints. Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands.
Strange Country Ep. 87: Satanic Panic
April 04, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 62.1 MB"We believe the children" became the rallying cry of the Satanic Panic even as stories tottered on the ridiculous. Bones being replaced by Satan's bones; kids being flown to Mexico to be raped by soldiers; shot than brought back to life. The 1980s and early 1990s were rife with stories of abuse at day care centers throughout the country. Over 80 people were falsely convicted and it sometimes took decades to overturn. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly have chosen the best guitar riff to...
Strange Country Ep. 86: Richard Jewell
March 28, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.9 MBRichard Jewell was called a hero, credited for saving lives when a bomb ripped through the Olympics park in Atlanta, Ga. in 1993. Then the security guard was called a zero, and many other things--mainly by Jay Leno--and Jewell's life was turned upside down as the media descended upon his house and the FBI took his mom's Tupperware. Join Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly as they dissect this case and do really brilliant impressions of Jay Leno and Tom Brokaw. Even today, Jewell's name i...
Strange Country Ep. 85: Clearly Clelia
March 21, 2019 10:00 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBWell if you are sick of hearing friends, librarians and uber-researchers Beth and Kelly talk about our periods, then just stop listening. This one is period gold. Period. Clelia Duel Mosher was one of America's first physicians, a major researcher, and proponent of women's health issues and a woman on a mission to ease the pain of period cramps via "mosher-ing." And horseback riding and basketball. So get off your chocolate-covered potato chip eating rear-ends and have a listen to Strange Co...