American Hysteria

Featuring poems, fiction, nonfiction, AND A GROUP SONG with work by Sarah Marshall (You're Wrong About, You Are Good), Alex Steed (You Are Good), BJ Colangelo (This Ends at Prom), Will Rogers (Guide to the Unknown), Carolyn Kendrick (You're Wrong About, You Are Good), Miranda Zickler (Kuinka), Riley Swedelius-Smith (American Hysteria), and Chelsey Weber-Smith (me duh)To get an mp3 of our Halloween song, head to patreon.com/americanhysteriaIn order of appearance:Will RogersGuide to the UnknownBJ ColangeloThis Ends at PromSarah MarshallYou’re Wrong AboutYou Are GoodAlex SteedYou Are GoodMiranda ZicklerKuinkaCarolyn KendrickRiley Swedelius-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here’s a preview from a podcast that's right up your dark alley! On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford finds the morals in moments from the greatest mistakes and tragic catastrophes of the past. This Halloween season, he’s exploring “Halloween sadism” – where a stranger puts something dangerous in the treats collected by children. Razor blades in apples. Rat poison in chocolate. That sort of thing. Fantastical reports of trouble pop up every spooky season, but is trick or treating really something to worry about? Or is there a deadlier danger awaiting children on Halloween night? Hear the full episode, and more from Cautionary Tales, at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/cthalloween?sid=hysteria Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We'll see how possessed playthings have crept their way into the dark attic of America: Thomas Edison's little monsters, a demonic Raggedy Ann, a living ventriloquist dummy, a deadly voodoo curse, and an online market where you can buy yourself a soul trapped in the body of a doll.Become a Patron and support our show!Follow American Hysteria on social media:Twitter: @AmerHysteriaInstagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcastFind our merch at americanhysteria.comAmerican Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithCo-produced and co-edited by Miranda ZicklerCo-researched and co-editing by Riley SmithSound design by Clear Commo StudiosVoice Acting by Will Rogers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To get you ready for our upcoming episode called Haunted Dolls, we have selected some excerpts on Furby urban legends, demon-possessed toys, and uncanny killer clowns.Listen to Furby hereListen to Satanic Panic pt. 1 hereListen to Phantom Clowns hereBecome a Patron at patreon.com/americanhyseriaProduced by Chelsey Weber-Smith, Riley Smith, and Miranda Zickler Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our most classic American urban legend is back with a vengeance, promising to ruin Halloween yet again. With an updated introduction to our 2018 episode, we'll explore the newest fearful iteration: Rainbow Fentanyl. Are drug traffickers really passing out a deadly drug disguised as colorful candy in order to get kids hooked? And if not, who stands to gain from reviving this debunked tall tale?For more information about how to access Naloxone (Narcan), you can use this link to the National Harm Reduction CoalitionBecome a Patron and support our show!Follow American Hysteria on social media:Twitter: @AmerHysteriaInstagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcastFind our merch at americanhysteria.comAmerican Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithEdited by Miranda Zickler and Riley SmithSound design by Clear Commo StudiosVoice Acting by Will Rogers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To get an extended director's cut of this episode, become a patron: patreon.com/americanhysteriaFor this Halloween Party, we are joined by our favorite undead friend Sarah Marshall, and she and I will answer some spooky questions asked by the waking nightmare that is our producer, Miranda Zickler. We scream like hovering banshees about horror movies, Halloween costumes, trick-or-treating, and even play a little game of horror villain F-ck Marry Kill because we are disgusting!Listen to You're Wrong About and You Are GoodProduced and hosted by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo StudiosAnd Chelsey Weber-Smith talked and giggled like a child clown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not unlike the bubble markets of Beanie Babies and Cryptocurrency, the Florida Land Boom of the 1920s was a chaotic craze that caused the largest migration in American history. This episode follows the ridiculous life of Carl Fisher, one of the most flamboyant gimmick artists in American history who helped convince thousands of people to spend their life savings of on his half-baked dream.Become a Patron and support our show!Follow American Hysteria on social media:Twitter: @AmerHysteriaInstagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcastFind our merch at americanhysteria.comAmerican Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithCo-production and co-editing by Miranda ZicklerCo-research and co-writing by Riley SmithSound design by Clear Commo StudiosVoice Acting by Will Rogers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Florida Man meme, with its bizarre crime headlines and mugshots, has become one of our most popular and long-lasting social media staples. This episode will explore the strange history of the state that produced our Florida men, from cracker cowboys to rum runners, circus freaks to spring breakers. We’ll also look behind the memes into the dark forces that swirl around America's weirdest superhero.Become a Patron and support our show!Follow American Hysteria on social media:Twitter: @AmerHysteriaInstagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcastFind our merch at americanhysteria.comAmerican Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithCo-production and co-editing by Miranda ZicklerCo-research and co-editing by Riley SmithSound design by Clear Commo StudiosVoice Acting by Will Rogers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode will provide some context for our upcoming series on Florida Man. The excerpts are from Trash Talk Shows, Drugs, and Rednecks.Become a Patron and support our show!Follow American Hysteria on social media:Twitter: @AmerHysteriaInstagram: @AmericanHysteriaPodcastFind our merch at americanhysteria.comAmerican Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithProduction for this episode by Riley Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CW: Sexual violence. Since the 1970s, Loretta J. Ross has been an instrumental activist in the fight for 'Reproductive Justice', a framework she and her colleagues created in 1994 that went beyond the pro-choice and pro-life debate. She has worked as the Director of the Women of Color Program for the National Organization for Women, the program director of the Black Women's Health Imperative the director of projects for the National Anti-Klan Network, and is an author and professor as well. Today Loretta will share some of her prolific personal and political journey and what it has taught her about the importance of solidarity, about how we create a strong movement genuinely dedicated to working together even when it's difficult to do.Take a class, buy a book, and learn more about Loretta J. Ross at lorettajross.comDonate to SisterSong at sistersong.netBecome a Patron and support our show!American Hysteria is written, produced, and hosted by Chelsey Weber-SmithProduced by Miranda ZicklerSound design by Clear Commo Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices