The Reference Desk

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched by the incredible story of Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine.

Following the landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education, all school districts were instructed to begin integrating public buildings. But in Little Rock, Arkansas, the resistance to integration became a national spectacle. As Governor Orval Faubus went to extreme lengths to keep Little Rock's Central High segregated, nine brave African American students stepped up to confront him. The teenagers were selected and aided by Civil Rights activist Daisy Bates, local NAACP president, newspaper owner, and all-around champion for change. Together, Bates, the Little Rock Nine, and their courageous families changed the American education system. But since the 1980s, American schools have started to become more segregated. We explore the factors surrounding the complicated issue and examine how the education of Black children in America has been shaped throughout our history. 

Links: 

This week, Hailee is bewitched by the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Amelia Earhart was more than just a pilot: she was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic (though she wasn’t the pilot of that flight), pioneered woman’s aviation, worked as a nurse’s aid, writer, teacher, and social worker, was the first woman awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Congress among so much more. Her disappearance during her attempt to circumnavigate the globe has remained a mystery for almost a century.

• Amelia (2009) 
• Expedition Amelia (2019)

• East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart by Susan Butler
• Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O'Brien

Kids

• Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming

• Great circle by Maggie Shipstead
• Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams

Links

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie gives up a Duggar family update in the form of an in-depth journey through Josh Duggar's recent CSAM trial. 

Josh Duggar has a long history of horrific behavior, from admitting to sexual abuse as a teen, to cheating on his wife, Anna, to admitting to a pornography addiction. But through it all, he has remained Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's golden child, the chosen son. In November of 2019, Homeland Security discovered Duggar had been accessing child sexual abuse materials on his work computer, and he has since been charged and convicted on two counts of receiving and possessing CSAM. It appears that the clouds of delusion, may finally be lifting within the Duggar family regarding Josh's crimes, as evidenced by the stark statements issued by his siblings and parents in the wake of his conviction. We'll talk about what's next for Josh Duggar, and give some recommendations for our favorite female-centered, cult-related literature. 

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched by the strange medical inventions and treatments of John Harvey Kellogg at his Battle Creek Sanitarium. 

John Harvey Kellogg was a Seventh Day Adventist darling who gained directorship over their medical facility in mid-Michigan just a year after becoming a doctor. What followed was Kellogg becoming the face of modern medicine, beloved by America for bringing a renaissance of health. But behind the famous celebrities and politicians that flocked to his facility is a darker story. Kellogg fought with his brother until his death, completed horrific surgeries on children in the effort to stop the "evil vice," and was a staunch eugenicist who fought to create a national race register. 

This week, Hailee talks about the Hicks Clinic, a small, community clinic in McCaysville, GA where a doctor sold over 200 babies and performed illegal abortions, sometimes against the will of the mother, in the 50s and 60s. 

Links:

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched with the story of Manhattan grifter-extraordinaire Anna Delvey (Anna Sorokin)

For several years, the New York City upper crust embraced a charming young German heiress named Anna Delvey. Delvey was a chic, bold entrepreneur who was pursuing funding for her brainchild the Anna Delvey Foundation when Vanity Fair photo editor Rachel DeLoache Williams met her. The pair formed an unlikely friendship involving celebrity trainers, infrared sauna treatments, and expensive meals in SoHo's hottest restaurants. But the pair's friendship turned sour when a so-called "dream vacation" to Morocco left Rachel with more than $60,000 in credit card debt, which Delvey refused to reimburse as promised. Rachel would soon discover that she was only one in a long line of victims Delvey defrauded.

This week, Hailee is bewitched by the New England Vampire Panic. During the later part of the 18th and 19th centuries, large amounts of people were dying from what they called consumption, what we know of today as Tuberculosis. In New England, they had a different idea about what was causing their friends and loved ones to waste away in front of their eyes: vampires. Though they never used the exact term, they thought that the undead were preying upon the living and they had some very interesting methods to stop the attacks.

Links:

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched with the true story of the "first Thanksgiving."

American schools have long taught about the history of Thanksgiving with cringe-worthy pageants and re-enactments of happy pilgrims and Indians gathered around a table. In reality, the shared meal we've dubbed the "first Thanksgiving" was a pure coincidence of Wampanoag warriors joining in a meal they happened upon while expecting to find a full-scale battle. (why else would the woods be full of gunshots?!) The tenuous relationship between the colonizers and Indigenous people of New England quickly deteriorated after the feast, and what ensued was near total decimation of Indigenous life, land, and culture. After an accurate retelling of the accidental party, we share some suggestions on how to de-colonize your Thanksgiving celebration, as well as recommended books by Indigenous authors. 

This week, Hailee is bewitched with something she stumbled upon during a recent trip to Florida: Houses of Refuge and the United States Life Saving Services. According to Martin County Historical Society, the Houses of Refuge were designated as havens for shipwrecked sailors and travelers along the sparsely populated Atlantic coastline of Florida. Run by the United States Lifesaving Service, the Houses played a critical role in a time when sailing ships dominated world commerce. Over their years of operation, the Lifesaving Service saved over 100,000 people and was the start of the Coast Guard.

Links:

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched by the saloon-smashing, hatchet-wielding, temperance leader Carry A. Nation. 

In the fight for prohibition, no one waged war like Carry Nation. After a hard childhood that ended in a brief marriage to an alcoholic, Carry became involved in the Women's Christian Temperance Union. Finding no success in the usual campaigns of letter-writing and prayer circles, Carry took it upon herself to deliver the message in a more direct way. She became famous for smashing saloons with her trademark hatchet while preaching about the sins of alcohol to anyone unfortunate enough to be within earshot. Carry Nation was largely written off by historians as a religious hysteric, but by examining her actions in the context of the woman's suffrage movement, we can see Carry played an integral role in our nation's progress. 

In our last mini spookysode, Hailee tells us about the origins and celebrations of Halloween! How we celebrate Halloween is pretty different than how it was originally celebrated over 2000 years ago, but there are still some traces of the ancient festivals that inspired the holiday.

This week Katie and Hailee continue to be bewitched by the Titanic. 

In the second half of this two-part series, we go minute-by-minute through the timeline of the sinking and bemoan all the mistakes that led to the massive loss of life. We also discuss the aftermath of the tragedy, including its influence on pop culture and the completely bizarre salvage plans that were cooked up through the decades to drag the wreck out of the depths of the ocean...before it was even discovered in 1985! We also talk about some myths associated with Titanic, and explore some shipwreck-related ghost stories. 

This will be the concluding episode for our first season. We cannot thank you enough for your support and listenership. We're already hard to work researching for season 2! 

This week Hailee and Katie are bewitched by the Titanic.

Is it just us, or does EVERY kid go through a Titanic phase? An adolescent infatuation spurred on by Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio leaving handprints on a steamy car window has morphed into an adult obsession with the story and impact of the Titanic. In our first ever collaborative episode (and part one of our season 1 finale), we explore the history of transatlantic travel, the construction of the “ship of dreams,” life onboard the ship, and the crew and passengers who made the doomed vessel an integral part of Western history and culture.

Before this ill-fated beauty slips below the freezing waters of the Atlantic, let’s revel in her grandeur and innovation.

In this two-part episode, Hailee is bewitched with the Amityville Horror.

Since the 1970s, the beautiful dutch colonial house on 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, NY has been full of tragedy and speculation. Starting with the brutal slaying of the DeFeo family in 1974 to the shocking tales of demonic activity in the home afterward to the numerous books, movies, and TV shows made in the aftermath, this house has become one of, if not the most infamous house in America. 

In part two, Hailee breaks down the paranormal investigations that took place in the home, gives a brief career overview of investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, and talks about some of the coincidences and legends associated with the home. 

In this two part episode, Hailee is bewitched with the Amityville Horror. 

Since the 1970s, the beautiful dutch colonial house on 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, NY has been full of tragedy and speculation. Starting with the brutal slaying of the DeFeo family in 1974 to the shocking tales of demonic activity in the home afterwards to the numerous books, movies and TV shows made in the aftermath, this house has become one of, if not the most infamous house in America. In part one, Hailee will talk about the history of the home, the murder of the DeFeo family and the haunting experiences of the Lutz family who moved in just a year after the murders.

In this week’s episode, Katie continues to be bewitched by the Duggar family.

Part two of our expose on one of the world’s most famous mega-families will reveal the Duggars’ long list of scandals. From transphobic tweets that result in members being removed from filming, to infidelity, corporal punishment, and misuse of charity funds, we look at the moments that shook the foundation of the Duggar fanbase.

We also devote some time to the most disappointing Duggar of all, Joshua. Josh’s long history of alarming and destructive behaviors have finally caught up to him in a way that can’t be quietly solved with a trip to a prayer-based “recovery center.” We’ll pinpoint all the red flags and utter failures along the way.

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched by the Duggar Family. 

To their adoring fans, the Duggar family is a close-knit, super-sized Christian family intent on raising their brood under a stringent set of beliefs and rules. But when we dig below the surface, we find so much more. From their affiliation with Bill Gothard’s predatory Institute of Basic Life Principles, to their deeply sexist rules for their daughters, to their bizarre and troubling homeschool curriculum, the Duggar family’s problems run deeper than just floor-length denim skirts and parent-supervised dates.

Join us in this first part of a two-episode look at everything you wish you didn’t know about the Duggar family.

In this episode, Hailee is bewitched with the legends and lore behind cursed films.

What is a curse? Some of the earliest curses are found in Egyptian Execration texts, which were tablets listing the enemies of the pharaoh. Essentially, a curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to one or more persons, a place, or an object. Throughout history, people have promoted stories of curses for a variety of reasons. You can find curses just about anywhere, from religious superstitions to sports fans wearing a certain jersey because they think it will help their team win...to films and television! There are a number of films that hold the description of being cursed. Accidents and deaths on set, bad luck that seems to follow anyone associated with certain films, and so much more. In this episode, Hailee will discuss the real events, legends, and lore behind several cursed films and you can decide for yourself...are curses real? 

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched by the myths and legends of Walt Disney World.

Known around the globe as “the happiest place on Earth,” Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida is a vacation destination like no other. This sprawling property is home to four unique theme parks, a host of themed accommodations, hundreds of restaurants, and a world of carefully-curated experiences. But are there secrets lurking beneath the surface?

Was Walt Disney cryogenically frozen and kept in suspended animation beneath one of his most beloved attractions?

Is an uncontainable flesh-eating bacteria the real reason for the sudden, quiet closure of a wildly popular water park? And is it true that no one dies on Disney property? We explore these myths and more in this magical episode.

In this episode, Hailee is bewitched with the Culper Ring, George Washington's secret spy ring credited with turning the course of the war and enabling an American victory. 

The Culper Spy Ring operated successfully in and around New York City for five years and the informants were never discovered. Even George Washington himself was unaware of their identities. Along with spies like Hercules Mulligan and James Armistead, the Culper Ring was responsible for preventing the plan of one of history’s most notorious traitors and saving George Washington’s life more than once. And yes, there will be Hamilton quotes.

This week, Katie is bewitched with the polio epidemic and vaccines.

As the U.S. takes its first tentative steps toward post-COVID life with the massive roll-out of vaccines, Katie takes time to reflect on another virus that changed our world: polio. For decades, parents lived in fear of summer- time polio outbreaks. Children went from happy and healthy to iron lungs in a matter of days. As a result, public pools closed. Adolescents were banned from movie theaters, and parents everywhere hoped and prayed for a vaccine that would keep their children safe. The Polio vaccines continue to provide relief from this debilitating virus all over the world. Will we allow the COVID vaccines to do their work, too?

The victorian period is named after for reign of Queen Victoria encompassing the span of history between 1837-1901. During this time, Brittain and the United States were experiencing the first Industrial Revolution. Also during this time, Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone, Florence Nightingale revolutionizes the nursing field with her sanitary practices, Charles Dickens is the shit - the most popular author of the time, Charles Darwin writes the Origin of the species, Jack the Ripper is stalking the streets of London.

And there is an incredibly high mortality rate which is why much of what the Victorians did for entertainment focuses on death. From disgustingly elaborate breakfasts to seances and anthropomorphic taxidermy and hair jewelry, the Victorians were certainly a strange bunch. 

• The Boy in the Red Dress by Kristin Lambert 
• The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
• Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
• Victorian Farm - BBC show
• Floriography by Jessica Roux
• How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life by Ruth Goodman
• Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
• The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry 
• The Silent Companions by Lucy Parcell

This week, Hailee is bewitched with the strange, funny, sometimes deadly behaviors of people who sleepwalk. 

Sleepwalking is a behavior disorder that originates during deep sleep and results in walking or performing other complex behaviors while still mostly asleep. Listen this week as Hailee discusses some funny sleepwalking stories, including some sleep talking stories from her husband, as well as the science behind what goes on in our brains during sleep. And of course, she discusses some sleepwalking murders, as well. 

Titles recommended in this episode:

• The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming
• Sloth Wasn't Sleepy by Kate Messner, illustrated by Valentina Toro
• Dreamland: adventures in the strange science of sleep by David Randall.
• I have struck Mrs. Cochran with a stake: sleepwalking, insanity, and the trial of Abraham Prescott by Leslie Rounds

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched with Mackinac Island.

Nestled in the cold, deep waters between the upper and lower pennisulas of Michigan lies the idyllic and picturesque Mackinac Island. What was once a beloved spot for indigenous people evolved into a fur trader’s outpost, a military stronghold, and eventually the tourist destination we know today. From it’s unique ban on automobiles to its Victorian-era flagship hotel, this gem of an island transports its visitor’s back in time.

Let’s explore its unique history, fascinating year-round lifestyle, and it’s darkest haunts.

This week, Hailee is bewitched by the tragic fate of the Donner Party.  Literally every conceivable thing went wrong for this rag-tag group of travelers. Pioneers traveling the Oregon trail were inspired by the promise of free land in California and Oregon. Spurred on by what journalist John L. O’Sullivan coined Manifest Destiny, and encouraged by President Polk who was so singular in his focus of owning the western part of the United States he started the Mexican American war, these settlers thought it was their Divine right to journey west and claim the land for themselves. They were promised acres of good, farmable land by the Westward Expansion organizations, never minding that most of California was still owned by Mexico and, of course, hundreds, maybe thousands of indigenous people already called the land home. Hoping to take a newly "discovered" shortcut that would supposedly shave off 300 miles of their journey, the Donner party unfortunately ended up trapped in the Sierra Nevadas in feet of snow and very quickly began to starve.

Titles recommended in this episode:

• The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep by Allen Roth
• The Hunger by Alma Katsu
• To Stay Alive: Mary Ann Graves and the Tragic Journey of the Donner Party by Skila Brown
• Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics
• The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny by Michael Wallis
• The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown

In this episode, Katie is bewitched with the debutantes of the London social season. 

Since the late 1700s, Britain's most eligible young ladies have been presented to society during London's social season. Providing the framework for our favorite novels like Pride and Prejudice, debutante society hides a deeply problematic world of sexism, racism, classism, and more. In this deep-dive into the beginnings and evolution of this bizarre ritual, we explore the realm of the ultra-exclusive debutante social scene. 

For more information, and a list of all our sources, visit our website. 

Titles recommended in this episode: 

The Season: A Social History of the Debutante by Kristen Richardson

The Husband Hunters: Social Climbing in London and New York by Anne de Courcy and Clare Corbett

Women of Means: The Fascinating Biographies of Royals, Heiresses, Eccentrics, and Other Poor Little Rich Girls by Margaret Wagman-Gellar

The Bridgertons Series by Julia Quinn

Belgravia by Julian Fellowes

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

The Debutantes series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

In this special episode of The Reference Desk, Katie and Hailee tell you a bit about themselves, why they started a podcast and play a game of Would You Rather!

Books Mentioned

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Outlander series by Diana Gabeldon

Books by Louise Miller

Books by Jenny Colgan

The Fingerprints series by Melinda Metz

In this episode, Katie is bewitched with the psychedelic drug ayahuasca.

Deep in the Amazon basin of South America, indigenous people rely on the wisdom of the sacred ayahuasca brew, a psychoactive drink. For centuries, this medicine has guided and healed those who partake in its sacred ritual. Traditionally, a trained shaman guides their community members through the ritual, but Westerners want in, too.

In this episode of the Reference Desk, Hailee tells us about the strange Coney Island sideshow responsible for saving hundreds of lives. Martin Couney's Infant Incubator facility was one of Coney Island's most popular exhibits.

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched by Frank Abagnale, Jr.  

One of America's most notorious con-men, Frank Abagnale Jr's unlikely journey into the world of check forgery, criminal impersonation, and other scams, inspired the popular film "Catch Me If You Can."  From his humble beginnings as a teenage runaway cashing bad checks, to his summer spent escorting a group of Pan-Am flight attendant hopefuls through Europe, this episode covers his life of crime from beginning to end. After our deep-dive into Abagnale's problematic rise to notoriety, we give you book recommendations about the world of fraud, scams, and swindles. 

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Hailee is bewitched with The Salem Witch Trials. 

Between February 1692 and May 1693, more than two hundred people were accused of witchcraft in Salem and surrounding towns. Thirty were found guilty, nineteen were executed by hanging, one other man was pressed to death, and at least five people died in jail. Also, two dogs were found guilty of witchcraft. Listen to find out more about this strange time in America's history!

In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched with the WPA Packhorse Library.

As part of FDR's New Deal, the Works Progress Administration provided employment for millions of Americans struggling with the effects of the Great Depression. In the most remote pockets of Appalachia, the WPA Packhorse Library Program delivered books by horse to thousands of nearly-inaccessible homes and hollers.

This episode details the history and impact of the WPA Packhorse Library program, and provides book recommendations for listeners interested in emerging themselves even further into the bizarre and beautiful piece of American history.