Amanda and Sadie are back with a banger covering a true crime queen and vengeful percussionist. Amanda recounts the life and times of author Ann Rule, including her fateful friendship with would-be serial killer Ted Bundy. Sadie heads to 15th-century England for the Drummer of Tedworth, the earliest recorded poltergeist episode in the country. Other subjects covered include pants-hungry genitalia, a new hit show, and a little mouse guy.

Recommendations:

Amanda recommends the true crime book Bitter Blood. 

Sources:

• Wikipedia/Drummer of Tedworth
• Encyclopedia.com (Drummer Of Tedworth)
• Burials and Beyond
• "New light on the ‘Drummer of Tedworth’: conflicting narratives of witchcraft in Restoration England" by Michael Hunter
• The Guardian (Best-selling true crime writer Ann Rule, author of 33 books, dies at age 83)
• Grunge (The Untold Truth of Ann Rule)
• The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule
• CNN (Jan. 12, 1999 interview transcript)
• Washington Post (The twisted friendship of crime writer Ann Rule and serial killer Ted Bundy)
• The New Yorker (Too Close to Ted Bundy)

Originally posted as Episode 11 on July 19, 2018. 

It's all about spiritualism on this week's episode as Amanda and Sarah discuss two women associated with the movement. Sarah channels an unusual story about famed spiritualist medium Florence Cook and her "spirit control," Katie King, who was said to be the deceased daughter of a Welsh pirate. Amanda gives a creepy history lesson on the tragic life of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and her shifty spirit minister Charles J. Colchester. Other subjects covered include big ol' Instagram daddies, donkey facts, and the joy of pretending to be drunk.

Sources:

"Spirited Sexuality: Sex, Marriage, and Victorian Spiritualism" by Marlene Tromp for Victorian Literature and Culture

"Victorian Women and the Theatre of Trance: Mediums, Spiritualists, and Mesmerists in Performance" by Amy Lehman

MysteriousPeople.com (lol): Katie King

Smithsonian Magazine ("The Spiritualist Who Warned Lincoln Was Also Booth’s Drinking Buddy")

Wikipedia: Mary Todd Lincoln

Recommendations:

Sarah recommends you read "Affinity" by Sarah Waters.

Amanda recommends you read "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" by Seth Grahame-Smith (the latter only kinda).

For updates on future episodes and other fun stuff, follow us on Twitter and Instagram. 

Look to the skies, ghouls, because Amanda and Sarah have an extraterrestrial-filled episode just for you. Sarah presents a very special alien version of Ass-trology, while Amanda delves into the phenomenon of people claiming to have sex with otherworldly beings. Other subjects covered include unimpressive octopi, parts of the boot, and dead social media. 

Sources:

• Listverse (10 People Who Claimed To Have Sexual Encounters With Aliens)
• Vice (This Guy Paints the Sex He Allegedly Has with Aliens)
• The Harvard Gazette (Alien abduction claims examined: Signs of trauma found)
• Huffington Post (Meet the Chinese Lumberjack Who Slept With an Alien)

For updates on future episodes and other fun stuff, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, or check out our Patreon.