Is This a Ghost?

We've moved our podcast! Please go to linktr.ee/isthisaghost to find all the latest episodes. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Did you know Maine is more than just a hotbed of fictional horrors? We’re coming for you, Stephen King. The Pine Tree State is also home to at least one maybe-dead maybe-ghost, and we honor her today on Is This a Ghost? (The answer is…maybe?)This is the story of Mary Howe. Come for the ghost, stay for the Hippocratic Oath for gravediggers, the transcendentalism of Batman, the right temperature for not-dead hot stones, horse-drawn busses of 1882, the perfect month for pizza, and Glidden: The “Nick” of the 19th century.Sources:Pen Bay PilotB985 FM This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

The best thing about Oklahoma is that ghosts don’t like it anymore than you do. Clayton had to plumb the depths of human experience to find a worthwhile ghost story from the The Sooner-Die-Than-Live-Here State, but with the hard work and grit that’s always been a hallmark of this podcast, he managed. Oh, also, you’ll learn this toward the end, but we’re an ESPN podcast now.This is the story of the haunted Skirvin Hotel. Come for the ghost, stay for the absolute disappointment of Oklahoma, America, the big, cool graveyard of Rip Rowser Bill, the respectful behavior of oilmen throughout history, and Ron Artest, professional ghost lawyer. If you enjoy this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform!-Sources:Legends of AmericaBBCThe Players TribuneWashington Post This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

It’s Halloweentime, and we wanted to give you a treat. Or I guess it’s really more of a trick. Well it’s a trick that’s sort of a treat, and it’s this: Patrick is dressing up as Clayton for this Halloween episode, and he’s the one telling the ghost story this time. That’s right, he’s gunning for the big chair, and all Clayton can say is, IF YOU COME AT THE KING, YOU BEST NOT MISS. This is the story of The Whaley House, one of the most haunted houses in America. Come for the ghosts, stay for the hotel-by-the-hour memories, the most disappointing way to spell “pie,” a cross-examination of Tom Greene’s existence, dowsing for ghost water, Plato’s EMF reader, and high school Clayton’s struggle to find women’s clothing for tall boys.Sources:Patrick will probably fill this in at some point, I bet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Sure, sex is great, but have you ever had the ghost of an airline pilot jump out at you from the overhead bin when you check on your luggage at 30,000 feet, midway to your uber-normie family vacation? It is transcendent. We will not be taking questions.This is the story of Flight 401. Come for the ghosts, stay for two double-dog-dare first-class priests, the Spanish-teacher sweatshirt monster, the one tiny issue with early autopilot, hamster-tube airplane pipes, Quantum Leap in a failing cockpit, and Patrick’s unfirm grasp on holiday dates.Sources:Admiral Cloudberg (Medium)Simple FlyingFlorida Today This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

With great wealth comes great responsibility, and we’re the first people in history to ever mean that. But like, what would you do if your family’s handiwork caused the misery of millions, and led Americans to win the American West, and made you so rich you could drive a brand new Hyundai into the river every single day for the rest of your life? You’d probably become a philanthropist, right? HAHAHAHA us neither. Let’s build a tomb.This is the story of the Winchester Mystery House. Come for the ghosts, stay for the billionaire ley lines, Ouija board bikini bottoms, Sarahs junior, the Is This a Ghost? Fortnite multiverse, and thirteen haunted Sophia Cupolas. Sources:American HauntingsWinchester Mystery HouseWikipedia This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

There’s a beautiful house in quasi-upstate Nyack, New York, where the views are stunning, the men are terrified, and the ghosts are legally protected, thanks to one haunted-heart judge who just loved Ivan Reitman. The Ackley house was the first legally haunted house in the United States, and you can literally hit Sleepy Hollow with a rock thrown from the house’s back porch, so you just know that’s a ruling that tears New York in twain.This is the story of the Ackley House. Come for the ghosts, stay for the historical impact of the Marshmallow Man, what not to do when selling a house, the finer points of Reader’s Digest, using ghosts as alarm clocks, and Patrick’s crusade against God-given ghost rights. Sources:* Reader’s Digest* Gizmodo This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Too short to be a full episode; too fun to pass up. It’s another bonus ghostie!This episode is about Lucy Liu, yes, that Lucy Liu, and it’s also about love, and tenderness, and orgasm, and fortitude, and the New Testament, and proper grammar, and futons, and sleep-play, and internet creep sites, and honestly, you just have to listen, because we don’t know what’s happening here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Pack your bags, we’re going to Taiwan! The Liu mansion is a classic haunted house. And if it’s too scary for you, you can just chill in the ghost-themed diner next door while your big, brave friends get shot by Japense soldier-ghosts in the mansion. This is the story of the Haunted Liu Mansion. Come for the ghost, stay for the the spectral cock-blocks, the proper orientation for jumping down a well, Clayton’s three and only three friends, and the loud desperation of Patrick’s cat.Sources:Kathmandu and BeyondMoon Mausoleum This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Kansas has pretty solid corn, and oh man, such good cows. But did you know it also has…GHOSTS?! *dramatic piano notes* It’s true! One of those ghosts resides in the Sallie House, and honestly, that ghost does not like you if you have a Y chromosome. Which, like, we get. You know?This is the story of the Sallie House. Come for the ghost, stay for the Forest of Friendship, the ol’ Kansas re-fresh, the perks of potty training in a surgery-ghost world, the perils of Dr. Horrible cosplay, and the wonder of power-lifting, super-jacked ghosts. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Yeah, you read that right. It’s time to talk about Bunghole Liquors, home to a handful of ghosts and, we assume, a pretty lucrative t-shirt racket. Some podcasts take you to Salem for the witches; we take you to Salem for the shadowy underside.This is the story of Bunghole Liquors. Come for the ghosts, stay for ghost cats, the absolute cartoonization of tragedy, and Patrick’s foolproof plan to test whether or not someone is dead. Like what you hear? Give us a review on your favorite podcast platform! (Don’t like what you hear? Act like we’ve never met.)Sources:Ghost City ToursSalem Ghost ToursNew England FolkloreQ97.9 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Too short to be a full episode; too fun to pass up. It’s another bonus ghostie! This episode is about a ghost named Gef, and we honestly can’t say more than that, because it’s too wild, and you need to hear it for yourself. This is an absolutely bananas episode, and that’s all our lawyers will let us say on the subject. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Join us for a jaunt over to merry olde England, to the quaint little town of Pentrefact-. Pontryfact. Pontefricht. Ponte—god, we’re never going to get it right. But there’s a ghost there, and a lot of people call him the most violent ghost that’s ever been documented, which seems like a lie, because it’s not like anyone died. OR DID THEY? Listen to find out! (They didn’t.)This is the Black Monk of Pontefract. Come for the ghost, stay for really great British accents, Patrick’s desire to squeeze Snack Packs directly into his mouth, the undeniable legacy of Drop Dead Fred, and the most Mary Poppinsish show we’ve ever done.Sources:https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Hauntings-Britains-Terrifying-Ghosts/dp/075246535X https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ghost-of-black-monk-of-pontefract-pictured-in-mirror-at-home-of-britains-most-violent-poltergeist-haunting_uk_57e3a78de4b0e81629a90c6a This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

There are many ghosts at the Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana, and we are legally obligated to tell you that this is one of them. Chloe had a bad life and a bad death, but at least the scene of her horrible murder is now a really swell B&B! Plus, she’s a shadow ghost now, so that’s gotta keep her life interesting.This is the story of Chloe. Come for the ghost, stay for “Misery Loves Ghostany,” the weight of cows, the magical fructose-1-6-diphosphate tree, and Foghorn Leghorn’s shadow density procedure. Thank you to our wonderful sponsor, Pinckney Bend Distillery! We invite you to explore their wonderful wares and to enjoy them very responsibly.Sources:https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/myrtles_plantation_the_southshttps://www.myrtlesplantation.com/history-and-hauntings/the-legend-of-chloehttps://csuvth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/Plants/Details/60 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Not all ghosts have a good reason to walk through your walls every night, but this one is definitely an exception. I don’t care who you are, if you find a dead ghost’s hand in your basement, you need to apologize and give that hand right back. Until then, you deserve every ounce of haunting you get, I don’t care if you are from Brooklyn.This is the One-Handed Ghost of Flatbush. Come for the ghost, stay for the pretzel slurry, the etymology of longshoremen, the three ways Patrick would recommend committing murder, and why you should never throw away a hand.Sources:https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/01/reader-center/april-fools-day-a-stranger-times.htmlhttps://www.newspapers.com/clip/3484904/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Too short to be a full episode; too fun to pass up. Presenting our very first bonus ghostie! These are short lil one-offs that we’ll pepper through the feed from time to time, and this first one is a Disney lover’s delight. This one’s for all the parents who have watched Frozen so many times, they’ve thought, “Maybe I’ll just die.” ‘Cause, listen. This Elsa doll has you covered. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Sure, your house may have broadband and a pretty sweet ice maker, but does it scream? Probably not. But don’t worry, there’s a house out there that does scream so your house doesn’t have to. Behold! The Union Screaming House, a severely haunted house in Union, Missouri, about five miles from where Clayton grew up. And he’s fine! So you will be too. This is the Union Screaming House. Come for the ghost, stay for the Old Enough anxiety, schools that teach that deer are people, some shots Patrick fires at Thomas Kinkade, and ghost doggies, who are all very good boys. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Ah, Memphis. Famous for its blues, its martialized ducks, and its escape-hatch-house gold-burying dead-haunts. You know the ones I mean. This week, we explore the strange history and the confounding truth of the ghost of the Hunt-Phelan house in Memphis, Tennessee. Come for the ghost, stay for the finer points of land surveyoring, stupid shit they did in the 1800s, the surprising mobility of yellow fever, and the absolute blight of the pee-troughs in Wrigley Field. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Everyone knows America invented ghosts, but what you may not know is that Canada has one too! This week, we’re exploring our first international ghost, Bishop Charles Seghers of Vancouver Island, who set out to spread the Good Word, then somehow lost his face. It’s a real cautionary tale about evangelism.This is the story of The Skull-Faced Bishop. Come for the ghost, stay for the good golden lump rocks, the surprising difference between soup and bones, and actual audio of an actual spittake when this whole episode goes completely off the rails.See a photo of Bishop Seghers (pre-ghost) on our Instagram - @isthisaghostQuestions? Comments? GHOST TIPS?! Email us at [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

It’s hard to focus on the ghost story when the main character’s name is Zona. It’s just such a cool name. Find a cooler name for a ghost than Zona, we dare you. Eeent, buzzer sound, wrong, you couldn’t. Anyway, her name was as cool as her death was garbage, so that’s the downside of this whole thing. We can’t say much more, because we don’t want to give it away. This is a true crime podcast, okay, and every listener is now a legally-deputized officer of the law. (Sorry.)This is the story of the Greenbriar Ghost. Come for the ghost, stay for the extra-planky whiskey, the sex appeal of blacksmiths, and the only four possible causes of death. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Out on the coastal edge of the Carolinas, there is a gray, gloomy ghost who is either a deadly harbinger of doom or a really nice meteorologist. Come for the ghost; stay for storied marshes, Jimmy Deathmud, intimate horse love, and I don’t think horses can be ghosts.Follow us on Instagram - @isthisaghostQuestions? Comments? GHOST TIPS?! Email us at [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Just try to think of a better name for a ghost than “the Bell Witch.” You can’t do it. Don’t even try. Forget what I said earlier, do not even try. The spirit that haunted John Bell and his family back in the early 1800s is a classic American ghost, absolutely chock-a-block with piss and vinegar. She also hangs out in a cave, which is pretty dope. Come for the terrifying tale of the witch; stay for the questionable way doctors tested the lethality of poisons in the 19th Century. The only thing scarier than this week’s story of the Bell Witch is Patrick’s hernia issues, about which he goes into surprising detail for reasons that are, as of yet, unknown. Follow us on Instagram - @isthisaghostQuestions? Comments? Lauds upon lauds? Email us at [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Sure, you’ve heard of hitchhikers, but have you heard of hitchhiker ghosts?! Oh, you have? Well, aren’t you something. Anyway, join us for a little jaunt up to Chicagoland for the story of Resurrection Mary, one of the most famous American hitchhiker ghosts on record. Come for the ghost, stay for the pre-polio lovin’, dumb suburb names, and, for some reason, butt injections. We’ll also finally answer the question, “Wait, you think crocodiles lurk?” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Deep in the suburban land of Lululemon and labradoodles lies the lonesome and loathesome Zombie Road. Are there zombies there? No. Is it a road? Not really. Are there ghosts? Oh, my, yes. Join us, won’t you? As we go for a stroll down eastern Missouri’s most haunted road. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Not all ghosts can be not related to early 20th century insane asylums. So here’s one that is! California’s Turnbull Canyon has quite a few ghost stories to tell, and it’s high time we told one. This story is a short lil guy, so we’re calling it a ghostie, which is a super-cute word, but don’t worry, there are still plenty of jokes and chicanery. Come for the ghosts, stay for the time we got trapped in Laurel Canyon, a lovely trip down Return to Oz lane, and Patrick’s disdain for teenage Angelenos. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Bump on down to Birmingham-town, as the kids say, and learn all about the horrible haunting of Sloss Furances, where the ghosts are exhausted and the murderer is capitalism. Subjects include: Patrick’s weird voice, that melting scene in Terminator 2, and the three names people are allowed to have. Come for the jokes, stay for the sound of Clayton’s noisy basement ghost at the 04:12 mark. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com

Sure, it’s a headless skeleton hell-bent on dropping loose change, but is it a ghost? For the very first episode of this groundbreaking new podcast, Clayton Smith and Patrick Dean explore the true, mysterious story of the ghost of Mississippi’s Deer Island. They also discuss the finer points of pig biology and pirate internships. Please take a second to rate, review, and subscribe to Is This a Ghost? Real ghosts. Real stories. Real funny. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isthisaghost.substack.com