The Midnight Seminar

To the Cold War and beyond! In Part 2, Doug and Tara cover the iconic plant monsters of the midcentury and ponder the meaning of the plant-human hybrid trope, what it's like to be a plant, and what might be coming next in plant horror.   Sources:   T. S. Miller, “Lives of the Monster Plants: The Revenge of the Vegetable in the Age of Animal Studies,” The Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 23.3 (2012): 460-479.   Victoria Brown, "The Roots of Evil: Botanical Horror" at https://www.thefrightclubni.com/post/the-roots-of-evil-botanical-horror    Peter V. Minorsky "The 'Plant Neurobiology' Revolution" at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11085955/#abstract1

Your hosts start discussing killer plants in mythology, history, and popular culture. Part 1 covers the roots (literal and figurative) of the genre of "botanical horror" as it developed from ancient times through the nineteenth century. There's much to ponder about the possibilities, perils, and power of plants! Part 2 will pick up with the iconic Cold War literary and silver screen plant monsters.    References:  The Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird The Occult, Witchcraft & Magic: An Illustrated History by Christopher Dell A History of Magic, Witchcraft & the Occult by Suzannah Lipscomb, Sophie Page, Thomas Cussans, John Farndon, Ann Kay, and Philip Parker Library of Congress Blogs: Green Man (https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/category/green-man/?loclr=blogflt)  The History of the Great Irish Famine of 1847, with Notices of Earlier Irish Famines by the Rev. John O'Rourke, P.P., M.R.I.A. (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14412) 

Doug is out but will return soon; Tara is instead joined by her awesome friend Jesse, who knows all about caves. They discuss what makes caves creepy for loads of people, from mummified bats and myths of monsters who lurk in the dark to the realities of complicated rescue missions. They also talk about why caves should be appreciated and respected as places of awe and wonder, inspired science, and longstanding cultural importance. Don't listen to this one in a cramped, dark space (or do)! Resource: https://nckri.org/caves/ (National Cave and Karst Research Institute)

This time, Tara and Doug talk about cannibalism. It's a topic filled with myth and misunderstanding, but there are important lessons along the way. The meandering conversation covers ritual cannibalism, so-called medicinal cannibalism, survival cannibalism, criminal cannibalism, and what might be considered "curious" cannibalism, plus gray areas you probably haven't pondered.    References: Books: Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History by Bill Schutt In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors by Piers Paul Read Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado (with Vince Rause)   Podcast: You're Wrong About (with host Sarah Marshall): Flight 571: Survival in the Andes with Blair Braverman

Join Tara and Doug for a game of "Which Is Scarier?" Highlights include Doug's diatribe on snakes and Tara's admission of donating a potentially haunted doll. Play along for maximum enjoyment!

Doug is sick and January is weird, so please enjoy this stitched-together bonus episode made from some odds and ends from your hosts' recent conversations about ghosts! Tara walks you through clips from the cutting room floor that will give you more to think about when it comes to imagining and encountering departed spirits over time...   We'll be back with a regular episode soon!

In Part 2, Tara tells Doug about the history of holiday "ghost panics," public ghost sightings that had revelers out and about, hunting ghosts with clubs and rifles. Your two hosts play the role of reporter and even share some pranky histories of their own. Doug teaches everyone a thing or two about attracting apparitions.   Happy Holidays from the Midnight Seminar!    References:   History's Haunted Headlines: Hauntings and Ghostly Encounters Throughout the United States as Reported in American Newspapers, Volumes 1 and 3 by Adam Shefts   Phantoms of Christmas Past: Festive Ghosts Hoaxes, Ghost Hunts and Ghost Panics by Paul Weatherhead

This series is all about ghosts—Christmas ghosts! In Part 1, Tara and Doug discuss some ghost basics and geek out about the English tradition of fireside holiday ghost stories. Equal parts Charles Dickens and love letter to all apparitions.   References:   "Introduction" in The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories edited by Tara Moore   The Ghost: A Cultural History by Susan Owens

Tara and Doug are not always deep in reflection about the wistful carousel of eternity; sometimes, they just want to talk about horror movies. In this strange holiday special, they cover the 2023 slasher movie Thanksgiving, directed by Eli Roth. Spoilers abound. In fact, it’s an episode dedicated to spoiling the whole movie.   They talk through elements of the movies that inspired this one–some classics that include Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and the Final Destination franchise–so there are some small spoilers about those decades-old movies, too.   It all amounts to horror movie talk, with questions such as: How does axe murder differ from stabbing? Do you need to like characters? What the hell even happened in this movie?

In part two, Tara tells Doug about the history of some harvest season holidays of yore. Rumination on death continues.

As the nights get longer and the breeze gets colder, Tara and Doug get philosophical on death, decay, and life in the darkest time of year. Part 1 takes a look at some cataloged reflections from historical commentators. Tara has a hard time saying goodbye to October but Doug has some peculiar remedies that just might help!

From the depth of dark folklore to the glow of the silver screen, vampires reflect the fears, questions, and concerns of the living. Long the object of scientific inquiry and philosophical debate, then forever emblazoned in iconic literature, the story of the vampire over time has forced us to confront disease, desires, and the darkness. Tara and Doug tackle the history of vampirism and the big questions it still raises from the grave.   References: The Vampire: A New History by Nick Groom Food For the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires by Michael E. Bell