Show Notes
“Compared to most people in Lily Dale, I was a raging skeptic. Compared to most of my journalistic colleagues, I was a soft-headed sap. I didn’t believe Lily Dale’s people could chat with the dead, but I was willing to concede that I might be wrong. I never intended for any of it to change me. But it did.” – Christine Wicker, Lily Dale
Lily Dale is a small community of spiritualists in upstate New York. It is known as “The town that talks to the dead”. People come here from all over the world hoping to connect with loved ones who have passed on. Everyone who comes here thinks they will find “the truth” -- and know it when they see it. Up or down, true or false, real or fake. They’ll know. Christine Wicker, religion reporter for the Dallas Morning News, comes to Lily Dale convinced she’ll find out the “truth”. But the longer she stays, the harder it is to find… In the summer of 2009, Richard and Susan find themselves on opposite sides of an issue for which there can be no compromise: having a second child. All Richard wants is another TV show. A year later he’s in Shreveport, Louisiana producing ABC’s summer series The Gates. But the dream job is rapidly turning into a nightmare. What happens when the thing you thought would save you turns into something you can barely survive? And what if embracing the thing you’re most afraid of might be the only path to happiness? Links:
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Buy Lily Dale by Christine Wicker here https://bookshop.org/p/books/lily-dale-the-town-that-talks-to-the-dead-christine-wicker/40f0955a03d76fe0?ean=9780061153747&next=t
Learn more about the real town of Lily Dale, NY here https://www.lilydaleassembly.org/
More from Richard Hatem's Paranormal Bookshelf
Astonishing Legends co-host Forrest Burgess makes his RHPB debut to kick off the Halloween Season and reveal his “Top 5 Favorite Paranormal Books”! Of course, first we have to argue about the format of the episode, whether or not I explained it to him clearly, and how is he even supposed to narrow it down to five?!? But rest assured, we “count ‘em down!” – just like Casey Kasem and “America’s Top Forty”! And along the way we talk about everything from “Summer-ween” to Alien Pool Parties to The Odessa File to Tarot Cards to Silence of the Lambs, astral travel, Scott Philbrook, Mike Tyson, the Lizard Man, Spooky Action at a Distance – and all of Forrest’s Girlfriends! If you know Forrest, you know it’s gonna get weird. And if you don’t, well… you have been warned. PLUS: BONUS PATREON CONTENT! For Patreon members at the Obsessed Fan Level -- Forrest Burgess joins me to reveal and discuss his FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME! Only on Patreon! LINKS:
Richard is back from the Light in the Dark Tour 2026! Join Richard and his wife (and RHPB executive producer) Susan Lambert as they discuss everything from Richard’s yearlong scheme to finally appear on “Woo-Woo with Rachel Dratch”, to the last minute decision to embark on the tour alone, to Scott Philbrook’s shocking news about getting COVID which basically made Richard certain that he had COVID too just by talking about it, to all the performances of RHPB and all the beautiful, kind and amazing fans we met along the way! LINKS:
Welcome New Listeners! Revisit Episode 1: Ghosts & Specters Show Description: Hey Everybody! I just had the pleasure of appearing on “Woo-Woo with Rachel Dratch”! So, I’m re-broadcasting the very first episode of RHPB (“Ghosts & Specters”) for new listeners and anyone who wants to hear it again. (And don’t worry, the episodes don’t run in chronological order, so you can actually start anywhere…) If you’re new here -- welcome aboard! I’m so thrilled to have you here! LINKS:
“I love the idea that if the house up the road is haunted, then I literally have a cosmic doorway to another way of being. And that just turns all the colors up in life.” – Peter Laws My friend Peter Laws grew up like a lot of us. As a kid he was obsessed with ghost stories, horror movies and all aspects of the paranormal. In fact, his interest in the “big questions” was so great that he became an ordained minister. But his interest in the macabre never went away. So he returned to the creepier side of life by authoring a series of novels featuring Matt Hunter, an ex-church minister who’s lost his faith, dropped out, and now assists the police in solving religiously motivated crimes. And now, Peter has an insanely popular YouTube channel called “Into the Fog” where he investigates and documents reports of the unexplained. These are real, never before heard cases -- and he talks to the people who lived through them. Peter is the guy I want to be when I grow up. In today’s show, Peter and I talk about everything from our favorite horror films to Ouija boards to Peter’s own supernatural encounters. And along the way we grapple with the pressing questions: is there an afterlife? Which religion believes in ghosts the most? Should you take your grandfather to see “Friday the 13th: Part 4”? Is Taylor Swift a witch? Is E.T. a demon? And just what does Peter mean when he says that his books are literally flying off the shelves? LINKS:
Astonishing Legends co-host Scott Philbrook returns to chat with Richard about his upcoming “Light in the Dark Tour 2026” -- as well as answer such never-before-asked questions as: What scares our dogs? Where will Scott & Forrest be appearing live in September? Did Abbott & Costello get along? Can anyone find Scott’s legendary “lost” appearance on “Portlandia”? Did Richard schedule too many shows on this tour -- and will Susan ever forgive him?? Find out the answers to these and many more questions on today’s episode! LINKS: Get tickets to Richard Hatem’s “Light in the Dark Tour 2026” LIVE!: https://www.richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com/events