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BOA : Audio
3.15.15

Jason Offutt

(2 Hours, 19 Minutes)


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(MP3 A : 67 minutes)
(MP3 B : 72 minutes)

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Author, reporter, and connoisseur of creepiness Jason Offutt makes his long overdue return to BoA:Audio for a freewheeling and largely improvisational conversation covering a diverse range of topics, including his latest book How To Kill Monsters Using Common Household Items.

Amongst the many topics discussed during the conversation are Mayor Jason Offutt, the need to kill Bigfoot, evil robots, Slenderman, American monsters, Jason's doubt about dowsing, his encounter with a skilled psychic, deathbed confessions, confronting our own mortality in the face of paranormal mysteries, Jason's foray into fiction, and a whole lot more.

Altogether, it is a nearly feral edition of BoA:Audio which travels down a variety of sideroads, tangents, and off-beaten paths as our old friend Jason Offutt returns to BoA:Audio.

Highlights: Over the course of the episode, we talk about the new book, Jason's tenure as a small town mayor, the disappearance of MH370 and Jason's disappointment with the conspiracy community's lack of ideas. This leads to the pernicious problem of what constitutes 'proof' in the paranormal world as well as frank discussion on the need to kill Bigfoot and other esoteric creatures. This segues into talking about about Jason's concerns surrounding robots and artificial intelligence. From there, we get his take on the Slenderman stabbings which took place last year.

Next we learn about Jason's ongoing project 'Exploring American Monsters,' which looks at monster tales from each of the 50 states. We specifically learn about the truly bizarre tale of the Alabama Metal Man and the photo taken of 'him.' In turn we talk about how paranormal entities seem almost generational, with shadow people emerging in the 1990's and Black Eyed Kids showing up in the 2000's. Somehow we then end up talking about a Titanic conspiracy that is floating out there in esoterica. We also touch on Binnall's trip to Savannah, Georgia, his aversion to ghost tours, and his visit to the haunted Moon River Brewery, which was recommended by Jason.

This leads to some discussion on the phenomenon of dowsing, which Jason does not believe in, and psychics, which Jason once disbelieved until running into a particularly sharp psychic. We then go on a tangent about death bed confessions and Jason shares his cryptic insights about Roswell that were shared via a bed confession. We then get existential and ask Jason how he grapples with the question of whether or not he'll get answers to the 'big' paranormal mysteries of our time. Jason then shares a weird creature sighting story that was conveyed by one of his colleagues.

Nearing the close of the live broadcast, we talk about Jason's recent novel, A Funeral Story, and we find out what led him to writing long form fiction. Jason then gets deeply personal and he reveals how his 'superpower' led to the birth of his newborn daughter this past Autumn. We also find out what paranormal story or location Jason would investigate if he has unlimited resources. We also wrap up the live broadcast with some brief discussion on Binnall's massive fire pit carved out of the Boston snow.

In the post-show portion of the program, we take a moment to talk about baseball and Jason's Kansas City Royals, but make sure to leave a lot on the table for the Baseball Special. We also reflect on the need for paranormal enthusiasts to maintain a grounded perspective on the world, regardless of their esoteric beliefs. We also revisit Jason's trip to Stonehenge and find out what might be next for him in 2015.


Jason Offutt Bio:

Jason Offutt is a writer and college journalism instructor. At various times in his career, he has also been a newspaper editor, general assignment reporter, photographer, newspaper consultant, bartender, farm hand, and the mayor of a small Midwestern town. His books include Haunted Missouri: A Ghostly Guide to the Show-Me State's Most Spirited Spots, and a collection of parenting humor entitled On Being Dad. He has been named humor writer of the year multiple times by the Missouri Press Association. He lives with his wife and children in Maryville, Missouri.

His latest works are A Funeral Story and How To Kill Monsters Using Common Household Items

More info on Jason can be found on his Facebook author page.


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