PUBLIC DISPLAY OF IMAGINATION

Josh Gates is the current host of Expedition Unknown, a Travel Network program that airs 11 to 15 new episodes each season. I’ve followed his adventures since season two of his SyFy program, Destination Truth. I’ve also read his Memoirs of a Monster Hunter a half dozen times. It’s a very entertaining read and I highly recommend it.

From Bigfoot to Vampires, Josh has rattled the bushes on every continent in search of them all. He also has shined a bright light on some of the world’s most fantastic treasure hunts. If you know of Josh’s work, then you know why he’s on my list. If you’ve never heard of Josh Gates, you’re really missing out… 

WHAT?!? Stephen King’s on the list??? I’d really expect more kickback if he wasn’t. The book to the right is his book on the craft and if you’re a writer or an aspiring writer, you’ve probably read it. If you are and you haven’t, you’re in a very small circle. 

If you know my program, then you know I’ve got plenty of questions about the craft. You know I also want to talk with him about the authors who have influenced his career. Yeah, he reads and he reads a lot. He also has family members who are talented authors and I’m sure the conversation between them would be fascinating to explore. On a side note, I want him to explain where he drew upon while constructing his “astral projection” sequence as it was portrayed in Dr. Sleep (because nothing like that has ever happened to me).

This is going to sound like a strange selection for the dream board, not only because of the topic matter (Bible Stuff… eww), but because I actually know Mike and I’ve talked with him about this book previously. So, why is the author (and this book) on the list?

It’s on the list because of the very thing that you’re most likely thinking at this moment –  “a religious book? Cough… Cough… No thank you…”  Actually, it’s anything but another religious book. I’m really not into religious ideology and discussion (and that may be putting it kindly), but I’m drawn to old stuff… history… particularly biblical history. This book takes a look at the very things that pique my curiosity the most when it comes to biblical stuff and it’s not an “antiseptic” approach to “understanding scripture.” It takes the reader inside the head of the ancient Israelite and the culture that produced the text, which is where I wanna be, if we’re gonna talk Bible stuff.

Kathy, my wife, reads a lot of great fiction; I’m more strongly drawn to the page by non-fiction. Lost Connections is a research volume by British writer Johann Hari and the concept arrested my attention on two immediate levels: problem identification and problem resolution.

Hari writes in a dialogue style, which sometimes works for me and is sometimes a struggle. In this case, it was a struggle because of culture and speech patterns. I struggle to understand British dialogue and that’s on me, not the author (or actors, as the case may be). I greatly enjoyed this book because the content, even though it wasn’t an easy read for me. Hari examines the root of depression and how we have been treating it with medication worldwide over the last 40 years or so. Are we failing to properly diagnose and understand the issue? Are we taking a proper approach to treatment? Both are important questions and he does a fantastic job of shining a light on the subject matter. 

There’s a mystery that I read about in my childhood that has stayed with me for my entire life – The Mystery of Oak Island. I first read about it in the January 1965 edition of Reader’s Digest (See Article PDF), but the fire was ignited into a all-out blaze by the History Channel production, The Curse of Oak Island.

Perhaps one of the best books on the topic that I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a few, is the book by D’arcy O’Connor pictured to the left. I read an older edition, but it was about as thorough as it gets and very well written. I’d love to talk with someone who has been actively involved in trying to unravel the 200 year old riddle, but D’arcy O’Connor is of extreme interest as well. Perhaps no living researcher knows more about the Oak Island Treasure Hunt… 

When it comes to Oak Island and “boots on the ground,” no boots have kicked over more significant dirt than Rick and Marty Lagina. They are leading the current excavation and investigation into the history and the lore that is featured in the weekly History Channel production. 

Given the opportunity, I’d love to talk with Rick and Marty and I’d certainly give them a better opportunity to tell their story than Stephen Colbert did a few years back. (I still can’t believe that I stayed up late for that 27 seconds of almost interesting insight). These two have done a masterful job in moving the compelling story forward and I would be honored to speak with them about the adventure.

There are those who are firmly convinced that the Turin Shroud is the burial cloth that was once wrapped around the crucified body of Christ. Others are equally convinced that it should be dismissed as an elaborate fake… a hoax. There are two other camps: one which views the shroud as a compelling work of art from the middle-ages and another group who would admit to being intrigued, but undecided.

If pressed, I’d have to place myself among the intrigued, but undecided. I’m always interested in the discussion, but quite often come away with more questions than answers. Barrie M. Schwortz was a part of a small group of scientists who were granted access to study and test the shroud in 1978. Being afforded the opportunity to talk with Barrie about the shroud definitely qualifies as a Brass Ring for me. 

When it comes to the alluring magic of cryptids, none is more mysterious and sought after than Bigfoot, Sasquatch, the Yeti. Whatever name you want to hang over the signpost, this is one of the all-time great hunts for something thought by many people around the world to be more fact than fiction.

Jeff Meldrum, Ph.D., associate professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University, has brought science to the forefront of the question. Does this creature exist? What proof is there that moves the conversation forward in a respectable manner. I’ve watched my share of documentaries, some insightful and some laughable, but I’ve still got questions I’d like to ask and I’d like to ask them of Dr. Jeff Meldrum.

When I was young, oh, so many years ago, I read a short book that was published on the heels of the blockbuster success of Star Wars. The book, pictured to the left, was a side thread in the story. The first paperback copy was published April 1st, 1978. I can’t tell you when I picked it up.

What I can tell you is that I’ve never forgotten it. It was not the first, nor, by far, the last work of science fiction by Alan Dean Foster, but it was the one that made him a legendary author in the splinter of my mind’s eye. If you’ve ever gotten an email from me, you’ll see that it comes from Splinter IN the Mind’s Eye dot-com and my self-published books are published under the Splinter In The Mind’s Eye copyright. Both are tributes to this book and this author, who has a magnificent volume of work, including more “Star Wars” books and a series based on the original Star Trek…