Friends, this is one of two live call-in broadcasts we're doing for Halloween Weekend, 2026. You can listen live on Halloween Night (10/31) at 7 p.m. Pacific time to the next call-in show and join the spooky scene. Watch and listen at Patreon.com/desertoracle or on our Twitter/X accounts @KenLayne and @desert_oracle. Happy Halloween and please enjoy these creepy tales!

Friends, this is one of&nbsp;two live call-in broadcasts we're doing for Halloween Weekend, 2026. You can listen&nbsp;live on Halloween Night (10/31) at 7 p.m. Pacific time to the next call-in show and join the spooky scene. Watch and listen at <a href="http://Patreon.com/desertoracle">Patreon.com/desertoracle</a> or on our Twitter/X accounts <a href="http://x.com/KenLayne">@KenLayne</a> and <a href="http://x.com/desert_oracle">@desert_oracle</a>. Happy Halloween and please enjoy these creepy tales!

Halloween Eve Call-In Broadcast

It's Halloweentime in the Mojave and that means tales of madness, chaos, strange rituals in the mountains. A time of social contagion, evil behaviors at the tail end of Age of Dionysus. Soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver.

Thanks to our beloved patrons for making this show possible. Become a patron tonight and support the radio show you love! 

Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

It's Halloweentime in the Mojave and that means tales of madness, chaos, strange rituals in the mountains. A time of social contagion, evil behaviors at the tail end of Age of Dionysus. Soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver.
Thanks to our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/desertoracle">beloved patrons</a>&nbsp;for making this show possible. Become a patron tonight and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/desertoracle">support the radio show you love!</a>&nbsp;
Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

Madness and Dismemberment in the Time of Halloween

Night has fallen on the desert. So let’s settle ourselves around the campfire and maybe cook up a big cauldron of Hobo Stew . . . otherwise known as Slumgullion Stew! Our pot includes Gila Monster venom, Yucca Man tales, and the various mysteries of Divine Wisdom. Here's how ol’ Cactus Ed Abbey describes such a feast of scraps:

“Slumgullion stew is the name of a dish popular among hoboes and other knights of the open road. Into a big pot over an open fire, each man throws whatever he has to contribute: a stolen chicken, a hambone, a can of beans, a jar of salsa, an old shoe — anything edible. Like any serious stew, like human society itself, slumgullion should be stirred up frequently, or you’ll get a lot of scum on top.”

Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

Night has fallen on the desert. So let&rsquo;s settle ourselves around the campfire and maybe cook up a big cauldron of Hobo Stew . . . otherwise known as Slumgullion Stew! Our pot includes Gila Monster venom, Yucca Man tales, and the various mysteries of Divine Wisdom.&nbsp;Here's how ol&rsquo; Cactus Ed Abbey describes such a feast of scraps:
&ldquo;Slumgullion stew is the name of a dish popular among hoboes and other knights of the open road. Into a big pot over an open fire, each man throws whatever he has to contribute: a stolen chicken, a hambone, a can of beans, a jar of salsa, an old shoe &mdash; anything edible. Like any serious stew, like human society itself, slumgullion should be stirred up frequently, or you&rsquo;ll get a lot of scum on top.&rdquo;
Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

Slumgullion Stew

The Gold Hill Sandman was sighted on September 15, 1980. Location? Just off Nevada State Route 341, north of Silver City, just past Devil’s Gate and to the left, part of the old American Flats Comstock silver mine, as you’re coming up on Gold Hill. The witnesses worked for the mining company, as security guards. A busy job because the various ruins of the old mining complex, which closed down by 1927, were the favorite hangout of kids and teenagers and hippies and whole families from the small-town desert hills. In part because there’s a swimmin’ hole in the creek there, down in the trees beneath the old mill. People would come in on dirt bikes and ATVs, driving pickups and hotrods, to escape the summer heat in the cool shade of riparian cottonwoods and willows. The creature watched them, from above . . . . 

Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

The Gold Hill Sandman was sighted on September 15, 1980. Location? Just off Nevada State Route 341, north of Silver City, just past Devil&rsquo;s Gate and to the left, part of the old American Flats Comstock silver mine, as you&rsquo;re coming up on Gold Hill. The witnesses worked for the mining company, as security guards. A busy job because the various ruins of the old mining complex, which closed down by 1927, were the favorite hangout of kids and teenagers and hippies and whole families from the small-town desert hills. In part because there&rsquo;s a swimmin&rsquo; hole in the creek there, down in the trees beneath the old mill. People would come in on dirt bikes and ATVs, driving pickups and hotrods, to escape the summer heat in the cool shade of riparian cottonwoods and willows. The creature watched them, from above . . . .&nbsp;
Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

The Gold Hill Sandman

Tonight we are walking across the desert, out of the canyons, over the rivers, to another kind of country. Another place, another time. Trying to trail behind the slow-walking souls of the dearly departed. Even though we are still alive. Desert myths and strange tales for this hottest time of Mojave Summer.

Thanks to our patrons who support this advertising-free radio show.

Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

Tonight we are walking across the desert, out of the canyons, over the rivers, to another kind of country. Another place, another time. Trying to trail behind the slow-walking souls of the dearly departed. Even though&nbsp;we are still alive. Desert myths and strange tales for this hottest time of Mojave Summer.
<a href="https://www.patreon.com/desertoracle">Thanks to our patrons who support this advertising-free radio show.</a>
Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

Island of the Dead

Night has fallen on the desert, and that’s a joyous time in the heat of Southwest Summer. Too hot, too dry, and we long for the cool misty tales of primeval forest, of strange creatures, of great mysteries!

Soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver. Thanks to our patrons; become a patron tonight and support the radio show you love! This is EPISODE #266: PETRIFIED FORESTS AND GHOSTLY GOBLINS.

Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

Night has fallen on the desert, and that&rsquo;s a joyous time in the heat of Southwest Summer. Too hot, too dry, and we long for the cool misty tales of primeval forest, of strange creatures, of great mysteries!
Soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver. Thanks to our patrons; <a href="https://www.patreon.com/desertoracle">become a patron tonight and support the radio show you love! </a>This is EPISODE #266: PETRIFIED FORESTS AND GHOSTLY GOBLINS.
Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

Petrified Forests and Ghostly Goblins

With every passing day, scorcher or not, we are on the march towards Autumn, towards cooler days and longer nights, the time of graveyards and ghost stories. But it’s always time for ghost stories, of course. Especially on Desert Oracle Radio. So tonight, after the exciting Monsoon Season forecast and report, we spend a chilling evening in an old mansion with a writer who just wants some peace and quiet so he can finish his book . . . .

Soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver. Thanks to our too-few patrons for keeping the lights on, for now.

Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

With every passing day, scorcher or not, we are on the march towards Autumn, towards cooler days and longer nights, the time of graveyards and ghost stories.&nbsp;But it&rsquo;s always time for ghost stories, of course. Especially on Desert Oracle Radio. So tonight, after the exciting Monsoon Season forecast and report, we spend a chilling evening in an old mansion with a writer who just wants some peace and quiet so he can finish his book . . . .
Soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver. Thanks to our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/desertoracle">too-few patrons</a> for keeping the lights on, for now.
Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

Haunted Houses & Monsoon Rains

We're back with Midsummer Tidings from the Mojave, with solstice verse from Sam Clemens & Shakespeare, too. Plus a new campfire story from our recently concluded springtime series in Joshua Tree. 

Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

We're back with Midsummer Tidings from the Mojave, with solstice verse from Sam Clemens &amp; Shakespeare, too. Plus a new campfire story from our recently concluded springtime series in Joshua Tree.&nbsp;
Desert Oracle Radio (c)(p) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

Summer Solstice Verse & the Desert Doctor's Weird Bird

From our Campfire Stories in Joshua Tree on May 23, 2026, here’s a special one-hour edition of Desert Oracle Radio live from the desert behind the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, with the High Desert's own Herb Benham IV opening the campfire festivities with a couple of proper cowboy songs. Ravens, rattlesnakes and other characters appear early and often in the stories & fables that follow.

From our Campfire Stories in Joshua Tree on May 23, 2026, here&rsquo;s a special one-hour edition of Desert Oracle Radio live from the desert behind the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, with the High Desert's own <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6FnN62XtbVwOAwAyXioCvU?si=Fq7ssxEBShaac3kl-RMzKg%20https://open.spotify.com/artist/6FnN62XtbVwOAwAyXioCvU?si=Fq7ssxEBShaac3kl-RMzKg">Herb Benham IV</a> opening the campfire festivities with a couple of proper cowboy songs. Ravens, rattlesnakes and other characters appear early and often in the stories &amp; fables that follow.

Campfire Tales on a Half-Moon Night

If you love flying saucers, maybe you’ve been following the release of a bunch more UFO files. Maybe you're disappointed that E.T. isn't in there, signing a treaty with F.D.R. But it's a very interesting window on the American UFO era, which is now 80 years old! 

PLUS: A tale from Death Valley, told at our recent Campfire Stories event in Joshua Tree.

Desert Oracle Radio (C)(P) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

If you love flying saucers, maybe you&rsquo;ve been following the release of a bunch more UFO files. Maybe you're disappointed that E.T. isn't in there, signing a treaty with F.D.R. But it's a very interesting window on the American UFO era, which is now 80 years old!&nbsp;
PLUS: A tale from Death Valley, told at our recent Campfire Stories event in Joshua Tree.
Desert Oracle Radio (C)(P) 2017-2026 http://DesertOracle.com

The Pentagon's Latest UFO Files

Desert Oracle Radio is a weekly road trip through the weird American desert from the publisher of Desert Oracle, the pocket-sized field guide published in Joshua Tree, California. Hear tales of mysterious lights, missing tourists, lost mines, venomous creatures, weird history and weirder people. Hosted by editor Ken Layne and featuring a cast of intriguing mystics, oddballs, scientists and artists, Desert Oracle Radio is your soundtrack for a desert night. The program is broadcast on Friday nights at 10 p.m. on KCDZ 107.7 FM in the Mojave high desert, with field reports from around and across the desert lands, and is distributed by Public Radio Exchange (PRX).

Desert Oracle Radio

From Desert Oracle Radio, this is The Eldritch Republic, our new series about America’s strange history & uncanny folklore.

Tonight we visit the beautiful country estate of Clement Clarke Moore, the big house called "Chelsea" where he read his Christmas poem to the family. The poem is "A Visit From St. Nicholas," and the country estate is now the neighborhood of Chelsea, New York City.

Santa Claus, it turns out, is a New York City native. He was created from old Dutch traditions of St. Nicholas and Sinterklaas, by NYC boosters and literary men such as Clement C. Moore, Washington Irving and John Pintard.

Written and hosted by Ken Layne, with soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver.

Desert Oracle Radio © ℗ 2017-2025 https://DesertOracle.com

From Desert Oracle Radio, this is The Eldritch Republic, our new series about America&rsquo;s strange history &amp; uncanny folklore.
Tonight we visit the beautiful country estate of Clement Clarke Moore, the big house called "Chelsea" where he read his Christmas poem to the family. The poem is "A Visit From St. Nicholas," and the country estate is now the neighborhood of Chelsea, New York City.
Santa Claus, it turns out, is a New York City native. He was created from old Dutch traditions of St. Nicholas and Sinterklaas, by NYC boosters and literary men such as Clement C. Moore, Washington Irving and John Pintard.
Written and hosted by Ken Layne, with soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver.
Desert Oracle Radio &copy; ℗ 2017-2025 https://DesertOracle.com

Christmas In Chelsea with St. Nicholas

From Desert Oracle Radio, this is The Eldritch Republic, our new series that’s all about America’s strange history & uncanny folklore.

Tonight we meet William Dunbar, frontier scientist on the Lower Mississippi, and hear his weird report to longtime friend Thomas Jefferson, regarding a large, low-flying mystery object that stunned the people of Baton Rouge in the Spring of 1800.

Written and hosted by Ken Layne, with soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver.

Desert Oracle Radio © ℗ 2017-2025 https://DesertOracle.com

From Desert Oracle Radio, this is The Eldritch Republic, our new series that&rsquo;s all about America&rsquo;s strange history &amp; uncanny folklore.
Tonight we meet William Dunbar, frontier scientist on the Lower Mississippi, and hear his weird report to longtime friend Thomas Jefferson, regarding a large, low-flying mystery object that stunned the people of Baton Rouge in the Spring of 1800.
Written and hosted by Ken Layne, with soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver.
Desert Oracle Radio &copy; ℗ 2017-2025 https://DesertOracle.com

The Eldritch Republic: Thomas Jefferson's UFO

There were two attempted assassinations of President Gerald Ford in September 1975. Both in California, both by women, and both with strange connections to Charles Manson. And then there was third incident six months later, involving not the president, but First Lady Betty Ford. A very strange third incident.

This is The Eldritch Republic, a new collection of uncanny history and American folklore from Desert Oracle Radio. Just in time for the Halloween season, with new episodes throughout the U.S. Sestercentennial, 2026. Written & hosted by Ken Layne, with soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver.

Desert Oracle Radio © ℗ 2017-2025 http://DesertOracle.com

There were two attempted assassinations of President Gerald Ford in September 1975. Both in California, both by women, and both with strange connections to Charles Manson. And then there was third incident six months later, involving not the president, but First Lady Betty Ford. A very strange third incident.
This is&nbsp;The Eldritch Republic, a new collection of uncanny history and American folklore from&nbsp;Desert Oracle Radio.&nbsp;Just in time for the Halloween season, with new episodes throughout the U.S. Sestercentennial, 2026. Written &amp; hosted by Ken Layne, with soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver.
Desert Oracle Radio &copy; ℗ 2017-2025 http://DesertOracle.com

The Eldritch Republic: Year of the Assassins!

From Desert Oracle Radio, this is The Eldritch Republic with Ken Layne. A collection of uncanny true tales from America's strange history & folklore.

From&nbsp;Desert Oracle Radio, this is The Eldritch Republic&nbsp;with Ken Layne. A collection of uncanny true tales from America's strange history &amp; folklore.

Ken Layne's strange true tales from American history & folklore.

The Eldritch Republic

Mysterious lights, missing tourists, lost mines, strange apparitions, magical rituals, false prophets & sinister characters. Weird tales from the wild places. This is Desert Oracle Radio, by Ken Layne, broadcasting from a Mojave mountaintop since 20&17.

Mysterious lights, missing tourists, lost mines, strange apparitions, magical rituals, false prophets &amp; sinister characters. Weird tales from the wild places. This is Desert Oracle Radio, by Ken Layne, broadcasting from a Mojave mountaintop since 20&amp;17.

Desert Oracle Radio

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