NerdNite53

October is here, fall is upon us, and our theme for the month is appropriately sinister. Join us for murder, horror, tricks, and treats. It may not be the Upside Down but it will absolutely be Nerdy. Dollar cover. Doors at 7.

Presentations:

“The Bloody Benders” by Rachel McCarthy James
The Benders made murder a family affair. The German family had at least eleven victims who had the misfortune of stopping through their inn during the 1870s in Labette County, KS. This presentation will cover the context and culture of southeastern Kansas (more exciting than it sounds), the psychic powers of the young Kate Bender, the Benders’ seat of honor and what befell all who sat upon it, and their escape.

Rachel McCarthy James has written for Broadly, Bitch Magazine, LitHub, The New Inquiry, and Robot Butt. Her first book, titled The Man from the Train, is due out in August 2017 from Scribner. It is about the serial killer behind the Villisca axe murders of 1912.

“Rasputin?! Damn near killed him!” by Courtney Shipley
How the grizzly murder of a Russian priest affects every movie you’ve ever seen.

Courtney Shipley is a Nerd Nite alum. She is a part of the Death Positive movement and a proponent of home funerals. She also has the largest collection of Garbage Pail Kids that she knows of.

“‘Stop, Hammer Time’: A History of Hammer Studios” by Abby Olcese, and “Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet” by Amy Schweppe
Two Nerd Nite co-bosses will regale us with insights about horror movies and Halloween.