This week's show is a deep dive into the history of an oft-underrepresented and very taboo aspect of carnival sideshows- the geek act- with author and variety arts performer Nathan Wakefield. Nathan is the author of the excellent book The Rise and Fall of the Sideshow Geek: Snake Eaters, Human Ostriches, and Other Extreme Entertainments, and in this episode he and AP go over a wide variety of acts, personalities, and techniques described in its pages- and still only cover a fraction of the wonderfully weird history it contains! Listeners will hear about various acts associated with geeking, what constitutes a geek act, performers ranging from skilled magicians to shameless provocateurs, and even famous animals such as Mike the Headless Chicken. Beyond that, cultural threads are pulled upon in talking about William Lindsay Gresham's book Nightmare Alley and its film adaptations, the long shadow of the geek in shock rock antics, and even connections to professional wrestling!

Performing under the name Nathan McScary, this week's guest has a unique perspective as a juggler and variety arts entertainer which provides a valuable foundation in explaining the darker and more controversial aspects of sideshow. The book is well-researched and entertaining to read, and proves Nathan to be a wonderful historian, storyteller, and advocate for variety arts that might otherwise have been lost to time.

You can find the book here: https://outsidetalkerpress.bigcartel.com/product/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-sideshow-geek
And while you're there, check out the other great titles from Outside Talker Press!

and follow along with Nathan's work at https://nathanmcscary.com/