Twisted Philly: Bad (and Spooky and Strange) Things Happen in Philadelphia

The Premise:

The podcast about the wonderful, strange, historic and haunted city of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. A member of the bPod Studios Network.

Series or standalone:

Most are standalone; there are some 2-part episodes

Begin listening to:

Any episode

Format:

Storytelling

Host(s):

Deana Marie (no last name provided, or maybe her last name really is Marie)

Sound/production quality:

Good

Rating/age suitability:

Teen/adult

Approximate length of episodes:

40 minutes

Curricular ties:

Probably none--it’s well-researched but not quite academic in tone. Students who are interested in Philly history may like to listen on their own time, though.

Similar recommended pods:

For more local interest pods, see Brave Little State & Inside Appalachia

Podcast Librarian’s Review:

As you may or may not know, I am from a suburb of Philadelphia, so this pod appeals to me more than it might to others—though I will say that for a regional pod, it has a lot to offer. Philly and its surrounding areas have a long history of hauntings, murder, and bizarre places--and Deana Marie explores them all. I especially enjoyed the episodes about Pennhurst Asylum, which is both a historical landmark memorializing young people who were sent away to live there (and sadly, abused in many cases), as well as one of the top Halloween attractions in the area. It’s an interesting juxtaposition but it’s explained well in the podcast. The host does a good job of researching the stories beyond just a cursory Google search and sometimes interviews people who are associated with them. She does add some of her own personal commentary at times, so it’s not strictly an academic look--she plays into the weird, creepy, or horror of it all. Overall, this is a fun listen if you live in the area or are planning a trip to Philly and want to know about some of the lesser-known sites.

One more thing not related to the podcast: Deana Marie takes gorgeous pictures of Philly that are posted on the @TwistedPhilly Instagram page. Even if you don't listen to the podcast, you should follow just to see those.

Update 11.2.20

Twisted Philly was having some RSS issues earlier this year, so there haven’t been new episodes in a while. Deana Marie has plans to continue them soon, so you should see new episodes arriving in your feed.