About the Author
Michael T. Keene is the author of eight books about unusual but true stories. Michael is also the producer of the documentary video Visions: True Stories of Spiritualism, Secret Societies, and Murder, as well as eight audio books. Although employed for more than twenty-five years as a financial advisor, Michael has combined his interest in local history, writing, music and filmmaking to explore unique and fascinating chapters of nineteenth-century New York folklore and stranger-than-life legends. The events that bubbled out of this period included the Anti-Masonic movement, the origins of the modern Spiritualist and paranormal movements and the women’s rights and antislavery movements, as well as the founding of seven new religions and utopian communes. His “Talking Hart Island” podcast delves deeper into the book’s content and can be found at michaeltkeene.com and major podcast platforms.