Joe Nickell
Encyclopedia
Joe Nickell is a prominent skeptical
investigator of the paranormal
. He also works as an historical document consultant and has helped expose such famous forgeries as the purported diary of Jack the Ripper
. In 2002 he was one of a number of experts asked by scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
to evaluate for authenticity the manuscript of Hannah Crafts' The Bondwoman's Narrative
(1853–1860), possibly the first novel by an African-American woman.
Nickell is Senior Research Fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and writes regularly for their journal, the Skeptical Inquirer
. He is also an associate dean
of the Center for Inquiry Institute. He is the author or editor of numerous books.
. His Ph.D. is in English for graduate work focusing on literary investigation and folklore.
Nickell has evaluated manuscripts and written works for authenticity, including the purported diary of Jack the Ripper (which he helped to reveal as a forgery), and Hannah Crafts' mid-nineteenth century novel The Bondwoman's Narrative, whose authenticity he supported.
The protagonist of the 2007 horror film The Reaping
is loosely based on Joe Nickell. He was brought onto the set to consult with actress Hilary Swank
.
. Nickell is a recurring guest on Point of Inquiry
, and conducts the annual Houdini Seance at the Center for Inquiry every Halloween.
Nickell has appeared on the following national TV shows:
, awarded by CSICOP, now called CSI.
He was also presented an award for promotion of science in popular media at the 3rd Annual Independent Investigative Group IIG Awards, held on May 18, 2009.
In October 2011 asteroid 31451 (1999 CE10) was named JoeNickell in his honor by its discoverer James E. McGaha.
Skepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
investigator of the paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
. He also works as an historical document consultant and has helped expose such famous forgeries as the purported diary of Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
. In 2002 he was one of a number of experts asked by scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr., is an American literary critic, educator, scholar, writer, editor, and public intellectual. He was the first African American to receive the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship. He has received numerous honorary degrees and awards for his teaching, research, and...
to evaluate for authenticity the manuscript of Hannah Crafts' The Bondwoman's Narrative
The Bondwoman's Narrative
The Bondwoman's Narrative is a 2002 bestselling novel set in the mid-nineteenth century by Hannah Crafts, a self-proclaimed runaway slave from North Carolina. The published novel has a preface by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a literary professor at Harvard University, describing the history of its...
(1853–1860), possibly the first novel by an African-American woman.
Nickell is Senior Research Fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and writes regularly for their journal, the Skeptical Inquirer
Skeptical Inquirer
The Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry with the subtitle: The magazine for science and reason....
. He is also an associate dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the Center for Inquiry Institute. He is the author or editor of numerous books.
Early life and education
Nickell holds B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. His Ph.D. is in English for graduate work focusing on literary investigation and folklore.
Career
Nickell has worked professionally as a stage magician, carnival pitchman, private detective, blackjack dealer, riverboat manager, university instructor, author, and paranormal investigator, as well as listing over 200 "personas" on his website.Nickell has evaluated manuscripts and written works for authenticity, including the purported diary of Jack the Ripper (which he helped to reveal as a forgery), and Hannah Crafts' mid-nineteenth century novel The Bondwoman's Narrative, whose authenticity he supported.
The protagonist of the 2007 horror film The Reaping
The Reaping
The Reaping is an 2007 American horror film, starring Hilary Swank. The film was directed by Stephen Hopkins for Warner Bros. and Dark Castle Entertainment. The music for the film was scored by John Frizzell.-Plot:...
is loosely based on Joe Nickell. He was brought onto the set to consult with actress Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
.
Public and media appearances
Nickell is frequently consulted by news and television producers for his skeptical opinion. He was profiled by The New YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. Nickell is a recurring guest on Point of Inquiry
Point of Inquiry
Point of Inquiry is the radio show and podcast of the Center for Inquiry, a think tank promoting science, reason and secular values. Started in 2005, Point of Inquiry has consistently ranked highly among similar podcasts. It has been celebrated for its guests, and for the quality of its interviews....
, and conducts the annual Houdini Seance at the Center for Inquiry every Halloween.
Nickell has appeared on the following national TV shows:
- CNBCCNBCCNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
's News with Brian Williams - Dateline NBCDateline NBCDateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
- TLC's Best Kept Secrets
- Larry King LiveLarry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
- OprahThe Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
- Ricki LakeRicki LakeRicki Pamela Lake is an American actress, producer, and television host. She is best known for her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray, her ground-breaking documentary film The Business of Being Born, and her talk show which was broadcasted internationally from...
- Jerry Springer Show
- Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious UniverseArthur C. Clarke's Mysterious UniverseArthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe was a popular eighteen part television series looking at unexplained phenomena across the universe. It was first broadcast in 1994 in the UK by independent television network ITV. It was the sequel to Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World and Arthur C...
- Unsolved MysteriesUnsolved MysteriesUnsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
- Politically IncorrectPolitically IncorrectPolitically Incorrect is a late-night, half-hour political talk show hosted by Bill Maher that ran from 1993 to 2002. It premiered on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997, and later on ABC in 1997, which cancelled it in 2002....
- 20/20
- A&E's The UnexplainedThe UnexplainedThe Unexplained is an American documentary television series that originally aired from 1996 to 2000 on A&E and was later broadcast by the Biography Channel. The program features various mysteries, paranormal, psychic phenomena, and other topics that are considered to be "unexplained." Earlier...
- 48 Hours48 Hours (TV series)48 Hours is a documentary and news program broadcast on the CBS television network since January 19, 1988. The program originally presented documentaries of various events related to a particular subject occurring within a 48-hour period, and is credited as one of the first to air a "reality show"...
- Exploring the Unknown
- Several Discovery ChannelDiscovery ChannelDiscovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
documentaries including The Science of Magic and America's Haunted Houses
Awards
Nickell received the 2004 Isaac Asimov Award from the American Humanist Association and was a co-recipient of the 2005 Robert P. Balles Prize in Critical ThinkingCritical thinking
Critical thinking is the process or method of thinking that questions assumptions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, false, or sometimes true and sometimes false, or partly true and partly false. The origins of critical thinking can be traced in Western thought to the Socratic...
, awarded by CSICOP, now called CSI.
He was also presented an award for promotion of science in popular media at the 3rd Annual Independent Investigative Group IIG Awards, held on May 18, 2009.
In October 2011 asteroid 31451 (1999 CE10) was named JoeNickell in his honor by its discoverer James E. McGaha.
Published works
- Real or Fake, University Press of KentuckyUniversity Press of KentuckyThe University Press of Kentucky is the scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and was organized in 1969 as successor to the University of Kentucky Press. The university had sponsored scholarly publication since 1943. In 1949 the press was established as a separate academic agency...
: Lexington, KY; 2009. - Adventures in Paranormal Investigation, University Press of KentuckyUniversity Press of KentuckyThe University Press of Kentucky is the scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and was organized in 1969 as successor to the University of Kentucky Press. The university had sponsored scholarly publication since 1943. In 1949 the press was established as a separate academic agency...
: Lexington, KY; 2007. - Lake Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World's Most Elusive Creatures, University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, KY; 2006; with co-author Benjamin Radford.
- Cronache del Misterio (Newton Compton editori: Rome, Italy; 2006).
- Secrets of the Sideshows (University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, KY; 2005).
- The Mystery Chronicles: More Real-Life X-Files (University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, KY; 2004).
- The Kentucky Mint Julep (University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, KY; 2003).
- Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal (University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, KY; 2001).
- Investigating the Paranormal (Barnes & NobleBarnes & NobleBarnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
Books: New York; 2004). - Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection (University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, KY; 1999; with co-author John F. Fischer).
- The UFO Invasion: The Roswell Incident, Alien Abductions, and Government Coverups (Prometheus BooksPrometheus BooksPrometheus Books is a publishing company founded in August 1969 by Paul Kurtz, who also founded the Council for Secular Humanism and co-founded the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is currently the chairman of all three organizations. Prometheus Books publishes a range of books, including many...
: Amherst, NY; 1997; co-edited with Kendrick Frazier and Barry Karr). - The Outer Edge: Classic Investigations of the Paranormal (CSICOP: Amherst, NY; 1996, co-edited with Barry Karr and Tom Genoni).
- Detecting Forgery: Forensic Investigation of Documents (University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, KY; 1996, 2005).
- Entities: Angels, Spirits, Demons, and Other Alien Beings (Prometheus BooksPrometheus BooksPrometheus Books is a publishing company founded in August 1969 by Paul Kurtz, who also founded the Council for Secular Humanism and co-founded the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is currently the chairman of all three organizations. Prometheus Books publishes a range of books, including many...
: Amherst, NY; 1995). - Camera Clues: A Handbook for Photographic Investigation (University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, KY; 1994, 2005).
- Psychic Sleuths: ESP and Sensational Cases (Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1994).
- Looking for a Miracle: Weeping Icons, Relics, Stigmata, Visions and Healing Cures (Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1993, 1998).
- Mysterious Realms: Probing Paranormal, Historical, and Forensic Enigmas (Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1992; with John F. Fischer).
- Missing Pieces: How to Investigate Ghosts, UFOs, Psychics, and Other Mysteries (Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1992; with Robert A. BakerRobert A. BakerRobert Allen Baker Jr. was an American psychologist, skeptic, author, and investigator of ghosts, UFO abductions, lake monsters and other paranormal phenomena. He wrote 15 books and is a Past Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.-Early life:Baker was born in 1921 in the little community...
). - Unsolved History: Investigating Mysteries of the Past (University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, KY; 1992, 2005).
- Wonder-Workers! How They Perform the Impossible (Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1991).
- Pen, Ink, and Evidence: A Study of Writing and Writing Materials for the Penman, Collector, and Document Detective (Oak Knoll Books: New Castle, DE; 1990, 2000, 2003).
- The Magic Detectives: Join Them in Solving Strange Mysteries (Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1989).
- Secrets of the Supernatural: Investigating the World's Occult Mysteries (Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1988, 1991; with John F. Fischer).
- Inquest on the Shroud of Turin: Latest Scientific Findings (Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1983, 1998).