Paranormal Women pt 2: The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill
Before alien abduction became pop culture cliché, there was Betty and Barney Hill. Why did this couple's 1961 roadtrip define the abduction narrative for generations, and what did their biracial marriage have to do with it - or not? Historian Matt Bowman retraces the Hills' journey from the liberal mainstream to UFO microstardom, and Cristen has questions for Betty.
Find out how memory, trauma and one woman’s obsession helped shape the myth of the greys in part 2 (of 3) of the Paranormal Women miniseries.
guest:
Matthew Bowman is a specialist in American religious history, with particular interests in Mormonism, new religious movements, and the development of the concept of “religion” in the United States. He teaches courses on North American religions and Mormonism in the department of religion, and on the history of the United States in the department of history. His books include Christian: The Politics of a Word in America and The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill: Alien Encounters, Civil Rights and the New Age in America.
sources:
Bowman, Matthew. The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill: Alien Encounters, Civil Rights, and the New Age in America. Yale University Press. 2024.
Fuller, John G. Aboard a Flying Saucer: The Adventures of Two ‘Kidnapped’ Humans. Look Magazine. 1966.
Ripatrazone, Nick. Revisiting the Infamous Hill Case in an Era of (More) UFO News and Government Secrets. Lit Hub. May 2022.
Robinson, J. Dennis. History Matters: Barney Hill’s triumphant UFO encounter television tour. Seacoastonline. Mar 2021.
Robinson, J. Dennis. The UFO Romance of Betty and Barney Hill. Seacoastonline. 2021.
Zabel, Bryce. The Reporter Who Really Broke the Betty & Barney Hill UFO Abduction Story. Medium. Jul 14, 2021.
