In this episode, we are joined by author and journalist Mike Fiorito to discuss his upcoming book, 'For All We Know' (now available for pre-order), and to chat about UFOs, enchantment, spirituality, music, and the manifold ways that humans metabolise extraordinary and anomalous experiences.
Mike is a freelance journalist and the author of The Hated Ones, Falling from Trees, Sleeping with Fishes, Call Me Guido, Freud’s Haberdashery Habits and Hallucinating Huxley. His most recent book, 'Mescalito Riding His White Horse,' received the 2024 Independent Press Distinguished Book Award (in the Spiritual category), and *Falling from Trees* received the 2022 Independent Press Distinguished Book Award (in the Short Story category).
Episode contents:
5:19 - Mike’s work as a music journalist and sources of inspiration.
8:17 - Connection with Peter Rowan.
10:00 - Approaching UFOlogy through philosophy and literature.
14:39 - *For All We Know* as a book about enchantment.
15:30 - UFOlogical approaches to anomalous phenomena.
22:08 - UFOs and ‘us.’
23:10 - Anthropocentrism and UFOlogy.
26:50 - The ethical and metaphysical implications of UFOs.
29:11 - UFOs and the Structure of Scientific Revolutions
31:55 - Our discomfort with not knowing.
37:00 - On seeking other-than-human intelligence.
42:56 - On the notion of ‘paranormal’ and ‘supernatural.’
49:00 - On bringing lightness and humour into the narrative.
51:00 - Relating to plants and fungi as beings.
58:00 - ‘Nature’ is not good or bad.
59:00 - On the power and enchantment of music.
1:11:45 - The power of music and stories to inspire compassion.
1:18:40 - Disenchantment as a tool of the oppressor.
1:20:55 - For All We Know as a book about enchantment.
1:24:45 - Influence of J.R.R. Tolkien and fantasy literature.
For more about Mike and his work, please visit: www.mikefiorito.com

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