John F. Kennedy – Audibly Speaking: A Site of History and Memory

John F. Kennedy – Audibly Speaking: A Site of History and Memory

Rick Reiman

Art, history and culture are the interests of this podcast, particularly those events, people and instances that mark a break from the ordinary or a bridge from past to present. For the author's ebook entries on Amazon (not free), please visit Amazon.com.

NEW! 2024 Repeats the 1963 Calendar: JFK, Oswald and Veterans Day Weekend, From Sunday, November 10 to Tuesday, November 12

NEW! 2024 Repeats the 1963 Calendar: JFK, Oswald and Veterans Day Weekend, From Sunday, November 10 to Tuesday, November 12

Today, Sunday, November 10, 2023, I reflect on the events of Veterans Day Weekend 1963, when JFK and Oswald lived out their last Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, November 10-12, 1963. We review what we know of those fateful days, Next, Wednesday, November 13 through Friday, November 22, 1963, to be published here on Audibly Speaking … Continue reading NEW! 2024 Repeats the 1963 Calendar: JFK, Oswald and Veterans Day Weekend, From Sunday, November 10 to Tuesday, November 12 →

Nov 11, 2024 • 22:58

NEW!  The JFK “Single Bullet Theory” Explained in Under Three Minutes

NEW! The JFK “Single Bullet Theory” Explained in Under Three Minutes

Listen to this audio version of my Youtube video explaining the “Single Bullet Theory” of the JFK assassination, and WHY IT IS TRUE.  Many conspiracy theories about the JFK assassination discredit themselves by disputing this thrice-confirmed theory first revealed by the Warren Commission in 1964.

Oct 26, 2024 • 2:57

NEW! Chapter Seven of “The Warren Report:” Oswald’s Early Life and the Question of Motive

NEW! Chapter Seven of “The Warren Report:” Oswald’s Early Life and the Question of Motive

Motive.  It is the thing that all juries want but do not need, in our system of justice, to determine guilt or innocence, The Warren Commission did not hazard a hypothesis on the question of Oswald’s motive, seen singularly.  But they did list a series of potential motives, seeded by his early life, and seen by his comments and those of others, that might have played a part in the formation of motive.  Here I summarize this penultimate chapter in The Warren Report, and argue that there is much

Jun 2, 2024 • 49:22

NEW! Summary of Chapter Six of “The Warren Report:”  “Investigation Into Possible Conspiracy”

NEW! Summary of Chapter Six of “The Warren Report:” “Investigation Into Possible Conspiracy”

This chapter may be seen as the Big Enchilada of the Report.  Did the Warren Commission provide a credible investigation of the possibility of conspiracy in the crime?  The staff wracked its collective brains to see where any possible conspiracy might have emerged given the facts in the case. It also tracked down leads offered by private citizens that seemed the least bit credible.  This chapter of more than 130 pages, the longest in the Report, is the fruit of their work.  One thing seems clea

May 28, 2024 • 53:41

NEW!  CHAPTER FIVE of “The Warren Report:” Detention and Death of Oswald

NEW! CHAPTER FIVE of “The Warren Report:” Detention and Death of Oswald

Continuing our summary of The Warren Report investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, we come to Chapter Five.  The whole tenor of the investigation changed with the subject of this chapter.  It concerned the events that led to the federalization of the investigation itself, the violation of Oswald’s civil liberties in the Dallas jail climaxing in the assassination of Oswald himself by Jack Ruby during the transfer of Oswald from one jail to another.  The events of this

May 23, 2024 • 23:21

NEW! CHAPTER FOUR of The Warren Report: “The Assassin”

NEW! CHAPTER FOUR of The Warren Report: “The Assassin”

In Chapter Four we have an overview of the evidence against Oswald.  Here I summarize the chapter.

May 16, 2024 • 30:35

A Question for Gerald Posner and Fred Litwin: Can Informed Speculation Equal Evidence?

A Question for Gerald Posner and Fred Litwin: Can Informed Speculation Equal Evidence?

A recent podcast episode by the excellent historians of the JFK assassination, Gerald Posner and Fred Litwin, prompted this podcast episode of mine. Given the need to speculate about so much that is important about the behavior of Oswald on November 21 (pre-assassination) and November 33 (post-assassination), is it possible to employ speculation as a technique for getting at the truth of why Oswald assassinated JFK, and what his post-assassination purposes might have been?  Can informed specula

May 12, 2024 • 26:07

NEW!  Summary of “The Warren Report’s”  CHAPTER THREE: “The Shots from the Texas School Book Depository”

NEW! Summary of “The Warren Report’s” CHAPTER THREE: “The Shots from the Texas School Book Depository”

It’s core findings remain untouched.  Its conclusions have stood the test of time. In this episode we see the tour de force that lies at the foundation of this seminal chapter in The Warren Report: Chapter Three.  While subsequent research has expanded on the insights we gain from this chapter, which distilled the most important work of the Warren Commission, nothing has seriously contradicted its fundamental conclusion. What has deteriorated is not the Warren Report conclusions. No, those have

May 6, 2024 • 37:05

NEW!  Warren Report Summary, CHAPTER TWO, “The Assassination”

NEW! Warren Report Summary, CHAPTER TWO, “The Assassination”

Today I summarize the Warren Report’s Chapter Two, “The Assassination.” It is a chapter that promises much but really delivers less than meets the eye.  Focusing on the details that form the background of the assassination, and continuing by trading in the shadowlands of lacunae about the event, chapter two is a mere overture to the real opera of the assassination, the fireworks that begin with Chapter Three, “The Shots from the Texas School Depository.”  Stay tuned for that chapter in our next

May 4, 2024 • 10:37

NEW Series:   Chapter Summaries of “The Warren Report:” Chapter 1, “Summary and Conclusions”

NEW Series: Chapter Summaries of “The Warren Report:” Chapter 1, “Summary and Conclusions”

The Warren Commission’s Warren Report, at 888 pages, is a long slog.  For those for whom it is too long, I begin here a series of summaries of each of the chapters in the Report.  Each chapter exhibits the strengths and weaknesses of the Commission’s investigations.  The Commission’s faults can be exaggerated and it accomplishments … Continue reading NEW Series: Chapter Summaries of “The Warren Report:” Chapter 1, “Summary and Conclusions” →

Apr 28, 2024 • 21:49

A Personal View of the JFK Assassination, 61 Years On

A Personal View of the JFK Assassination, 61 Years On

We have an intermission episode in this series on the JFK assassination, with a personal view of the memories of the host on the assassination and why he was not taken in by conspiracy theories, in contrast to so many of his boomer cohorts along the way.

Apr 23, 2024 • 23:30

The Book that Destroyed the JFK Conspiracy Theories: Vincent Bugliosi’s “Reclaiming History” (2007)

The Book that Destroyed the JFK Conspiracy Theories: Vincent Bugliosi’s “Reclaiming History” (2007)

Today, Audibly Speaking reviews the magisterial book by famed prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  We revisit the things that make it unique and utterly unanswerable as a riposte to the crazy conspiracy theories that still pollute the writings about the 35th US President.

Apr 17, 2024 • 24:51

Why is the JFK Assassination Still Relevant? And Why is the Warren Commission’s Still Strong? Listen to One of My Best

Why is the JFK Assassination Still Relevant? And Why is the Warren Commission’s Still Strong? Listen to One of My Best

In this sidebar episode tracing the movements of Lee Harvey Oswald and we step back from the forest to examine the trees of the story. In this politically portentous year of 2024, learn what the conspiracy nonsense can do to help us save American democracy. And begin to learn why the strengths of the Warren … Continue reading Why is the JFK Assassination Still Relevant? And Why is the Warren Commission’s Still Strong? Listen to One of My Best →

Apr 6, 2024 • 23:39

“Moving East to Go West: Oswald’s Twisted Path Pre-Tippit”

“Moving East to Go West: Oswald’s Twisted Path Pre-Tippit”

Why did Lee Harvey Oswald go east from his boarding house in the aftermath of the JFK assassination, only to go west before his fatal encounter with Police Officer J.D. Tippit on November 22, 1963? The only possible answer was that his plans must have changed, along with his destination, at least temporarily. Ironically, however, his confrontation with Tippit, murderous though it was, may not have changed his destination at all, because he continued his journey west in its wake. An advertisemen

Mar 30, 2024 • 16:48

“Assassination and Escape: Oswald’s Actions, 12:30 pm to 1:50 pm, November 22”

“Assassination and Escape: Oswald’s Actions, 12:30 pm to 1:50 pm, November 22”

We have now arrived at the critical moments.  What happened as the assassination occurred and what do we know of Oswald’s behavior during these most important of minutes? It turns out we know a great deal–so much in fact that we can even infer what was going on in Oswald’s mind on a minute by minute basis.  In this episode, we also speculate about the most mysterious of all questions. Where was Oswald going when he left his boarding house after the assassination? Here we engage in informed spec

Mar 26, 2024 • 38:37

Evidence Against Oswald: 8:00 AM, November 21, to 12:30 PM CST, November 22

Evidence Against Oswald: 8:00 AM, November 21, to 12:30 PM CST, November 22

How to help students understand the overwhelming evidence against Lee Harvey Oswald (and Oswald alone)?  Given the power of the evidence, no help ought be needed! Perhaps a concise run-through will do the trick?  Or a solemn and stately documentary? In a time when facts alone hold no sway, what is an historian to do? The answer is to marshal the evidence one more time, always one more time, until the bell, at long last, rings.  Even though it has been clanging now for more than sixty years, let

Mar 23, 2024 • 20:30

Lee Harvey Oswald and Edwin Walker Redux: Resume Building and Plotting in New Orleans, April to October 1963

Lee Harvey Oswald and Edwin Walker Redux: Resume Building and Plotting in New Orleans, April to October 1963

What was Lee Harvey Oswald up to in New Orleans between his failed assassination attempt against Retired General Edwin Walker in April 1963 and his trip to Mexico City in late September in pursuit of a visa to Communist Cuba?  What was the mix of motives that drove Oswald in these critical months prior to … Continue reading Lee Harvey Oswald and Edwin Walker Redux: Resume Building and Plotting in New Orleans, April to October 1963 →

Mar 17, 2024 • 37:29

Final Episode: Oswald’s Mind in the Assassination Weekend

Final Episode: Oswald’s Mind in the Assassination Weekend

In this final part of the three-part podcast series, we look at Oswald’s interior concerns in the days and hours before 12:30 pm CST on November 22, 1963.  In so doing we elucidate the most elusive of questions, the question of motive.

Feb 10, 2024 • 38:25

Lee Harvey Oswald and the JFK Assassination: The Stories Not Told

Lee Harvey Oswald and the JFK Assassination: The Stories Not Told

In this three-part series, we go into the mind of the assassin and try to understand Oswald’s motives.  This helps us understand why conspiracy thinking about the assassination makes no sense. If you believe that Oswald lacked motive, ability or opportunity to shoot JFK, a conspiracy seems to be a necessary alternative. In fact none of these three things were lacking in 1963.  There was no need for conspiracy. Oswald, however unbalanced, was actually quite smart.  His plans for greatness, delud

Feb 1, 2024 • 46:41

Announcing a New Series on my YouTube Channel, “JFK Demystified”

Announcing a New Series on my YouTube Channel, “JFK Demystified”

This is your host, historian Rick Reiman.  Go to my YouTube Channel, “JFK Demystified,” to view the first episode of a series of short videos called “On Background: Seeking the Hidden JFK Assassination.”  The series is on the evidence that is hiding in plain sight, namely the factors that block our view from the evidence that makes the assassination a simple thing to understand.  We look at the confusion regarding standards of evidence and proof, the con-men- conspiracy theories that lead peopl

Jan 16, 2024 • 22:56

“Into the Mind of the Assassin: Oswald’s Last Month, October-November 1963”

“Into the Mind of the Assassin: Oswald’s Last Month, October-November 1963”

Continuing the series of JFK assassination episodes in this, the 60th year since the assassination, we look not at the thinking of the CIA, FBI, Warren Commission, Mob, Cuba, Russia or any of the other institutions that have been falsely imagined as being behind it, but inside the mind of the man who actually did it, and did it alone: Lee Harvey Oswald.  It may not be the most popular theory, but facts don’t have to be popular. They only need to be true.  This is an essay by myself, Rick Reiman

Dec 22, 2023 • 1:06:07

“Final Word: The Landis Claim,” by Rick Reiman

“Final Word: The Landis Claim,” by Rick Reiman

Today, your host on Audiblyspeaking, Dr. Rick Reiman narrates his assessment of this year’s surprising news in the JFK assassination folklore: the claim by former secret service agent Paul Landis that he found a backseat bullet that allegedly refutes the famous “single bullet theory.”  The subtitle of today’s show might appropriately be, “Not so Fast.”

Dec 15, 2023 • 35:57

Half-Story Hoaxes, 2023: A Critique of Rob Reiner’s JFK Conspiracy Theories

Half-Story Hoaxes, 2023: A Critique of Rob Reiner’s JFK Conspiracy Theories

Most of the thousands of books on the JFK assassination are re-cyclings and re-spinnings of the foundational myths of the first generation of conspiracy fabulation tales. To hear Rob Reiner’s repetition of the tired magic bullet trope that we have heard before–you know the one that has long since been debunked–it seems that the half-story hoaxes that I discussed in my first Warren Commission episode two weeks ago are not just historical relics of the past.  They continue to be retailed to an un

Dec 6, 2023 • 23:31

Dum-Dum Bullets or Dum-Dum Fabulists?  Half-Story Hoaxes in the JFK Assassination

Dum-Dum Bullets or Dum-Dum Fabulists? Half-Story Hoaxes in the JFK Assassination

One of the chief reasons why people still believe the nonsense of a conspiracy in the assassination of John F. Kennedy is because of the fiendishness of those, out of malice or effort at pecuniary gain, deliberately lie to their readers and tell only half of a story they know too well to be false.  We examine two of the many half-story hoaxes, as I call them, which try to spread the lie of conspiracy by covering up the proofs of no-conspiracy which have grown to mountainous proportions in the 6

Dec 4, 2023 • 20:56

Puzzle Pieces, Episode 2: The Warren Commission as History

Puzzle Pieces, Episode 2: The Warren Commission as History

In this, our second episode of “Puzzle Pieces,” in which we examine a separate mystery in American history, we look at the weaknesses of the Warren Commission’s efforts in 1964. This first investigation of the JFK assassination suffered from mistakes of its own making and errors over which it had little if no control whatsoever. Weaknesses could sometimes later become strengths, as their obvious highlighting could be–and were–addressed in subsequent investigations. Here we have a photograph of

Apr 14, 2023 • 34:39

Demystifying the JFK Assassination: Unit 1, Part 1

Demystifying the JFK Assassination: Unit 1, Part 1

In this first Unit of a new online course that seeks to demystify the evidence in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, we look at the first evidence, the evidence against Lee Harvey Oswald in the first eighty minutes following the assassination.

Apr 14, 2021 • 0:00

The Power of Inference:  An Audio Recording at 12:30 pm CST in Dealey Plaza, 11/22/1963?

The Power of Inference: An Audio Recording at 12:30 pm CST in Dealey Plaza, 11/22/1963?

In this podcast we look at how primary sources, in this case an audio recording purporting to be from Dealey plaza during the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, can raise questions tentatively resolved through inference.  In this case, the inference proved correct, confirmed by additional research.

Apr 22, 2020 • 9:02

For Those in a Hurry: Summarizing the Evidence in the JFK Assassination

For Those in a Hurry: Summarizing the Evidence in the JFK Assassination

In this first part of two brief episodes, I summarize the evidence against Lee Harvey Oswald.  The evidence discussed was presented first by the Warren Commission investigation in 1964 and has only been further strengthened in the years since.  This episode focuses on only one of the two key questions: Did Oswald fire the shots that hit JFK and Texas Governor John Connally?  For Oswald’s motives, click here to buy my NEW Amazon ebook entry on the subject.

Jan 27, 2019 • 11:59

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