The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds
Episode 732: William Seabrook
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Host: All Things Comedy
Overview
On this episode of The Dollop, Dave Anthony recounts the bizarre and often unsettling life of William Seabrook to Gareth Reynolds. Seabrook, once a celebrated travel writer and journalist, is most infamous as the godfather of "zombie" lore in Western culture. The hosts delve into his privileged yet troubled upbringing, his fascination with occult practices and kink, his controversial travels, and the infamous dinner-party cannibalism. The episode combines history and humor, with the hosts riffing on the absurdity and awkwardness of Seabrook's life.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
William Seabrook's Early Life
- Born in 1884 to a prominent family in Massachusetts ("fancy, fancy family" [04:22]) – grandfather was a lawyer, friend of Abraham Lincoln.
- Demonstrated a love of adventure from a young age; at 6, tried to run away to become a pirate ([04:47]).
- Family disruption: at 8, his father became a minister, leaving Seabrook with his grandparents ([06:06]). Left Seabrook feeling abandoned and resentful toward both parents ([06:13 - 07:20]).
- Best relationship was with his opium-addicted, mystic grandmother, "Piney," who influenced his imagination and desire to escape the mundane ([07:42 - 09:38]).
Formative Fantasies & Sexual Kinks
- Seabrook's lifelong obsession with "the girl in chains" stems from semi-erotic childhood visions influenced by myth and possibly drug-induced experiences ([10:12 - 11:55]).
- He continually sought out images and experiences related to bondage, impacting his adult relationships.
Education and Early Career
- Studied philosophy in Europe; returned to the U.S. to pursue "the fancy life"—married Katie, daughter of a Coca-Cola executive; became a businessman but felt unfulfilled ([12:00 - 13:15]).
- Attempted to recreate a pivotal moment he witnessed in Geneva with his own wife and friend, ultimately questioning his own happiness ([13:18 - 14:13]).
- Volunteered as an ambulance driver in World War I at age 31, experiencing trauma, near death, and fatigue ([14:22 - 16:10]).
Notable Quote
"He called the war, quote, the only adventure I've ever had that was not disappointing."
– Dave Anthony, [19:02]
Post-War Restlessness & Emerging Kinks
- Returned to the U.S. and tried to write. His chronic drinking and sexual preoccupations deepened. Started exploring kinky relationships openly, with his wife Katie being relatively permissive as their marriage became platonic ([23:04]).
- Initiated chains-and-locks kink sessions with a woman named Deborah (possibly a mistress of Aleister Crowley), openly buying props and recounting their usage ([21:29 - 23:04]).
Rise as a “Primitive” Culture Explorer
- Sought inspiration in travel, using “bringing aspirin” as a social favor to gain entrée into local circles in the Middle East ([27:43 - 28:34]).
- Claimed honorary membership in the Benny Shocker tribe and converted to Islam at his host’s request—it "didn’t mean anything" to him ([29:24 - 29:33]), showing his opportunism.
Notable Quote
"Bribed his way in... When I go anywhere weird, I bring Advil."
– Dave Anthony, [28:13, 28:20]
- Published sensational travel books: Adventures in Arabia and later The Magic Island.
- Formula: go somewhere “exotic,” do the forbidden, then write about it with melodramatic flair ([30:13]).
Appropriation and Racist Attitudes
- Seabrook perceived himself as “progressive,” but his journals express deeply patronizing and racist views, despite his assertions of anti-racism ([31:33 - 32:19]).
- The hosts critique his self-congratulatory ideas about cultural openness, mocking his urge to “go down to Haiti or somewhere and turn Negro if I can” ([32:00]).
Haitian Travels and the Birth of the Zombie Myth
- Seabrook arrives in Haiti post-US intervention; enjoys privileged status with house staff, servants, and leisure ([36:31 - 37:44]).
- Immerses himself in Vodou culture with the help of local contacts. Experiences rituals, including blood rites—at one point, he drinks blood from a goat killed during a ceremony ([45:16 - 46:54]).
- Publishes The Magic Island (1929), detailing stories of zombies and voodoo, popularizing the "corpses staggering down the road" idea ([48:00 - 52:07]).
- Hosts reflect on the cultural fallout, especially the creation of Hollywood’s "White Zombie," cementing these stereotypes.
Notable Quote
"His descriptions created the western idea of zombies and voodoo... The other types of zombies were never thought of—just the zombie cadaver."
– Dave Anthony, [52:04]
Increasing Eccentricities: Kink, Cannibalism, and the Decline
- Seabrook’s marriage dissolves as his public sexual eccentricities (chains, masks, domination) become more open ([53:14 - 54:45]).
- Begins affair with Marjorie Worthington; new sexual excitement, more elaborate kink rituals, and growing humiliations for his partner ([62:53 - 63:51]).
- Travels to Africa “to see the cannibals,” claims he eats human flesh and describes it as “like a good, fully developed veal” ([56:19 - 56:33]).
Wildest Anecdote
- Seabrook actually fails to eat human flesh in Africa but, eager to authenticate his book, convinces a Paris morgue worker to procure a human thigh. He cooks and serves it at a dinner party—without his guests’ knowledge ([59:03]).
Notable Quote
"He had a dinner party. Quote, I ate it in the presence of witnesses and liked it no more or less than any other edible meat."
– Dave Anthony, [59:36]
- Guests are not told what they've eaten; the hosts compare the reveal to stunts by Sacha Baron Cohen or, darkly, to Silicon Valley billionaires ([61:04]).
Late Life: Isolation and Madness
- Cycles through partners, further sexual experimentation, and alcoholism:
- Moves to France, drinks heavily, becomes reclusive ([67:11 - 67:19]).
- Self-admits to a psychiatric asylum for seven months; writes Asylum, the first celebrity rehab memoir ([68:00 - 69:34]).
- Upon release, relapses and brings women into his barn for "experiments," hanging them in bondage hoods in search of “slipping through a door of time” ([71:53 - 72:50]).
- Wife Marjorie ultimately leaves him after enduring years of misery ([78:26]).
Bizarre Final Chapter
- New partner, Constance Kerr, attempts to cure Seabrook’s alcoholism by dunking his arms in boiling water so he can’t bend his elbows to drink ([75:00 - 75:07]).
- After even more interpersonal chaos, Seabrook kills himself with sleeping pills in 1945, leaving behind a young son ([80:02]).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On his sensibilities:
"I have a warm feeling toward Negroes. They're perhaps less intelligent than whites...but maybe superior emotionally and spiritually"
– Dave Anthony, reading from Seabrook, [31:33 - 32:19]
-
On zombies:
"The [Magic Island] book's description created the western idea of zombies...corpses staggering down the road. The other types of zombies were never thought of."
– Dave Anthony, [52:04]
-
On cannibalism:
"It tasted like a good, fully developed veal."
– William Seabrook, quoted by Dave Anthony, [56:21]
-
On his rehabilitation:
"I was locked up where I couldn't run away, either by boat or bottle. I had to stay with myself and look at myself. And it wasn't pleasant."
– Dave Anthony, reading from Seabrook, [69:10 - 69:19]
Timestamps for Major Segments
| Time | Segment/Topic |
|------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| 00:55 | Podcast start & banter |
| 04:07 | William Seabrook’s birth and family background |
| 06:06 | Parents’ separation and being raised by grandmother |
| 08:08 | Grandmother Piney's opium/mystical influence |
| 10:12 | Early sexual fantasies and “girl in chains” |
| 12:00 | Education, first marriage, and advertising career |
| 14:22 | World War I ambulance driver experience |
| 19:26 | Writing focus after the war, drinking, obsession cycles |
| 21:29 | First forays into kink with Debora, chains, locks |
| 27:36 | Travels to Arabia, gaining favor with aspirin |
| 31:33 | “Progressive” racism and appropriation discussion |
| 36:31 | Seabrook’s time in Haiti, household setup |
| 43:41 | Meeting Vodou priestess Maman Silly |
| 45:16 | Participation in “blood rite,” goat incident |
| 48:00 | Publication of The Magic Island; spread of zombie myth |
| 52:07 | Hollywood adaptation: White Zombie |
| 54:45 | Open marriages, new affairs, growing sexual extremity |
| 56:21 | Cannibalism claim and the morgue dinner party |
| 61:38 | Partner swap: Marjorie and William; Katie with ex-husband|
| 67:11 | Alcoholism overtakes Seabrook; psychiatric stay |
| 69:34 | Publication of Asylum and the aftermath |
| 71:53 | “Experiments” with women in bondage hoods |
| 75:00 | Constance Kerr & boiling water “cure” for alcoholism |
| 78:26 | Marjorie’s final departure |
| 80:02 | Seabrook’s suicide and legacy |
Tone & Delivery
The hosts combine historical detail with irreverent, improvisational humor. They oscillate between incredulity at Seabrook’s actions and biting critique of his attitudes and the era’s context. Moments of gross-out humor, affectionate mockery, and dark one-liners keep the show lively, even when discussing uncomfortable topics.
Conclusion
William Seabrook emerges as both a product and exploiter of his privileged context: a racist, opportunistic adventurer whose literary legacy (the zombie myth) is overshadowed by his obsessions, addiction, and abusive tendencies. Gareth and Dave deftly balance the darkness of the subject with comedic relief, making for both an informative and entertaining deep dive.
Sources (as cited in-episode)
- The Writer Who Introduced Zombies to America by Emily Matcher (Atavist Magazine)
- The Age Newspaper, January 8, 1944
[End of summary]
