About the skepbitch

I’m Dr Karen Stollznow, Academic, Author and Paranormal Investigator of the Skeptical Kind…

I’m a Linguist with a background in history, and I research, teach and consult.

I’m a Director of the Bay Area Skeptics, a committee member of CFI San Francisco and an insatiable writer for many sites and publications, including Skeptical Inquirer, Skeptic, the James Randi Educational Foundation’s Swift, Skepchick and my Naked Skeptic web column for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. I’m a co-host of the Monster Talk podcast.

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I’ve spent many years investigating pseudoscience and the paranormal, including: ghosts, aura reading, psychics, medical intuitives, alternative therapies, mediums, faith healing, conspiracy theories, cults, pareidolia (seeing faces on places other than heads), religion, haunted houses, and much more. As a linguist, one of my specialties is language-based phenomena, such as glossolalia (speaking in tongues), automatic writing, body language, graphology, alien and monster languages and writing systems, EVPs, codes, cold reading, speed reading, fringe theories and bad thinking about language. I research topics, road test the theories and report my experiences.

The Skepbitch blog aims to provide scathing skeptical commentary of everyday people, places and events; and is an accompaniment to my website Bad Language.

Check out the Skepbitch’s testimonials…

“It’s great. You’re one of the few likeable bitches out there.”
Shane Sweeney.

“A beautiful, gifted literary slut. I just made you up in my head, didn’t I?” Warren Ellis.

“Clearly we have an unusual collection of interests in common: lexical semantics, skepticism, and dehumanization.” Steven Pinker.

“It’s the funniest and most exhilarating read I’ve had since The God Delusion.”
Mark Dallas.

“Your blog isn’t just sassy and smart. Its good, its moral, and above all it’s needed. I hope you never stop writing. You blog speaks to my soul. When I read your writing it gives me hope. Oddly (for an atheist) you remind me of a prophet. You call people to a better way (skeptical, rational thought) and warn them of their impending doom (if they insist on being stupid). You are a treasure.”
Israel Walker.

“You’re doing the non-Lord’s work.” Joe Anderson.

“Only you can make me laugh my arse off whilst getting an awesome science fix at the same time.” Matt Kennedy.

“You are beautiful and hot already. Coupling that with you being a skeptic, intelligent, *and* you do ling…well, you hijacked my brain.” Roy Nation.

“I hope that you can find this what I intend it to be… a simple statement… a random response from the Internet at large, that you are a very cool person.” Dan L.

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