Trickster: The Many Lives of Carlos Castaneda

At the peak of Castaneda's fame in the early 70s, rumors begin circulating about the authenticity of his books and his purported personal history. An all-star team of TIME Magazine journalists go looking for answers. After listening, be sure to check out: Episode Slide Show: bit.ly/2Pzmlb4 One Extra Thing: bit.ly/3c4Y6Jy Discussion Thread: bit.ly/3bnqffB www.tricksterpodcast.com

The tremendous success of "The Teachings of Don Juan" will catapult Carlos Castaneda into the pop culture stratosphere and certify his status as a generational icon. But how exactly did a would-be anthropology master's thesis—which seemed destined for a dusty shelf in the UCLA library—become a bestselling bible for the counterculture? After listening, be sure to check out: Episode Slide Show: bit.ly/3qugq3U One Extra Thing: bit.ly/3kVX2LT Discussion Thread: bit.ly/38fFS6P www.tricksterpodcast.com

As the hippie movement flowered across college campuses in the 60s, Carlos Castaneda kept his hair neatly cut and wore brown, three-piece Brooks Brothers suits. But while his appearance may have been conservative, his approach to anthropology was radical. From the sands of Sonora, he was bringing back to campus mind-bending tales of psychedelic adventures with a desert shaman. After listening, be sure to check out: Episode Slide Show: bit.ly/3t3ihyt One Extra Thing: bit.ly/3c9RfhR Discussion Thread: bit.ly/3v4WMz6 www.tricksterpodcast.com

Before achieving fame and fortune, Carlos Castaneda was once just another graduate student in the UCLA anthropology program. But even back then, his classmates remember him as being anything but ordinary. His megawatt personality and colorful stories left them spellbound; and his secretive research and purposefully veiled past stoked endless fascination. After listening, be sure to check out: Episode Slide Show: bit.ly/2MVonRX One Extra Thing: bit.ly/3kRr5Vg Discussion Thread: bit.ly/3sWOBmv www.tricksterpodcast.com