Yingkou Lynn Catoe, in her official capacity as bibliographer, replies to John’s letter about the Gordon Evans case. Evans certainly sounds like a troubled soul, but I haven’t been able to find anything on the Funt sighting or his investigation of it. Maybe it’s less of a mystery to some of the readers out there.
As the Catoe-Keel correspondence developed, it became more flirtatious, with each teasing, provoking, and shocking the other. All probably fun for both of them, but none of our business, so I’m omitting those letters. Here, though, John writes her in her official capacity to summarize “the Gordon Evans affair.” William Donovan was a member of NICAP; I can’t identify Robart.
I’m omitting some of John’s correspondence with Lynn Catoe, since it’s more personal than professional. However, this letter asks some interesting and pointed questions about John’s goals and methods in ufology. He gives the Gordon Evans story in detail in an upcoming letter; in brief, the ufologist Gordon Evans became frightened and abandoned his research. Operators and Things is a vivid memoir of schizophrenia by Barbara O’Brien (probably a pseudonym): the Operators are controlling voices, the Things their helpless victims. The book was much discussed at the time.
John Keel died eleven years ago, on July 3, 2009. I don’t know who took this photo, but I assume debauchery was involved.
The best way to remember John is to read his books. During the pandemic, people have been posting “shelfies,” so I’ll follow suit with a shot of my Keel shelf. Stay safe, Keel fans.
