Spirit Travels Radio

Deonna Kelli Sayed is an American-Muslim author, global citizen, and cultural commentator. Her first book, Paranormal Obsession: America’s Fascination with Ghosts & Hauntings, Spooks & Spirits, is a cultural studies discussion regarding the influence of paranormal reality TV in a post 9/11 American society.

Born in the rural American South and raised as a Southern Baptist, Deonna is now a Muslim. Her husband works for the United Nations, and she has lived and traveled throughout the Muslim world, Central Asia, and Africa as a UN spouse. Deonna’s work has appeared in Foreign Policy in Focus, and various international magazines. While in the Middle East, she wrote for two English language lifestyle magazines.

The foray into paranormal prose is the latest installment in her diverse writing experience. She has written on topics such as foreign policy, weight loss, and creative fiction.

Why ghosts? people ask. Deonna replies, “Ghostly experiences provide profound insight into personal mythologies and collective cultural beliefs of good and evil, spirituality, history, and belonging. It is all about story and the experience. Americans have been to the moon and we are a superpower, but ghosts remain an unconquered frontier. The paranormal is ultimately about bending metaphysical boundaries. She is actively involved with paranormal research and investigation.”