My name is Dr. Joe Meyer. I'm currently a full-time lecturer at the University at Albany in upstate NY. I've been teaching college-level literature and writing courses since 2006. My research areas include early American literature (Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson); the heroic narrative, studies in awe, AI and culture, and neomodernism. I fell in love with the Twilight Zone when I was a kid, and I still love it today. 

I have brought The Twilight Zone into the classroom more times than I can remember, whether it's "The Shelter," "A Game of Pool," or "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street," The Twilight Zone never fails to give me a way in to discuss the human condition with my students in a meaningful way. More than this, it often creates a sensation of awe in them--something our young adults desperately need today. Awe reminds us of our place in the universe; it forces us to have to accommodate new information, expanding our minds and often giving us a more positive sense of personal and collective wellbeing. That brings us to this show. 

It isn't just our young adults who could use a bit of awe--it's all of us, including me. We're going to walk through the classic Twilight Zone series and find our moments of awe in each episode. Along the way, I'll bring in great works of literature, philosophy, and scientific research to help us go a bit deeper into the episodes. My goal is to create something that will draw in people who have never seen the show before, while also providing some new insights for old Twilight Zone veterans like myself.

This show is a quest of sorts, one you take on willingly. By the end, I hope we all find a sense of awe and a greater connection to ourselves and to humanity. So, join me, and remember, in the fifth dimension, all doors are open to those who possess the key of imagination.