Low Hanging Fruit
A Tale of Deception in the Golden Age of Medical Quackery
From ego to empathy, our new audio drama weaves a tapestry of tragedy & narcissism, balanced by loyalty & unexpected humor
About Low Hanging Fruit
Discover the Musical Journey
Low Hanging Fruit tells the story of John Brinkley, a medical charlatan, who purchased his medical degree from a diploma mill in 1915. In short order, he set up a clinic in Kansas with his wife, Minnie, and soon learned that testicle transplants from monkeys were being used in Europe to treat male impotence. Dreaming that this would be his ticket to fame and fortune, but with no monkeys available in Kansas, he chose goats as a source of testicles. To promote his medical practice, he then became a pioneer in the nascent world of AM radio, recruiting patients for transplant surgeries and selling bogus nostrums through a chain of affiliated pharmacies. However, after the death or incapacitation of countless gullible victims, Brinkley’s license to practice medicine in Kansas was revoked. To overcome this problem, he ran for Governor and may have won the election if the authorities had not disqualified 50,000 votes. Undeterred, he and Minnie moved to Texas (where his license was still valid) to continue their “medical” practice - but a barrage of lawsuits reduced him to penury. Brinkley ultimately declared bankruptcy and died penniless in 1942. However, he never admitted wrongdoing and remained fiercely narcissistic to the end.
Our narrative chronicles the evolution of medical accountability, the rise of the American Medical Association, and the corrosive intertwining of deceit and gullibility between shady practitioners and their unwitting patients - topics which continue to resonate to this day.
About the Authors
Keith Burridge
Lynn Swisher Spears
Lynn Swisher Spears
Kenan Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (now retired)
Keith ran a research group at UNC, focused on focal adhesions - macromolecular complexes that control cellular responses to mechanical force and other regulatory signals. Citations to his work rank him in the top 1% of scientists in the fields of
Kenan Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (now retired)
Keith ran a research group at UNC, focused on focal adhesions - macromolecular complexes that control cellular responses to mechanical force and other regulatory signals. Citations to his work rank him in the top 1% of scientists in the fields of molecular biology and genetics.
In parallel with his scientific career, Keith has written numerous plays. "Chocolates for Mr. Wolfowitz" appeared in the Knutsford Little Theatre short play festival of 2008 in the UK. "The Art of Deception", based on the true story of the art forger Han van Meegeren, won 2014 best new play by Playwrights First. "The First Woman President" premiered in the Midtown International Theatre Festival in New York City in 2016. His work on Low Hanging Fruit has been integral, from its first draft to its ongoing development.
Lynn Swisher Spears
Lynn Swisher Spears
Lynn Swisher Spears
Lynn Swisher Spears was born Roger Spears. As Roger, she obtained a Bachelor of Architecture degree at Iowa State University, followed by a Master's degree from Harvard's Graduate School of Design. She then became a practicing architect, whose projects included such masterworks as the the 2,800 seat Durham Performing Arts Center, and the
Lynn Swisher Spears was born Roger Spears. As Roger, she obtained a Bachelor of Architecture degree at Iowa State University, followed by a Master's degree from Harvard's Graduate School of Design. She then became a practicing architect, whose projects included such masterworks as the the 2,800 seat Durham Performing Arts Center, and the Jean Cukier House (AKA the "Darth Vader House"), a 4 million dollar modernist tour de force in Houston, Texas. She also worked as an Assistant Professor at the College of Design at NC State.
But there was a second chapter to Lynn’s eventful life. In her 60s, she courageously came out as a trans woman – and turned her attention to music. As a multi-instrumentalist, Spears played with bands like Fair to Middlin’ and the Twang Bandits. She also released several albums (including a double album "I Am"), and contributed her unique creative energy to the musical Low Hanging Fruit.
Lynn passed away tragically on December 13, 2023, after battling a months-long illness. She is deeply missed.
Michael Goy
Lynn Swisher Spears
Michael Goy
Professor of Cell and Molecular Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (now retired)
Michael ran a research group at UNC, focused on cellular signal transduction, with special emphasis on mechanisms of action of gut peptides. He also taught postgraduate courses in a broad array of scientific disciplines.
Musical experienc
Professor of Cell and Molecular Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (now retired)
Michael ran a research group at UNC, focused on cellular signal transduction, with special emphasis on mechanisms of action of gut peptides. He also taught postgraduate courses in a broad array of scientific disciplines.
Musical experience:
1965-1967 Studied flamenco guitar with Mike Grimes, Beaverton OR
1969-1970 Guitarist and vocalist for Lightpipe, Eugene, OR
1973-1979 Guitarist, vocalist, and composer for Sweet Release, Madison, WI
1982-1986 Guitarist and vocalist for Mekeel and Goy, Boston, MA
1995-pres. Guitarist, vocalist, and composer for The Carrborators, Chapel Hill, NC
2014-pres. Guitarist and composer for Red Nucleus, Chapel Hill, NC
2019-pres. Co-author, lyricist, and composer for the musical Low Hanging Fruit
Upcoming Events
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