The Journal of Folklore Research, a peer-reviewed publication of the Folklore Institute at Indiana University, was established in 1961. It is dedicated to promoting international scholarly dialogue about the world's traditional creative and expressive forms. A review...
Folklore
Appearance at the American Folklore Society Conference on Chupacabra
I will be attending the American Folklore Society's conference in Bloomington, Indiana, Oct. 12 to 14. I will be on a panel titled "Fairy Animals, Demonic Beasts, and Fantastic Creatures in International Tradition." My topic will be "Folklore of the Chupacabra," based...
My ‘Exploding Irishman’ SHC Article on MSNBC
An Irish coroner recently concluded that Michael Faherty, a 76-year-old Irishman who burned to death in his home in December 2010, was the victim of the mysterious spontaneous human combustion. I wrote about it for MSNBC, and even quoted my colleague Dr. Joe Nickell...
‘Evolution’ Book Wins Canadian Award, Shunned in U.S.
A new book about evolution that couldn't get published in the United States has won a Canadian book award. Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be, by former shepherd, cryptozoology writer, and Junior Skeptic editor Daniel Loxton, won the 2010 Lane Anderson...
Interviewed for CBS News on Magnetic Serbs
When I was a kid growing up, I had a lot of ideas about what I wanted to be: film director, stuntman, writer, butler, etc. But I was recently interviewed by CBS News about a topic I'd researched: Serbian kids who claim to be magnetic. Who knew I'd grow up to be...
Interviewed by E! Online’s “Answer Bitch” About British Ghosts
When a reader asked E! Online's "Answer Bitch" the following question: "Is it true that Prince William's house is haunted? Have they seen any ghosts?" The Bitch knew right where to come for anwers! You can read the whole bitchin' piece HERE!
‘Contagion’ Film and Vaccine Deniers
The new medical thriller Contagion features Jude Law as a conspiracy theorist anti-vaccination blogger. Here's a short history of anti-vaccination advocates, their tactics and motives. You can read the story at LiveScience.com.
How To Kill a Vampire
Everyone knows how to kill a fictional vampire — a stake through the heart — but does that apply to "real" vampires as well? With so many different claims about vampires, what's a wannabe Buffy to do? The most important issue is to know some of the "rules." Read...