New episode of Squaring the Strange is out! This time the devil's not in the details, he's in the music! From violinists centuries ago to hard rock and even country music, the devil shows up quite a lot. Pascual takes us on a diabolical tour of musical folklore...
Urban legends
Squaring the Strange #17: Deathbed Confessions, Real and Rumored
The new episode of our podcast Squaring the Strange is out! This time we discuss a short list of purported deathbed confessions. The last words of a consequential figure can be hijacked or twisted to fit agenda -- or, sometimes, it's not just the words that are made...
Quoted in New Book ‘Encountering the Sovereign’
One of the pleasures of my job (along with random stranger hate mail) is seeing where my research is referenced. I'm mentioned in a new book, "Encountering the Sovereign Other: Indigenous Science Fiction." I haven't read it yet but it definitely looks interesting......
‘Antlers’ and the Wendigo
The new horror film Antlers is set in a decaying Oregon town, where a single father, Frank, is seen with his young son Aiden outside a mine. What at first seems like an innocent father-son bonding moment turns dark, literally and figuratively, as we see that...
Squaring the Strange #145: Bottomless Pits and Spooky Geology with Sharon Hill
In a recent episode of Squaring the Strange we have everything: Lil Nas X's Satanic Shoes, a sketchy alkaline water CEO, and geologist Sharon Hill educating us about spooky geology like bottomless pits, the mysterious "Mel's Hole," quicksand, and hollow earth...
Quoted in ‘Rolling Stone’ about Viral TikTok Abduction Rumors
I'm quoted in a recent Rolling Stone article about abduction rumors going viral on TikTok. It's an interesting social media twist on an old urban legend... you can read it HERE. You can also check out the Squaring the Strange shows we did on faked...
‘Big–If True: Adventures in Oddity’ reviewed!
There's a lovely review of my new book Big-If True: Adventures in Oddity at AIPTComics: "The perfect book for anyone that loves diving into mysteries or enjoys a good investigation. It’s a very quick read, easily broken up into chapters, or even chunks at a time....
Squaring the Strange #144: SLAP Testing Online Rumors
The new episode of Squaring the Strange is out, with folklorist Prof. Jeannie Banks Thomas on how folklore can help people judge questionable online claims. Seemingly legit warnings might just be a rumor or legend, and even folklorists can be fooled about what's what....
“Big–If True: Adventures in Oddity” Available in Paperback and Kindle!
Pleased to announce that my new book 'Big-- If True: Adventures in Oddity' is now available in paperback and Kindle. Please check it out if you feel so inclined! You can get it HERE!
Bloody Mary, Anyone?
One of the fun things about writing for Discovery News was that my editors were great and I could sometimes sneak in a touch of satire. I recently revisited an article I wrote on the Bloody Mary legend and was pleased to see that my disclaimer is still there.