Book Review: The Dead Travel Fast by Eric Nuzum

It came to me the other day in a flash of clarity - I read at least two, sometimes more, paranormal-themed books in a week, and I should really be sharing some information about them. As a way of keeping in touch with you delightful readers, I've decided to make book reviews a regular addition to the Paranormal Paradigm. Suggestions for titles you'd like to learn more about or have yourself enjoyed are always welcome and I will do my best to accommodate them!

"The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires From Nosferatu to Count Chocula" by Eric Nuzum

While I don't really consider myself a fan of the vampire genre, I do feel I am pretty well-versed when it comes to the myths and legends surrounding this iconic "monster." At least I did before Eric Nuzum schooled me. After reading his quirky adventure into analyzing vampire lore and its effects on pop culture, I realized that what I knew before had barely scratched the surface of the mysterious bundle of facts and misunderstandings that surround these creatures who we love to hate.

Nuzum is by no means an armchair investigator. His research led him from seedy New York clubs brimming with "lifestylers", people who choose to live the vampire life - including drinking human blood, to a desolate island monastery in Transylvania where the remains of Vlad Dracul are said to rest. Nuzum even decides to take a giant step towards better understanding the motivations of the vampire by drinking a bit of his own blood, an experiment that goes gruesomely awry. While this may sound very serious at first, Nuzum's first-person journalistic writing style coats everything with a healthy layer of humor and more than a hint of sarcasm. 

The author's trek through vampire lore leads readers on a fact-filled historical journey through Bram Stoker's classic tale and all of the post-publication drama that accompanied it, the evolution of the vampire in the 20th Century from mysterious Count to B-Movie icon, and even an analysis of the cult favorite "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series. Nuzum certainly leaves no stone unturned in his quest to discover why the vampire has humanity so caught up in his spell.

I admit, I laughed out loud (often at inappropriate times) throughout the book. My only complaint about "The Dead Travel Fast" is one that the author could not help, one that was purely a result of fate - the book was published before the "Twilight" craze turned vampire genre into some sort of Hindenburg spectacle. I can only imagine what sort of hilarity could have emerged!

Overall, I give this book two thumbs up. I give it a thrifty point bonus, too, because you can now pick up a copy at deep discount (only $5.58 each) from Amazon. You can learn more about Eric and his upcoming projects at his personal website.

Lectures, Workshops, and Discussions, oh my!

Poltergeists - Not Just Hollywood Hype

It's that time of year again. No, not tax time - Summer and Fall event planning time! While I am still sticking to my "less is more" philosophy that I discussed earlier in the year, I will be visiting a select few libraries, museums, schools, and conventions later in 2011. Because these appearances are decidedly few and far between, I've beefed up all of my talks to deliver quality over quantity. Each is a fun, informative, multi-media presentation that gets people talking, but more importantly - gets them thinking.

I have a handful of openings left in the late summer and a couple of dates still available in October. If you know of an organization or event looking for an awesome presentation, send them my way!

Talks for 2011 include:

PARANORMAL 

Civil War Ghosts - Learn about battlefield haunts of the Southeast, including many lesser-known but intense paranormal hotspots. Find out how to investigate these locations safely and legally while capturing great results. (1 hour)

Poltergeists - This lecture provides a comprehensive look back at the history and study of poltergeist activity. A special focus on the Enfield Poltergeist and the tragic case of Tina Resch offer attendees examples of ongoing scientific research of kinetic haunts. (1 hour)

Capturing and Analyzing EVP - Discover the methods used to elicit messages from the spirit world and how to capture those messages with various audio recording devices. Identify false positives, learn the varying classifications of electronic voice phenomena, and hear real examples of EVP from paranormal field investigations. The workshop demonstrates use of the software program Audacity and its value to the researcher in analyzing recorded audio data. (1 hour)

Haunted Henrico - (see HISTORY below)

SPIRITUALITY

Rootwork in America - This lecture illustrates the history and practice of Hoodoo, a folk religion unique to the United States. Learn how Hoodoo differs from Voodoo and why the two are often confused. A spotlight on rootwork in pop culture offers attendees a glimpse of how this mysterious tradition has influenced and infiltrated American life. (45 minutes)

HISTORY

Elizabeth Van Lew : The Witch of Church Hill - A discussion of the life of Elizabeth Van Lew, the Richmond woman whose clever espionage helped to end the American Civil War. Learn how Van Lew was socially ahead of her time and why her prominent family was forever ostracized by Virginia society. (45 minutes)

Unruly Women of Virginia - Virginia women have been going against the grain and making history for four centuries. This lecture highlights the historic contributions of Lady Anne Skipwith, the Randolph women, the Carter women, Elizabeth Van Lew, Maggie L. Walker, and more. (1 hour)

Haunted Henrico - To celebrate Henrico's 400th Anniversary, this lecture presents the history and haunts of several of the county's most notable locations including battlefields, taverns, homes, and more. (1 hour)

Virginia ParaQuest - Voted "Best Drama-Free Paranormal Conference" by Attendees

Image via WikipediaThis past weekend, I was honored with an opportunity to speak at the Virginia ParaQuest conference in Lynchburg. Let's be honest - I'm not exactly honored to participate in every event that comes along. In fact, the majority of paranormal conferences fall somewhere between the categories of awkward and embarrassing. For a refreshing change, this event was quite the opposite.

Two local paranormal teams, Bedford Paranormal and Seven Hills Paranormal, partnered to plan and execute the events of the weekend. It's not everyday that you see teams in the same geographic area cooperating on anything, and that's a true shame. Territorial squabbles saturate the field of paranormal investigation, but I saw no sign of that during the two days of lectures, forums, and fun!

These teams performed as true professionals and put together an amazing array of speakers that included representatives from MUFON, Rhine Research Center, The Monroe Institute, and Sasquatch Watch of Virginia, as well as independent authors, teachers, and technical experts. The lecture and workshop schedule contained a feast of information for both the new and experienced paranormal enthusiast. Best of all, everyone there was completely open to sharing information and ideas and to discussing those ideas in a mature manner. I did not hear a single voice complaining about ANYTHING - everyone was raving about how much they were learning and how much fun they were having. I challenge you to find that at any other paranormal convention this year!

I do hope that the planners of Virginia ParaQuest know of the positive impact that their first conference had on both its attendees and participants. I'm sure that they've learned many things about the behind-the-scenes steps of constructing and event such as this, and that can only make planning for a future conference easier.

If you're tired of lackluster paranormal events that charge big bucks for a weekend of dull presentations, you should show your support for the ParaQuest teams and urge them to put together an encore event for next year! Drop them a line at the email links found at www.vaparaquest.com

Everyday Haunts

Living in a city that was pummeled by war means that many of the places you pass by every day have a past that's not so pretty. One such building has been on my radar since about 1993 when the true revitalization of the Tobacco District was in full swing, and that is the Pohlig Box Building.

This industrial spot held the record until very recently as being the longest continuously operational commercial building in the US. Built in 1853, the box company kept up operations even when more than half of the structure was commandeered by the Confederate Army to house wounded or extremely sick troops from Alabama. Instead of crates and packaging being produced under its roof, the Pohlig building saw surgeries, amputation, and death.

As with any place having a shadow on its past such as this one, stories of unearthly happenings emerged very soon after the end of the war. These stories, however, really exploded when the Pohlig Box Company moved to a larger and more modern facility and the historic building at the corner of 25th and Franklin Streets was converted into apartments.

I had some very interesting interviews last week about what goes on inside of these walls, particularly in one unit that is difficult to rent. I'm working more on that this week and hope to wrap up the chapter with some stories that are going to surprise everyone!
 

Want to Know What Goes Into a Book?

Image via Wikipedia
I get questions all the time at events about what it's like to research and write books about the paranormal. If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes, be sure to become a follower of my Twitter feed! I've decided to dedicate that venue to tweeting about travel, both historical and field research, interviews with witnesses, and more as the last (and most grueling) stage of More Haunted Battlefields comes together.

I hope you'll be there reading!

A Different Sort of Journey

Traveling for book research has settled down temporarily while my studies pick up pace. I've been working on a new certificate since January, and have had to shift focus for a bit to make sure my academics don't suffer! Fear not, I am catching up on some of the writing that had been falling behind during that whirlwind travel period - and that has been the real journey.

How is this writing any different from that in my past? That's an interesting story. I had a very peculiar thing happen about a month ago that I only shared in a passing mention on my Facebook wall. I found a book in my house and have no idea where it came from. It was in a prominent spot (the place I keep library books so they won't become lost in the overflowing family collection) and seemed to just show up one day. The book is clearly used, dated a 1991 printing, and is not a former library book. It has no signs at all of where it may have come from. A true mystery.

The book is "Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest" by Christina Baldwin. It's not the typical sort of book I would buy for myself at all, and yet it appeared at a time when I was receptive to its message and could truly benefit from it. Since most of my writing is done in a journalistic first-person style, almost all of it is introspective and relates to the insight offered by Baldwin, and the impact of her book has been truly surprising. I might even call it serendipitous.

The largest change I've noticed is my growing acceptance of the paranormal. Before "the incident" in October, I would investigate, attempt to find natural explanations for the events witnessed, and still remain skeptical and maybe even a bit in disbelief about those findings even if they could not be logically explained. Now that I've started opening up more to the possibility of true paranormal encounters instead of trying to rationalize them to death, the encounters have grown in frequency, strength, and variety. I have witnessed much more in the past four months than I ever thought possible before, and this all became apparent to me when I wrote about it.

Thanks to this mystery book, I have learned how to dig deeper and look for the meaning behind the events, the purpose of the trek. I'm not one to usually recommend books of this genre, but I feel that because of its message, my spiritual road finally has a map.

Let the Traveling Begin!

Yep, back on the road again! The second volume of Haunted Battlefields has been in the works now for nearly two years, but it is definitely drawing closer to completion. I have a feeling that I will be so busy come summer that I really need to get the finishing touches on this book before then. There's no time like the present, right?

Between now and April 1st, I will be visiting, photographing, and conducting paranormal experiments at more than a dozen Civil War sites in Virginia. Some of the highlights include:

• Glendale
• Seven Pines
• Fair Oaks
• Hanover Courthouse
• Five Forks
• Dinwiddie Courthouse
• Deep Bottom
• Saylor's Creek
• Lynchburg
• The Alabama Hospital (Richmond)

If you are in any of these areas and have a story to share or would like to participate in on-site experiments, please send me a message!

Got Spring Fever? Here Are Some Events to Warm Up With!

Image via WikipediaWhile I've been in a spiritual cocoon for the past few months, the world has still been turning. I'll be back out and about in just a few weeks and hope to see some of you at one of these upcoming events:

• March 12, 2011 - Women in History (lecture), Ashland Coffee and Tea (Ashland, Virginia) from 1 - 3 PM
• April 1-2, 2011 - Virginia ParaQuest (Conference), Holiday Inn Downtown (Lynchburg, Virginia) All Day

Keep an eye out, more events are being finalized now and will be posted soon!

Truth or Old Wives' Tale? Your Opinions, Please!

Image by Pixteca MX
There is an old hoodoo (or Voodoo, if you prefer) saying that claims after you see a spirit once, you will see them all the time. Part of me wonders if this philosophy grew from the voodoo queens and witch doctors "polishing up" the prize for their students in order to keep them from giving up on charms and rootwork that could take days or weeks to perform. Another part of me wonders if there is any truth to those words.

I think I'm pretty close to coming to my own conclusion about this belief, but I'm wondering what you readers feel about this? Please, comment and share!

A Minimalist State of Mind for 2011

Image by Joe Lanman via Flickr
With so many new endeavors in my life lately, it's been very easy to get overwhelmed. This year, I've decided to pare down on all the things that have been eating up my time, my space, and my peace of mind. I came across this quote the other day and I think it sums up my state of mind for the coming months perfectly:  

“The happiness of too many days is often destroyed by trying to accomplish too much in one day. We would do well to follow a common rule for our daily lives – do less, but do it better.” - Dale E. Turner