October Book of the Month
This month’s book review brings us a spooky offering, appropriate for the season, from Maddie Mackenzie, LTC student staff.
October not only brings the start of a new school year to some college campuses but also brings us one of the most liminal times of year. There truly was not a better time than now to bring the new book, Myths, Mysterious, and the Macabre on American Campuses to the hands of readers. Admittedly, when I think of scary stories, folklore, and creepy cryptids on campus, my first thought is not…. a Squirrel. Yet, from the very start Dr. Gordon Maples sets the tone with wild tales of the most common being on campus across the nation. The great and mighty squirrel. Squirrel tales have been passed down by students and faculty from several campuses on the origin stories of their furry friends. It’s said some squirrels who roam campus are the result of a jail break from an experimental lab (from Princeton and Standford) while others escaped from the local carnival. Squirrels have risen the ranks on some campuses to even have a seat in student government (Berkley) as well as becoming official mascots for others. (Oberlin, Mary Baldwin, and Haverford). As far as introductions go, I was immediately drawn in and couldn’t wait to read the rest of the “tails” within.
Throughout the rest of the collection, you’ll come across plenty of myths, rituals, and the historical content behind those events. The passing of the torch from seniors to freshman at Baylor, a ritual completed yearly to honor those fallen in a tragic bus accident. To a grotesque silver skinned Third Eye Man, who haunts the sewer tunnels at the University of South Carolina. (I can’t help but think if there are monsters in the tunnels of Evergreen.) Sprinkled through the chapters, which are all written by different authors, you’ll also encounter their research that guides these stories. How both the novel and the movie, The Exorcist, affected Catholic Institutions who wanted to protect student who was involved in the exorcism (The Devil on Campus chapter). As well as passages examining how folklore is working in the age of social media, how gen z specifically feels about the paranormal, and the ethical question of using storytelling as a recruitment tool. I don’t want to give the stories in the collection away, but if any of these little bits intrigued you, I highly recommend giving this work a look. It absolutely set the tone for this fall season. (I will forever be looking at Squirrels differently.)
Until next month!
