Hello folks! If anyone is interested in a free Zoom talk about Bigfoot in New England (focusing on the New Hampshire/Maine region), I'll be regaling viewers for the North Hampton Public Library next week, on Thurs April 21 at 7:00pm. Please pre-register here so you are able to attend: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrcu2vrT8vHtCMX7GEXEjlui_EfFEfEw2y
Hi everyone! While things have been quiet here on the blog, I've been busy fitting in research around my foolish work schedule (too much overtime, bleah). But in my delvings, I found a couple of things the other day that caught my eye. I thought you all might like to see them too. 😄
I'll transcribe the article in case the images don't load. This one is from a winter 1958 article in the Bangor Daily News.
Warning Issued to Coasters By Old Town Chief
Old Town Police Chief Robert Lee reported today that one motorist who spotted a "flying saucer" while driving along Brunswick Street today was terrified but the chief reports it was no joke.
The "flying saucer" was a small child riding atop a saucer sled coasting from a steep bank across the busy street. Luckily, he was not struck.
Lee issued a warning against such dangerous practices asking parents to tell their children not to use any grades for sliding that might end up in a street or intersection.
And in another winter issue of Bangor Daily News I found this photo, from two years later in 1960, which aptly illustrates the irresistible joy of sailing through the air on FLYING SAUCERS!!!
Caption reads:
FOR REAL "FLYING" SAUCERS -- The man on the business end of a shovel might not display the enthusiasm for the season's snowfall that these two youngsters do. But Mark Pooler and Susan Purinton of Bangor, both 11, beam with joy about the whole situation as they sail out into the air on their flying saucers over a bank of the wonderful white stuff. (NEWS photo by Maher)
I hope everyone is having a great winter, and enjoying all the white stuff out there. Before you know it, spring will be here!
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| Photo by Michelle Y. Souliere |
You can read the article here: https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/community/spooky-maine-stories-to-know-in-time-for-halloween-bigfoot-mythology-folklore-scary/97-42bd9339-3b17-405d-869e-19230b09b49e
I'm also excited to announce that there's a new Lewiston-based podcast, The Dirty Lew Podcast, which is available on YouTube. Duke, the host, interviewed me a few months ago, and now the episode is live to kick off their Halloween season, so... have fun listening to it, and do check out their other episodes. They're trying to make something awesome happen right where they are, and they're doing a great job!
You can check out the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCg4JvSy9w8
Happy Halloween everyone!!! 🎃
Hi everyone! Well, the air is getting crisper, and with October my work schedule at the shop will settle down, and with any luck I'll be able to take some fieldtrips out into the Maine woods again. I haven't been out to hike and explore since last February (see my posts Maine Wildlife in the Snow Part 1 and Part 2). It's going to be great to get out there again after too many months of too many hours of retail work (ahhhh, the joys of Maine's seasonal economy).
But somehow along with all the rest of that nonsense, I've managed to squeeze in some awesome, fun interviews to talk about my book, and set aside time in October for some Zoom library talks. I've also continued to interview eyewitnesses for volume 2.
Here are some links to some of the stuff I've been doing and other events I will be doing soon. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvZnrDdgiAQ&t=1004s
UPCOMING EVENTS:
I'm sure there will be more, but I hope you all enjoy at least a few of these when you have the chance!
Hi everyone!
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| Rare quick trip to OOB in early August! |
I must say that I am very much looking forward to autumn's approach when things slow down and I can get back out in the field again, not to mention find time to think, research and write about all things Maine.
In the background, at the same time, I am pondering the next project that I've been piecing together for some time now, which I've been looking forward to (before volume 2 of Bigfoot in Maine began demanding to be heard). And that is... ghost stories!
When I wrote Strange Maine, I minimized the amount of spooks in the book (although there are a few) because at the time I thought Maine had some good ghost story books already out there for folks to choose from. But the more I've dug around, and the more people I've talked to, the more I've realized that Maine really has a lot more little spooky bits that haven't been recorded for posterity yet.
So... if you have odd or eerie experiences or things that you've encountered while here in Maine, be it in an old farmhouse or a downtown apartment, fifty years ago or just last year, do drop me a line, and we can talk about what happened. You can always find me at michelle.souliere@gmail.com -- don't hesitate to contact me, I'd love to hear about your own Maine ghost story.
In the meantime, please enjoy this little interview feature that WCSH's 207 show did with me earlier this summer! Big thanks to Amanda Hill and Kirk Cratty for making it a fun and memorable experience.
And, if you like to look at Bigfoot's possible existence from a more quirky viewpoint, here's a lighthearted take on the matter from an interview I did with John Mitchell from NECN:
https://www.necn.com/on-air/
Stay tuned for my interview with the charming Paul Bestall from the UK podcast Mysteries and Monsters, and the new Dirty Lew podcast outta Lewiston. Mixing it up a little, trying to reach a local audience and the greater world at large. I did get to talk to Howard Hughes of The Unexplained live on UK radio last month too, sad it didn't make it into his podcast, but it was still really cool, since I've listened to his podcast for years! Very surreal to have his familiar voice asking me questions instead of just listening to him ask someone else. Heh!
Thanks for all your support, everyone! I hope to bring you many more intriguing Maine stories in the future, once my dang workweek is not so completely bonkers!!!
This comes from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife today! Check it out, sounds like two fun ways to get involved!
1. Join us for an informative virtual presentation by Maine's White-tailed Deer Biologist Nathan Bieber as he discusses the history of deer management, the status of Maine's deer herd, and the current strategies used to manage deer in Maine.
Streaming live on YouTube Tuesday, July 27 at 6pm. The presentation will be recorded and available at the same link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr_-ksS5xxw
2. Enjoy watching deer?
Become a citizen scientist for the Maine Deer Spy project! Volunteers are needed across the state and everyone can participate.
Participating is easy! When you see deer between August 1 and September 30, all you need to do is make simple observations:
You can submit data online or by postal mail. Data recording instructions and examples of how to correctly record data are available online at mefishwildlife.com/deerspy
Here are the links to the virtual talks I've given recently about my book, Bigfoot in Maine, in case you missed the chance to attend them.
Enjoy!!
WHERE: Via Zoom https://network
Event info is also posted on their Facebook page: https://fb.me/e/LYOeioe2
Hosted by the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft, ME.
WHEN: Thursday, June 24 at 7:00pm
FMI: Contact the library at 207-564-3350 or via email at thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com
Come join us! Jon Knepp is going to interview me and I will discuss the book (and more!) with him. We'll wrap up with some audience Q&A at the end.
Hi all! Both myself and Nate Brislin will be part of a virtual talk at Falmouth Memorial Library the evening of June 10th. Hooray! You can register to attend here:
Just wanted to put this link out there -- I did an interview with an author podcast which my publisher puts out, and it was really fun. Hope you enjoy listening!
https://authorconversations.podbean.com/e/bigfoot-in-maine/
Don't worry, if you haven't read the book yet, there aren't any spoilers, we were really careful about that. Just some interesting conversation, and a good Q & A session!
If you'd like to buy a signed copy of the book from me, you can do it through my website here:
https://greenhandbookshop.com/products/preorder-bigfoot-in-maine-by-michelle-souliere-signed
Hope you're all having a great week!
All these years later, it seems wild that this book exists. Big thanks to all the folks who helped me along the path! I couldn't have done it alone.
If you are wondering, "What the heck do you mean, there are Bigfoot in Maine?!" or if you have friends or family who have had their own inexplicable encounters, then this book will give you some good reading.
You can buy a signed copy directly from me (no charge for that extra bit of commemorative ink) here:
https://greenhandbookshop.com/products/preorder-bigfoot-in-maine-by-michelle-souliere-signed
And with any luck, someday in the future, there will be a volume two to follow it up, because the story of Bigfoot in Maine is a living, evolving history.
Be well, everyone, and stay safe!
Here's
a real shot-in-the-dark -- does anyone know someone who collects audio
of old WBZ shows? I'm looking for some of Larry Glick's midnight radio
shows from around 1971. Please email me at michelle.souliere@gmail.com if you think you can help! Thanks, all!
Do you live near black bears in Maine? Probably. Wouldn't you like to know more about them? I know I do!
Click here to watch, or set a reminder to participate in this live video chat on YouTube!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBx7Pj_D79w
WHAT: Coffee chat with Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Biologist Jen Vashon about Black Bears and how to avoid conflict with our big neighbors
WHERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBx7Pj_D79w
WHEN: 9:30am on Friday, Mar 26, 2021
COST: Free!
I'll post the final cover art as soon as the design department at History Press gets it to me. Thanks everyone!
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| 192 pages of manuscript, done! |
Here's something fun to do while the weather is still iffy! It's the last episode in Spirits Alive at the Eastern Cemetery's winter lecture series - Saturday March 27th!!
Saturday, March 27 1:30pm to 2:30pm
COVID-19 burst Maine’s Bicentennial (2020) like it was a battered balloon, but the boisterous years to Statehood (1820) and The Maine Centennial (1920) were anything but a bust. The story will be told in 2 parts: “To Make the Angels Weep! Maine’s Struggle for Statehood, 1820,” the true backstory of Kings and slavery, bad math and bad politics, defiance, and backroom deals that made Maine the 23rd State, and “The Big Parade—Centennial, 1920!”
Maine’s biggest birthday bash ever included biplanes, submarines, silent movies, native encampments, cavalry charges, booming parades, and the governor in a canoe in Deering Oaks in Portland.
Register for the Silent Bicentennial lecture here:
When: Saturday March 27th - Starts 1:30pm and lasts about an hour or so
Located on Zoom—A different link is available for each event each month.
Register in advance as the event is limited to 100 attendees.
Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Spirits Alive does this lecture series every winter, you can find more information about it on their website here: https://www.spiritsalive.org/lectures/
Hi everyone--
This update note is long overdue, as are so many other things in this completely bonkers year. The good news is, although I'm still fighting to keep my shop (The Green Hand Bookshop) afloat in the midst of all this, my upcoming book, Bigfoot in Maine, has meanwhile been quietly moving ahead. It is making its way through the maze of editors and formatting designers at the publisher, and if all goes well we'll be looking at a release date in the first half of 2021.
Some of the parts I had to pull out will show up here or in print as articles, so that they still see the light of day.
I am still talking with folks about their encounters, and with those out in the field investigating current activity, even though Covid has restricted my own travels for the foreseeable future (again, trying to keep the shop going has been intense, and we're not out of the woods yet).
Just for fun, I also recorded a short adaptation of the Maine story "Hobgoblins of the Wild North Woods" by Winthrop Packard, published in the Boston Evening Transcript, back on Dec 31, 1902. While it is ostensibly fictitious, it contains many elements of Bigfoot sightings reported even today.
You can listen to it here for free -- enjoy!
https://soundcloud.com/mys-648503636/a-hair-raising-bigfoot-yarn
I hope you have all stayed safe and well in these trying times, and I wish everyone better days ahead.
Hi folks, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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| Skowhegan region driveabout on a rainy day! |
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| Longfellow crypt - Photo by Michelle Y. Souliere, (c)2016 |
Longfellow’s tomb is totally empty. We went looking for the bodies.[Source:
By Troy R. Bennett, BDN Staff • October 31, 2018 5:56 am
October 31, 2018
[...]
In 1986, the city of Portland went to brick up the Longfellow family tomb in its historic Western Cemetery to protect it from vandals. But when they did so, they discovered the tomb completely empty — no sign of the six family members, including Henry’s parents, who were interred there in the late 19th century.
As a local historian looked into the case more at the time, the mystery deepened.
In his new investigation into the curious case, Bennett retraced the steps of historian Bill Jordan and discovered some new leads.
[...]
