Congratulations to Hank Estrada for publishing this mighty collection of his late husband’s work. Antonio R. Garcez was a big voice in haunted places, especially in the western and southwestern United States. I was honored to write the foreword to this 660-page legacy to Garcez’s life’s work. Unforgettable Ghost Story Interviews by Antonio R. Garcez is now available wherever books are sold.
Jeff Belanger was a featured expert on the latest episode of the BBC’s Uncanny USA podcast. When Danny gets a call from his old friend Sarah describing a terrifying experience she had at her cousin Kerrie’s house, it leads him to Montecito, California, a beautiful coastal enclave, home to celebrities such as Oprah and Harry and Meghan. Kerrie grew up living opposite cantankerous old neighbour Arthur, and when he dies, Kerrie buys the cottage. It’s everything you could want from a home, except for one thing – Arthur is seemingly still there, and he doesn’t like Kerrie living in his house. Can Kerrie make peace with him? You can listen to the episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0020ql0 Written and presented by Danny Robins Experts: Christopher French and Jeff Belanger Editing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Music: Evelyn Sykes Theme music by Lanterns on the Lake Script editor: Dale Shaw Development producer: Sarah Patten Production manager: Tam Reynolds Commissioning executive: Paula McDonnell Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
Jeff Belanger’s The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters has won the 2023 Foreword Reviews Bronze Award for the category of Popular Culture – Nonfiction. You can see the award page here: https://www.forewordreviews.com/awards/books/the-fright-before-christmas/ From Foreword Reviews: With over 2,400 entries submitted across 55 categories, this year’s competition showcased the remarkable talent and diversity of the independent publishing industry. Foreword’s dedicated editors carefully selected approximately 12 finalists per genre, which were then presented to individual librarians and booksellers entrusted with the challenging task of determining the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention winners.
Jeff Belanger joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath on the radio to discuss the weird. If we were to ask you to name the possibly real water monster with humps, you’d surely say the Loch Ness Monster. But by the time this interview is over, your answer should be the Gloucester Sea Serpent. Our local monster is arguably even older and more widely witnessed than Nessie. For a deep dive into the Gloucester Sea Serpent, there’s no better guide than local folklore expert and host of the “New England Legends” podcast Jeff Belanger. He joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath to discuss this chapter of cryptozoology. What follows is a lightly edited transcript. You can listen to the segment and read the transcript here: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2024-05-22/regaling-tales-of-the-gloucester-sea-serpent-a-forgotten-legend-of-cryptozoology
Jeff Belanger was back as a guest on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory for hours three and four of the May 16, 2024 program discussing New England Legends and weirdness. Coast Insiders can listen to the replay of the show: https://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2024-05-16-show/
Jeff Belanger was a featured expert on the latest episode of the BBC’s Uncanny USA podcast. Wendy’s father Harry was a British Spitfire pilot during World War II who moved to Texas to work in espionage. When he becomes ill with cancer, he promises Wendy that if there is life after death, he will reach out to her. This isn’t that comforting, their relationship has always been difficult – Harry used many of the espionage techniques he was schooled in to control and monitor Wendy, like a real-life version of Robert De Niro’s character in Meet the Parents. When Harry dies, Wendy moves into his house in Austin and then… her Dad’s phone begins to ring by itself. It’s disconnected, what’s happening is impossible, so is this Harry reaching out? And what will it take to make him let go? You can listen to the episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001yy7m Written and presented by Danny Robins Experts: Cal Cooper and Jeff Belanger Editing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Music: Evelyn Sykes Theme music by Lanterns on the Lake Script editor: Dale Shaw Development producer: Sarah Patten Production manager: Tam Reynolds Commissioning executive: Paula McDonnell Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
Jeff joins host Tim Shaw on the latest episode of The Black Cat Lounge to discuss the paranormal, writing, performing, and more. You can watch the interview below:
Jeff Belanger joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath on the radio to discuss the weird. In April of 1977, about 15 miles south of Boston, a very strange thing appeared at night that put the town of Dover on the map in the world of cryptozoology, the study and search for legendary creatures. Multiple teen drivers reported seeing an unidentifiable, alien-like creature with glowing eyes over the course of two days. As word of these sightings spread, so did the legend of the “Dover Demon.” GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath spoke about the Dover Demon with Jeff Belanger, a folklore expert and host of the “New England Legends” podcast. You can listen to the segment and read the transcript here: https://www.wgbh.org/culture/2024-04-29/nearly-half-a-century-later-dover-demon-mystery-still-puzzles-enthusiasts?72
Roger Williams is the founder of Rhode Island, but by the time of his death in 1683, most of his political cache had been used up. He was buried in an unassuming family plot in Providence. But almost two centuries later, Rhode Islanders found themselves rather proud of their radical founder. They believed his grave deserved better, so his remains were exhumed and that’s when things got weird… The full episode is now available on Amazon Prime Video! Watch the trailer here:
Jeff Belanger was a guest on the most recent episode of The Power of Places Podcast with host Julia Suca. Get ready to crack open the door into the spooky world of haunted places with paranormal expert, Jeff Belanger! In this episode, we’ll explore the eerie allure of these mysterious locations. From creepy castles to haunted houses, join us as we explore why we’re irresistibly drawn to haunted places, even in the face of fear. Get ready for a hauntingly good time as we unravel the secrets of haunted places! You can listen to the episode here:
