ON THIS EPISODE
We are excited to share our interview with author and folklorist Michael Kleen. Shout out to Cuba High School students Jayson Stead, Cadie Churchill, and Lilly Markley who did a fantastic job conducting this interview! Students asked Michael about misconceptions people often have about this topic, the difference between folklore and history, what sources he used to write this book, and what advice he has for students growing up in rural Forgottonia.
About the Author
Michael Kleen is a writer, historian, and folklorist from Illinois. He has an M.A. in History from Eastern Illinois University and an M.S. in Education from Western Illinois University. He is best known for his work about Illinois folklore, but he is also a freelance columnist and speaker on politics and popular culture. Michael has written several books, including Witchcraft in Illinois, Haunting Illinois: A Tourist’s Guide to the Weird and Wild Places of the Prairie State, Paranormal Illinois, and Tales of Coles County. He is also the founder and proprietor of Black Oak Media, an independent publishing company.
OBJECTIVES
- Misconceptions about witchcraft
- Difference between folklore & history
- What sources are there about witchcraft in IL?
- Advice about growing up in Forgottonia
SOURCES
- Video – Dr. Daniel Patterson, U. of North Carolina, What is Folklore?
- Video – Vishnu Springs Feature on IL Adventures episode #1208
- “Folk-lore from Adams County, IL” (1935) by Harry Middleton Hyatt
- “McDonough County Heritage” (1984) by John E. Hallwas
- “Witchcraft in Illinois: A Cultural History” (2017) by Michael Kleen
- “How historians and journalists used witchcraft to ridicule immigrants, African Americans, and poor rural whites” (2019) article also by Michael Kleen
Links to Other episodes of Witchcraft in Forgottonia
The Forgottonia Project 
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