The other day I received a great book called Encyclopedia of Urban Legends by Jan Harold Brunvand. Not only was it a fun book to read, I realized its potential to assist me with writing. I wondered how much creative inspiration could I discover within the pages of this gem. It’s interesting to contemplate the many legends created in the twentieth and already in the twenty-first century. Who hasn’t been fooled into believing an urban legend at one time or another? I’d venture to guess that everyone has. Many of us grew up reading the legends/myths of King Arthur and Robin Hood (and it’s been suggested these stories are rooted in truth somewhere in the mists of time). Reading the book on contemporary legends made me wonder if we are all a little desperate to trick each other into believing the “moral of the story.”
I’m not the only author to find inspiration in urban legends. A long list of movies and books show that legends generate creativity within the writer. Are their any urban legends that you’ve fallen for? Are there any you remember hearing as a kid that really gave you pause or perhaps made you alter your behavior based on that legend? Are there any that just plain gave ya the creeps? This writer wants to know!
I’ll be out of town when this blog posts, so I won’t be able to respond to all of you right away until late Sunday or Monday! I’m so sorry. The trip wasn’t scheduled when I put myself in for the blog. But never fear! One responder will win a backlist copy of one of my books in trade paperback! So please post and let me know your urban legend thoughts.
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I am not too much into legends, but am a big baseball fan, particularly the Dodgers. Read several of biographies. I just picked up for my parents and myself - Sandy Koufax, a Lefty’s Legacy. We absolutely loved him. And they loved the book - I havent read it yet.
He pitched only a short time but was suberb and who knows what he would have accomplished hadn’t he had to quit due to injury. He was a gentleman just like Jackie Robinson was. Some people say, he was only around for a short time so how can you say he was great - but he was - what he accomplished in such a short time…..
I remember when he pitched, I knew the Dodgers would win and was really shocked on the occasions when Sandy lost.
by Pat L.
on May 25th, 2007 at 6:38 am
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I also have that book of Urban Legends Denise. I loved the movie Urban Legends and I watched the show Mostly True Stories about urban legends on TLC. I think the one that scared me the most was the spider one. I don’t like spiders and that one really creeped me out. lol. The babysitter one was a popular legend too. I think there was a couple of movies based on that one. :mrgreen:
by Amy S.
on May 25th, 2007 at 8:06 am
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Oh Denise…I want that book!!! I love urban legends. :twisted:
by Vivi Anna
on May 25th, 2007 at 9:59 am
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I recall being told as a kid any urban legends but most of them I hear now are scary so I don’t think I missed out on anything, lol.
by Lisa W
on May 25th, 2007 at 10:58 am
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When I was a kid, the story about a hitch hiker was the urban legend that certainly freeked me about any hitch hikers.
by Shuck Ying
on May 25th, 2007 at 11:00 am
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I am one big chicken so whenever someone started to tell any of these stories I would put my fingers in my ears and leave the room. I wanted to be able to sleep at night.
by Deborah
on May 25th, 2007 at 11:01 am
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The stories of Arthur and Robin Hood were ones I enjoyed as a child as well as stories about elves and fairies. Stories about Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster and other creepy creatures are ones I stay away from. I am a big chicken and like to be able to sleep at night. :grin:
by Cherie Japp
on May 25th, 2007 at 11:17 am
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When I was a kid my best friend insisted that earwigs would crawl into your ear and then continue on until they got to your brain. After that anytime I felt an itch or anything near my ear I would be in a panic that an earwig was in it.
by Maureen
on May 25th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
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Highway of Tears in Northern British Columbia is kind of an urban legend, because although there is a long list of missing women, we really don’t know what has happened to them. I’ve always been too cautious to ever hitchhike and that was before I heard all the stories about missing women. Stories about women driving alone and stranded on an isolated road where someone takes advantage of their vulnerabilty also cuts close to home.
by Sue A.
on May 25th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
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the ants in your hair always scare me
by kim h
on May 25th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
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I like going to sites that debunk or not debunk urban legends. That is fun.
by Pamk
on May 25th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
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Any urban legends about bugs, reptiles or those sort of creatures freek me out. Too scary for me to listen to the stories.
by Randy
on May 27th, 2007 at 11:01 am
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I love most of the books and movies based on urban legends. I remember when I was little, my dad and I went “Bigfoot hunting”. Basically all this amounted to was a day hiking and a picnic lunch. We did find arrowheads and the occasional fossil, but never Bigfoot lol. Even then, I found all those legends intriguing. I always thought the babysitter one was scary too. There are quite a few movies with that one in it.
Hugs, Zara :mrgreen:
by Zara
on May 27th, 2007 at 11:18 am
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I am definitely not into scary stories.
by Joyce
on May 27th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
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Pat, I’ll admit that I am not a baseball fan, but then I know so many people who are. I’m one of those unusual Americans who finds it more interesting to watch archery (and do it), watch tennis (I used to play tennis), and darts than I do baseball. But I do like hockey and American football and football British style…European style. You name it. :;)
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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;-) Amy, ah yes!!! The babysitter ones are always scary. By the way, my favorite movie based on that is When A Stranger Calls…the one that came out in the last three years. I have that one on DVD. Great psychological thriller!
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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Lisa, you’re right! So many of those urban legends are downright scary. One of the scariest has to be the one where the girl is in the car with her boyfriend, he gets out of the car and ends up hanging upside down with his nails scraping over the hood of the car. EWWWWWWWW.
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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Shuck Yin,
On the hitch hiker one, do you mean the ghost hitch hiker?
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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:razz: Cherie,
Well, we’ll let ya keep on bein’ a chicken. No problem. He, he!!
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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Maureen,
Oh, lordy!!! The bug ones are always hard for me to take because I HATE BUGSSSSSSSS! :grin: By the way, there really was a boy just recently who discovered that a certain type of bug HAD crawled into his ear. Read it in the news. I had a definite EWWWWWWW moment reading that one.
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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:evil: Sue, that is really disconcerting about all those women. I’ll bet there are a lot of interesting Urban Legends from Canada that you could relate, eh? I know my Urban Legends book does have some listed for Canada and Europe as well.
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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Kim,
OY! I never heard one about ants in the hair but anything to do with bugs on me is something that makes me squeal!!! EWWWWWWW.
Denise seems to be doing a lot of EWWWWWW today. :)
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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Pam,
I know there are several sites now that debunk urban legends, but of course I can’t think of any of the URL’s right at this moment. :razz:
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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:roll: Randy, those darned bugs do seem to be a theme we’re all relating to very well, eh? :grin:
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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:razz: Zara,
Your adventures with your dad sound creative and fun. How neat!!
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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;-) Joyce,
Yepper, you’re not alone on the scary stories. I think women in general don’t like scary tales quite as much as men do. I’m one of those weird women who DOES like the scary stories. :shock:
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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:!: The winner of a trade paperback from my backlist is Zara!!!!!!!!! Congratulations. Please email me personally at danovelist@cox.net so we can discuss getting the book to you. :)
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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do we have a winner?
by kim h
on May 30th, 2007 at 11:59 am
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Hi everyone! I am so sorry! I thought I posted a note the other day on the winner and now I see it hasn’t shown up here. I apologize. :oops:
I’d picked Zara…and I wondered why she hadn’t gotten back with me yet. Zara, you’re the winner!!! Please email me at danovelist @ cox.net to claim your prize.
Thanks so much to everyone who participated.
Denise A. Agnew
Step off the edge…
Into dark, delicious adventure…
http://www.deniseagnew.com
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Wow, thanks so much Denise! I will send you an email. :grin:
Hugs, Zara
by Zara
on May 30th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
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wtg zara
by kim h
on May 31st, 2007 at 8:20 pm
