Weird NJ has a story about Richie "The Boot" Boiardo on its website, since Richie was very influential in the development of the character of Tony Soprano, for those of you who are excited about "The Many Saints of Newark." If you want to explore a side of Richie further, check out my story about … Continue reading The Singular Boot of Livingston
Weird NJ
March 26: Penning the Paranormal
Tonight I'll be doing an author reading at the Oregon Ghost Conference's Penning the Paranormal event. It's from 7-8:30pm Pacific Time (10-11:30 Eastern). It's a Zoom event hosted by Jeff Davis (one of the Weird Washington and Weird Oregon authors) and you can sign up here. It's free, and looks like it will be fun.
Dirt Bike Memories of Richie the Boot
This interview originally appeared in Issue #43 of Weird NJ. The Livingston/Roseland area of the 1970s wasn’t quite what it is today. Where there are now office parks and pricey developments, there were once woods, trails, farms and open space—enough for the local kids to partake in long rides on dirt bikes. Among them were … Continue reading Dirt Bike Memories of Richie the Boot
Talking to Paranormal Prowlers
Yesterday I was on the Paranormal Prowlers Podcast, which is the first podcast I've done in ages. I talked a little about how I came across Weird NJ, the Weird Ghosts book, Clinton Road, and my experiences with sleep paralysis. And I did this while managing what is either the worst allergy season I've ever … Continue reading Talking to Paranormal Prowlers
Mr. Vester’s Safety Coffin
I originally wrote this story for Last Exit: Travels with Death in the Garden State, a special issue of Weird NJ that was published in 2009 and has long since been out of print. Seeing a reference to safety coffins on social media the other day prompted me to dust it off and share it … Continue reading Mr. Vester’s Safety Coffin
Weird Ghosts = Weird Hauntings
The book I worked on in 2006, Weird Hauntings, was out of print after having pretty decent sales in both hardcover and paperback (this was just before ebooks were a thing). Last year, my bosses at Weird NJ let me know that the publisher (not them) planned on re-issuing the book this fall. They were … Continue reading Weird Ghosts = Weird Hauntings
Jersey Derby story
If there is a sport I was healthy and badass enough to participate in, it would be roller derby. I spent a year or so traveling to games all over New Jersey and Pennsylvania (the pictures taken above come from a tournament held in PA). And what I saw were players working together to come … Continue reading Jersey Derby story
Following Annie
Yesterday I took a trip to two New Jersey towns--Blairstown and Hope--that were featured in scenes from the 1980 horror movie, Friday the 13th. Both appear early in the film, when we're following the perky and independent Annie, who signed on to be the cook at Camp Crystal Lake and is getting there on a … Continue reading Following Annie
An update on KD
About a year ago, I wrote about KD Cyr, a young woman and fellow lover of the weird who died in a car crash. I wanted to let you know that you can learn more about her through the website that her family created not only to mourn her loss but to also celebrate her … Continue reading An update on KD
Home State Hauntings now in print
Today I was surprised to find out that an eBook that features a lot of my writing and editing has become a printed "special issue" of Weird NJ. Home State Hauntings: True Stories of Ghostly Places in New Jersey is available through the magazine's online store, as well as their Amazon store. As you can … Continue reading Home State Hauntings now in print
joanne m. austin 
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