Loren Coleman
Encyclopedia
Loren Coleman is an author of books on a number of topics, including cryptozoology
, who was born in 1947 in Norfolk, Virginia
and grew up in Decatur, Illinois
.
and zoology
at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
, and psychiatric social work at the Simmons College School of Social Work in Boston. He did further studies in anthropology at Brandeis University
and sociology
at the University of New Hampshire
. Coleman taught at New England universities from 1980 to 2004, also having been a senior researcher at the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Policy from 1983 to 1996, before retiring from teaching to write, lecture, and consult.
. An editor of the Skeptical Inquirer
said that "[a]mong monster hunters, Loren's one of the more reputable, but I'm not convinced that what cryptozoologists seek is actually out there." He has appeared on television and radio interviews about cryptid
s. He has written articles and books on cryptozoology and other Fortean topics. He was a publicity consultant on The Mothman Prophecies
.
Coleman has carried out fieldwork throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, regarding sightings, trace evidence, and Native peoples' traditions of Sasquatch/Windigo/Bigfoot. He has written on Yeti and Bigfoot expedition sponsor Tom Slick
and appeared on NPR discussing the death of Grover Krantz
. Coleman has won awards for this documentary and literary work.
Paraview Press introduced a series of books, "Loren Coleman Presents" in 2004. Coleman wrote introductions to volumes in the series.
Coleman contributed to the exhibition "Cryptozoology: Out of Time Place Scale," shown at Bates College Museum of Art
(June 24 - October 8, 2006) and at the H & R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute (October 28 - December 20, 2006). He delivered the keynote address, "An Introduction to Cryptozoology," at the symposium at Bates College in October 2005, and gave a similar talk at the American Museum of Natural History
in 2007.
Coleman is also a contributor/coauthor to the 2006 Bates exhibition catalogue and book, Cryptozoology: Out of Time Place Scale (JRP/Ringier Books, Switzerland, 2006). He also wrote the essay “Cryptids” for Alexis Rockman
. (Monacelli Press, 2005).
The first public location for the museum opened in November 2009, occupying the rear of The Green Hand Bookshop, a Portland
general used bookshop specializing in weird fiction. On October 30, 2011, two years after moving onto Congress Street, it re-opened in a much larger space around the corner at 11 Avon Street, although it is still located in the Trelawny Building.
The museum was named Yankee
magazine's "Best Quirky Museum" in their Maine Best Attractions 2010 list.
s among the young, as well as the possibility of clusters and the influence of media coverage, leading to his writing of The Copycat Effect. He has been called on for statements in the aftermath of school shootings and how best to respond to the problem.
Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
, who was born in 1947 in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
and grew up in Decatur, Illinois
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
.
Education
Coleman studied anthropologyAnthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system...
, and psychiatric social work at the Simmons College School of Social Work in Boston. He did further studies in anthropology at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
and sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
. Coleman taught at New England universities from 1980 to 2004, also having been a senior researcher at the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Policy from 1983 to 1996, before retiring from teaching to write, lecture, and consult.
Cryptozoology
Coleman writes on popular culture, animal mysteries, folklore, and cryptozoologyCryptozoology
Cryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
. An editor of the Skeptical Inquirer
Skeptical Inquirer
The Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry with the subtitle: The magazine for science and reason....
said that "[a]mong monster hunters, Loren's one of the more reputable, but I'm not convinced that what cryptozoologists seek is actually out there." He has appeared on television and radio interviews about cryptid
Cryptid
In cryptozoology and sometimes in cryptobotany, a cryptid is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely. Famous examples include the Yeti in the Himalayas and the Loch Ness Monster in...
s. He has written articles and books on cryptozoology and other Fortean topics. He was a publicity consultant on The Mothman Prophecies
The Mothman Prophecies (film)
The Mothman Prophecies is a 2002 psychological horror film directed by Mark Pellington, based on the 1975 book of the same name by parapsychologist and Fortean author John Keel. The screenplay was written by Richard Hatem...
.
Coleman has carried out fieldwork throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, regarding sightings, trace evidence, and Native peoples' traditions of Sasquatch/Windigo/Bigfoot. He has written on Yeti and Bigfoot expedition sponsor Tom Slick
Tom Slick
Thomas Baker "Tom" Slick, Jr. was a San Antonio, Texas based inventor, businessman, adventurer, and heir to an oil business. Slick's father, Thomas Baker Slick, Sr., a.k.a. "The King of the Wildcatters", had made a fortune during the Texas oil boom of the 1920s.-Career:During the 1950s, Slick was...
and appeared on NPR discussing the death of Grover Krantz
Grover Krantz
Grover Sanders Krantz was a professor of physical anthropology at Washington State University, perhaps most famous to the general public as one of the few scientists not only to research Bigfoot, but also to express his belief in the cryptid's existence...
. Coleman has won awards for this documentary and literary work.
Paraview Press introduced a series of books, "Loren Coleman Presents" in 2004. Coleman wrote introductions to volumes in the series.
International Cryptozoology Museum
Coleman established his International Cryptozoology Museum in 2003 in Portland, Maine.Coleman contributed to the exhibition "Cryptozoology: Out of Time Place Scale," shown at Bates College Museum of Art
Bates College Museum of Art
The Bates College Museum of Art is an art museum at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.-History:The Bates College Art Museum was founded in 1955 as the Treat Gallery in the newly constructed Pettigrew Building at Bates College. Norma Berger, the niece of Marsden Hartley, a notable Maine artist,...
(June 24 - October 8, 2006) and at the H & R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute (October 28 - December 20, 2006). He delivered the keynote address, "An Introduction to Cryptozoology," at the symposium at Bates College in October 2005, and gave a similar talk at the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
in 2007.
Coleman is also a contributor/coauthor to the 2006 Bates exhibition catalogue and book, Cryptozoology: Out of Time Place Scale (JRP/Ringier Books, Switzerland, 2006). He also wrote the essay “Cryptids” for Alexis Rockman
Alexis Rockman
Alexis Rockman is an American contemporary artist known for his paintings that provide rich depictions of future landscapes as they might exist with impacts of climate change and evolution influenced by genetic engineering. He has exhibited his work in the United States since 1985, including a...
. (Monacelli Press, 2005).
The first public location for the museum opened in November 2009, occupying the rear of The Green Hand Bookshop, a Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
general used bookshop specializing in weird fiction. On October 30, 2011, two years after moving onto Congress Street, it re-opened in a much larger space around the corner at 11 Avon Street, although it is still located in the Trelawny Building.
The museum was named Yankee
Yankee (magazine)
Yankee Magazine was founded in 1935 and is based in Dublin, New Hampshire. It is the only magazine devoted to New England through its coverage of travel, home, food, and features...
magazine's "Best Quirky Museum" in their Maine Best Attractions 2010 list.
Copycat Effect
Coleman has a masters in social work and acts as a consultant for the Maine Youth Suicide Program. A specific concern is murder-suicideMurder-suicide
A murder–suicide is an act in which an individual kills one or more other persons before or at the same time as killing himself or herself. The combination of murder and suicide can take various forms, including:...
s among the young, as well as the possibility of clusters and the influence of media coverage, leading to his writing of The Copycat Effect. He has been called on for statements in the aftermath of school shootings and how best to respond to the problem.
External links
- Website of Coleman's The Copycat Effect (now called Twilight Language)
- Cryptomundo (Coleman's cryptozoology blog)