On the Trail of New England’s Vampires
Monday, October 24, 2011
Vampires continue to rule the airwaves and best-seller list, and Rhode Island can claim its very own tales of vampirism, according to Michael Bell.
Bell is the author of Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires, and he'll be describing the strange but true vampire tales from Rhode Island as well as the other New England states in a program sponsored by the Middletown Historical Society on October 29.
Mercy Brown, Rhode Island's own vampire
Bell is a folklorist who has consulted to the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. He began his pursuit of real vampire stories because of a fairly well-known tale from Rhode Island itself: that of Mercy Brown, whose story was shared with him by a descendent of the woman considered by contemporaries to have been an actual vampire.
Bell will recount the unnverving story of the 19th century vampire, as well as other explorations of vampirism in the region. It's a spooky quest for a spooky time. Don't miss it.
Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires, October 28, 5-8pm, Old Paradise School, 1 Prospect Ave, Middletown. The event is free, but nominal contributions (suggested $3 per person or $5 per family) to the Middletown Historical Society will be "gratefully accepted."
