Loren Coleman

This article is about the cryptozoologist. For the science-fiction writer, see Loren L. Coleman.
Loren Coleman
Born July 12, 1947 (age 68)
Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Nationality American
Subject Cryptozoology, Forteana, folklore, psychology
Notable works Mysterious America
The Copycat Effect
Years active 1960–present
Website
www.lorencoleman.com

Loren Coleman (born July 12, 1947) is an American cryptozoologist who has written over 40 books on a number of topics, including cryptozoology.[1]

Early life and education

Coleman was born in Norfolk, Virginia, grew up in Decatur, IL and graduated in 1965 from MacArthur High School.[2] He studied anthropology and zoology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale,[3] and psychiatric social work at the Simmons College School of Social Work in Boston. He did further studies in doctoral-level 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.

Cryptozoology

Coleman writes on popular culture, animal mysteries, folklore, and cryptozoology. An editor of the Skeptical Inquirer said, "[a]mong monster hunters, Loren's one of the more reputable, but I'm not convinced that what cryptozoologists seek is actually out there."[4] He has appeared on television and radio interviews about cryptids. He has written articles and books on cryptozoology and other Fortean topics. He was a publicity consultant on The Mothman Prophecies.[3]

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.

International Cryptozoology Museum

Coleman established his Cryptozoology Museum in 2003 in Portland, Maine.[3][5]

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 downtown location for the museum opened in November 2009, occupying the rear of The Green Hand Bookshop, a Portland general used bookshop specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and other forms of Gothic fiction.[6] 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.[7] During mid-2016, a newly built museum, located at Thompson's Point, Portland, Maine, is schedule to open.

The museum was named Yankee magazine's "Best Quirky Museum" in their Maine Best Attractions 2010 list.[8]

In October 2010, MSNBC and Concierge.com, in conjunction with research from Atlas Obscura, announced their picks for “7 of the World’s Weirdest Museums.” The Travel/Travel Destinations feature was posted widely online.

The Museum was noted as the most unique museum (one and only) to visit in the “Best of USA” picks in the May 2011 issue of Reader’s Digest.

Channel 5 Boston placed the International Cryptozoology Museum on their “Top Ten” list at #4, in its “Top Ten Reasons Maine Is Tops,” for 2011.

The Museum was picked for CNN’s 2011 list of “15 of the World’s Weirdest Museums.”

The ICM was picked as one of the top five “Kid-Friendly Museums” in New England, in January 2012, by Yankee Magazine.

We were voted the #1 ”Best Place for Family Entertainment” in 2012’s Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram’s 26th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

In February 2014, Moco-Choco placed us on their list of “Weird and Unusual Museums.”

May 18, 2014 was International Museum Day. In recognition of the day, Time Magazine published a broadly disseminated article, “10 Weird Museums of the World.” On the list, the International Cryptozoology Museum was named #7.

The June 2014 article, “10 Museums You Need To Visit On Your Next Road Trip Across America,” by Diply/Different Solutions, listed in “no specific order,” the Museum as #1.

In March 2015, Travel & Leisure published their list of “20 Quirkiest Cities in America” included a prominent mention of the Museum.

The Copycat Effect

Coleman has a masters in social work and acts as a consultant for the Maine Youth Suicide Program.[4] A specific concern is murder-suicides among the young, as well as the possibility of clusters and the influence of media coverage,[9] leading to his writing of The Copycat Effect.[10] He has been called on for statements in the aftermath of school shootings and how best to respond to the problem.[11][12][13]

Personal

Coleman has been married three times, from 1968-1978, from 1980-1995, and from 2013–present. He has three sons and resides in Portland, ME.[14]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171129/bio
  2. ↑ Tracking what's hidden.Decatur Herald & Review, January 31, 1999
  3. 1 2 3 Renowned cryptozoologist got his start at SIUC.The Southern, October 26, 2005
  4. 1 2 On Bigfoot's Trail, The Boston Globe, February 26, 2006
  5. ↑ Hideous Objects Become Museum Art, ABC News, September 9, 2003
  6. ↑ The Green Hand reaches toward mystery, Portland Daily Sun, September 22, 2009
  7. ↑ Crypto museum opens in new location, WLBZ, October 30, 2011
  8. ↑ "Maine Best Attractions 2010". Yankee. May–June 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  9. ↑ Expert predicted 'cluster' of school shootings, CTV
  10. ↑ Cycles of news and violence, The Boston Globe, November 14, 2004
  11. ↑ Empty threats and real killings tend to follow U.S. shooting sprees, experts, International Herald Tribune, April 20, 2007
  12. ↑ Need-to-know vs. sensationalism, Toronto Star, April 20, 2007
  13. ↑ Colleges confront shootings with survival training, The Guardian, August 26, 2008
  14. ↑ Loren Coleman.MacArthur HS Blog, July 12, 2010

External links

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