Welcome to my website
David Clarke is Associate Professor in the Department of Media Arts and Communication at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. He teaches media law and his research specialism is contemporary legend. Previously he worked as a journalist for The Sheffield Star and Yorkshire Post and spent four years working as a Press Officer in local government. His PhD in Folklore and was completed at the National Centre for English Cultural Tradition, University of Sheffield, in 1999. From 2008-13 he acted as consultant and curator of the MoD UFO files project with The National Archives. His books include The Angel of Mons (2004) and How UFOs Conquered the World: the history of a modern myth (2015). In 2018 he co-founded the Centre for Contemporary Legend at Sheffield Hallam University. This blog covers his twin research interests in journalism and folklore. The views expressed in the contents are entirely his own.
What is Folklore?
Once upon a time… ‘Folklore’ meant ancient ballads or fairy tales or the peculiar superstitions and customs of ‘primitive’ peoples. Today folklore is a tool for studying custom and belief, urban legends, modern myth and even rumours spread via the internet. Much folklore can be found online and buried in the narrative content of media and social networking - from legends and reports of ghosts, UFOs and 'big cats' to language, customs and traditions. The study of folklore is centrally and crucially important 'in our attempts to understand our own behaviour and that of our fellow human beings' according to one scholarly definition. Folklore is a vital and ongoing area of study and one of the few academic disciplines that engage, in a fundamental way, with everyday life.My Tweets
- @disclosureteam_ @davpea2 Before Section 40 of FOIA arrived in 2005 all names, addresses of witnesses were left in… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 day ago
- @disclosureteam_ @davpea2 Extended closure seems disproportionate. A person's name is not 'sensitive' personal info… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 day ago
- @disclosureteam_ @davpea2 TNA & MoD have redacted names & addresses of UFO witnesses (& of MoD officers) from all r… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 day ago
- RT @TheZignal: 🚨 Last trailer before launch. That’s right - it’s the final countdown! #Phenomenology launches on the 1st July! Watch it… 6 days ago
- RT @c_waudby: Music, colour, chaos.Brett Morgen's Moonage Daydream at the City Hall - 50 years after Ziggy Stardust appeared there. What a… 1 week ago
Blog Stats
- 749,006 hits
Snopes.com – Rumour has it…
- An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
Magonia Blog
- An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
Mark Pilkington & John Lundberg – Folklore & Deception in the UFO Age
- Mirage Men in The Guardian August 18, 2014
- Mirage Men Double Disc DVD June 16, 2014
- UFOs and F-14s over Iran May 2, 2014
- We have lift off! March 27, 2014
- Mirage Men revealed by Greenwald? February 25, 2014
Bob Sheaffer’s Bad UFOs
- An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
The Skeptic magazine
- Ooops! TWO errors in previous message! October 1, 2015
- October Spookiness! October 1, 2015
- Empirical Sex Talk on Dacryphilia, tonight October 1, 2015
- Little Atoms 393 – Timothy Snyder & Black Earth September 30, 2015
- Ash Pryce on "How to talk to the dead" @ Greenwich SitP, 7:30 pm, 7/10/15 September 30, 2015
Charles Fort Institute Blog
- An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
Curt Collins on saucers in pop culture
- Cash-Landrum UFO Disinformation: Rick Doty & Bill Moore June 22, 2022
- Bill Moore and UFO Disinformation Accusations April 29, 2022
- The Pentagon UFO Program: Documents Released April 7, 2022
- UFOs: The Long Black Road December 23, 2021
- Contact in Texas: The Lost UFO Photos November 18, 2021
Andrew May’s Forteana blog
- Pseudoscience and Science Fiction October 9, 2016
- Astronomical debunking October 2, 2016
- Contradiction - the All-Video Murder Mystery September 25, 2016
- Sacred Porn September 18, 2016
- Astronomical computers (old ones) September 11, 2016
Paul Kimball’s The Other Side of Truth: Don’t believe, don’t disbelieve. Think
- Nick Pope - Useful Idiot of the Far Right June 29, 2022
- Who Are They? What Do They Want? May 16, 2021
- An Empty Suit April 20, 2021
- Synchronicity, Irish Style September 9, 2019
- Project Blue Book - A Review January 28, 2019
Tag Archives: Paranormal America
Going ‘out there’ in SoCal: Fortean Traveller
One year ago, in June 2019, I spent a week on the road in southern California with friends Dr Tom Clark and Professor Chris Bader seeking out UFO contactee cults, quirky museums and modern ghost-hunters. Our account of the trip, … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Adam Gorightly, Aetherius Society, Council of Seven Lights, Creation and Earth History Museum, Dr David Clarke, Dr Tom King, El Cajon, electronic voice phenomena, EMF meters, EVP, Franz Critzer, George Adamski, George King, George Van Tassell, Giant Rock, Great White Brotherhood, Greg Bishop, Heaven's Gate, Hollywood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Mojave Desert, Mount Baldy, New Religious Movements, Orange county, Paranormal America, Professor Chris Bader, RMS Queen Mary, Ruth Norman, San Andreas fault, SoCal, The Integratron, UFO contactees, Unarius Academy of Science
Leave a comment