SCHOOL SPIRITS: GHOST STORIES FROM ALABAMA'S COLLEGE CAMPUSES
Football season notwithstanding, “school spirit” will take
on a whole different meaning at the upcoming meeting of the Chattahoochee
Valley Historical Society.
The CVHS will hold its fall
quarterly meeting on October 20, at the Bradshaw Library in Valley, Alabama, beginning
at 3:00 pm ET. Featured speaker Dr. Alan
Brown will lecture on “School Spirits: Ghost Stories from Alabama’s College
Campuses”, a Roads Scholars’ presentation sponsored by the Alabama Humanities
Foundation.
During his
presentation, Brown will discuss the signature ghost stories from many of
Alabama’s colleges and universities, including Auburn, University of Alabama,
and Montevallo. According to Brown, most
of his stories were told to him by students and professors from the state’s
institutions of higher learning.
A professor
at the University of West Alabama, Brown has published and lectured extensively
in the field of American Literature. For
the past few years, his interest in Southern folklore has manifested itself in
several collections of Southern ghost stories.
His 1996 book, The Face in the
Window and Other Alabama Ghostlore, was the first in a series of more than a
dozen related publications, including Haunted
Georgia and Haunted Vicksburg.
Brown’s association with the Alabama
Humanities Foundation spans two decades.
He has spoken to groups throughout the state on a wide variety of
folklore topics. He has also been awarded
multiple research grants and led several teaching seminars for AHF as well.
In
addition, Brown has professional ties with the Alabama Writer’s Symposium, the
Alabama State Council of the Arts, The Alabama Historical Society, the Alabama
Folk Life Society, and the Popular Culture Association of the American South.
“Our
Historical Society seeks to offer the public a diverse range of historical
topics, including Southern folklore. With football fever rising and the
Halloween season approaching, Dr. Brown’s presentation should appeal to a wide
audience,” says CVHS program chair Malinda Powers.
As always, the public is invited
to attend and there is no charge. The
Bradshaw Library is located on Highway 29 in Valley, Alabama, approximately one
mile south of I-85 Exit 79. For
additional information on the historical society, including membership and
donation opportunities, visit the organization’s website at
www.cvhistoricalsociety.org.
