On this week's episode of Local Legends Martin chats with a champion of Connecticut, folklorist, scholar, author, and tenured Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Stephen Olbrys Gencarella.Stephen’s work explores the intersection of folklore studies, rhetorical criticism, and performance studies, with a strong emphasis on the cultural history, legends, and eccentricities of New England.At UMass Amherst, his research advocates for "critical folklore studies" using the analysis of expressive culture to examine and address social injustice, critique anti-democratic behaviour, and explore political anxieties across time and place.He serves as the Resident Folklorist at the Connecticut River Museum in Essex, Connecticut, and has authored several books including, “Wicked Weird & Wily Yankees: A Celebration of New England's Eccentrics and Misfits” published in 2018, “Spooky Trails and Tall Tales Connecticut" from 2019, and “Spooky Trails and Tall Tales Massachusetts" published 2021.So, settle in around our intercontinental campfire, perhaps one illuminated by a great carbuncle, stolen by a wizard, sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic, for a conversation about conservation, reinvention, the implicitly political nature of folklore, and the passion people have that keeps it alive, with a true Local Legend.And yes, this episode is a long one - but by crikey is it worth it!Learn more about Stephen and find links to many of the organizations he mentions across the interview here.About Three Ravens 🔮Three Ravens is a completely independent English myth and folklore podcast where we share stories, celebrate folk culture, and fall backwards through the hedgerows of history.Hosted by real-life couple Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux, and mostly recorded at our home in rural Sussex in southern England, Three Ravens is rated 4.8/5 from over 500 reviews and has grown by word of mouth care of our lovely listener community ‘The Conspiracy of Ravens.’We release three episodes a week, on Mondays, Thursday and Saturdays, through which we explore folktales, folkways, fairy stories, folk songs, mythology, local heritage, seasonal customs and traditional beliefs.Our research inspires our retellings of stories from across history and culture, with episodes standing alone but connected together across over 500 chatty, mostly light-hearted, swear-free installments driven by passion, kindness and curiosity.Now ranked as an all-time Top 5 podcast across several categories by Goodpods, charting in the Spotify, Apple and Rephonic UK Fiction Top 10 across 2024, 2025 and 2026, if you’re interested in ghosts, monsters, regional beliefs, and the things that unite us all, then join us round the campfire and listen in…Join the Conspiracy of Ravens ✨🌐 Official Website: Visit the Three Ravens Podcast Official Site to sign up for our mailing list, explore our episode catalogue, and enjoy our blog!🎤 Three Ravens Live: Find tickets and news about our upcoming live shows!🛒 Shop: Buy our books and exclusive Three Ravens Merch including mugs, tote bags, tees and hoodies from our Online Shop👑 Patreon: Support the show and unlock ad free listening, monthly Patreon exclusive episodes, the Three Ravens Film Club, our community chat and newsletters at the Three Ravens Patreon📚 Our First Book: Buy our stunning hardback collection of 39 historic stories Three Ravens Folk Tales👻 Our Second Book: Order our brand new hair-raising host of 20 original ghost stories Three Ravens Ghost Tales 🏴 Our Third Book: Preorder our upcoming collection of Welsh regional legends Three Ravens Folk Tales of Wales coming to all good bookshops on St David's Day (March 1st) 2027📱 Socials: Follow our adventures and help us grow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTokRETHINK THE WAY YOU DRINK WITH OUR PARTNER THREE SPIRIT - USE OFFER CODE THREE RAVENS FOR A 15% DISCOUNT AT CHECKOUTOur Linktree to all things Three Ravens Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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