Paul Cowdell
paulcowdell@hcommons.social
<p>I research (library & field), write on, & talk about folklore. Am proud to have been described as an 'expert in morbid eschatology' and a 'cannibalism celebrity'.</p>
Posts
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Post #2304606
I believe this is the first time I have ever been picture-captioned as a #folklorist, so I&#39;ll take that as a win, even if the article then doesn&#39;t say anything more about it. It was a real privilege to be part of the New #Carnival Company&#39;s 2026 launch last week. https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/25834061.iw-mardi-gras-2026-carnival-kicks-off-theme-reveal/ #folklore
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Post #2304605
The two best #storytellers on the #isleofwight are doing another joint show 26 Feb. This one combines their solo shows from last year&#39;s #VentnorFringe, both of which were absolute knockouts. I highly recommend this. https://www.facebook.com/events/1544986679915808/ #storytelling
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Post #2304604
A friend and I have been talking about our regrets at #books not bought over the years. I hadn&#39;t seen myself as bibliomanic, but the exchange exposed some unhealthy truths. (I still rue an edition of Thucydides I didn&#39;t buy when I was 17). Her summary is spot on: We are the folk whose unbought books will forever whisper to us &quot;Never let me go&quot; #bookstodon
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Post #2304603
@slevelt Songhoy Blues?
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Post #2304602
@slevelt I don&#39;t listen to much radio, so it was a wild punt, but glad you like it!
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Post #2304601
On this verge the finite mind must pause https://poundhammers.blogspot.com/2026/04/on-this-verge-finite-mind-must-pause.html #surrealism
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Post #2304600
There being no straightforward paths into #folklore, I&#39;m not particularly surprised to find myself constantly revisiting my youthful background in #Classics, which trained me intellectually more than I perhaps realised at the time. I wasn&#39;t much about Late Antiquity in those studies, so the work of Averil Cameron didn&#39;t loom so large for me. The responses to her death, however, have brought home a significance well beyond even her expertise. This great autobiographical...
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Post #2304599
The Doctrine of Werewolves #surrealism #poetry https://poundhammers.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-doctrine-of-werewolves.html
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Post #2304598
CfP for the latest in the joint Folklore Society/Royal Anthropological Institute &#39;#Folklore and #Anthropology in Conversation&#39; seminar series. ‘When Loud Rumour Speaks’: Informal communication in the modern online world In-person seminar, Thurs, 15 Oct 2026, 10:00-17:00, London CfP open till 30 Jun https://www.folklore-society.com/event/call-for-papers-when-loud-rumour-speaks-informal-communication-in-the-modern-online-world-the-tenth-folklore-society--royal-anthropological-...
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Post #2304597
I finally got over to the reopened #Southampton City #Art Gallery at the weekend. I&#39;d gone for the #PaulDelvaux #IthellColquhoun, but this #EmmaRichardson show caught me by surprise with its marvellousness. Highly recommended, and I&#39;ll be back before it ends. https://southamptoncityartgallery.com/whats-on/emma-richardson-levitate-me-desire-ecstasy-and-the-sublime/
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Post #290058
I&#39;ve just seen the stat that average US #reading level is 7th-8th grade (ie age 12-14). I started looking for coverage, and came across this in one summary: &#39;Americans are reading at a fewer rate every year.&#39; I begin to see the scale of the problem.