Customer Reviews

Weird N.J.: Your Travel Guide to New Jersey's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets

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Weird NJ is a fun, funky book of legends and folklore about the Garden State. Written by Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran, it started as a journal, evolved into a magazine and has now morphed into a popular book (in New Jersey, anyway).

Most readers have heard about the Jersey Devil and UFO's. But Weird NJ goes way beyond these "mainstream" oddities. The stories in Weird NJ were gathered over ten years. The authors claim that they like to "churn up the historical muck" and that "when the line between history and legend begins to blur is the tightrope we like to tread." Many of the stories came from readers, and it is to them this book is dedicated.

The authors take us on quite a journey. We would expect monsters, ghosts and haunted houses. But Sceurman and Moran bring us even further. The chapters are broken down into such topics as Ancient Mysteries, Unexplained Phenomena, Local Heroes and Villains, Cemetery Safari, Roadside Oddities, Roads Less Traveled and Abandoned NJ (to name just some of them). Most of the stories also include pictures and drawings. We see a Stone Living Room and a house shaped like a cookie jar. The authors try to find the fabled midget village and tribes of albinos. We see a mystery lake in the Pine Barrens called the Blue Hole, and the Gates of Hell in Clifton. There is just so much here to keep you entertained.

My only complaint about Weird NJ is that most of the stories take place in North Jersey (South Jersey gets slighted once again). Also, I felt the authors could have done a little more to separate fact from fiction in some instances. But despite these minor flaws, I plan on giving a number of these books for Christmas this year. I know that they'll be a big hit.

Have you ever wondered if there is a pair of dancing underwear out there somewhere in the world?. How about a mattress flying across a road late one night from nowhere?. Have you ever thought about a retired gym teacher who buys your old, smelly socks from you?. If you have, then boy are you in luck!. Those are just the tip of the iceberg of all the goodies and treats that await you in this fun, fascinating, and mind boggingly interesting read. The two Mark's, Sceurman and Moran, are two guys who started the Weird N.J. magazine years ago. A magazine that first started out as a pamphlet of all the oddities and mysteries and what have you in their home state of New Jersey. It became a magazine, and now it has gone into books, spreading their incredible weirdness for everyone to see and get hooked. The books are nicely designed, and have some incredible photographs, as well as some amazing artwork. The authors tell the reader in the beginning that this is not necessarily a book of facts. Things here are not proven or disproven. They are told, and the rest is up to you. It serves as a travel guide, but some places are not given directions too out of the area's privacy, or your own safety. The book is filled with amazing stories from different sections. Here they are. First up is the section "Local Legends", which is a chapter that deals with ongoing legends or myths in certain areas. Stories like Demon's Alley, and The Devil's Tower. After that is a small section on "The Gates Of Hell", places where people believe will lead you to the warm place. Next up is "Ancient Mysteries", a chapter on areas and structures that are shrouded in mystery as to their origin. The next section is "Fabled People And Places", a chapter about interesting people in history and folklore, that includes an albino village and a town for midgets!. Then we have "Unexplained Phenomena", a chapter which I think is easily explainable on it's own. UFO's and other, well, unexplained phenomena. "Bizarre Beasts" details all the odd and scary creatures of unknown origin in the areas of NJ. "Local Heroes And Legends" is a part about people known locally for being weird, odd, eccentric, and/or just plain infamous. This section includes murderer John List. "Personalized Properties" shows you the yards, or homes, of peoples' residences that the owners have decorated. "Roadside Oddities" details those odd and cool little things you find off the beaten path. "Roads Less Traveled" chronicles the weird roads, back roads, and side streets you wouldn't want to travel down at night. "Garden State Ghosts" is a big favorite. Telling stories of ghosts and hauntings. Sure enough to leave you with the light on when you go to bed after reading it. "Cemetery Safari" is an interesting section showing all the weird and interesting final resting places and gravestones of the deceased. "Abandoned In New Jersey" is the last creepy chapter. Telling us about those old, decrepid, worn down buildings, homes, etc. that lay empty for years and develop their own stories and mystiques over the years. There is always something creepy about abandoned places. I got the "Weird U.S." book first, before I even knew this book existed. If you got the "U.S." book first, then you will find some of the same stories in here. But before you skip those, I must tell you that even tho some same stories are in here, there are some new stories about them that weren't in the other book, so it is still worth reading the same stories. I am so glad I discovered these books, because before I had never heard of them. They are a blast from start to finish. You cannot beat it's reporting, it's history, it's pictures, or the fascination of it all. The "Weird U.S." one is bigger and even better. So, don't deprive yourself any longer. Get these two books and curl up and discover the weirdness that surrounds us all.

This book is definitely a must-have for any borderline-eccentric New Jerseyans who are in to strange / off-the-wall stuff about the Garden State. It's definitely one of those "I couldn't put it down" type of books. Oh yeah, it's a bit creepy too. Enjoy!

New Jersey folkie John Gorka sings of his home state as being "like Ohio, but only more so". Author/editors Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran disagree. It's like Transylvania.
Or Roswell. Or an X-Files episode.

Sceurman and Moran, co-creators of Weird New Jersey
Magazine want the world to know that the Garden State is more
than strip malls and toxic waste dumps. For the past ten years, the two Marks have documented all manner of unusual characters,
events and legends unique to their state. This book is based
upon the magazine.

In it, you'll find accounts of UFOs, true crimes, bizarre architecture, gravity roads (where the laws of physics are
mysteriously suspended), hauntings, local eccentrics, and, of course, the Jersey Devil.

While all the stories are interesting, many of the contributors' first-person tales of encounters with the unexplained strectch credibility to the breaking point.

But it is not the authors' intention to proveor disprove anything-only to give the reader a sense of what gives their much-maligned state its character (where else, after all, could you find a Double Trouble State Park)?

Though Weird New Jersey bills itself as a travel guide,
it reads more like a folklore collection. As in all mythology,
the same site, event or phenomena can generate multiple explanations. The authors leave judging the merits of each explanation up to the reader.

My only quibble is that the Southern portion of the state
(just as weird as the rest), is largely ignored.

Weird New Jersey will give you all the material you will
ever need for stories to tell around your next campfire. It makes a perfect Halloween gift.

"Sigh". Well, I am on my way back to Scotland after a series of lectures in California. I tell you, it was exhausting but very gratifying. I was nervous a little bit addressing the California Farm Owner's Association. I shouldn't have been. I was only pelted with 2 oranges and an artichoke. So that, in my book, is a huge success. I am now at a stop over at Philadelphia International Airport and plan to spend the night here until tomorrow afternoon when I can catch a flight to Glasgow.

Before I came to this hotel though, a flower power child greeted me and gave me a book. She had long grey hair and wrinkles. I hope she hasn't been hanging out here since the 60's! Besides, where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing? Hmmm...a book but no chrysanthemum? Well, I guess times change. Makes one wonder though. Think about it. The CEOs of corporations today could have been some hippy on a bad trip at Woodstock. And you ask me why the world is a mess??

Anyway, I am now snug in my room and writing on the Hotel computer since I entrusted Guido with my laptop for a short time. I had to. It's the least I could do since he did introduce me to Lady Gaga's music. I am sure he'll write a good review.

But onwards with this discussion. The book she gave me was "Weird N.J." written by these two guys, Mark Sceurman and Mark Moran. Two young men who have made a career out of collecting weird stories, folktales, and strange things about the State of N.J. At first I was hesitant. After all. there was a picture of these two guys and they both had strategic sunglasses on so they looked ominous somehow. I was relieved to find out it was merely a public relations stunt.

But people, after 4 hours of reading this, I have to tell you how interesting the tales are that they've compiled here. Very unique! I mean, I honestly did not expect much from a State that looks like a squashed Mr. Peanut and that has the lowest car insurance premium in the nation. No. I didn't expect much, but was I fooled!

If you believe that real life is stranger than fiction, then this is the book for you. It seems the two Marks have done a lot of work and investigation into the oddities of New Jersey, and, believe me, there are many. The book has many chapters and I will mention a few here. You have local legends, bizarre beasts, unexplained phenomena, Roadside Oddities, and Garden State Ghosts just to name a few.

I have to say, these guys uncover a lot of things here. Things that, I daresay, even the residents are not aware of. They have their own beast like the Loch Ness Monster called the Jersey Devil. It seems this thing has been flying around New Jersey for centuries. They even named their hockey team after it. There's a type of people here called the "Jackson Whites" who are supposed to be a mix of all races that got intermingled over time. Lee Van Cleef, the actor, was one. He had two different coloured eyes, which was a trait of these people.

They take you all over the State to find out so many things. They look for Midgetville, a community where small people from Vaudeville and the circus lived. They reveal roadside statues like the 15 foot women and a Sinclair Dinosaur. They tell you about haunted roads and ghosts that linger there. They show you a cemetary headstone which a stone cutter made into a full sized Mercedes Benz! People, I am good at making stuff up, but your poor Seer couldn't make this up on his best day!

One story that I get chills about is Antoine Le Blanc, a frenchman that came to America in 1833 and worked on a farm in Morristown. Well, hard work and no pay made Mr. Le Blanc very angry indeed. So he killed the couple that owned the farm and their servant. Well, he got caught and they hanged him. But, they didn't stop there. But, what they did afterwards was even more horrible. But I'm not going to tell you. If you enjoy reading quirky, unique, fascinating material (and you must since you are here), I would pick up a copy of this book immediately (and, if not, tomorrow will do).

It is my understanding that this book has spawned a host of many other volumes such as "Weird New York", "Weird Pennsylvania", "Weird U.S.A." etc. etc. This leads me to believe that there is money to be made here. So I better get back home and start to write "Weird Scotland". Wow, the things you would learn about the Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth catfight! But, read this book first. You'll be glad you did.

My plane tomorrow is made out of Hershey Bar wrappers. Hope I make it home!

Metamorpho ;)

What a better way to show off your weirdness than placing this book on your coffee table? For fans of the magazine, this is a compliation of the most popular stories out of the magazine, compiled with author's notes and great artwork.

Although it doesn't have as much information as an issue of the magazine, the book has a wider span of topics, complete with articles and photos, as well as stories that weren't featured in the magazine.

The price is great too, cheaper than most normal hardcovers. Plus there's an index, so if you're looking for something specific, it can be easily found (try doing that with the magazines).

For those of you who haven't read the magazine, this book is all about what makes New Jersey weird: UFO's, ghosts, scary places, strange people, etc. The book mainly consists of reader's own experiences (also the basis for the magazine). So if you know a WNJ fan, or someone who just lives in New Jersey (or someone who wishes they did), this is a great gift.

I suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder, so when I tell you I'm into Weird NJ, I mean I'M INTO Weird NJ. I own every issue available, plus all the specials, have had numerous letters and articles published in recent issues, and have a database of nearly 500 places to visit that have been in the magazine.

I even run a website about my adventures looking for the things that have been in the magazine. www.lostinjersey.com. I recently asked the Marks at their last book signing if I was their most obssesive fan and they said I ranked pretty high.

So I must say I wasn't expecting anything new in the book, I expected it to simply be a collection of their best work. I was half right. It was indeed a collection of the best, most intriguing stories, but to say there was nothing new would be wrong.

The book really lays out WHY these stories have meaning, and more importantly why they don't investigate ever story presented. Mark Scuerman said at a book signing that they believe that they (and thus the magazine) function in much the same role as the boy scout campfire might have 20 years ago. The magazine is a place where stories can be passed down to others so that they may be told again and again and live on. Every town has an eccentric local like waving willie, or a house that is abandoned because something strange or unusual happened years ago. We've all heard urban legends, but these are different because these are unique to this area. "There is only one Devil's Tower in the US." Mark S quipped. Are the stories of albino attacks in Clifton in the 60's true? Does it really matter? What matters is the stories themselves and how those stories had a life of their own in the hearts and minds of Cliftonites (and those in nearby towns)

Some of the stories in Weird NJ are completely preposterous and yet it doesn't matter. Many times the Marks will investigate if something seems worthy, other times readers are left to decide on their own what to believe. Is the NPDC (aka Skillman) a creepy former mental hospital? Yes. DId one reader find the morgue? His story seems sketchy but I belive from my own experience he did because I almost found it myself. Did another reader get ambushed by someone with an ax while visitng Skillman? I highly doubt it, yet all these tales add to the fabric of our lives. "we all need tales like these" said Mark S. And Weird NJ is the magazine that keeps those stories alive.

It was inevitable that there would be a WNJ book, the qurestion was when and would it be a quality product? Well the 2nd question is rather stupid because the Marks dont do anything half-@$$ed so it really was just if and when.

The book really is coffee table worthy. A solid beautiful looking book, it's filled with all their most memorable stories and tales, often with new letters or reworked explanations, and all with beautiful graphics and photos. I am proud to have this in my collection (and of course I HAD to have it because of my OCD!) If you've read the magazine it's like a trip down memory lane only there the trails are more vibrant and colorful then you remember...

And if you haven't read the magazine ever, you're in for a real treat. It may just inspire you to go looking for the devil's tower, and to try driving around it backwrds 3x at midnight, jsut to see what happens. Or maybe you'll want to go for a hike in West MIlford, looking for the downed jet or the stone living room.

It's addictive I tell ya (and that's not the OCD talking...)

I received this as a gift from a close friend. As one who was born and mostly raised in Jersey, it really explains a lot about me and my family. The book was terrifically funny, and also gives some great insight into the experience of growing up "Jersey". After reading this, I think I have a greater appreciation for midwesterner's weird reaction to ME. A must have for those among us who still pine away for life in Jersey in the 50's and 60's and beyond. You can take the kid out of Jersey, but you can't take Jersey out of the kid, and this book brings it all home.
A Midwest Transplant

this book is worth a look. While I can't add anything to what has already been said about the interesting contents, I'd like to comment on how beautifully designed the book is. I was really impressed with the look of it. And I wish somebody would do a book like this about my neck of the woods!

If you like reading the Weird N.J. magazines you'll love this over 200 page book. It covers ufo sightings and local legends like the Jersey devil. There's also sections devoted to unique properties in the state, cemeteries, local heros and villains, spooky abandoned places, and more. There's lots of photos and drawings in here too. I was a little dissapointed that south Jersey isn't covered much in here.