IN HIS OWN WORDS: Jeff Belanger, author Weird Massachusetts

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IN HIS OWN WORDS: Jeff Belanger, author Weird Massachusetts
March 25, 2009
Wicked Local East Bridgewater

Jeff Belanger’s childhood dream is a reality. He’s a writer. The Southbridge native, 34, turned his fascination with the paranormal into a career and penned the book Weird Massachusetts. He lives with his wife Megan and daughter Sophie, 2, in central Mass. A graduate of Hofstra University, with a bachelor’s degree in English, Belanger will be at the East Bridgewater Public Library, 32 Union St., Tuesday, March 31,at 7 p.m.. The event, which includes a slide show presentation and book signing, is sponsored by the Friends of the East Bridgewater Public Library.

How did you get into paranormal and historical subjects?

I’ve been interested in ghosts my whole life. I grew up in an old New England town called Newtown, Conn. From a young age, I had friends who were very matter-of-fact about their houses being haunted. In many cases these were historic homes that were over 200 years old. At age 10, I would have sleepovers at these houses and go looking for the ghosts. These “ghosts” weren’t like Hollywood – there was no blood dripping out of the walls – the families weren’t even afraid.

What do you like about them?

The paranormal touches on every facet of the human experience. Life. Death. What comes next? You have religion, belief, spirituality, psychology, myth, legend, folklore, and our past. To study ghosts is to study history, our ancestors, and our own inevitable fate. I’ve always been drawn to these big questions.

How do you research your books?

I can’t write about a subject until I’ve really digested the topic. I read all I can, I try to physically stand in the location where these legends “walk,” and I speak to as many people as possible. Because this is a human experience, I’m interested in the eyewitnesses. What do they think they saw, heard, or felt?

Has anything ever scared you while getting material together?

Yes. Living people. Some people really need help, though not always paranormal help. Not everything that bumps in the night is a ghost. People can be confused, have mental disorders, drug addictions, or simple wishful thinking. But, when you can rule all of those factors out of a given situation, then it gets interesting.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I wanted to be a writer.

What would you tell someone to help them overcome the fear of the paranormal?

It’s not always good to overcome your fear of the paranormal. By its very nature, the paranormal is a mystery, and we often fear what we don’t understand. But if you’re drawn to the subject, ask a lot of questions, educate yourself, and don’t ever think you know how it all works. You don’t. You can’t. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth exploring.