Jan Harold Brunvand

Jan Harold Brunvand
Born (1933-03-23) March 23, 1933 (age 91)
Cadillac, Michigan, U.S.
Occupations
Spouse
Judith Brunvand
​
(m. 1956)​
Awards
Academic background
Alma mater
ThesisThe Taming of the Shrew: A Comparative Study of Oral and Literary Versions (1961)
Doctoral advisorRichard Dorson
Academic work
DisciplineFolklorist
Institutions
Notable works
  • The Vanishing Hitchhiker
  • The Study of American Folklore: An Introduction

Jan Harold Brunvand (born March 23, 1933) is an American retired folklorist, researcher, writer, public speaker, and professor emeritus of English at the University of Utah.[3]

Brunvand is best known for popularizing the concept of the urban legend, a form of modern folklore or story telling. Urban legends are "too good to be true" stories[4] that travel by word of mouth, by print, or by the internet and are attributed to an FOAF: friend of a friend.[4][5][6] "Urban legends," Brunvand says, "have a persistent hold on the imagination because they have an element of suspense or humor, they are plausible and they have a moral."[6]

Though criticized for the "popular" rather than "academic" orientation of his books, The Vanishing Hitchhiker and others,[7] Brunvand felt that it was a "natural and worthwhile part of his job as a folklorist to communicate the results of his research to the public."[8]

For his lifetime dedication to the field of folklore, which included radio and television appearances, a syndicated newspaper column, and over 100 publications (articles, books, notes and reviews),[9] Brunvand is considered to be "the legend scholar with the greatest influence on twentieth-century media."[10]

  1. ^ "Jan Harold Brunvand". gf.org. John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Jan Brunvand". fulbrightscholars.org. Fulbright Scholar Program. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  3. ^ Helmer, Dona J. (Winter 2001). "Encyclopedia of Urban Legends by Jan Harold Brunvand". Reference and User Services Quarterly. 41 (2). American Library Association: 191, 193. JSTOR 41241093.
  4. ^ a b O'Brien, Joan (22 August 1999). "For Jan Brunvand Two Decades of Reading his 'Myth-Meter'". The Salt Lake City Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. p. D1.
  5. ^ Nicolini, Mary B. (December 1989). "Is There a FOAF in Your Future? Urban Folk Legends in Room 112". The English Journal. 78 (8). National Council of Teachers of English: 81–84. doi:10.2307/819495. JSTOR 918495.
  6. ^ a b Jensen, Joyce (8 April 2000). "Old urban legends never die (but they don't get any truer)". The New York Times. No. Late Edition (East Coast). New York, NY. p. B.9.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Null, Elizabeth was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Brunvand, Jan Harold (2003) was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference World Skeptics Conference 2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Lindahl, Carl, "Some Legendary Takes on Hurricane Katrina", American Folklore Society, March 7, 2012