In recent news, I will be giving a lecture on March 3rd, 2023 at 5PM CET, 11AM EST titled “Manufacturing Cryptids.” This event is FREE and open to the public.

This presentation describes how animals with “contested existences” (cryptids) come to hold such a title. Cryptozoological species are more popular than ever in mainstream media. Comparatively, stories about threatened and endangered species are becoming increasingly popular and demonstrate a shifting relationship with wild animals due to effects of the climate crisis. Ahlstone tracks the motif patterns in legends of persistence in current cryptozoological species to predict which threatened and endangered species will be more and less likely to becomes cryptids themselves. Using the recently extinct thylacine as a guiding example, Ahlstone walks the audience through the features, stories, and material culture that help to create cryptids, and rationalize belief in their existence.

This lecture will be held virtually with the support of the ISFNR Belief Narrative Network. Please consider joining if you’re able, and watch my lecture later if not! I will make it available on YouTube.

Find more details about how to view my lecture here: http://isfnr.org/online-lectures/