Friends of the Library Presents Fall Lecture on Slender Man, Other 'Creepypasta' Digital Folklore

LOGAN, Utah — Friends of the Merrill-Cazier Library invites the community to a gripping fall lecture at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, in Room 101 of the Merrill-Cazier Library.

This year’s lecture, “Slender Man and the Ongoing Appeal of Horror in the Digital Age,” features Lynne McNeill, associate professor of folklore in the English department and director of graduate studies.

McNeill’s lecture will explore the spellbinding intersection of folklore and digital culture. She will discuss how the internet has given rise to new forms of horror outside of traditional mediums, particularly through the phenomenon of the Slender Man "creepypasta”. While many first became aware of Slender Man through a gruesome attempted murder in 2014, fewer realized this legend had already been a part of online folklore for years. McNeill’s lecture will examine how these contemporary legends reflect and amplify societal anxieties and fears in the digital era.

USU Libraries encourages anyone who is interested in contemporary folklore to attend. This event is free and open to the public.