"Crypto" is a slippery prefix, and it's best to be careful with it.  Thanks to Evan Dicken for writing the bulk of today’s episode. By day, Evan Dicken studies old Japanese Maps and crunches data for medical research at Ohio State University. By night, he does neither of these things. His audio fiction can be heard performed on: The NoSleep Podcast, Pseudopod, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Podcastle. He also writes media tie-in fiction for Legend of the Five Rings and Warhammer: Age of Sigmar. If you've got nothing better to do, feel free to visit him at www.evandicken.com. Thanks to Matth ..read more

Autumn is full of fun, cozy traditions, like keeping watch on the knothole man so he doesn’t reach too far into our world. Thanks to Harrison Hamm for this episode’s hidden lore segment.  Harrison Hamm is an LA-based poet, screenwriter, and essayist originally from rural Tennessee. Selected for fellowships with New York Stage & Film Filmmakers Workshop, Diverso's The Minority Report, and Roadmap Writers, he has also received research grants for interdisciplinary academic, creative, and pedagogic pursuits at his alma mater Loyola Marymount University. Writing can be found published/for ..read more

Best to have a telepathic microphone when searching for cryptid dragonflies. Sometimes the simple, straightforward solutions are the best option. Thanks to Luísa Black Ellis for this week’s hidden lore poetry. Luísa is a Brazilian-American poet and self-taught ecologist methodically inspecting mosses in traditional Nansemond and Chesepian territory. She lives a quiet and devotional life in a monastery with her husband, renowned interdisciplinary artist JJJJJerome Ellis. Her loyalties lie with the lichens. Consider supporting her work with the Tidewater Solidarity Bail Fund by visiting 757bailf ..read more

This episode is an audiobook preview for Something in the Woods Loves You, Jarod K. Anderson's new memoir coming this September from Timber Press and Hachette Books. For more information, visit JarodKAnderson.com ..read more

Many seemingly common corvids are cryptids. There’s a world of difference between perceiving a thing and knowing the full story. Thanks to Jamie Lackey for today’s hidden lore. Jamie Lackey lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and their cats. She has had over 200 short stories published in places like Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Apex Magazine, and Escape Pod. In addition to writing, she spends her time reading, playing tabletop RPGs, and hiking.   Check out Jamie’s new short story collection Shadows on Glass and Other Stories - "From sentient stuffed animals to haunted terpsitones ..read more

Volunteering is a great reminder that many of the most important things in life don’t involve money changing hands. Thanks to Bennett Berardi for this week’s hidden lore poem. Bennett is an arborist and honorary goblin moonlighting as a gardener-poet in Nevada County, California. He draws inspiration from forests, fields, and fairy realms as well as the works of Gary Snyder, Mary Oliver, and the vibrant community of contemporary haiku and eco poets around the world. You can find a trove of photographic baubles, poetic odds and ends, and the word of the day on his Instagram @poem.sower Thanks t ..read more

Contentment is both a skill and a gift we grant ourselves. The CryptoNaturalist is written and read by Jarod K. Anderson. Preorders for Jarod K. Anderson’s new memoir about loving nature and struggling with depression are now open. Visit JarodKAnderson.com for more information. To find bonus content and a variety of strange rewards, support our show by visiting Patreon.com/CryptoNaturalist. You can also help by rating, reviewing, and telling a friend. For books and poetry collections by Jarod K. Anderson and Leslie J. Anderson, visit CryptoNaturalist.com/books. You’ll find information about su ..read more

Ebbing and flowing, teaming with life, soft to the touch. Some things are better left to themselves. Thanks to Emily Kramer for today’s hidden lore poem “An Absence of Ants.” Emily is a poet from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with an MA in English from Ohio University. She currently works at a nonprofit for domestic violence and crime survivors. Outside of work, she loves hiking, playing cozy video games, and spending time with her two cats. Her work has appeared in Ghost City Review, Split Rock Review, and more. The CryptoNaturalist is written and read by Jarod K. Anderson. Preorders for Jarod K ..read more

Night is Earth’s shadow and many creatures call it home. The moon’s shadow is a different sort of night entirely. Thanks to Nicolette Nuytten for today’s hidden lore, “Water Beetles.” Nicolette works at the library and spends her free time walking in the woods or reading everything she can get her grubby little hands on. She lives in Manitoba with her wife and a little grey chinchilla. You can find her at www.nicolettenuytten.com or on Twitter @LibraryNii The CryptoNaturalist is written and read by Jarod K. Anderson. Preorders for Jarod K. Anderson’s new memoir about loving nature and struggli ..read more

What counts as a ghost is, perhaps, open to interpretation.  Thanks to Steve Shell for voicing today’s field report. Steve is a co-creator, writer, and voice of the narrator on the Old Gods of Appalachia podcast. Old Gods is entering the homestretch of their fourth season and will be heading out on tour again this summer.  Thanks to Emilie Lygren for today’s hidden lore poem, “Chrysalis.” Emilie Lygren is a poet and educator who has published poems in several literary journals and anthologies and developed dozens of publications focused on outdoor science education. Her first colle ..read more