In a (belated) PRIDE appropriate turn of events, the ghoulfriends are joined by the incredibly talented, wonderfully quippy Markie! Though... you may know her better by her nom de guerre - author Maz Maddox!
Nym, Nylene, and Maz gab a bit about what brought her (back) to town, then delve into a look at some once lost, now recovered, queer folktales from the gay days of yore. Despite puritan attempts to sanitize the stories of the past, it seems you just can't keep a good story down. Slay.
Then, Nylene drags the girls back into the shadows for a look at the terrifying, haunted land of Dudleytown, CT. Located in the "Dark Entry Forest", the abandoned settlement is home to all manner of horrors - beasts from the forest, vivid specters of madness, native burial grounds, unexplainable deaths... You'd think it would have to be one of the most well known haunts in America, so why haven't you heard about it?
Well... it's funnier if you just listen for yourself.
If you're in the mood for some sublime supplemental reading, be sure to check out Maz Maddox and pick up your next obsession.
This week’s special guest:
Queer Folklore by Nym
Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index (ATU Index)
Atargatis - Syrian goddess who was often depicted with a fish tail.
Hans Christian Anderson - Author of The Little Mermaid Novel

Ursula, from the littler mermaid was modeled after the drag queen, Divine.
The Dog and the Sailor by Pete Jordi Wood is an adaptation of The Dog and the Sea
A page from The Dog and the Sailor depicting the transformation of one of the characters into a prince.
Isis and Telethusa by Picart, 1732
Isis changing the sex of Iphis. Engraving by Bauer, 1703
Queer As Folklore by Sacha Coward
Dudleytown, Connecticut By Nylene

Location of abandoned Dudleytown

Reforestation in Dark Entry Forest 1930

Reforestation in Dark Entry Forest 1930

Newspaper reporting on apparent haunted land

Ed & Lorraine Warren investigated Dudleytown

Sign warning off trespassers

One of the few images of Dudleytown over time

Chimney stone from Dudleytown

Sign warning off tresspassers
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Bendici, R. (2016, November 15). Dudleytown. Damned Connecticut.
Brown, E. (2024, February 4). There’s a haunted town in America that’s been entirely abandoned and is illegal to visit. UNILAD.
C. Peterson, J. (1972, April 1). From the archives: Ed and Lorraine Warren of “The Conjuring” have a long history of paranormal investigation in Connecticut (April 1972) (R. Bendici, Ed.). CT Insider.
Callahan, D. (2022, July 20). What All Writers Can Learn from Folktales (Writing Exercise). Medium.
Contributer. (2023, January 15). The Curse of Dudleytown. US Ghost Adventures.
Cornsoc. (2021, April 19). Dark Entry Forest, Inc. Cornwall Historical Society.
Ellis, T. (2025, May 15). Step inside the creepy, abandoned town of Dudleytown in Connecticut. OnlyInYourState®.
Laurasimonsdaughter. (n.d.). Post by @laurasimonsdaughter. Tumblr.
ET Online (2024, November 29). The Haunted Village: Why this abandoned ghost town in America is an illegal zone to visit. The Economic Times.
Queer as Folklore: The Hidden Queer History of Myths an. . .. (n.d.). Goodreads.
QueerAF. (2025, May 9). Trans Happily Ever After: The forgotten folktales of trans joy. QueerAF.
The Ghosts of Ohio - Lore & Legends Elsewhere - Dudleytown. (n.d.).
The Truth about Dudleytown. (n.d.).
Wareham, J. (2020, August 21). Why this charming gay fairytale has been lost for 200 years. Forbes.