Articles by Joel Balsam

3

Stories

Stories shared by this traveler.

Some residents of western Kenya consider night runners to be supernatural menaces. Others consider them an annoyance.

witchcraft

The Mysterious, Naked Night Runners of Western Kenya

"When the wind blows you run away because you think it’s a night runner.”

The rougarou, the Cajun cryptid said to haunt Louisiana's wetlands, is the mascot of a conservation effort for its traditional habitat.

monsters

The Rougarou, Beast of the Louisiana Bayou, Gets a Makeover

One man hopes to turn the wolfish cryptid into a mascot for saving the state's imperiled wetlands.

Slices of the Montreal melon were once treated like cuts of steak.

monks

What Happened to Montreal’s Legendary Melon?

A medley of efforts, and one abbey's monks, may bring back the forgotten fruit.