Book: “Weird N.J. Vol. 2,” by Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman (Sterling Publishing, $19.95)
Target audience: Anyone who has ever wondered what puts the “ew” in New Jersey.
This is only the second volume?
After “Weird” -ing out in other spots (“Weird New York,” “Weird Georgia,” etc.), the Jersey-based authors have returned to their home turf to unearth more dirt on the Garden State. Tart but never off-putting, the pair write that “Weirdness is not a recent phenomenon here in New Jersey,” then prove it in this richly photographed and creatively designed hodgepodge of folklore and fact-based features.
While the book is filled with the requisite ghost stories (the state’s colleges seem to be particularly spirit-ridden), they’re softened by tales like that of Kea Tawana, who built an 86-foot-long ark in Newark in the 1980s. It’s an interesting tale, sweetly told. More chilling than sweet (but irresistible nonetheless) is the chapter devoted to “Weirdos in the Woods,” which spotlights an unsettling number of crazed Jerseyans who’ve settled in the state’s woodlands.
But we’re going to use the book to prove to naysayers that Action Park, aka “Traction Park,” really existed. The write-up on the defunct attraction – known for its dangerous water rides – had us in stitches, which is how a lot of patrons left the place.
John Deiner, The Washington Post
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