Hoosier Folk Legends

Book excerpt: Spine-tingling and funny, Hoosier Folk Legends is a collection of over 300 legends gathered throughout tthe state of Indiana. Ronald L. Baker includes ghost stories, stories of the evil eye, and stories of bloodstopping. He relates legends of Jesse James, Al Capone, and John Dillinger and tells the sad story of the ghost of Diana of the Dunes. Hoosier Folk Legends explains the derivation of the names of Hobart, Jasper, Loogootee, and the Shake Rag School. Also included are a number of legends that did not originate in Indiana but are widely circulated in the Hoosier state, such as "The Baby-Sitter and the Phone Call," "Hook Man," and "The Vanishing Hitchhiker.'' Hoosier Folk Legends demonstrates the persistence and vitality of oral folk traditions. It is a book for students of folklore and anyone interested in old-time yarns