Pennsylvania author explores the paranormal of the Coal Region

Anna Wiest, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·3 min read

Sep. 14—SUNBURY — By definition, the paranormal cannot be explained by science, but a Pa. author is looking to change that by bringing the paranormal and spiritual closer to what we consider fact in his book "Coal Region HooDoo."

Maxim Furek, of Berwick, spoke about his books to a room of around 30 people at the Degenstein Community Library Thursday night.

Carol Boyer, adult programming coordinator and cataloger at the library, organized the event. Boyer said she was fascinated and intrigued after hearing Furek speak in Wilkes-Barre and asked him to come to Sunbury.

The author said he was impressed by Thursday's crowd. "Sometimes you have a book signing and three people show up," he said. "This is really awesome."

Frustrated by the literary paranormal and historical focus on Gettysburg and Lancaster, Furek said he was interested in the tales of his own backyard. "I want to do for the Coal Region what Stephen King has done for the state of Maine," he said. "We have a lot to be proud of. We need to talk about it and keep it alive."

Originally a rock-and-roll journalist, Furek said his journey into researching the Coal Region was kickstarted by the reference to the Sheppton mine disaster in The Buoys' 1971 song "Timothy."

"Three guys were entombed for two weeks after the mine collapsed," Furek said. "Only two came out and there were allegations the third was cannibalized."

"Sheppton: The Myth, Miracle & Music" was published in 2015 and Furek said he did not expect what came next as he was invited to speak at a festival in Baltimore and was featured on a 90-minute Mysterious Universe program from Australia.

"Im just like you," Furek said. "I just want my voice to be heard."

"Coal Region HooDoo," published in March, was a follow-up to Sheppton and has reached as high as number 14 on Amazon's best-seller's list, according to Furek. The author said "HooDoo" means something that could be either a blessing or a curse.

Furek's work is Pennsylvania-centric and digs into the paranormal aspects of the Coal Region. The most recent release delves into topics including Dr. Frederick Santee, a white witch of Wapwallopen, as well as other unique Pennsylvanians and even bigfoot and UFOs.

With this piece, Furek said he felt he found the perfect audience that seemed to be resonating with the work.

Furek said his personal relationship with Ed Warren, demonologist, and Lorraine Warren, psychic, attributed a great deal to his own literature. The Warrens' investigations led to the nine movies in "The Conjuring" franchise, which generated $2.1 billion.

Steven Klinger, historian for the Coal Region Paranormal Team and the Joseph Priestley House, attended Thursday's event. "I've heard Maxim speak before at paranormal nights at the Berwick Library," Klinger said. "I always enjoy his talks."

The author's work, a compilation of books, magazines and personal interviews, is available for purchase on Amazon. "Buy two copies. One to donate to the library or to give to a friend or relative," Furek said.

Currently in the works, Furek's next book will be released in a few weeks, either in late September or early October, he said. Titled "Flying Saucer Esoteric," Furek expects the piece to be a big hit.

"Now is the time to talk about UFOs," he said.