Presentations

Dr. Bell is available to speak on a variety of topics to a wide range of audiences. He is flexible regarding content and format (including lectures, workshops, and discussion sessions) and can accommodate the needs and interests of your audience. Most presentations include visual and audio material. The fee for a one-hour presentation is $200, but is negotiable depending on size of audience, amount of preparation, travel, and nonprofit status.

Below is a selected list of Dr. Bell's recent presentations.

Food for the Dead: The Vampires of New England A summary of the research and fieldwork undertaken during the past two decades to document America's authentic vampire tradition, localized in New England. Detailed in Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires (New York: Carroll & Graf, 2001).

The Invisible World: Supernatural Encounters in Rhode Island Beginning in colonial times and continuing unabated into the present, Rhode Islanders have reported encounters with the supernatural. Interprets several of these personal-experience stories and local belief legends from the perspective of a folklorist.

From Bullrakes to Clambakes: Occupational Folklife of Narragansett Bay Examines the occupational folklife of people involved in the shellfishing industry of Narragansett Bay, including bullraking for quahogs from a skiff, selling the catch to a dealer (both ashore and on the "buy boat"), and the daily routine of wholesale shellfish dealers and restaurants specializing in shellfish.

Folklife in Rhode Island Presents a cross section of Rhode Island's rich ethnic, occupational and community folklife, from beliefs and legends to arts and foodways.

Folklore and Folklife of Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay has long been the setting for a variety of narratives, from Native American myths about the Bay's natural features to legends of buried pirate treasure and ghost ships. Discusses this narrative tradition and also the Bay as both a workplace and recreational environment.

The Negro Elections in Pawtuxet Village Drawing on both oral and print sources, interprets the early African American community in Pawtuxet Village, who shared in a regional tradition known as the Negro Elections, an annual event in which the male members of the black community elected their own governor.

A Living Museum: The Looff Carousel at Crescent Park The carousel at Crescent Park in East Providence was constructed by Charles I. D. Looff, one of America's foremost carousel carvers, in 1896, as a show piece for prospective clients. Discusses the history, oral history, and folklife of this nationally recognized historic landmark that has been beautifully restored and maintained.