http://crochet247.com/wp-content/themes/pridmag/db.php?u After the bridge collapse, a few days after Christmas, John reports on another Man In Black in West Virginia, “Jack Brown,” who may be familiar to readers of The Mothman Prophecies. One detail that didn’t make into the book: the unusual Mr. Brown seems more interested in John Keel and Mary Hyre than in UFOs. (John, by the way, did not have a romantic relationship with Mary Hyre). I don’t know why he had to cover for his activities over the holidays. He had a complicated life!
Had no idea Jack Brown was more involved than this.He’s briefly mentioned in Mothman Prophecies but I could be wrong.
Comment by Joseph — August 7, 2018 @ 9:36 am
An interesting and creepy man, this Jack Brown.
Comment by Marsh — August 7, 2018 @ 10:36 am
I like that Mary Hyre. I’m sure John respected her as a fearless journalist and colleague.
Comment by ZR — August 7, 2018 @ 9:45 pm
He did indeed! That’s why he dedicated The Mothman Prophecies to her.
Comment by Doug — August 8, 2018 @ 3:51 pm
Jack Brown makes an appearance in Chapter 2. It’s essentially the same story as in the notes, but edited and rewritten for publication.
Comment by Doug — August 8, 2018 @ 3:54 pm
This is fascinating stuff and it fits in to the notion that Jack Brown, and MIB types, are a kind of tulpa. Products of the collective unconscious, and the whirlpool of circumstances and context, of the witnesses themselves and their own lives and personal trauma. How they take on a physical or quasi-physical aspect, is a mystery. The poltergeist effects in the aftermath of Brown’s visit is a clue to the paranormal nature of all this, and fits the parasocial/paraufological approach to MIBs and UFOs themselves. There are psychological signifiers/motifs to everything about Brown, even his name and physical appearance, behavior. Thing is much of it is subtle, and one would also need a deeper knowledge of the hidden lives of the witnesses and the time they lived in.
Some ideas: The piercing eyes of Brown are the eyes of the subconscious so to speak, made manifest or visible. He only talked when he was being directly looked at, because the subconscious only ‘speaks’ when it is being directly engaged. Brown is the mirror, a mirror darkly. His menacing nature (and that of MIBs) can have a number of meanings, the repressed violence of the subconscious, where our trauma, hurt and rage is buried, also the violence of the clash, the contradictions between the subconscious and the conscious. Man is the only animal at war with himself, the only animal in which the mind is split, divided, in numerous ways. I will be the first to admit that this interpretation of MIBs asks more questions than it answers (why these witnesses, why that place and time? why is this not more universal, but very rare?). However we see these same conundrums in philosophy and science, where any and all advances only leads to further conundrums and mysteries. Ironically we know less about the cosmos and nature than ever before, because we realize there is more to know than ever before. And much that we thought we knew was just wrong.
Comment by Lawrence — August 9, 2018 @ 3:24 am
I have to add something. So about ten or fifteen minutes after I sent my comment through yesterday, I was working on my laptop at a local cafe, one of the staff at the restaurant, who I hadn’t noticed before, came to clean up a few things near my table. He was wearing a t-shirt, a Blues Brothers cartoon t-shirt, very similar to but not identical to this one, and with a brown background https://www.80stees.com/products/cartoon-blues-brothers-t-shirt
The Blues Brothers (from the cult 1980 film starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi) are famous for their typical men in black outfits, and MIB shades. What a coincidence I thought! As if the Cosmic Trickster is telling me something, but I’m not sure what it is. I reiterate the t-shirt of this staffer was on a brown background, think Jack Brown which is relevant here.
Comment by Lawrence — August 10, 2018 @ 4:20 am
these notes are so very interesting. have to remember though that amateur researchers were descending on a relatively isolated small town that had months of weirdness culminating in a tragic disaster. Didn’t john say he was the “original” man in black? and he started the rumor by knocking on doors late at night when his car broke down? i thought Tiny was a large man?
Comment by patty g — August 10, 2018 @ 12:08 pm
p.s. i would be interested to see how Appels message about the air force officer was delivered. Via Jaye Paro?
Comment by patty g — August 10, 2018 @ 12:13 pm
I assume so. Most of the messages from Appell were passed on by Jaye. Appell also sent John letters, crudely lettered in red pencil, but I assume those came from Jaye as well.
Comment by Doug — August 12, 2018 @ 10:45 pm
I suspect some MIB might be zealous UFO buffs. However, the mysterious man in black has long been common in folklore and popular culture too. Yes, Tiny was a large man, although I suppose John thought his behavior was similar to Jack Brown’s.
Comment by Doug — August 12, 2018 @ 10:47 pm