Jan Harold Brunvand (born March 23, 1933) is an American retired folklorist, researcher, writer, public speaker, and professor emeritus of English at the University of Utah.

"[6] Though criticized for the "popular" rather than "academic" orientation of his books, The Vanishing Hitchhiker and others,[7] Brunvand felt that it was a "natural and worthwhile part of his job as a folklorist to communicate the results of his research to the public.

"[8] For his lifetime dedication to the field of folklore, which included radio and television appearances, a syndicated newspaper column, and over 100 publications (articles, books, notes and reviews),[9] Brunvand is considered to be "the legend scholar with the greatest influence on twentieth-century media.

[17] The work Brunvand and other classmates did for Dorson's classes included "preparing a large and well organized personal collection of folklore garnered from oral tradition and furnished with informant data and background comments.

[16][17] He started publishing in academic publications during this period, notably a paper on Norwegian-American folklore in the archives of Indiana University[18] and one about the Norwegian folk hero Askeladden.

[9] His dissertation, The Taming of the Shrew: A Comparative Study of Oral and Literary Versions (Aarne-Thompson type 901),[7] later published by Routledge in 1991,[22] highlighted his interest in the structure, morphology and typology of the folktale.

And unlike myths and fairy tales, they are supposed to be current and true, events rooted in everyday reality that at least could happen.

"[12] Urban legends reflect modern-day societal concerns, hopes and fears,[12][45] but are "weird whoppers we tell one another, believing them to be factual.

[54] He made several appearances on Late Night with David Letterman[7][12][55] and, in 1987, began a twice-weekly syndicated newspaper column called Urban Legends.

[41] Though criticized for the popular orientation of his books,[7] Brunvand was dedicated to publicizing the field of folklore,[7] exploring the roots of the stories, where possible, and, in some cases debunking them.

[28][51] "Folklorists fill different educational roles," Brunvand told members of The Missouri Folklore Society in 2003, "sometimes in classrooms, but often in a more public forum.

Includes more recent urban legends such as the Senile President, the Adulterous Evangelist, and the Smelly Gym Sock in the Big Mac.

[58][59][60] Once in a while, Brunvand's hobbies and academic interests intersect, notably with an article in The American Fly Fisher debunking a fake quotation by Thoreau.

[69] Known during the tournament as the Vanishing Fly Fisher (a nod to his book, The Vanishing Hitchhiker), Brunvand spent 10 days alone fishing some of his favorite spots in Utah: Mammoth Creek, Gooseberry Creek, Price River, and Antimony River (where he "fell twice and bashed his knee, though the injury wasn't anything a cold towel and a cold beer wouldn't fix").

[69] "Day 10," Jim Reilly wrote in an article describing the competition," was the last we heard from Jan. We assume he made it home, but maybe he...vanished.

[43][70] Included in the book are such chilling and humorous stories[71] as "The Vanishing Hitchhiker,"[70] "The Economical Car,"[43] "The Ghost Airliner,"[43] The Girl with the Beehive Hairdo,"[43][71] "The Solid Cement Cadillac,"[70] and "The Killer in the Back Seat.

"[43][70] Brunvand's approach, according to reviewer Janet L. Langlois, "sensitizes the reader in a highly readable and effective way to both the dynamic narrative process in an urban context and the discipline of folklore and folklife studies.

[70][71] Although recognized by critics for its usefulness as an introductory volume and reference point for expanding the field of folklore,[43][70] reviewers cautioned that The Vanishing Hitchhiker lacked the depth necessary for people actively researching urban legends.

[70] Janet L. Langlois, for example, wondered what criteria Brunvand used in selecting stories for the book, as well as what made the legends American, urban and modern.

[43] Reviewer Gary Alan Fine wrote, "The paperback edition makes an excellent supplementary reading for introductory folklore students.

[73][74] Like in his book, The Vanishing Hitchhiker, Brunvand provided the reader with a survey of urban legends, stories such as "The Choking Doberman," "The Poison Dress," and "The Death of Little Mikey.

"[73] Each story, with its accompanying variations, are categorized into themes and motifs: victimized women and children, food and beverage contamination, fearful encounters, sexual embarrassment, and humorous retribution.

Specifically, we are dealing with a phenomenon like the ethnic joke, examples of which are told by target groups, or is the urban legend essentially a mainstream occurrence?

[48] This time, Brunvand includes stories collected from colleagues, students, professional newscasters and appeals through his own publications, lectures and media appearances.

[48] He organized the book in thematic categories: animal stories, automobiles, horrors, contaminations, sex and scandal, crime, and products, professionals and personalities.

[34] For the purposes of this book, Brunvand defines folklore as "those materials in culture that circulate traditionally among members of any group in different versions, whether in oral form or by means of customary example.

[34][76] Within the text, Brunvand provided for the reader information on data collecting methods, a general assessment of folklore material, bibliographic essays, and extensive lists of books and articles.