Michael Kleen is a writer, historian, and folklorist from Illinois. He has a M.A. in History from Eastern Illinois University and a M.S. in Education from Western Illinois University. He is best known for his work about Illinois folklore and ghost lore, but he is also a freelance columnist and speaker on politics and popular culture. Michael has written several books, including Haunting Illinois: A Tourist's Guide to the Weird and Wild Places of the Prairie State, Paranormal Illinois, and Tales of Coles County. He is also the founder and proprietor of Black Oak Media, an independent publishing company.