This is the home page for News of the Weird, the weekly syndicated column (founded 1988) that is the most widely-read U.S. newspaper feature on current bizarreness--indeed, the gold standard of weird-news reporting, appearing in about 250 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.

For some readers, News of the Weird is a light diversion from the serious reporting of the week. For others, though, it's a weekly chronicle of the alarming decline of civilization. Or a therapeutic personal benchmark (for reassurance that the problem is other people, not you). Or, for the few who actually wind up in News of the Weird, a monument to lives interestingly lived.

On this website, you'll find (1) a complete copy of the current column, as well as the previous 25, (2) background on me and this News of the Weird adventure (FAQ's and Bio), (3) the list of story genres that I consider "No Longer Weird", and (4) the frightening, cumulative register of accused and convicted murderers with the middle name of Wayne who have made News of the Weird since 1995.

However, here is the most important thing on the page: a link to my News of the Weird Daily Pro Edition. Yep, you can get your weird on every day (well . . . it varies between 3 days a week and 5 days a week) of breaking news and perspective, with links to the stories, designed to give you a quick read on the underreported events of the previous few days that you should be disturbed about, or giddy about, or reassured about (posted by 1 p.m., Eastern time). But please: serious professional weird-watchers only. (You know who you are.)

Furthermore, you can join Google Groups and get the weekly column and/or the Daily by e-mail, free, with my assurance that your address will never be passed on to anyone else (or even used by me for any reason except to get you the columns).

So look around NewsoftheWeird.com, read some stories, head on over to News of the Weird Daily. There's us, and there's them, and News of the Weird is where the "us" keeps track of "them." [Yeah, I know, sic! But you get the idea.]

Cheers,
Chuck Shepherd