M.A. Kleen

I started Michaelkleen.com in 2004 and migrated to WordPress four years later, mainly as an outlet for news about my books and the occasional opinion column. In 2016, I began regularly posting reviews, travelogues, photography, and articles about history, folklore, and whatever else caught my interest. Since then, a few pieces have gone viral, but which ones have stayed popular year after year? What follows is a curated list of my ten most-read posts of all time, with a few similar entries omitted to keep the lineup varied.

10. Five Things You Didn’t Notice in The ‘Burbs

Published February 17, 2019. The ‘Burbs is my favorite comedy horror film from the 1980s and among my favorite movies of all time. It sparked a lifelong interest in the Suburban Gothic genre. While on the surface a lighthearted satire of ’80s horror, The ‘Burbs delved deep into the American psyche. Every time I watch it I discover something new, including these obscure film references and subliminal messages. Check it out.

9. EIU Memories: Jimmy John’s

Published November 18, 2019. In 1983, 19-year-old Jimmy John Liautaud opened a sandwich shop in a small college town with a loan from his dad. That sandwich shop was Jimmy John’s, now a national chain, and that college was Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. I attended Eastern from 2000 to 2008, and fell in love with these sandwiches my freshman year. It’s such a cool success story. Check it out.

8. The Terrifying Truth Behind Crawford Road Bridge

Published November 3, 2020. A remote road in Virginia’s Historic Triangle holds secrets, or at least that’s what storytellers say. Year over year, readers continue to be fascinated by this macabre destination. Check it out.

7. EIU Memories: Shannon McNamara’s Murder and the Trial of Anthony Mertz

Published June 24, 2019. My alma mater, Eastern Illinois University, was a safe school in a relatively safe small Midwestern town. But in the summer of 2001, right before the start of my sophomore year, the murder of 21-year-old Shannon McNamara at the hands of a fellow Eastern student shocked and horrified the community. This article covered what happened. Check it out.

6. Barrington’s Mysterious Cuba Road

Published July 5, 2017. I grew up in the northwest Chicago suburbs, and when my friends and I wanted a scare, we usually trekked out to Cuba Road, a lonely avenue replete with strange tales and legends. It is five miles of asphalt that has burned its way into the folk-consciousness of Illinois, and if my site statistics are any indication, the rest of America as well. Check it out.

5. The Phantom Lady of Kennedy Hill Road

Published December 25, 2018. In January 1981, dozens of motorists parked their cars along a narrow rural road in Ogle County, Illinois in frigid temperatures to catch a glimpse of a scantily-clad phantom. With such a bizarre tale, its no wonder readers have consistently enjoyed this article. Check it out.

4. Weeping Woman of Seventh Avenue’s Dead End

Published December 18, 2018. In the small town of Sterling, Illinois, legends speak of a ghostly woman who wanders the railroad tracks beyond the Seventh Avenue dead end, searching for her missing children. Check it out.

3. Hearts of Iron IV Minor Nation Strategies: Romania

Published February 14, 2017. I’ve logged over 3,200 hours in Hearts of Iron IV, the World War II grand strategy game, and I’ve been a fan of the series since the original launched in 2002. One of the game’s coolest features is that you can play as any country in the world at the time, from Cuba to the great powers. HOI4 came out in 2016, and I began writing a series of articles based on playthroughs of minor European nations. They remain among the most popular pieces on my site—if I listed them all here, they’d dominate the Top 10. Instead, I’ve included a single example, though the details are definitely out of date. DLC and updates released since then have fundamentally changed how these countries play. Check it out.

2. Did Texas Have a Female Governor in 1934?

Published April 5, 2019. Surely there wasn’t a female governor in the United States during 1930s, only a decade after women received the right to vote? There was! It may not be well-known outside the Lone Star State, but Texas was home to the second woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state: Miriam Amanda Wallace “Ma” Ferguson. Check it out.

1. Did Lynne Cheney’s Dad Murder her Mom?

Published December 26, 2018. Adam McKay’s 2018 biopic of Vice President Dick Cheney, Vice, courted much controversy with its unusual style and loose relationship with facts. One of its more outrageous inventions was the not-so-subtle implication that the mother of Lynne Cheney (Dick’s wife) was murdered by her dad. Is there any evidence for this claim? Check it out.