The Purple Mongoose: A Collection of Retellings of the Camp Ke...

At the summer camp at which each of the authors grew up, The Purple Mongoose was viral long before this effect became commonplace in our connected lives. Consider how difficult virulence might be to achieve in the absence of a “Share Button,” or in the absence of an always-on medium. Before now, no written record of The Purple Mongoose even existed. Further consider the difficulty for such a legend to maintain its virulence through the discontinuity of the summer camp experience: a few weeks ON, followed by as many as fifty-one weeks OFF. Out of respect for the sanctity of the legend some details of The Purple Mongoose have been withheld. This includes the true names of the characters and the real name of the camp presented in the stories. At the real camp, represented here as the fictitious “Camp Keuka,” all campers and staff members will, at some time or another, collide with the legend of The Purple Mongoose. It’s inescapable, woven into the very fabric that is the Camp Keuka experience. Campers are romanced by its mystery and intrigue, and they play a leading role in maintaining its persistence. Staff members are impressed by its power to hold the attention of the campers, just at the mere mention of the title.

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