It’s no surprise that the Pinelands are associated with the Jersey Devil. How many years have people spent searching for this “creature?” How many people have taken trips to the Pinelands in the hope of sighting the Jersey Devil? This enigma from our past has also caught the interest of writers. The Red House (1943), by George Agnew Chamberlain, is a tale of two young teens who ignore warnings about the woods and a red house and decide to explore the Pinelands where evil awaits. In The Lurking (1989), by Gary Gentile, an investigative journalist comes to the Pinelands looking for a story to start her career and soon finds one in the Jersey Devil. The Pines (1989), written by Robert Dunbar, details a reappearance of the Jersey Devil that is precipitated by a young boy living in the heart of the Pinelands. Just when you think the Jersey Devil is gone, he returns. Sympathy For The Devil (2003) gives a twist to the Jersey Devil, depicting it as a sympathetic creature. The Devil has even inspired a children’s book, A Devil in the Pines (1999) written by Jacqueline Seewald, which shows children how to face fear and defeat it.
Chamberlain, George Agnew. The Red House. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1945.
Gentile, Gary. The Lurking. New York: Charter Books, 1989.
Dunbar, Robert. The Pines. New York: Leisure Books, 1989.
Carpenter, P. L. Sympathy for the Devil. Pittsburg: Dorrance, 2003.
Seewald, Jacqueline. A Devil in the Pines. Andover, N.J.: Afton Publishing, 1999.