Tag Archives: ghosts

Colin Dickey’s Ghostland

If you’re looking for a fun read for the Halloween season, Sam & Dean & I Colin Dickey’s brand new book, Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places.

Husband and I were lucky enough to hear Dickey talk about this work in progress last year at Death Salon Mutter in Philadelphia. I’ve been waiting impatiently to finally get to read the book not just because it sounds cool, but because I’ve been working on revisions to an article on the socio-cultural and social justice implications of ghost tourism and historical ghost narratives. (One of the many reasons I’ve been neglecting you, my devoted readers).

Now I’m going to neglect you further so I can go finish reading this book!

Spooktacular

Sandy, the impending Frankenstorm, is bad for all kinds of reasons. It’s also annoying, in that I couldn’t’t hang the ghosts I made last year out on the porch. I’ve realized I can hang them in my office window and light them up so they look super-creepy from outside. Bonus: the only window I could hang them up in is the window where Ghost Cat makes his appearances.

It’s only a matter of time before I forget that they’re in there and scare myself witless.

If it’s the worst thing that happens during the storm, I’ll be fine with that.
We’ve stashed the stuff in the yard, filled the water containers, tested the emergency radio, checked on the strategic bourbon reserve, charged the kindles, and all that other stuff that Native Floridians are born knowing how to do.

I suspect at the very least we’re in for a lengthy power outage. The most fun part of any power outage is this:

We have two bathrooms. The one downstairs is below the level of the city sewer connection so it has an electric pump. When the power goes out, the 1st thing I do is grab a flashlight and go downstairs and pull that door shut so that I don’t forget and use that toilet.

Later, I forget I did this and go downstairs for candles or one thing or another, see the shut door and scare myself witless wondering what sort of ghost or serial killer snuck in and pulled the door shut. It’s a pocket door, it can’t just blow shut.

I’ve usually just scared myself witless happening upon the lifesize sarcophagus at the bottom of the basement stairs. The one that’s always there.

Then I remember why the door is shut.

Then I laugh at myself.

Then I do it again 2 or 3 more times over the course of the evening.

I do this every time. Every. Time.

Haunted Houses

Recently, a loyal reader assured me she’d keep my secret.

“Which one?” I asked, mostly joking.

“That you’re also Andrea Janes, of course!” was his reply.

This was, in part, his evidence:

Andrea Janes is a native of Canada now living in New York City, where she spends most of her time writing ghost stories and dark fairy tales. She is obsessed with dreams, monkeys, rare diseases, and slapstick. Her writing can be found at www.cabinetdesfees.com and on her blog at bourbonandtea.blogspot.com

I checked out Andrea Janes and was quite taken with her work, but alas, I am not she. Nor, for that matter, is she I.

Sorry, been reading a lot of Lovecraft of late and it’s seriously screwing with my linguistic faculties.

Speaking of Lovecraft, did you read the profile of Guillermo del Toro in last week’s New Yorker? It covers, amongst other things, his quest to bring Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness to the screen. Good article.

Where was I? Right, so I’m not Andrea Janes. Clues include that I’m not living in New York City. Nor am I Canadian. Although I am from Florida, which was annexed by Canada some years back a winter breeding ground for free range Canadian retirees, so that may count for something.

At any rate, learning about Andrea Janes led me to this delightful review she wrote for the Rumpus, Corine May Botz’s Haunted Houses.

Technically, I started this little adventure with the Rumpus piece, since that’s where that bio blurb is posted. Whatever.

The review about Botz’s work reminded me of something I need to speak to Doctor Birdcage about.

That may be the worst conclusion to a post, ever, but I’m sick and this is all I’ve got today. Sorry, kids.