The Official Opening of Ghost Story Season!

Ghost story season; 

Halloween 'till Twelfth Night

by Evelyn McCorristin Peters
October 29, 2010

                                                                  "Laughing Bones"
                                           by Evelyn McCorristin Peters
                                                                       ©2009


In celebration of Halloween I wanted to share this wonderful article below, by Michael Dirda: The Ghost Stories of Lafcadio Hearn

But first I was wondering what is your favorite Ghost Story...or do you have a wonderful or not so wonderful one of your own. I do, I have two, and I'm quiet a skeptic about the whole ghostly being thing. So if I thought I felt or saw a ghost there just might be something out there!

I have two favorite scary books.  I read a lot, a bit obsessive about the whole book scene. And,  I have to admit I'm a bit of a book snob. But my one guilty pleasure is Stephen King, although I think a lot of book snobs probably read him, the man can tell a story. I highly recommend his short story collections for a quick scare!

"Gerald's Game" is a story that still leaves its imprint on me. There is one integral part that I know I will be thinking about tonight since I've written about it now!

"Ghost Story" by Peter Straub is also a very excellent and thrilling novel!

And just an aside, I'm not a scary movie fan, but if any of you ever have the chance to see "Trilogy of Terror" with Karen Black (who I think is scary in any movie) watch it! Anyone I know that has seen this movie has a story to tell that goes along with it!

So if anyone has recommendations for Halloween reading, please, please, share! Let's make All Hallow's Eve "All Hallow's Read!" Let your imagination run wild!

The Ghost Stories of Lafcadio Hearn

In his partly autobiographical essay "Nightmare-Touch," Lafcadio Hearn writes: "Now I venture to state boldly that the common fear of ghosts is the fear of being touched by ghosts—or, in other words, that the imagined supernatural is dreaded mainly because of its imagined power to touch." From here, Hearn recalls his own childhood night-fears:

So far back as memory extended, I had suffered from ugly dreams; and when aroused from them I could always see the forms dreamed of, lurking in the shadows of the room. . . . They were not like any people that I had ever known. They were shadowy dark-robed figures, capable of atrocious self-distortion,—capable, for instance, of growing up to the ceiling, and then across it, and then lengthening themselves, head downwards, along the opposite wall. Only their faces were distinct; and I tried not to look at their faces. .

If you are interested in reading the entire article click here to go to the Barnes and Noble post on this story:

The Ghost Stories of Lafcadio Hearn

Happy Halloween!

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