It recently occurred to me I am not one person. I am really two people existing in the same body.
If failures in life make you stronger, I should be superhero level strong by this point. My latest failure: Halloween.
I love reading. But I'm a busy gal. I likely won't be able to work my way through Stephen King's expansive horror collection before Halloween. What is a girl to do then? Lightbulb! Podcasts!
It’s Mischief Night! If you watched the latest episode of ‘Blackish’, then you are familiar with the night before Halloween. Although hopefully no one is really taking it to “purge” levels (funniest episode ever). If you aren’t familiar with Mischief Night, it’s a night of mild vandalism and pranks, typically perpetrated by teens. (Think TP houses, egging cars, smashing pumpkins, etc.) Mischief Night, infamously also called Devil’s Night, specifically in Detroit, has turned up in TV, movies, literature and music over the decades.
Halloween is so soon. And what would my 13 days of Halloween blog be without at least one ode to undead bloodsuckers? From literature to TV to film, the popularity of these pervasive mythical monsters is unstoppable. I am not only a vampire fangirl. I also do my part to continue this cultural fondness for the fang. I’ve even sired a new vampire story fan—my 11-year-old daughter, who recently sank her teeth into ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ reruns. (While she thinks Buffy kicks butt she also keeps asking my why that Angel guy never wears his shirt.) Where did my fang-tastic obsession begin?
Only 3 days to go until Halloween. Now adults can have fun on Halloween. (It's allowed. Don't feel bad.) But, let’s face it, kids relish dressing up in costumes and stuffing themselves full of candy more than most of their adult counterparts. (I said most, not all.) In honor of that, here’s a list of great kid’s books to get those tots in the Halloween spirit. Don’t have young kids? Shhhh, don’t tell anyone but some of these will make even adults laugh.
Why do we read scary books and sit in dark rooms watching horror movies? Are we just morons? Let's assume in general we're a smart species. If that's the case, what draws us to haunted houses and movies about ax murders? Why are writers like Stephen King and R. L. Stein so popular? I think to understand that, we need to take a lesson from psychology.
K.L. Kranes 