Book Review: Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey

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Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really liked this book in the beginning. I grew up in an old haunted house in New England, yet I'm always a skeptic. (99% of supernatural activity ends up being the wind or a cat — and cats are creepy as hell.) I liked reading the stories behind the stories, whether they debunked the legends or gave credence to them. I’ve always been interested in history and nonfiction and ghost stories are the old “fake news.” Entertaining but you shouldn’t necessarily take them at face value. As the book went on, I found the stories themselves no less interesting but the format became tedious.

A couple of the stories really stood out to me. There are many cases of ghost stories being used to control a narrative that makes people feel safe. We don’t have to feel guilty about marginalizing someone or face realities of our country’s brutal history if there’s a fun story.

Does it count as spoilers to discuss the historical facts around ghost stories? Just in case, here’s your spoiler alert.
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The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California is a place I always wanted to visit when I lived in the area. I was more interested in the weird architecture than in the story of the so-called insane woman who had it built. And it turns out I probably had reason to be. According to Dickey, the worst sin Sarah Winchester committed was being slightly eccentric and misunderstood by her community, and thus the rumors of her insanity flourished. “[Her legend] depends on a cultural uneasiness to which we don’t always like to admit. An uneasiness about women living alone, withdrawn from society, for one.” This is a common thread among ghost stories and horror movies and happens in popular fiction and in real life — a woman is different from how society thinks she should be and is persecuted or even punished for it.

About Shockoe Bottom, Richmond, Virginia, Dickey says so succinctly, “The ghosts of Shockoe Bottom are overwhelmingly white.” This is an area of the country where we find “the first settlements,” as long as we are only counting the settlements of the Europeans. This is an area of the Southern United States known for its slave auctions. Atrocities were committed in the area, yet the ghosts are white people from the 1700s and 1800s who haunt touristy bars and restaurants. Erase history much? If you really want to be horrified by scary stories, read accounts of the slave auctions.

From the Salem witch trials to haunted Southern plantations to the Amityville Horror, a common thread in ghost stories is someone powerful trying to marginalize a minority and coverup their guilt over it. I think it’s time for a lot more of the facts and history to be revealed about the stories that have become so common in our country.


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30 Day Movie Challenge Days 2, 3, and 4

Day 2: The last movie you watched

I used this prompt as an opportunity to watch something new that I've been meaning to watch since it was released several months ago: Hidden Figures.


I'm so glad I took the time to watch it and I can't wait for Muffin to see it. Over the spring break we took a Virginia road trip and learned a few things about civil rights history in Virginia that were really brought home by the film.

Day 3: Your favorite action/adventure movie

Hands down, Raiders of the Lost Ark. And since I'm pretty sure you've all seen it, instead of a clip I'm going to show one of my favorite GIFs.


via GIPHY

Day 4: Your favorite horror movie

I don't watch enough horror movies to really have a favorite. I don't care for them much. But the most recent horror-like movie I've seen that I really liked was The Witch.


I wasn't going to bother watching this film until a friend posted about it on Facebook, saying he needed to turn on the subtitles because the seventeenth-century New England English was too difficult for this California boy to understand. I exclaimed that seventeenth-century New England English was practically my second language and he replied I would probably really enjoy this film, for reasons other than the language. He was right. I appreciate how they incorporated so much of the folklore and the different reasons given for episodes like the witch hysteria in Salem, such as the children faking it for fun, or the mold on the rotten corn. (Rotten lamb stew is also used as a reason for Lizzie Borden's activities a couple hundred years later. So if you live in Massachusetts, make sure your food is always fresh and free of rot or you'll be held responsible for some horrible stuff.) There's also a creepy rabbit and a creepy goat, which makes me feel betrayed because I love rabbits and goats so much.

Book Reviews: Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks and an Emmanuelle de Maupassant Short Story

After you've read something, please consider leaving a line or two on Goodreads and Amazon. The authors appreciate it!

Here are my reviews as they appear on Goodreads.

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was swept up in this book from the moment I started it. I didn’t know that much about it but a trusted source recommended it. I jumped in with both feet and got lost in it. It’s sensual and romantic, then heartbreakingly depressing as the story moves from a love affair in a French town to the battlefields of World War I. The writing pulls you along and you struggle with the hero every step of the way.

Stephen Wraysford is the hero but he’s a bit of an anti-hero. He’s young and passionate. He’s weird and quiet. He loses his passion throughout the war but works hard to do his job, and job that would be difficult for most people to fathom performing unless they were there themselves. The author writes with such emotion and leads you to believe that he really was there on the battlefields and in the trenches. The dramatic tension is amped up by anyone who knows World War I history. The reader who knows which battles are coming up will be struck with a particular horror, knowing the ending before the characters do.

I had a problem with the end of the book that keeps me from giving it five stars. And I really wanted to give it five stars. Not the ending itself; I’m satisfied with how the plot tied itself up. But the last couple of paragraphs. The point-of-view changed to a character that I don’t feel deserved it.

For me, this was a summer read for lazy afternoons in the hot sun, but it’s definitely worth reading anytime. Love, war, and history, it will appeal to many.

Because Beards by Kacey Shea
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of Emmanuelle de Maupassant's story in this anthology. Ms. de Maupassant story, "Highland Pursuits," is delightful. She injects so much personality into her characters and settings and I love her combination of erotica with playful humor. I love reading how much her characters enjoy each others' company. And the story, of course, has some very steamy, satisfying moments.

I fully plan to buy the book and read the entire anthology when it comes out because it features some of my favorite erotica authors.

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Book Review: Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

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Here's my review as it appears on Goodreads.

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first Sarah Vowell book I ever read and while I've read all her others, I've come back to this one several times to reread. We move in and out of the Washington, D.C., area every few years and I usually read it when we're heading back there in anticipation of seeing some of my favorite monuments and hearing some of my favorite stories. I of course had to read it again this summer since I'll be starting a job as a tour guide with our next move there this fall. I wanted to refresh my memory of the funny and interesting observations Ms. Vowell shares.

Assassination Vacation gives us a look at the assassinations of three presidents -- Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. Students don't learn much about he presidencies of Garfield and McKinley these days but they are definitely worth a look. At the time she was writing, Ms. Vowell makes comparisons to the McKinley and Bush administrations. I'd make similar comparisons to a possible Trump administration this year.

Ms. Vowell makes American history accessible and points out how American history and politics have always been mired in scandal and downright silliness. I love how she goes into the lives of the assassins as well. Everyone knows John Wilkes Booth, but Guiteau and Czolgosz rarely get much mention. Ms. Vowell points out that many people were relieved to hear that Czolgosz had a foreign name because it made them assume a foreigner had shot the president. But Czolgosz was an American citizen, born in the Midwest to immigrant parents. Sound familiar to the fears one of our presidential candidates is helping to fester this year?

I do not want a presidential assassination. But I think it's worth learning about what drove others to do it in the past and take a look at the atmosphere of politics and the entire country surrounding those events. I recommend this book to anyone who has even a passing interest in American history, politics, or current events.

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• And, yes, I'm really going to be a tour guide in Washington! I'll be with City Running Tours. I'm so excited. I'll share more details once I'm down there getting started.

Speaking of the Fourth of July

One thing I love about New England is all the history. I remember being in California and seeing "old" towns that were established in the 1800s, thinking that's so young compared to where I grew up. The house I grew up in was older than many states. I've been thinking a lot lately about making sure the baby knows his or her roots, because my own family geneology is part of New England history.

My dad has traced his mother's ancestors back to Plymouth Plantation. At Plymouth they have a replica of the original settlement with actors playing the parts of the settlers and one summer we spent a day there, meeting our ancestor. (He supposedly was eventually asked to leave the settlement due to some shady business deals and being too friendly with Roger Williams, who was the founder of Rhode Island. Even though there's no evidence my ancestor resettled in Rhode Island, I still like to think I'm descended from one of the original Rhode Islanders.) My dad has found the graves of ancestors who fought in King Philip's War and the Revolutionary War.

And it's the Revolutionary War that I'm thinking of today. A couple weeks ago we braved the poison ivy and ticks to visit our war ancestors in the cemetery.

John Gould and Nicholas Gould (click photos for bigger)

We aren't the only country celebrating our independence from colonialism this week. Rwanda and Burundi are too. And July 1 through 3 is also the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. It's a busy week, history-wise.

Trail Running: Manassas Bull Run

One area where my and Mike's workout interests overlap is trail running. We've been trying to spend nice Sunday mornings exploring local trails. Yesterday we ran the 5.3-mile First Manassas Trail at the Manassas National Battlefield Park. The trail circles a good portion of the field and woods where the Civil War's First Battle of Bull Run took place. It was pretty cool to be outside in the sunshine, running, and learning some history. It took us a long time because we kept stopping to read historical markers and look at deer and just enjoy the nature and history. We weren't there to be speedy; we were there to have fun.

The trail is pretty flat. I remember only two real hills, and they weren't that big. They're historical, so you can pretend to be a soldier charging up. Most of the trail is along open fields, so sun protection is a must. When the trail gets close to the actual Bull Run, it gets a little muddy and squishy, so be careful if you're there after it rains. There are some benches and even a picnic table or two, so you could have a very nice day of walking or running and lunch.

There's a small visitor's center with an interactive battlefield map, a book store, and restrooms. The park entry fee is $3 per adult for a 3-day pass.

I found this great map at HikingUpward.com, which is where I learned about this Manassas trail. Hovering over a number will bring up the trail name and a brief description. Clicking on a number will bring you to a new page with more detailed information.

Iwo Jima in Lego and other stuff

My dad was in town this weekend so we treated him to a tour of tourism delights. Saturday we drove South (in to The South) to visit the National Museum of the Marine Corps at Quantico. It is so awesome. If you have even the slightest interest in American history, you should check this out. The exhibits now focus on WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, because it's the veterans from those wars who are getting older and they wanted to show those folks their exhibits before... you know. They're expanding into more modern events.

It's totally interactive, and fun for kids and grownups. You start off as a Marine recruit, standing in line for the barber's chair and getting on the bus. You can simulate drill instructors yelling. You have to examine a uniform and find the infractions. You can even take a crack at the shooting range.

Then you move through the wars timeline. The exhibits are incredibly realistic. They used as much original machinery (jeeps, planes, tanks, etc.) as possible, and you can smell the oil and grease and mustiness. There's a living room set up where you listen to FDR's radio address about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, complete with a woman who dropped her teacup when she heard the news. You walk through a battle scene at Chosin and the air conditioner is pumped up because it was so cold there. You walk through Khe Sanh and the heat is blasting. Unfortunately the interactive landing at Iwo Jima has been broken, but the docents will still bring you in to the mess and give you a briefing on the invasion. They rotate between displaying the two flags that were raised at Iwo Jima. (The gift shop has the Lego display of the Iwo Jima memorial.)

The museum is free and you don't have to go through the Quantico gate to get to it. There's a mess hall and Tun's Tavern for food. It's just off I-95.

After the museum we headed another 15 miles or so south to Fredericksburg. The sun was warm, the dogwoods were blooming; it was just a great afternoon to be outside. First we stopped in town for lunch at an olde-timey drugstore lunch counter. This place, Goolrick's I think it's called, hasn't changed its format in at least 50 years. You get simple sandwiches, real cherry Coke, and ice cream sodas. And everything is served with a handful of chips and a limp pickle.

After lunch we went to the site of the Battle of Fredericksburg. It was my first Civil War battle site. There's a trail that's a nice short walk with signs along the way to tell you what you're looking at. Suburban sprawl has covered part of the battlefield, but you can still get a sense of what went on. If you feel up to it, you can continue walking up the hill to two cemeteries. One is a family plot that was in place long before the battle took place and some of the original headstones are still there. During the battle it served as a field hospital, due to its thick brick walls. The second cemetery is of Union soldiers who died during the battle. They gathered up the remains and identified as many as possible. Even if they couldn't identify the person, each body got a headstone. It was quite impactful.

Even though we uncovered some pretty grim themes throughout the day, it was a great day. And easy to do without too much time and effort. The Fredericksburg site is also free, so you're only paying for lunch and gas. We left Fall Church at 8:30-ish to hit the museum when it opened at 9:00 (good idea, since on a weekend it fills up quickly with tour busses). We were home from Fredericksburg around 4:00. (Plenty of time for a nap before dinner--which was at Arlington Cinema and Draft House while we watched No Country for Old Men.)

D.C. photos on flickr

we are patriots

Last night, for 4th of July, we saw the Steven Sondheim musical Assassins. I loved it! While it was a community theater with a very small production budget, and thus sort of a crappy set, there was no masking Sondheim's catchy songs. And the charisma of John Wilkes Booth. (I *heart* him. As a character in a musical that is. In the Broadway rivial in 2004 the actor who played him won a Tony.) And the actor who played Leon Czolgosz was fantastic. Made me want to learn more about him and Emma Goldman and all that. And I learned a little about assassination history in general. I knew nothing about assissination attempts on FDR and Nixon, and very little about the attempt by Squeaky Fromme on Ford. And being that it was such a small theater, by sitting in the second row we were making eye contact with all the assassins all night long. It was a little nervy, especially when they were pointing guns into the audience. But I liked feeling so close to the actors. By being so actually close to them.

After the show the musical director came on stage and asked the audience to stand up and join the cast in singing "America the Beautiful" (because we all chose to spend our 4th of July night watching a musical about U.S. presidential assassins). I couldn't stop giggling throughout the song and John Wilkes Booth kept looking at me.

(More info from wikipedia.)

Being tagged

In reading other people's "tag" posts this weekend I remembered something I should have totally included as one of my five because it's so cool. I'm descended from one of the Plymouth Colony pilgrims. He was apparently kicked out of the colony for fraternizing with Roger Williams. And my family has been in Rhode Island ever since. A couple summers ago we went to Plymouth Plantations and "met" our ancestor there (all the actors take the part of actual colonists).