Editor's Note

One need not be a chamber to be haunted;
One need not be a house;
The brain has corridors surpassing
Material place.

-         Emily Dickinson

 

As a child, my trips to the library in my elementary and middle school were often the highlight of the day, tedious days fills with mathematics (ugh) and homework assignments (double-ugh). And being in the library in October spawned the most memorable afternoons of all; the light tapping of rain on the windows as yellow and red leaves skittered by, with the clock ticking closer to 3:30 pm. Soft voices of children and the padding of shoes through the book-filled aisles are the soundtrack of these memories, and I always went to the same corner of the back room: the occult section. Tales of ghosts and werewolves, haunted castles and historical accounts of vampires, and best of all: finding The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury stuck behind a row of hardback collections of gothic horror.

Reading through that book and following Pipkin, Mr. Moundshroud, Tom Skelton, and the others through the catacombs of time and history took my breath away on those October bus rides home, and in the evening dim, curled up in bed, Bradbury reminded me of two things: that the haunting of the mind is far more frightening, exciting, and fun than days filled with math and book reports, and that October is the time when the border between the imagined and the real is veil thin, close enough to reach out and touch.

October has always been my favorite month, and Halloween my favorite holiday—a celebration of the power of human imagination, fear, and thrill-seeking delight. This issue is dedicated to that feeling, and to the memory of Ray Bradbury, who was the living embodiment of that childlike sense of Halloween wonder.

I’d like to thank all those who sent in their memories of this month and holiday. We have quite the Hobo Halloween Tree here in this issue. A big thank you goes to Bob Orsillo for lending us his painting “The Best Part of the Trip” (you can find more of his work HERE) and Kristin Fouquet for her photo-essay (seen throughout) titled “Laughing at Death.”

And finally, I would like to introduce our new associate editor, Mr. David M Morton. I’ve had the pleasure of publishing David’s words and a painting in previous issues, and it is a real comfort to have someone on the other side of The Great Campfire whose opinion, artistic taste, and worldly disposition I trust and respect. He’s been a huge help with this issue, and I am excited to have him aboard.

I know this issue will be up long after October ends, since our next won’t be until March 2013,  but I have always believed that the mystery and wonder that Halloween represents goes far beyond one day. I’ll bet you do too.

I’ll see you down the road…

James Duncan, Editor