The Masque of the Red Death

“The tastes of the duke were peculiar. He had a fine eye for color and effects. He disregarded the ‘decora’ of mere fashion. His plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre. There are some who would have thought him mad. His...

The Donner Party: Worse Than You Thought!

Most of you have heard about the Donner Party – the group of white settlers who ventured into California before the Gold Rush, got stuck in the mountains, and had to eat each other to survive. It’s grisly, it’s grotesque, and it’s a staple of American culture....

Office Depot

One of the reasons I started this site was because I’m full of weird ghost and murder gossip and I have no outlet for it. I’m walking around all day constantly reminding myself not to say HEY DID YOU KNOW THIS ROCK CAME FROM A CEMETERY or A MUSICIAN WAS ACTUALLY...

Halloween Part 2: Mischief and Mayhem

Halloween in America – Trick or Treating Last week we learned that modern American Halloween comes from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain. Many of our traditions have evolved from that holiday – especially expressions of harvest bounty (carving...

Halloween Part 1: The Veil

It’s almost Halloween, you guys. If you asked me in my wildest dreams if I could have a job that allowed me to read academic articles about the origin and folklore of Halloween and then write a dissertation on it for a website I would have said YES! But also are you...