Around 1862, John Henry Pepper devised a new theatre lighting technique involving a large angled sheet of glass and figures moving around below stage level. The trick made it appear that actors on the stage were translucent phantasms who could walk through walls and furniture with ease. The technique made possible plays with impressively transparent ghosts. … Continue reading Pepper’s Ghost
A Chef’s Guide to Spooking
I can’t remember which writer said it, but the gist is: ‘I write by inspiration, and inspiration comes at exactly 9 A.M. each morning’. I scowl when I think of this. I wish I could spew out great stories like that, but the truth is I do a lot of staring off into space with … Continue reading A Chef’s Guide to Spooking
Open Door Sex
After I had been writing the Requiem novels for some time, a professional editor pointed out to me that there are two types of sex. This was a revelation to me, because, you know, I’ve been around. Apparently to an editor there is ‘closed door sex’ and then there is, well, ‘open door sex’. I’ll confess, doors … Continue reading Open Door Sex
The Karst
Conversation between Detective Prem Joshi and Deputy Superintendent Filman: Joshi: “This time he dumped the body in a karst.” Filman: “What’s a karst? Wait. Is this the setup for a joke?” Joshi: “No, no! Let me have my moment. I’ve been waiting weeks for someone to ask me what a karst is. It’s a geographic … Continue reading The Karst
The Curious Case of Maxfield Parrish
I’ve settled on a name for the fourth Requiem novel: Requiem for Parish. The word ‘requiem’ refers to a mass for the dead—a prayer for their souls. An unconscionable number of people get murdered in the new novel, so I had plenty of names to choose from in framing a title. So, who is Parish? No, … Continue reading The Curious Case of Maxfield Parrish
Route 66 Revisited
I drew a cartoon once: There’s a lovely maiden sitting under a tree and a young swain is kneeling beside her with his hand on his heart. The girl says, “So you can write poetry. You’re still a Goddamed shepherd.” I’d been reading pastoral poems with their delicate idylls of love and simplicity, but I … Continue reading Route 66 Revisited
A Thurber Carnival
The CN and CP tracks run parallel and close together here on the MacTier sideroad. As I approach the first track the red warning lights start to flash and I pull up far enough back to get a good view of the train as it crosses the road ahead. There’s a wail from somewhere in … Continue reading A Thurber Carnival
Of Lakes and Seas
I could use your help here. I’ve lost a poem. I know what it’s about: a man determined never to return to the sea, who nevertheless can’t forget the love he feels for the vast reaches of the salt ocean. I’ve tried searching the net for the only line I remember from the poem, and … Continue reading Of Lakes and Seas
Bagelwarp
So, there’s this huge multi-national food conglomerate, and they have a research and development division. These people do vital investigations into such important stuff as finding a name for ketchup or horseradish that doesn’t mean anything dirty in eighty world languages. This would be such an opportunity for recent grads in Modern Languages or Asian Studies. … Continue reading Bagelwarp
“Richard! Richard!” (Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time)
Influencer—that’s a word that shows up a lot now. Images that drift by us on movie screens or crowd out at us on social media. People we look up to or envy. The truth is we make up our lives as we go along; we didn’t come with an instruction book or a style guide. … Continue reading “Richard! Richard!” (Jane Seymour in Somewhere in Time)
Douglas Cockell 