Tag Archives: Halloween

It’s Decorative Gourd Season

Posted on October 30, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Here in North America folks tend to go a bit overboard with seasonal decorations. An important mainstay is the carved pumpkin. In the video below, professional pumpkin carver, James Hall, runs through 13 different levels of pumpkin carving, from the … Continue reading →

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nostalgie de la bibliothèque

Posted on October 26, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

While checking out book blogs I stumbled on a reference to “Spooks and Spirits and Shadowy Shapes” , featuring wonderfully atmospheric, period illustrations by Robert L. Doremus. Certainly not the most interesting Halloween reading, but personally significant as I remember … Continue reading →

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The Haunted Castle

Posted on October 23, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

In honor of the Halloween season, here’s the first horror film, Georges Méliès’ The Haunted Castle. Originally released in 1896, the year before Dracula was published, it had been thought to be lost until 1988, when a copy was discovered in the … Continue reading →

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Samhain Is Upon Us

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

In Ireland Samhain was an ancient pagan festival that marked the end of summer and the beginning of the Celtic new year and long winter ahead. (Samhain translates to “summer’s end” in Gaelic.) Begining at sundown on October 31 and … Continue reading →

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Have a Lovecraft Halloween

Posted on October 30, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

What better way to celebrate Halloween than a bit of H.P. Lovecraft lore.

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Bram Stoker’s Dublin

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The last weekend in October has become the best time to visit Dublin each year since the advent of the Bram Stoker Festival and Halloween Parade seven years ago. The festivities always include a spectacular costumed parade, theatrical performances, musical … Continue reading →

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Prepare for All Hallow’s Read

Posted on October 20, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Eight years ago, author Neil Gaiman suggested a new holiday tradition to celebrate Halloween and All Hallow’s Read was born. The concept is simple: The week leading up to Halloween, or on October 31st, give someone a scary book. You can also … Continue reading →

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Dance Macabre

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

 La portentosa vida de la muerte (The Prodigious Life of Death) by Joaquín Bolaños, is a late 18th century Mexican novel that stars Death as a female protagonist ( la muerte in Spanish is a feminine noun).  The story begins in the Garden … Continue reading →

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David S. Pumpkins was not involved

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Oh My Gourd is a timely and wonderful stop motion animation carved from pumpkins. The amusing video, which required hours of work carving dozens of gourds, was directed by Sean Ohlenkamp and Rob Popkin.  

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Trick or Treat

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Brian D. Butler
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