Saturday, April 1, 2023

March '23 Madhouse Recap: Rest, Relax, and Haunt

Hello friends and fiends–

March is always a reflective month for me. The whole crew–myself included–got sick mid-month and it was a nightmare. The house desperately needs to be aired out and cleansed so the energy can reset and I’m hoping to do a big spring clean here soon. That aside, I turned 34 on the 28th and have been doing a lot of evaluation and resting and planning as I think about what I want to do now that the semester is coming to an end and summer is faintly on the horizon. I was planning on starting down a new path this fall, but the graduate program I was accepted into had a modality change that doesn’t really align with my schedule, so for now, I’ve had to defer to spring so I can meditate on how I can make this happen, and if I really want to put myself through the stress of it. 

Mostly though, I just want to write. I have so many stories and half-finished projects that need tending to so I’m planning on doing just that for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, everything else will align as the universe sees fit after that. 

Dennis and I did manage to steal away for a long weekend this month, which was more needed than I realized. We stayed at this adorable bed and breakfast in Gettysburg (The Inn at White Oak) and it was the most charming place I’ve ever stayed before. The hosts were lovely, the scenery and lodging were truly incredible, and we were treated like royalty with fresh breakfast every day, coffee, a selection of teas, and homemade pastries and snacks available throughout the day. The owner even built us a fire in the pool house so we could swim in style at night.

We managed to do some hiking at Devil’s Den and then visited some other battlefield sights. We antiqued, did some shopping, sampled lots of cider and mead, and then one of the highlights of the trip was a candlelight dinner in the library of the Dobin House. I’m such a sucker for anything historical and I love nothing more than soft light, good company, and creating memories, so this was a great little birthday surprise for me, and one I won’t soon forget. Plus, the food was incredible (always a plus!)

We extended our trip a bit by heading to Rocky Gap State Park. We did some more hiking, some more relaxing, and okay, I did go to the casino for a bit but they had this Little Shop of Horrors machine, so what do you really expect from me? I really enjoyed the park though, and we’re making plans to visit again this summer with Evie to do some more exploring. There’s just nothing quite as soothing as spending time in a forest. I need to do more of it…and I intend to.

As we pick up speed this April, I’ll be finishing teaching three graduate courses and one undergraduate course, as well as submitting my final work for the psychology class I’m taking. I have some trips planned for the summer and then I’m signed up for StokerCon, so hopefully, there should be lots to look forward to.

In the meantime give this poem a read: “How to Break a Curse” and continue to do good things and be kind to each other. 



On the writing/teaching front:
  • I know some people don't connect with craft books, so I wanted to write something that recommends books to inspire creativity (while still subtly teaching). As such, check out my article Craft Books for Writers Who Hate Craft Books via LitReactor.
  • I was thrilled to be highlighted via @HorrorWriters for #WiHM. You can check out the interview here.
  • I managed to hit some submission calls this month, which is wild because it’s been ages since I’ve disciplined myself enough to do that. Feeling quite proud, regardless of how things shake out.

This month, I read:

Comics and Graphic Novels–

  • I Hate Fairyland Issue #5 by SkottieYoung
  • Lovesick Issue #5 by Luana Vecchio
  • Blue Book Issue #1 by James Tynion
  • Betty the Final Girl #1, one-shot via Archie Comics
  • Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors #1, one-shot via Archie Comics
  • Farmhand Vol 3 by Rob Guillory
  • Little Vampires Vol 1 by Jeff Lemire
  • Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
  • Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
  • Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen
Novels & Collections–
  • Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
  • Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare
  • Sisters by Daisy Johnson (reread)
  • I’ve been reading Lesley Nneka Arimah’s short story collection What it Means When A Man Falls From the Sky. This month I read: “The Future Looks Good,” “War Stories,” “Wild,” and “Light.”
  • I’ve been reading Bora Chung’s short story collection Cursed Bunny and really, really enjoying it. This month I read: “The Head,” “The Embodiment,” “Cursed Bunny,” “The Frozen Finger,” “Snare,” “Goodbye, my Love,” “Scars,” and “Home Sweet Home.”
Individual Short Stories and Essays–



On the media front: 

  • Nocebo (2022), Scream 6 (2023), Lars and the Real Girl (2007),  I See You (2019)

  • The Outsider: I really enjoyed this and I’m deeply curious to read the book now. Great suspense and horrifying images. I don’t know that I should have watched this considering the subject matter but once I started it, I couldn’t stop. 

  • You, Season 4, Part 2: This entire series is such a comfort watch for me, and I know that shouldn’t be the case but I can’t help it. I liked where this season ended up going, and it got me thinking about Dexter again. I 100% need to catch up on my reading here… I still haven’t read book #3 ye

  • Waco: American Apocalypse: I only watched the first episode, but WACO has a pretty strong hold on me for whatever reason, so I definitely plan to finish this soon.

  • The Mandalorian, Season 3: I'm all caught up and remain in love with this show. I also very much appreciate the direction they are going in with Bo-Katan.

  • Not Dead Yet: I'm not in love with this show, but it's a cute idea and something I like to watch here and there when I need to turn off my head for a bit. Fun fact: back when working in journalism was my career goal, I so desperately wanted to get my feet wet in the field by writing obituaries. I actually applied to do it once, but didn't get the position.


Podcasts:

Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.

Best,

Stephanie


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