Beauty hurts: Madam Koi Koi

Beauty hurts: Madam Koi Koi

I had the privilege, for much of my high school education, to go to boarding school. For a kid who prized independence and adventure, it was a dream. Boarding schools are weird places. Living away from the safety of your familiar routine—and being effectively locked...
17 stories below: Myths of the Moscow Metro

17 stories below: Myths of the Moscow Metro

In the very first post on this blog, now 6 (!) years ago, I mentioned my strange encounter with a security guard deep in the Portland subway system. It was that encounter that helped to encourage me to write this blog in the first place.  Subways have always been...
Epistolary horror: Ghosts of Ancient Rome

Epistolary horror: Ghosts of Ancient Rome

History! It’s important that we know it, and that we learn from it. One of the reasons that I’m so into ghosts is how they represent history encroaching upon the present: literally, they can’t be ignored. This month has been full of historical events, great and...
Backseat driver: Bride of the 13 Curves

Backseat driver: Bride of the 13 Curves

Anyone with even a passing interest in urban legends and folklore will know that ghost bride stories (especially in the U.S., which I am most familiar with) are a dime a dozen. Certainly there are some practical reasons for this–white wedding dresses double...