In my late teens, always up for a heart thumping thrill, I loved going places that legend deemed haunted or scary. I went to old cemeteries and perused the century old head stones, visited an old deserted asylum once, and wandered through empty houses. We have legends of the Jersey Devil in the Wharton Track, also known as, the Pine Barons in Southern New Jersey. We used to go out to the Pine Barons and drive around at night. In some places, there weren’t even streetlights, just dense forest on both sides of the road. Sometimes, we would even park the car along side the road and watch intently out into the darkness, hoping to see something, but we never did venture out of the car to investigate. I was not that brave, let me tell you. A couple of years ago I wrote a short story inspired by the South Jersey legend titled, A Jersey Tale.
Other influences were shows like Gene London, Night Gallery, Twilight Zone, and as I mentioned above, Dark Shadows, all of which I watched faithfully.
I think the movie that affected me the most as a kid was The Exorcist. I remember being so frightened lying in my bed at night that the bed shook and all could think of was the scene when the bed was jumping up and down. I lay there eyes wide open, frightened, staring into the darkness, and prayed to God to protect me.
Any ties to Romania, gypsies, or fortune tellers?
Romania, no, though I have a very good friend who has spent some time in Romania and has proven to be a wealth of information and a valuable help on this project.
Gypsies…there’s another infatuation from my childhood. I was perhaps 11 years old and it was Halloween. My mom got the idea to dress me up as a Gypsy woman. She hand-made me a colorful ankle length skirt and dressed me in a white gauze peasant blouse with puffy full sleeves. The ensemble tied together with a long fabric sash. She colored my long blond hair with a temporary black dye, and let me wear huge silver hoop earrings and an arm full of bangling bracelets. She even made my face up. Oh, I was the cat’s meow that day, or should I say the wolf’s howl?
Article comments
1 - DrPat
How did you happen to interview this author?
2 - parker
by email
3 - C. Novak
If this is satirical or, at best, some kind of joke, but could you in future PLEASE leave my people out of it? You're, for whatever reason, reinforcing the very stereotypes that our ancestors were raped and hanged and flogged and gassed for; stereotypes that were never true in the first place. We're not mysterious and we dress just like everybody else does. Yes, there are some aspects of the culture that we don't share with outsiders but, then again, do you really want to hear about how I do my laundry...? Because I don't want to hear how you do yours. Unfortunately the 'academia' regarding my people is woefully and laughably out of date and people like me (educated Romani) are trying to rectify that, as I'm doing here--regardless of the intent behind the whole thing--but we face people who refuse to believe that we're not magical, people who want to experience some romantic ideal of the bloody difficult way our ancestors lived (not, mind you, by choice) and then, on the other hand, people who believe to this day that we're subhuman filth not fit to breathe the air everybody else does.
I'm Romani (Sinti nation); I live in the year 2005, I drive a Toyota, I'm getting divorce and going back to university to finish my graphic design degree and I've got more than enough on my plate already without constantly having to refute this new age rubbish that makes us (the Romani) look worse than we already do and just attracts more hocus-pocus-crunchy-granola-aura-seeing idiots and hippies. I have a big problem with that 'Gypsy spirit' crap, and I can't for the life of me figure out why people who were 'Gypsy in a past life' have to ANNOY US SO MUCH IN THIS ONE, along with doing us a huge disservice by perpetuating this romantic, exotic garbage.
We're not exotic. We're not mysterious. We're plain and ordinary but we have to deal with this kind of thing and then, on the other hand, the media can get away with saying the things they couldn't say about any other race (and, yes, we're a race; we are not a lifestyle). We may be despised and misunderstood and hemmed in and constantly slandered but we are not MYSTERIOUS.
4 - Sharon
Dear C. Novak,
As a writer of fiction, I'd been inspired with Romania and its rich history. Having gotten caught up and indulged in my gothic fantasies, I, by no means, meant to cause you any distress. I sincerely apologize that I have.
Sincerely,
Sharon L Connors
5 - Amanda Dryna
As one of the critiquers of 'Curse of the Marimé and a friend, I really enjoyed reading this interview. Curse of the Marimé is one of my all time favorite novels that I have ever had the pleasure of critiquing. I'd would highly recommend everyone to keep a look out for it.
6 - Sharon L Connors
Thank you, Amanda.
Your enthusiasm for this story is much appreciated as well your critique and editing skills, not to mention your continued friendship and support.
Fondly,
Sharon L Connors