A Letter from Slightly Silly (not-burning) Portland

Plus, Hauntings, a Phantom, and a Plan

Several years ago, I met a friend from Washington, D.C., at a Portland food cart pod. We were standing amidst the bustle of downtown lunch hour when my friend stopped and stared around her. “What is it?” I asked, thinking she was having a hard time deciding between brisket at the Jook Joint, barbecue at the People’s Pig, or fish and chips at the Frying Scotsman.

“Is there a play going on?”

I looked around me at the people wearing fedoras, striped tights and garters, beanies, lumberjack beards, and utilikilts.

“No,” I said. “It’s just Portland.

We moved here from Phoenix, Arizona in 2007 and I have been in love with Portland ever since. I love the old hippies in head-to-toe tie dye. I love the young couples in matching unicorn pajamas. I love the Unipiper* (Have you ever tried to ride a unicycle or play the bagpipes? I have. They’re incredibly difficult, and I never attempted to do both at the same time while wearing a Darth Vader mask and shooting flames from my pipes). I love that our most famous form of protest is riding bicycles naked. And I love that we’re trying to protect our city through a show of whimsical strength and absolute joy in our otherness.

If you love the freedom to be exactly who you are—whether that means dressing in a chicken suit or one with a shirt and bow tie—I hope you’ll support Portland. BTW, we’re not burning or war-ravaged, so come visit! I’ll buy you a cup of coffee, tell you a bad joke, and point you toward all the beautiful silliness our weird little city has to offer.

*You can see the Unipiper in action later in this newsletter.

Best Places to Hide the Body

Sure, I was walking in a dark, creepy forest, and sure, it was eerily silent, and sure, I thought I saw a dark something from the corner of my eye, and sure, the old stump looked like a witches’ cauldron, but I still did not expect it to be filled with anything other than pine needles…

A Phantom, just in time for Halloween!

As most of you know, I’ve been slowly indie-publishing my books since getting my rights back from Henery Press. I’ve been using final proofreading PDF copies of the books, and the reformatting takes me forever (I’ve tried several tools to help with this but welcome suggestions).

Since The Phantom of Oz features a ghost in a haunted theatre, I really wanted to have the book available in time for Halloween, but I will not have it reformatted in time. So I came up with a plan:

Starting on Friday October 24th, I’m going to publish a free newsletter every week, with an installment of The Phantom of Oz, along with another bit of silliness like a trivia quiz or Recipe from the Gas Company or Random Thing That Makes Me Laugh. I’ll still publish these free monthly newsletters, too.

Once I finally finish formatting Phantom, I’ll let you know, and you can finish the book by:

• Buying it through one of the usual channels

• Reading or rereading the Henery Press version you bought when it first came out

• Enjoying it in serialized weekly installments (like Dickens’ readers!) by becoming a paid subscriber.

To recap: I’ll still publish free monthly newsletters. I’ll also be publishing free weekly newsletters with installments of The Phantom of Oz until it’s formatted. Then you can choose to finish the book with a traditional purchase, or by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers* will receive weekly installment of Phantom, plus a bit of cheeky fun, and more slightly silly fiction once the serialized book has reached its ending.

I think the weekly serialization idea sounds like fun—I hope you think so, too!

*You can become a paid subscriber at any time, but the first month (or two) of weekly installments will be free for everyone.

A Slightly Spooky Trivia Quiz

Which one of the following landmarks has not been reported as haunted?

A. Liberty Island

B. Mt. Rushmore

C. The Hollywood Sign

D. The Golden Gate Bridge

E. Wrigley Field

F. The Smithsonian Institution

Answer at the end of the newsletter

Coming soon! THE PHANTOM OF OZ (Ivy Meadows Mystery #5)

A Kings River Life Magazine Best Book of 2018

Creepy Munchkins. A Mysterious Phantom. And a Real Wicked Witch.

Read more about the book here.

The Phantom of Oz is a humorous musical mash-up, a gothic ghost story, a funny mystery, and an exploration of beauty and friendship—all in one book! The ghost in it, The Lady In White, is inspired by ghosts in classic tales, theatre ghosts (I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a theatre that didn’t claim at least one sighting), and the ghost who haunts the Hotel San Carlos, where I once owned a flower shop. I do believe she’s there.

Random Stuff That Makes Me Smile

“Telltale Signs That Spooky Season Is Here”

From The New Yorker, September 29, 2023, by Kerry Elson

A spider will descend from the ceiling on a single thread. His eyes are red, but they are kind. Could he be your friend? (The answer is yes! During spooky season, spiders will be excited to make plans.) Read more.

Fun with My Friends

Tesla City Stories is performing live in Portland in November and December! Their shows are always a blast - live vintage radio drama, 1940’s style music, and audience participation. Find out more about Tesla’s shows and get tickets. You’ll have a swell time!

Answer to the Trivia Quiz

B. No one has reported hauntings at Mt. Rushmore, though nearby Keystone Cemetery supposedly had its share of ghosts.

The spirit of Captain Kidd haunts Liberty Island. Peg Entwhistle, an actress who jumped from the top of the Hollywood Sign, still lingers there. People have spotted a ghost ship sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. Several dead Cubs fans haunt Wrigley Field. And people were so creeped out by ghost sightings at the Smithsonian that founder James Smithson’s remains were disinterred in 1973, hoping to put an end to the haunting.

(badge by Beth Spencer)