For the month of June, I hosted a "Spooky Summer" book club reading The Wishing Pool and Other Stories by Tananarive Due. Tananarive Due is a name I recognized from my childhood. My mother read her books along with Stephen Barnes and Brandon Massey, big names in Black Horror and Speculative Fiction. The Wishing Pool was my first dive into her works and I was able to share it with my biggest Horror inspiration: my mother. As far as I could remember, my mom has been watching and reading horror. I'd sit and watch with her-- The Outer Limits, the Twilight Zone, Creep Show, Friday the 13th, Carrie (original and remakes), Final Destination-- It was our thing. My mother was my "origin story." In other words, part of the reason I gravitated to the genre, even going as far as taking Horror & Suspense fiction class in college. I never once asked what her origin story was. When did you first start reading and watching horror? Mom: Watching would be when I was, I think about 8. I would stay up late at night and watch the late horror movies. But I would lay between [my mom and dad]. I was in there with them so I was good. I’d watch these horror movies until the station went off and the screen when white. But I would need [my dad] to walk me to bed because I was scared. Reading? The first one I read was Helter Skelter, and you know what Helter Skelter is. Yeah, those would scare me, but I couldn't put them down. I was in my own room by then, so I was a teenager I think. What is 'horror' to you? How would you define it? Mom: Things that scared me or bump in the night. Horror to me are things that creep up on me or startle me. I mean of course the blood and gore, but it was really scary if things creep up on me. I didn't worry about the hows and the whys. I can put in that I think my fear started-- did I ever tell you about Uncle Ralph's room? Me: No. Mom: Ok, when I was little, we were all staying over at your great grandma and grandpas house. They never wanted us to go upstairs. Upstairs was off limits. But at night-- I remember it was storming so bad. Bad storm. [My sisters] slept in one room and your uncle Warren was just a little boy then and he got to sleep in the room with grandpa and grandma. I remember asking them where do I sleep? And they said in Uncle Ralph's room [Jade's note: Uncle Ralph is my grandfather's younger brother and my mom's god-father. EDITED: He died of kidney disease when my mom was a baby]. No one ever went into Uncle Ralph's room. I was scared to death! I closed my eyes so tight and all of a sudden I felt like someone touched me. Like someone put their hand on my shoulder and I was suddenly ok. I was able to go to sleep. In the morning, everyone was afraid and talking about how they couldn't sleep because of the storm, but I'd slept like the storm didn't happen. I was afraid to open my eyes, but I wasn't afraid of the storm. I think that's what made me immune to horror stories because I would watch them, but it was like I wasn't afraid anymore. Not really. What were some of your favorites? Movies, TV shows, books? Mom: Frankenstein. The old black and white on up until the remakes in the 70s. The remake ones use to upset my stomach. I’d have stomach aches all the time… those bothered me more. I liked the old Frankenstein. They didn't scare me. They made me feel sorry for him. Dracula. I like the newer Dracula versions The Thing— the ORIGINAL Thing. That bothered me but oooh! And then the other vampire type movies. Remember the one where all of the vampires would go to Alaska? 30 Days of Night. Nowhere you could run, nowhere you could hide. Its dark all the time. Yeah, that one I like! Blackula when it first came out… but now, I realize its predictable. I didn't care too much for ghosts or “Invisible Man” type of thing, even though those came on a lot growing up. I like the paranormal though. Do you still enjoy horror? Have you fallen out of the genre? Mom: Oh no! If its something that I know it will be good… like Netflix’s horror section, I’ll look through and read the synopses to see if there's something I’d like. If its predictable, it takes away the fun. They are all basically predictable now. I want something that is more entertaining rather than something that I know its going to happen. Like Swarm. It kept me glued! Like, I had an idea what was going on and what would happen. [spoilers redacted] The twists and turns— yeah, that was good. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Mom: I think I’ll always be fascinated by the horrific SciFi. Now that I'm older, it doesn't give me a headache much. But it still makes me jump. "What appealed to me about horror, once I discovered it especially in the literary form where you get to know the character a little better-- a little more deeply, were those opportunities to find your inner courage." If you've read or plan on reading The Wishing Pool, below are the discussion question I made for my group. Enjoy!
PART I: Wishes
PART III: The Nayima Stories
PART IV: Future Shock
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