ibeforem
Written on Nov 16, 2017
Dickey is not so much concerned with telling us ghost stories as he is interested in telling us who, what, and where, and why of them. Who were these ghosts in their earthly form? Did they even exist? What happened to them? Where is this place that they haunt, and is that location significant? And why? Why would this spirit need to haunt this place? Why are we compelled to search for ghosts?
“A paranormal event without a story is tenuous, fragile. What makes it ‘real’, at least in a sense, is the story, the tale that grounds the event.”
The book explores some places you may be familiar with, like the Winchester Mystery House or the House of Seven Gables, as well as some places you may never have considered, like the part of Richmond, Virginia that used to be a slave market. But I think Dickey brings a fresh perspective even to the most well-worn stories. I’ve toured the Winchester Mystery House, and his words made me think about it differently. He also raises some interesting issues, particularly in the story of the slave market. Why are so many ghosts white, when there has been so much black suffering?
The only thing I felt the book was missing was pictures. I read the Kindle version, so maybe they exist in the print version? They would have been an excellent addition, especially since I was familiar with some of the locations, and not with others. I particularly felt compelled to Google Timothy Brown’s house in Georgetown, New York.
Overall I enjoyed the perspective Dickey provides. It definitely gave me something to think about on our next ghost tour!