In the Loop: October
Boo! It's fall, y'all! That means it's officially Spooky Season and also the very best month of the year.
So what makes October so great? October has crunchy leaves in wild colors. October has Halloween decorations and parties. And candy. And costumes. October has football (and some people like that). October has sweater weather. It has apples and pumpkins. October has one of the very best holidays but it doesn't have the stress and chaos of some of those November and December holidays. Lucy Maud Montgomery probably said it best (by way of our favorite sentimental dreamer, Anne Shirley): "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."
Let's be real, though. October has its drawbacks. There are a lot more zombies than in most other months. We're subjected to many costumes like "Sexy Undecided Voter," "Sexy Handmaid," and "Sexy Banana Bread." Candy corn exists. October is not without its flaws but we heart it anyway.
And don't forget! You should definitely check out this month’s playlist. (That's right, each of our newsletters includes a playlist that relates to the theme of the month.) There are a lot of frightfully good bops out there, and now they're all gathered together in one ghoulish place.
Editing Q&A: Creepin' It Real about Italics
Words, phrases, and abbreviations from a language other than English that are familiar to most readers (and appear in Merriam-Webster’s) should be set in roman—not italics—if used in an English context.
So italics are not needed for postmortem, rigor mortis, memento mori, posthumous, or in memoriam. This is also true for non-death-related terms like ibid., a priori, de facto, per se, ad hoc, and sui generis. (See? No italics!)
Lesser-known foreign words and phrases should be set in italics (with the exception of proper nouns). Let the italics fly for omnes una manet nox (one night is awaiting us all), mors vincit omnia (death is the end), and dulce periculum (danger is sweet).
That being said, sic is best always italicized because of its particular use in quoted material. And if there are two foreign words or phrases but only one is familiar (e.g., mise en scène and mise en bouteille), it is best to either italicize both terms or neither term.
A Playlist about Halloween! But Is It a Graveyard Smash?
(Click the image to enjoy a literary-inspired playlist)
What's the Diff?
There are a lot of sneaky words out there—those that sound awfully similar to others, but with a different meaning. Here’s the dish on some of those commonly swapped-by-accident words.
Torturous (adj.): Painful. Torturous carries meanings that are related to severe physical and mental suffering: think torture and pain (a torturous exam, torturous heat). It’s a (pretty harsh) judgement about something. Synonyms for torturous include agonizing, tormenting, painful, and cruel.
Tortuous (adj.): Winding. Tortuous means having many twists, bends, and turns, like a winding road or a complicated argument. It emphasizes something’s twisting or complex nature. Synonyms for tortuous include twisted, complex, winding, and complicated.
Cool Guides
Stuff We Like
Wanna watch some elephants squash some giant pumpkins?
Michael and Dave (from the Center Cut) watch the first and last fifteen minutes of Cabin in the Woods and get quizzed about the (unseen) middle.
For centuries, witches have asked “Why are you so obsessed with me?”
Some books are love at first bite. These are the best horror books of 2022 (so far).
A Halloween safety video from the 1970s is unintentionally creepy (which is the best kind of creepy).
Day of the Dead: It is not “Mexican Halloween.”
These vintage Halloween costumes are super unsettling.
The “uncanny valley” and why all-too-human robots give us the whim-whams.
Artist Genieve Figgis paints bourgeoise decadence with equal parts horror and humor.
Not playing in theaters near you: The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders.
Rebecca Solnit on the right to peaceable assembly (even in costumes).
Vampires, zombies, and cannibals! Oh my! Hi-Phi Nation is a podcast that mixes philosophy and storytelling to present big ideas (and sometimes it’s about monsters).
People like sexy Halloween costumes. Try these on for size: sexy costumes for straight men, slutty costumes for your day job, and bearcat babe costumes from 1915.
Everyone’s a critic. The comment section of a recipe for a revenge spell.
When is the last time you watched the Rocky Horror Picture Show? Bruce Campbell shares Tim Curry’s love of the cult classic.
Vampires and the erotic have always been intertwined. Proof: What We Do in the Shadows.
Pay It Forward
Meet Jason Dickson!
Jason Dickson has been a used and antiquarian bookseller for the last twenty-five years. His book, London: 150 Cultural Moments (written with his amazing partner, Vanessa Brown) was published by Biblioasis in 2017. His most recent title, The Demon Book was published by Baseline Press in 2021. He is co-owner of the amazing Brown & Dickson Bookstore, located in downtown London, Ontario.
Click over to the blog, where Jason shares some of his insights about book selling and storytelling and a lifelong love of reading.
Be sure to check out Brown & Dickson on their website and follow them on Twitter or Instagram.
