Fun House
Halloween was a big deal at our two-room school. Every October, the students in my teacher/aunt Miss Longenecker’s lower grades and Mrs. Kilhelfner’s upper-grades skipped class for Halloween amusement in the fun house that transformed the basement of Rheems Elementary School. To begin this scary trip, I was blindfolded before descending the cellar steps. Guided by an older student’s voice, I stepped gingerly through a tunnel of hay bales. Sightless, I felt my legs go stiff, my arms jerking like a robot trying to navigate the path.
Peeled grapes had become the naked eyeballs of the faux human “remains” I touched. Instructed to blow a penny out of a dish, I felt the odd sensation of something warm coating my face. Then proceeding through the maze, I heard the whoo-whoo of a wispy ghost and the scream of what might be an ax murderer, mysterious mayhem my imagination conjured up. Finally, I took off my blindfold to behold the fright of a luminous skeleton moaning in pain. After I scooted down a metal slide to exit, landing on my bottom, I was relieved to see the light. Ah! Only then did I touch my face to discover a coating of flour.
We entertained ourselves on Halloween night dressing up at home, too. Often our outfits were homemade: a hobo from Mom’s scraps or a ghost materializing from a sheet. But sometimes Aunt Ruthie went overboard with her other nieces, my younger sisters. One fall during the Halloween parade, Ruthie created a yellow-and-black beehive costume for cute little Jeanie to wear, complete with a stick she held with a wee bee bobbing up and down on the end. Janice has told me she was so jealous at having a plain old sheet to wear instead that year. What I wore must not have been spectacular because I can’t conjure up an image.
Excerpt from Chapter 13, Halloween Fright, Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl
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Click below for Miss Longenecker’s Halloween movie clip, from Rheems Elementary School, YouTube
Halloween “Parade” before the Fun House Excitement
Our fun house in the Rheems School basement was sectioned off. It had partitions, much like the imaginary “house” a writer creates, making scenes that expand into chapters—all part of a whole unit.
Author Susanna Clarke fantasizes about these houses, these rooms, these connected spaces, which writers prepare for their readers.
Writing a book is like moving into an imaginary house. The author, the sole inhabitant, wanders from room to room, choosing the furnishings, correcting imperfections, adding new wings. Often, this space feels like a sanctuary. But sometimes it is a ramshackle fixer-upper that consumes time rather than cash, or a claustrophobic haunted mansion whose intractable problems nearly drive its creator mad. No one else can truly enter this house until the book is launched into the world, and once the work is completed the author becomes a kind of exile: the experience of living there can only be remembered.
Here’s where you get to chat about . . .
- Your experience of Halloween then or now
- Susanna Clarke’s metaphor for the writing process
- Your own writing process
I was creeped out reading of your experience of Halloween Marian! Glad you’re alive to tell the tale. Susanna Clarke’s metaphor for writing is apt, thank you for it. I think of it also as a birthing experience with labour pains being the grand finale all the while the pregnancy of the book grows – (taking away some energy for sure). Or as a cooking metaphor, slicing, peeling, steaming, boiling, dissolving, maturing, adding (eg flavours, spices, herbs). Until the piece de resistance emerges. My own writing process? All of the above 🙂
Happy Halloween to you all .. no doubt you’re cooking up something ..
Susan, I can certainly relate to the pregnancy metaphor for birthing a book. Last year I turned the process into a blog post, noting that my pregnancy was longer than that of an elephant (nearly 2 years). Mine was about five, more if you count the story-writing and family history stories I took: https://marianbeaman.com/2019/07/24/book-birthday-5-year-pregnancy-ending/
Although I like your cooking metaphor, nothing culinary is going on in my kitchen this year. Thanks for starting the conversation here, so appreciated! 🙂
Adding to the house metaphor and the writing process: When it comes to the characters who inhabit that house/neighborhood/community, I have found they need to be allowed to develop and lead the author rather than the author leading them. Their voice, their thoughts, their dreams lead the way.
I’m with you on that. Like you, I’ve always thought that students and teachers should construct learning together. Remember Cooperative Learning! You are a pro at building community as your blog suggests. Thanks for checking in today, Steve.
Halloween is not a Spanish tradition, but it is celebrated now by the younger generation. My first ever Halloween party was in my early 20s in England and I really enjoyed it.
I hope children will be able to celebrate it somehow in this difficult and crazy year.
I agree with Susanna Clarke’s metaphor about writing and truly empathise with it.
I’m glad you got a taste of Halloween, even if belatedly. You are lucky to participate in traditions from many cultures, a real gift. Thanks for chiming in today, Fatima. 🙂
👍❤
Good morning, Marian! I’m not really a big fan of Halloween, and it’s going to be strange this year for many families.
I like the house metaphor. One of my friends and I often used to discuss the house dreams we had that seemed to come when we were working on things in our lives–such as books. 😀
The metaphor of writing and constructing a house is new to me, but it makes a lot of sense; writing IS construction, and reconstruction, if you count revising. Once I dreamed of running blindfolded during the time I was feeling out of whack trying to write memoir. Dreams are good outlets for stress and very instructive as you point out.
Thanks for all this, Merril. 🙂
Sometimes I certainly feel haunted when I’m writing! And sometimes I wonder if the furniture will ever be arranged properly. 🙂
Great food for thought heading into this strangest of Hallowe’ens.
Arlene, I like your take on the haunted spaces of writers, very strange this year, I do agree, Thanks! 🙂
I loved to trick or treat when I was a kid. At school we had a Halloween party and would come in costume. Loved seeing my teacher in a costume. My older brother tended to go as a ghost or a hobo. I was a princess one year. Trick or treating was a long process. We went for hours and usually amassed a huge bag of candy.
Great metaphor for writing! I guess ghostwriting would be like filling the house for someone else to move in and then launch into the world.
Yes, for us too Halloween was a party and a chance to dress up and get candy – enough to make me a wild child, I would guess.
I know you not only write under you own name but do a fair share of editing and writers for others. Perhaps, you too are a ghostwriter, and I’m guess of the very best kind, L. Marie.
Not at all scary! 🙂
I’ll reflect on Susanna’s metaphor, but I’ll tell you that this Halloween will be the first time since I was born that I’ll not be participating in the holiday. No decorations, no candy to hand out, no parties. It makes me sad, especially since this year Halloween is a blue moon which makes it extra special. 2020 sucks.
I wonder if you will blog about the strange Halloween with a blue moon. Perhaps you and Zen-Den will dance in the living room to the tune of Blue Moon. I’ll supply the music a la Sinatra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgi1txjrKZk&list=RDJgi1txjrKZk&start_radio=1&ab_channel=magmablade111
😉
Love that song! Thanks for reminding me of it.
You’re very welcome!
Marian — I’m in the throes of completing book two in the Sean McPherson series and Susanna Clarke’s metaphor for writing is spot-on!
I remember reading “Halloween Fright” in your memoir. Today’s post brought it all back, along with the goosebumps!
What a whiz you are, finishing up with book two of your thriller/suspense novel series. And besides, you have a fabulous memory for detail including a chapter from my own memoir. Wow, Laurie! 😀
Halloween was always a fun time for s kids. Even though we lived on a farm, mom and dad would drive us into town so we could trick or treat. Mom always brought candies along and would hand them out while at a friends house. She didn’t think it was fair for the farm kids to collect and not hand out. My parents taught us a lot about fairness. I love the video. Such great costumes, most home made I’m sure.
Your mom is a model of fairness. Children usually are selfish, but you were shown the magic of reciprocity. I’m glad you enjoyed the video too. The costume material came from raiding the attic or the closet. Probably only the masks were store bought. I was shocked when I read the stats on how much parents spend on their kids’ costumes these days. In fact, vacant stores in mall lots are sometimes turned into superstores for Halloween costumes and decorations in our area.
Thanks for sharing your sweet memory from childhood and for reading today, even playing the video. 🙂
That looks scary 🙈 I didn’t grow up with trick or treat, it’s only become popular here of late . When I was little it was ‘Penny For The Guy ‘ so if someone was kind enough to give you a penny you could save all your pennies and buy fireworks for bonfire night . It’s kind of acceptable begging 🙊
I do participate in Halloween like everyone else but bonfire night is my bag . Never miss it . We always have a bonfire in our garden on Nov 5 th . No fireworks this year though Arthur is terrified of loud noises . Hot dogs , jacket potatoes and soup whilst watching the stars , can’t beat it .
Cherryx
Cherry, how did I miss you the first time around? I’m back a week later to apologize. Thanks for persisting with another comment below. With a red face, I say sorry . . . !
Happy Halloween, Marian. I loved rereading the excerpt from you book. I always loved Halloween … trick or treating and eating all that stuff that really wasn’t good for me. I’m sure it was the sugar high that lasted days beyond the celebration that made my parents a bit cross!
And yes the writing metaphor was great!
I’m glad this post stirred a good memory, in spite of the possible adverse circumstances from the sugar high. It’s great to see you again today, Joan. Thank you!
Marian, I always loved Halloween and still do. I will post a photo on Facebook of Daniel’s puppy on her dog bed with a chew toy in front of my fireplace mantle and family room, which are crazy-decorated with Halloween memorabilia I’ve collected over the years … pumpkin and black cat figurines, a witch’s stockinged legs sticking up out of a cauldron, a skeleton with dangling legs, wearing a fedora. I, too, like the house metaphor. When the writer enters the ‘house” of her past there is a haunting quality to our exploration of its passageways. Ghosts emerge from rooms or enter through windows of time. We try to capture them but often they drift away, leaving us to craft, as best we can, a portrait of the ephemeral, those who are gone but who live on in our hearts and memories.
I’ll look for that photo of Daniel’s doggie all gussied up on Facebook! For us, Halloween was FUN too, not a pagan ritual, but a chance to become “someone else” for a evening.
As author and writing coach, I am sure you can identify with the “house” metaphor, where writers explore rooms with secrets and even write about them. It certainly resonated with me too. Thanks, Susan!
Hi Marian, Halloween was a very big deal “back in the day”. All the neighborhood kids would gather in droves three nights before Halloween and hit a different part of the city (small town of Corning, NY) for those three nights. How different it is now. It’s a great childhood memory that makes me smile. I hope the kids of today can find new ways to create these special memories. My children were able to participate in Trick or Treating with the neighborhood gang. My perspective changed though. I dreaded dealing with rationing all that candy (and sneaking some for myself!). That sugar high was unavoidable. The writing metaphor was spot-on. Thanks for sharing.
Trick or treating always comes with memories. However, our celebration this year may be family only. In fact, I just bought candy for the grandkids and sneaked a Reese’s piece. Uh oh!
I’m glad you enjoyed both the Halloween memory and the writing metaphor. Thanks for sharing, Kathy!
It is interesting to me that although you were of conservative Mennonnite background, and so were your teachers, Halloween was not looked upon as “sinful” or “worldly”. When we first came from Paraguay and encountered this celebration our dad had misgivings about the whole event and persuaded us to stay at home (I write about it in a blog post on Nov. 2, 2016) http://ens-intransit.blogspot.com/.
I love Clarke’s metaphor of a book being like a house with many rooms, and how it takes on different ownership when the readers lay claim to it. Thanks for sharing it.
Elfrieda, I looked back to the post you referenced here and noticed that I was the first commenter. Your dad had a good solution to the Halloween dilemma, which other readers can discover here: http://ens-intransit.blogspot.com/2016/11/trick-or-treat.html
As I mention in my memoir “I think now that the Longenecker family was a little farther down the road toward fancy than most families at Bossler Mennonite of that era.” In our family, the holiday was just an excuse to dress up and get candy. I don’t think our parents would have allowed us to dress up as witches or devils. Maybe an angel . . . ! We certainly did not think of the celebration as a pagan ritual.
I’m glad you enjoyed the “house” metaphor, a new one for me too. 🙂
I’m in with schroedereh, above and surprised that Halloween was celebrated in your Mennonite community. So now I wonder what other pagan rituals may have been adopted. 🙂 Did you have a Christmas tree? I’ve never been a fan of Halloween, but in hindsight I think it was more my perfectionism over choosing the right costume for the kids. (Middle class suburbs can be so competitive.) This year, I’m sticking my foot in, mostly to introduce this rather bizarre holiday (I mean, really!) to our new guy. We’re going to make jack o’lanterns.
As you may remember from my memoir, we didn’t have a Christmas tree, deemed worldly, but we did dress up for Halloween. Call it selective frivolity. And as I mentioned to Elfrieda in a quote from Chapter 13, “I think now that the Longenecker family was a little farther down the road toward fancy than most families at Bossler Mennonite of that era.” Why? My deduction: Our Aunt Ruthie led the charge and we followed, pagan ritual or not.
Making Jack o’lanterns sounds benign – and FUN. Go for it, Janet!
You are so lucky to have this memory on film!! I would love to see one of our Halloween school parades on video — none to be had that I know of! Long live your dear teacher aunt Miss Longenecker. I think I’ve already shared my keenest memory another year so I’ll share what my oldest daughter is planning for her little tribe of 3 boys: “Halloween hunting Easter egg style in the yard, with little faux candles inside the Easter eggs which run on batteries and can be lit inside the eggs.” I’m happy they are able to use their creativity in this challenging year! (A few favorite candies will be also found in the eggs, I’m told.) Her boys will be a slough, a koala, and a cheetah, all homemade costumes custom sewn by their mama. She’s got a ton more patience for such sewing than I have.
That oldest daughter of yours has her grandma’s talent for theatrics and possibly crafting, and her mama’s writing talent. Those boys will always remember the year they were a slough, a koala, and a cheetah, so cute!
Later on, I learned that not all teachers were like my Aunt Ruthie, Miss Longenecker. She was armed with an education, a movie camera, and pushed the edge on creativity. Thanks, Melodie!
Reminiscing–our Halloweens resembled yours…Exciting, scary and so much fun. Our party was much like yours and put on by our church. One year I won first place, dressed in Mama’s Hawaiian hula skirt (one that my Uncle Carl brought back to her from WWII. Our costumes were always homemade and I was usually a gypsy. <3 Sweet, sweet (plenty of candy too) memories! BTW, a great analogy in The Imaginary House. 🎃xo
Thanks, Bette, for sharing your memory. We grew up in the same era, even if it wasn’t exactly the same culture. Yes, we wore homemade costumes – absolutely never store bought.
And, yes, I can imagine you as a gypsy with plenty of verve and a flamboyant (!) flared skirt. 🙂
We are living in extraordinary times and this coming Halloween with a blue moon in a mercury retrograde. Hang on to your hats. 🙂 x
Wow, you are really up on the astrological here. I wonder if you will write about this. Can we expect a blog post perhaps, Debby? Thanks, either way. 🙂
I used to be a lot more involved with astrology and the planets – somethings never leave. 🙂 I recently wrote a techno woe post where I share how the retrograde affects electronic snafus, but possibly I will write more about the looney times of mercury retrograde as I did 2 years ago in this article https://dgkayewriter.com/guest-author-d-g-kaye-mercury-retrograde-101-sue-vincents-daily-echo/ Hugs 🙂 x
Yes, I remember reading your techno woe post and commented on it just recently. The explanation you posted in Sue Vincent’s “Echo” is new to me, and very informative. Thank you! oxo
Thanks for your interest. 🙂 xx
I remember this, Marian. I was surprised that your school allowed a Halloween celebration. I went to a Catholic convent and Halloween was not encouraged in this sort of form.
Looking back I realize how my aunt who didn’t think a Christmas tree in her home was okay, let loose with Halloween frivolity. Double standard? Perhaps. But Aunt Ruthie, aka Miss Longenecker, had to express her artistic soul somewhere, and she let it out “full throttle” at school.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Robbie!
Scary but fun what a wonderful way to celebrate Halloween…we didn’t celebrate and still don’t not something which was celebrated as a child…We had Guy Fawkes Night instead although we were not allowed to go and do Penny for the guy my parents thought it was a form of begging but we had fun making the guy and the bonfire. 🙂
For American readers who don’t know about this guy: Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the House of Lords for which he was executed. Although the attempt didn’t become an actuality, Fawkes was found guilty of high treason. Hence, the celebration with masks today. Bonfires for any reason would sound like fun for a child.
No wonder you remember it fondly, Carol. Thanks for a “penny” for your thoughts. 🙂
Thank you for the explanation I should have thought, Marian… Yes, a penny for your thoughts was a common saying more so back then than now.. It is so lovely to reminisce…
🙂
I’m reading about your early Halloween fun with half jealousy and half anxiety. My imagination even as a child was off the charts so that kind of shenanigans would’ve scared me to almost death. I’d probably giggle during the event but then I’d go home and have nightmares for the next two nights. But I watch and wonder now how Halloween has become such a bigger event around this country than it ever was for us in the 50s and 60s. Quite fascinating. But I so enjoyed the metaphor between a writer’s “head space” being like a house. I am saving this quote to share with other writers. I find it entirely appropriate. Right now my writer’s house is frightful with so many rooms I’m beginning to lose count. 🥴
Your imagination as a child has made you the sensitive writer you have become. No one in my repertoire of writer friends comes close to weaving the fantastic stories you come up with.
Indeed, we did have FUN on Halloween when we were kids, but I can tell you I was scared going through the fun house basement, especially as a first or second grader. In the back of my mind though: “They wouldn’t kill me, now would they?” saved the day.
Yes, I too found Susanna Clarke’s “house” metaphor fascinating probably because it is so relatable, yet simple to imagine. I appreciate your candid views here, as always, Pam! 🙂
I certainly love being here in your house of creativity, Marian. 😘
Dear Miz Creativity, the porch light is always on with a welcome mat. . .
Wonderful! What an adorable movie clip. I confess I never loved Halloween creepiness–putting my hands in something that was supposed to be human intestines (actually cold greasy spaghetti) or touching something gooey or hearing scary sounds. I liked the candy part, but don’t remember fancy costumes. I helped my sons make costumes when they were kids, but as a mother, I didn’t love the candy part. It was always a little battle keeping them from eating themselves sick. I’m always amazed at what was considered appropriate in a Mennonite world and what wasn’t appropriate. Halloween is a pagan festival, but everyone overlooks that.
My Aunt Ruthie led the charge on Hallowe’en, ignoring its pagan aspect and concentrating on the party part.
The Mennonite church in our area in the 1950s did not condone such celebrations, and we didn’t trumpet our participation, so we got away with it. Oddly, a Christmas tree was thought worldly, and neither Longenecker houses had one. I recall my sadness in this blog post: https://marianbeaman.com/2013/12/21/the-longenecker-christmas-tree/
Yes, we observed a double standard, but we took our fun where we could get it. Hypocritical? Probably so. Life is full of contradictions and compromises. I guess that made us human, I think in retrospect.
Thanks for voicing your opinions and memories once again, always appreciated, Elaine. 🙂
Hi Marian my thoughts are somewhere in the middle of your blog this week . Something weird happened …or is it ghostly goings on 🦇🎃🙊
Cherryx
Hi, Cherry! If it’s weird we probably want to hear about it . . . WOW! I’m keeping my ear to the ground on this! xox
Like you, I can totally relate to Susanna Clarke’s metaphor, Marian. Although, while I should be getting ready to let others into my house soon, the closer to my publishing deadline I get, the more anxious I become. I’m sure you recognize that feeling, too!
As for Halloween, we didn’t celebrate this as kids in Belgium (although I hear it’s becoming popular there now as well) and – other than my realization of “Darn, it’s the last day of October already” and “Oh, look at that beautiful full moon,” – Halloween wasn’t anything special on the road this year either.
Have a great week ahead! (hopefully)
The only thing special about this Hallowe-en was the blue moon (?) and an outdoor get-together at son Joel’s house. Candy was distributed via a chute made of PVC pipe – ha! I did post photos on Facebook.
About book publishing. Yes, indeed, I’m familiar with the full range of emotions you are feeling. I wish I had someone to tell me at this stage:
1. So, far, you are doing everything right. Pat yourself on the back!
2. Everything will be okay in the end . . . even with small snafus.
I believe you will launch and market the book digitally, publishing via KDP at https://kdp.amazon.com/
That’s good.
Maybe you already know this, but one thing I didn’t know initially was to set up an Author Page on Amazon, a separate but aligned thing where you can add more info for inquiring readers: authorcentral.amazon.com/pg/books/
At that site, you can add an author page with bio, link to blog and other stuff, even a book trailer. (You don’t have to set this up right away; readers can buy your book simply with the Amazon link.)
You are doing great, and Maya will make sure you get breaks from the tedium. Forward, ho! ((( )))
Hi Marian!
Yes, I did see your Halloween photos on Facebook. Brilliant and creative! 🙂
Thanks for your tips. When one is a perfectionist, not only the big things are sweated… But, I’m also good at letting go, once something is done to the best of my ability. So, there is hope.
I’ve had an Amazon Author Page for about a decade. Ever since I created two virtual walking tours for a company, when I was sailing in the Caribbean. I was surprised to find my two tours on Amazon one day and was urged to create my profile. I’ve kept and updated it since. Thanks for mentioning it, though.
I love that metaphor of writing being like moving into a ramshackle house.
Yes, it’s marvelous, isn’t it. Thanks for noticing, Lady Fi!