Backstory

The Paranormalist blog is about: Finessing bipolarity. Writing horror. Chasing ghosts. And otherwise navigating a paranormal life.

Para- / par-ə / Prefix. ”Alongside, near, beyond, altered, contrary to.”
normal / nawr-muhl / Adjective. “Conforming to the standard; usual; regular; natural.”
-ist / Ist / A suffix of nouns. “A person who practices or is concerned with something, or holds certain principles, doctrines, etc.”

 

The Paranormalist is a lifestyle blog … albeit a peculiar one.

It’s meant to meet the needs of those readers who – like me – actively pursue the sensation of being deliciously creeped out, even as they function in a mostly non-paranormal world. The general feed (home) of the site may include any of the following post topics:

• PERSONAL – most often about the challenges and rewards of having a mild psychological condition, being a writer, and being fascinated by strange, eerie, paranormal things. (Just as the blog’s tagline suggests.)
• DARK MEDIA – occasional in-depth reviews, but usually collections of themed options for when you’re yearning to experience a particular macabre sensation or mood. Links to such posts are entombed at Courting Creepy. Most weeks, on Mondays, I gather and share a list of current, widely available media entertainments. Find links to my thoughts about specific movies and shows (and occasional books and games) in the Macabre & Mysterious Media Index. My library of collected inscriptions from favorite authors and artists can be browsed at The Paranormalist’s Autograph Album (new feature).
• GOTHIC / ARTISTIC LIFESTYLE – articles about food, exercise, personal style, relationships, and productivity – all specially twisted to meet the needs of horror fans and dark artists. Links to such posts are on display in Body Preservation.
• PARANORMAL I – examinations and explorations of mysterious phenomena. (Use the ‘search by category’ widget in my sidebar to find your favorite horror.) To read some first-hand accounts of my experiences, venture into My Ghosts and Monsters.
• PARANORMAL II – observations and commentary on situations and human behaviors that strike me as being “alongside, near, beyond, altered, contrary to the standard; usual; regular; natural.” Many of these musings reside at The Paranormal Hotel (which is what I call the seedy boarding house / no-tell-hotel where I sometimes work.)
• IMAGES – photographs I’ve taken, or collected, and opportunities for you to share your original fun and/or evocative photos. To see what’s developing in this new section of the blog, shoot over to Haunting Photos.
• OTHER – reblogs, spotlights, excerpts, etcetera. (Warning: on Wednesdays, if I blog, I’m especially prone to wander afield from paranormal things.)

The Paranormalist has grown into a thicket of paranormal topics. If you lose your bearings, check the header tabs and the sidebar for guidance. Or just subscribe and allow the home feed to carry you on a journey through my shifting obsessions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

My resume:
Small-city dweller, aspiring-writer, and amateur paranormalist seeks non-vicious agent, editors, publishers and haunts. Qualifications: Works in a variety of (usually food, liquor and lodging related) jobs, as the family budget requires, throughout on-going mothering career. Raised 2 kids into brilliant, creative, kind, nerds. Home educated both–one for just a year, the other for seven. Dotes on dog; tolerates cat. Occasionally does volunteer work for environmental groups and service organizations. Knits. Loves all things retro. Has completed several drafts of a novel, started two more, and is incubating another half-dozen or so. Has no interest in sending anything into the light.

I love my ratty old Columbo-coat.

13 things you’d hate about me:
* I don’t enjoy holidays.
I’m obsessive & absent-minded.
I smoke. And I don’t want to quit.
My moods are unpredictable AND obvious.
I have no real perception or understanding of the passage of time.
I rarely answer my home phone. When I do, I hang up as soon as I possibly can.
I refuse to drive on freeways, and despise straying from my established routes.
Socially, I always want to do the same thing: meet on a patio, drink beer and talk.
I avoid conflict by humoring you or avoiding you, but I seethe.
I seek excessive intimacy … sometimes inappropriately.
I plan too much and do too little.
I’m not a good secret-keeper.
I procrastinate.
* except Halloween

My creed / mission statement / holy quest:
I intend to use my innate qualities to
nurture my intimates and my animals,
explore the natural and paranormal world,
and develop a rewarding writing career,
while recognizing and celebrating the joy of being alive.

*****

For a few more thoughts about the nature and purpose of this blog, visit: 

This blog is meant to be a paranormal refuge for horror fans, because …

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