I originally wrote this story for Last Exit: Travels with Death in the Garden State, a special issue of Weird NJ that was published in 2009 and has long since been out of print. Seeing a reference to safety coffins on social media the other day prompted me to dust it off and share it … Continue reading Mr. Vester’s Safety Coffin
Author: joanne m. austin
The Shove Boat
In the seventh grade I wrote a parody script of the television show The Love Boat. It was unsurprisingly called The Shove Boat and was heavily influenced by years of reading MAD Magazine. Since MAD is supposedly no longer going to publish issues filled with original content, I wanted to share the fledgling efforts that … Continue reading The Shove Boat
The vans of Newark
I worked in Newark, NJ full time from 1997ish through 2000. I took the train from Dover--the NJ Transit line that started in Netcong and ran through Morris and Essex Counties to the Newark Broad Street Station and then beyond to Penn Station in NYC (though now I’m sure it stops in Secaucus). People always … Continue reading The vans of Newark
Movies that reduced me to tears
Every so often someone poses this question on Twitter: What movie makes you cry every time? I was going to reply, but I'd need to create a thread to capture all of them. I am very weepy when it comes to movies and TV shows. Books, too, but the focus here is the screen. ET … Continue reading Movies that reduced me to tears
My not-Ted-Bundy experience
Not too long ago my social media feed was filled with people making fun of a young woman who anonymously wrote about her realization that she, had she been alive in the 1970s, could have been a victim of the serial killer Ted Bundy. This was based on her watching the Netflix documentary about him … Continue reading My not-Ted-Bundy experience
Death of a Clown
Sometimes you find a song you like under good circumstances. Sometimes you find one you like under completely sucky circumstances. This song comes from the latter--not from a direct personal concern but still something that saddens me. I think it will become an odd addition to my regular playlist. For those who are playing at … Continue reading Death of a Clown
My parents’ record collection
These are the record albums my parents had in their (sadly defunct) collection, as I remember them. Neither of my parents were rabid audiophiles and we were kinda poor in my early years, so the collection wasn't extensive. But it's what I had available to me as a kid and is the basis for some … Continue reading My parents’ record collection
Weird Ghosts = Weird Hauntings
The book I worked on in 2006, Weird Hauntings, was out of print after having pretty decent sales in both hardcover and paperback (this was just before ebooks were a thing). Last year, my bosses at Weird NJ let me know that the publisher (not them) planned on re-issuing the book this fall. They were … Continue reading Weird Ghosts = Weird Hauntings
A return to ghosts
Not too long ago, I traveled with a friend of mine to the Strauss Mansion in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. It's a beautiful old place and allegedly haunted, which is what we were there for - a ghost tour. I'm currently writing up the experience, which was pretty positive. We got to play with different tools … Continue reading A return to ghosts
Doll Parts
Back in 2009, I took a writing class taught by Jeremy Shipp and the end result was a short story draft called "Doll Parts." I will say, as an aside, that if Jeremy ever teaches a class again, you should take it. My class was a lot of fun. Some friends thought the story was … Continue reading Doll Parts
