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
Author: joanne m. austin
I write about (and sometimes edit) weird things.
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
Signs
Today is a strange, sad day in the U.S. for a lot of reasons. It made me think of an essay draft I wrote last June for a Corporeal Writing class called Ontologies: Writing Your Way into the World. It still needs work, but it presents a true story about my life in one of … Continue reading Signs
Jersey Derby story online
I updated the "My Work" page with a link to the article I wrote about New Jersey-based roller derby, in case you're interested in checking it out. If there is a sport I was healthy and badass enough to participate in, it would be roller derby. I spent a year or so traveling to games … Continue reading Jersey Derby story online
Going Viral
Nope, not the flu.A few weeks ago, there was a Twitter post from Eric Alper, which asked an innocent question: what movie disturbed you as a child? He often asks questions like this, and because I had a great example, I responded:This is the scene in Invasion of the Body Snatchers when the results of … Continue reading Going Viral
