It's been 18 years since some photos I took of the Rabbit Tree in Vernon Township were published in the May 1998 issue of Weird N.J. These photos taken last weekend show that it hasn't changed that much, except that somebody unhelpfully decided to spray paint over the "eyes" and "nose" of the rabbit, in … Continue reading Rabbit Tree Redux
Weird NJ
Katie in Death’s Garden
My story, Katie Likes Flowers, was recently published on the Cemetery Travel: Adventures in Graveyards Around the World website, as part of the Death's Garden project by Loren Rhoads. Check out the story and take the time to read the other posts on the website, which features stories about cemeteries, graveyards, and how death impacts … Continue reading Katie in Death’s Garden
Katie Likes Flowers
This short piece about an experience I had in a nearby abandoned cemetery was originally published in Weird Hauntings (Sterling, 2006). Many abandoned bits of civilization are found in the woods in the part of New Jersey where I live: Towns that simply disappeared off the map for one reason or another. Their remnants include … Continue reading Katie Likes Flowers
Leo the MGM Lion
The Asbury Park Press recently published another story I wrote for the "Last Exit" special issue of Weird NJ: This one is about the original Leo the Lion, one of a number of roaring lions that MGM featured at the start of its films. This Leo in particular lived on a farm/animal sanctuary in Gillette, … Continue reading Leo the MGM Lion
A ghostly byline in the Asbury Park Press
One of the ghost stories that I wrote for Weird Encounters, about the Old Bernardsville Library, was republished today in the Asbury Park Press. It's fun to see my byline there, though the Press is veering pretty far north of their territory for this story. Fine by me! I'm grateful for the exposure. The story … Continue reading A ghostly byline in the Asbury Park Press
Krampus, Jersey style: The Dark Servant by Matt Manochio
I reviewed Matt Manochio's The Dark Servant in Issue #44 of Weird NJ and was poking around the Internet (okay, Googling my name) when I came across a thank you post on his blog: Weird NJ gives some Krampus love! I always get scared when I publish a story about a person or book recommendation, as … Continue reading Krampus, Jersey style: The Dark Servant by Matt Manochio
More of Edison’s talking doll recordings restored
In 2011, I wrote a story about the talking dolls that Thomas Edison produced and sold briefly in the late 1800s. The dolls had tiny record players in them, and they played wax discs onto which nursery rhymes had been recorded. The discs were very fragile and broke easily, which was one reason why the … Continue reading More of Edison’s talking doll recordings restored
Writing Flashback – The Doll House of Salem Street
Note: I wrote this story in 1998 and it was published in Weird N.J. Issue #10. You can link to the story as it appeared in that issue on my "Work" page. See the end of the story for an update. Dolls really freak some people out. I'm one of those people. There's just something … Continue reading Writing Flashback – The Doll House of Salem Street
joanne m. austin 
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