Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tricks! Treats! Gangway! (1975)
This year, the world will be celebrating Halloween without the author of Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Halloween Tree, and a host of other October tales as crisp and inviting as a mound of raked leaves. While staying at a friend's family cabin last fall, I saw a stack of worn Reader's Digest magazines from the '70s on the nightstand. The October 1975 issue contained a wonderful essay by Ray Bradbury, a memory from his childhood about preparing for his favorite holiday: the excitement of gathering corn-shucks, cutting pumpkins, threading orange and black streamers, putting in vampire fangs and fastening a cape to his shoulders; and the sadness of realizing Halloween had passed away until next year. May this story kindle similar Halloween memories from your childhood.
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12 comments:
Ahhhh...thank you for that! So beautiful and heart-warming.
It is tough to think that we lost the original Autumn person himself :(
What a great find! He is certainly missed.
That was a great story, thanks for sharing it.
Cheers!
This is hands down one of the most beautiful things Ive ever read. Thanks so much for posting it. I have tears welling up.
Thank you for posting that one Rot. A beautiful story.
And now old Ray IS Hallowe'en.
I’d never considered it until reading this great short story ....the secret to Halloween is the preparation and anticipation of it
As a kid my countdown date was July 5th lol...slowly beginning to organize
Like Bradbury I’d look for “Ole Yellow #2s and notebooks signaling school ahead
I actually looked forward to school as it meant Fall weather and all the festivities associated with this....MY FAVORITE time of year
I’m much older now and time is passing so fast even after Halloween Jack 0 Lanterns have wilted and disappeared....it isn’t long before the weather warms July 4th goes out with a bang....and my eye catches the first hint of red yellow and gold on the sweetgum leaves foretelling another Fall season of fun approaching... adding to fond memories of Halloween’s past
I agree Adam
It stirs find memories of my youth and the great Halloween days long past
I read this to myself every Halloween, but I moved to Peru and can't find my old copy of that 1975 Readers Digest. I'm so grateful to you, and someday, maybe after we both ARE Halloween, I'll run up to you like a lost co-conspirator and we will be great friends. Thank you.
Find me on Twitter Tim Chestnut @ real Tim Chestnut
I post this every Halloween
Thank you for posting this, I have loved Ray all my life and have been finally reading a reprinted copy of his first collection Dark Carnival after years of it being completely out of print. He is and will forever be Hallowe'en.
Thanks, Scott, for your comment. Glad you enjoyed the post!
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