Salem Delivers Tricks and Treats
The month of October is one long Halloween celebration for Salem residents and visitors. The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) joins the fun with a series called Eerie Events. Two recent Eerie Events turned out to be real treats, while one turned out to be a dud. More about other of these events here: https://www.pem.org/eerie-events
The first event was a virtual illustration workshop the PEM hosted via Zoom. It featured Chicago-based artist, Bill Crisafi. To prepare, attendees were sent a packet of art tools.
A hundred and fifty folks from all over the world attended. Bill’s humor was a treat, and I was inspired to create the Halloween witch (below) that now graces our refrigerator. Guess you can tell I won’t be going into business as an illustration artist.
My second treat was a book-signing by Laurie Lico Albanese, author of Hester: A Novel. This wonderful book is a reimagining of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s inspiration for his masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter. Albanese’s book tells the story of eighteenth-century Scottish seamstress Isobel Gamble, born with a condition called synesthesia. Isobel arrives in Salem during the heyday of its shipping trade and soon becomes Hawthorne’s muse. Synesthesia occurs when one sense comes through another. For instance, a synesthete might hear a word, but see a color. Find out more here: https://www.healthline.com/health/synesthesia
Hester: A Novel is available in most bookstores, or go to the PEM bookshop (link below) and place your order. Mine is waiting for me to pick up soon!
Book cover
And now for a cautionary tale about what happened when I tried, on a recent Saturday, to get the PEM for the event called “Dark Glamour” with Petra Slinkard, the PEM Curator of Fashion and Textiles. The event sounded wonderful—where else would one learn about dark fashion items such as a dress injected with arsenic?
Petra even agreed to let me interview her following the three-p.m. event. But even though I left my home for the forty-minute drive to Salem just after noon, I wasn’t prepared for the bedlam of Salem in October. No parking. None. Nada. Not on the streets, not even in the huge MBTA parking garage. By three-forty I realized I was out of luck. I left a message for Petra, called David to tell him my sad story, and headed for home. When I pulled into our garage, I found this sign. Sometimes even tricks turn into treats.
A treat to find this sign in out garage after my driving debacle.
More about other PEM Eerie Events can be found here: https://www.pem.org/eerie-events
Nancy,
Great visuals and content.
Thanks, Buddy 🙂
Loved the photo of you and the witch, Nancy, that made me laugh! And I was very touched by the welcoming home message you received after not being able to make your interview. Seems like it’s all the little things, like humour, and acts of kindness, that make our lives so rich.
Also enjoyed your description of the novel, Hester, and synesthesia. It really is an interesting phenomenon. Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks, Irene. We have a relative with synesthesia. She finds it interesting!
Loved the blog and its vivid description of Salem in October. AND, most important, your witch! You can have a second, third, or however many careers you count so far, as an illustrator!
Kind of you not to make fun of my ability to cut and paste that witch, Erica!!!