September 15, 2020 — My latest book is out! Cursed Objects: Strange but TrueStories of the World’s Most Infamous Items is both its title and its summary. I thought I’d continue the tradition I started two books ago, with a peek behind the making of the book. So here are ten factoids about a book full of factoids.
1) I can thank Twelve Nights at Rotter House for this
book. Quirk Books (Cursed Object’s publisher) showed interest early in Twelve
Nights, but it didn’t land there. However, it was enough of an introduction
that they learned my dark secret—that I spend my life chasing and writing about
oddity. An editor there named Rebecca Gyllenhaal had a concept she wanted someone
to run with—a book about cursed objects, and it seemed like a good fit. They
then let me own the concept from TOC to epilogue, so you’re still getting a
J.W. Ocker book, complete with too many I’s and the inability to take a topic
serious for more than two sentences. But this thing exists because of Rebecca.
2) The title I pitched for the book was It’s Cursed, I
Tell You, Cursed!. Rebecca sagely insisted on the SEO-friendly Cursed
Objects. She was right, of course, and not just for that reason (remember
I’m the guy who made up the main word in the titles of his first two books like
a jerk, and while I love the term Grimpendium, there’s a thousand
percent chance Creepy Stuff in New York would have sold way better). The
other reason why its final title is much better is because the book turned into
the most complete survey on the topic to date.
3) I had to figure out what the hell a cursed object was for
the book. I decided it had to be an object that caused serial harm supernaturally
to multiple individuals (and that word supernaturally is important because
an object that causes serial harm to multiple individuals is the definition of
a machine gun). Next, I ruled out all cursed places and cursed people (not
objects). Then I ruled out all haunted objects, unless they acted like cursed
objects (most haunted objects act creepily but benignly), and then I also
kicked out possessed objects (although many demonologists believe that objects
can’t be possessed. Only people can). They also got to stay in the book if they
acted like cursed objects. And behaved.
4) This book represents a lot of firsts for my author life. First
illustrated book. First book translated into multiple languages. First book
concept that didn’t originate with me.
5) Somehow this book received not just a New York Times
review, but a great one. But it’s not my first. The already referenced and
reviled New York Grimpendium was also reviewed well by The New York
Times. I have that page framed on my wall because the next column over is a
spotlight on Zacherle, and I love sharing a newspaper page with the late horror
host and love even more that maybe he read that little review blurb about my
book when he was checking out the piece on him.
6) One of the things that makes me giddy about this book is the full-page illustration of the Black Aggie by artist Jon MacNair. Longtime readers will know my obsession with this story (it was the topic of the first episode of my podcast, for instance). I use the phrase back-tattoo-worthy way too much, but this will be the last time. Because I only have one back to give to cool art.
7) I wasn’t going to write about cursed objects without buying one. And I did. I call it the Cursed Cur. I tell the story in the book, but I just wanted you to know that I still have it. It sits on my shelf of travel mementos in my study, between my grisly Eastern State Penitentiary mug and my vial of Lizzie Borden house brick dust.
8) We cut multiple entries and sidebars from the book for
content and layout reasons, from my visit to a cursed rug to an essay on cursed
screenplays to the infamous Red Window, but keep your eyes on this site, as I’ll
be posting some of that bonus content over the next month and a half.
9) One of my better ideas for the book happened after the
book was done. I created a slide for the presentation I now do on cursed objects
(called It’s Cursed, I tell you, Cursed!—natch), showing where the eight
most famous cursed jewels are currently displayed around the world. The slide
is my own shoddy layout work, but I want to commission it as an illustration.
10) Every copy of Cursed Objects is cursed, but only
if you steal it. We included an old book curse inside from back when books
couldn’t be mass produced and the individual volumes needed to be protected however
possible. In this case, if you steal this book, ravens will gouge out your eyes
and you’ll be strung by the neck on the gallows.
So don’t let that happen to you. Buy Cursed Objects
now!
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You like numbered lists about books? Check out these other two:
Ten Things about Death and Douglas
Twelve Things about Twelve Nights at Rotter House