The Holy, Holy, Holy Altar

South Jersey is a weird place. That is partially why I love it. Obviously.

There are loads of Revolutionary War locales and significant pieces of both state and national history. Not to mention the birthplace of our beloved Jersey Devil in the Pine Barrens, the bizarre ecological environment native only to our New Jersey. It's a place that both inspires and creeps out tourists. It's sort of a rite of passage to get lost on the long "country" highways through the scraggy woods. During the Monolith days, we spent plenty of time just driving and getting lost ourselves. Before then, late night summer drives, desperately and unsuccessfully looking for pieces of urban legend and folklore was a staple.

Looking back at the places I've written about on this page, something kind of shocked me. I would have guessed that a majority of these stories took place in South Jersey. But there are actually a lacking few. Most of them involve the northern part of the state or even the Pocono Mountains. I couldn't believe it.

So that brings us to a place called Mount Holly where, of course, you can find something weird in the woods. In remedying that - - -

The Candle Shoppe of the Poconos

There are countless weird things on the side of the road in our beloved Poconos. The mountains cover an area of Pennsylvania across the river from the Delaware Water Gap. Growing up, they were a magical place where my family would spend time every winter. We even dipped our toes in (pun intended?) on their summertime offerings, which extended to water parks and other outdoor attractions to a lesser extent. But the Pocono Mountains during the Christmas season are unbeatable. 

I do not remember the first time that I saw the Candle Shoppe. As a kid, I'm not sure there would have been anything terribly remarkable about the building, besides it being another charming piece of the whole that made up the region. But as an adult, and one who frequently drove through the area, it was hard to now miss the literal giant monkey skull that jutted out of the back of the building, only slightly hidden at the bottom of the dipping parking lot. Now what in the hell is that about? 

A Danielewski Homage & Book “Review”

I am incredibly excited to share this with you. Even if: this is not for you. Couldn't think of a better day to finally put it out there than on my birthday. 

A few months back, I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Mark Z. Danielewski’s upcoming book, Tom’s Crossing. I was over the moon. Still might be. Obviously, his House of Leaves had left a profound impact on me and my work. This experience was something special. 

It’s a Western epic and, at its heart, a ghost story. Its tagline is: no one talks to the dead for free. I’ll leave it at that for now. But from the moment I learned that I was going to be a part of this incredible opportunity, I knew that I had to memorialize it somehow, while also “getting the word out,” as the publisher requested that I do in the letter I received alongside the book. 

This is me fulfilling that obligation. 

I hope fans of MZD and his canon, as well as those who might have enjoyed mine and ours, can gain something from this project. It certainly meant a lot to me. Please share if you enjoy the ride. 

something on the doorstep//allways