I have ketamine treatment tonight so I can’t have caffeine or my ADD meds or even food and so that’s probably why I just emailed thousands of people an email with a 500-year-old drawing of a medieval cat carrying off what seems to be a dismembered penis (my substack is weirder than normal today, I’m so sorry) and why this post might be filled with ramblingness (which is a real word, spellcheck.)
Here are things to know:
First off, a few times a year we open up grown-up mystery boxes at Nowhere where you can tell us your personal likes and we’ll customize a unique surprise box just for you. They sell out quickly so if you want one, click here. Here’s one we sent out last time to someone who clearly should be my friend because they have the same strange likes I do:
(Make sure you check your email for the form to tell us about you or else we’ll just guess what you like based on your name. This seems ridiculous but I literally just signed a book to someone who had “COMPANY IS NICE BUT CALL FIRST” in their address and I’ve never related more.)
If you’re looking for good October books, I have two amazing picks for the book clubs. Fantastic Strangelings members are getting The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister, which I cannot stop thinking about and I need you to read. Five siblings in West Virginia unearth long-buried secrets when the supernatural bargain entwining their fate with their ancestral land is suddenly ruptured. Part Southern Gothic, part psychological thriller, part insane. It reminded me of Shirley Jackson mixed with Cormac McCarthy and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
And Nightmares from Nowhere members are getting This Cursed House by Del Sandeen. In this Southern gothic horror debut, a young Black woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth. They’re under a curse, and they think she can break it. So good.
And if you need more, I also liked these new October books:
Memorials by Richard Chizmar – A group of students encounter a supernatural terror while on a haunting road trip through Appalachia.
Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh – A powerful Nigeria-set tale of possession, malevolent ghosts, family tensions, secrets and murder from the recipient of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement and ‘Queen of African Horror’.
A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush – The debut poetry collection from Lyndsay Rush (aka @maryoliversdrunkcousin) is a witty and joyful celebration of big feelings, tender truths, and (against all odds) wisdom
Fearless by Alison Monda – Hilarious and horrible stories from an absurd life spent in the woods.
The Kids Are All Right by Gabrielle and Ben Blair – a unique guide that subverts the concept of “perfect parenting” by embracing uncertainty.
I love your substack and today’s was amazing. I think we should have more cats stealing peni as art.
I’m so excited for the strangelings book! And the nightmare’s one too. Yay for spooky books!!!
Second time I’ve heard about “The Bog Wife”, looks like I gotta give it a try…
I am in ketamine treatment too. I feel awful the day of after and the next day is a little rough, but then I notice I’m motivated to get things done and bop around the kitchen like I did when I was younger.
Take care, thanks for all you do.
In April I was in London and visited Windsor Castle on a day that had medieval reenactments going on. In the “women’s arts” tents, the embroiderer was working on a recreation of a medieval piece – it was a penis tree. As in a tree growing an entire crop. Your medieval cat would have loved it.
Speaking of old cats: https://bsky.app/profile/manuschwendener.ch/post/3l5hz7mvgvx2a
Right before reading this post (and your Substack post) I was having a conversation about penises with a co worker. So I guess the theme of the day is Penis. lol thanks, needed the laugh.
Enjoy your K treatment!
I love how the cats are so difficult to truly capture in art.
And the medieval cat stealing to penis was either a fear or was based on a real event, either of which I could imagine would be very upsetting to the artist.
I hope putting it into art was therapeutic to them.
Oooooh, Jenny–I knew being an amateur medievalist would come in handy here someday! There are a number of fine establishments that sell all kinds of naughty jewelry (mostly pins; my best friend found me one of a penis in a frying pan), so here’s a few handy links for you:
https://www.billyandcharlie.com/product-category/household-goods/naughty/tricks/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Shaeliapins?ref=seller-platform-mcnav&load_webview=1&bid=i7VEvPbi4CtrqOv6_d6r4kzoMlRD
https://www.etsy.com/market/medieval_penis_pin (I ought to get the one that looks like a Victorian brooch…)
(And I thought wearing my Sheela-Na-Gig necklace to work at the library was scandalous…)
(So good. ~ Jenny)
Yay for Bog Wife. I was teetering on the edge of buying it, so your choice is extra fortuitous.
I have a request on behalf of all of us who love books but are unable to read print books, for whatever reason.
Could we see more special things centered on audio books?
I use Libro.fm to get books from you, and so happy I’m able.
Would love a mystery box with an audio book code!
(I love this idea. I’ll pass it on to the team to see if it’s feasible. ~ Jenny)
I read some German and I was confused by the cat carrying the penis because the words look like modern day “Meat makes meat” so I looked it up and it turns out that the cat is only a cropped section of a comic, basically, of a nun holding out a fish to trade the cat for the penis. It all makes sense now
(This just got even better. ~ Jenny)
Not for nothin, but if the last design in your substack (the color one you did) was on a shirt I’d TOTALLY WEAR IT!!! I adore the colors you chose!!! 🙂
Do you have horror book recommendations for an 11 year old?
(When I was 11 I was reading way too much Stephen King but they might be a bit too graphic. I think The Haunting of Hill House is good one. Creepy but not too gory. I also really loved Ray Bradbury’s short stories. Have them read The Veldt to see if it’s their kind of thing: https://repositorio.ufsc.br/bitstream/handle/123456789/163728/The%20Veldt%20-%20Ray%20Bradbury.pdf ~ Jenny)
I love this spooky box…I gots to get one so I can have the gingersnaps scared out of me haha
(Looks like we just sold out -SO FAST- but check our socials for the next time we open them up. We do it a few times a year. ~ Jenny)
How did you find these?
The pic of the cat is anticatholic satire. Supposed to eat fish on Fridays because meat is sinful. The nun will have none of it, so she’s trying to trade piety for earthly sins.
This is what happens when you don’t have Netflix.
Hope the treatment went well. Here’s a cat video to cheer you up. Fluffy at the end is having a delayed reaction
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VeFMdVIFsgs
Anonymous (#12) – Steven King’s “Fairytale” is definitely appropriate for an 11 year old.
I love your honest and relatable posts, Jenny. It’s refreshing to see someone so open about their experiences, even the more unusual ones. That’s a great idea for a personalized mystery box! I’m definitely intrigued by The Bog Wife and This Cursed House. Thanks for the recommendations.
Wishing you a speedy recovery and a peaceful day.
khalidelarbi
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