Holly Stalder
From Seaplane
3352 SE Belmont
Holly could probably decide what she’s wearing for Halloween at dinner, and have it made from scratch before party time. But for us slobs, she has a few suggestions for last minute costumes:
– White Trash: “Dress in all white, and then pin or sew crumpled paper to your outfit.”
– Trophy Wife: “It’s a great excuse to wear a tacky outfit and show off your cleavage and bling-bling jewelry.”
– Package: “You could go as a package or present with wrapping paper or brown bags, stamps, ribbons, and lots of tape.”
– Bible Salesman: “Either a cheap suit, or just a cardigan over a shirt and tie. Then just grab a bible as a prop, and preach the second coming of the Lord all night.”
– Old Lady: “You need a big handbag to beat people with, pretend you can’t hear what anybody is saying, drink heavily, and say ‘Happy New Year’ the whole night.”
Carolyn Lane
From Murder By The Book
3210 SE Belmont
The only thing scarier than murder is supernatural murder. Here are a few of Carolyn’s favorites from the bookstore that specializes in murder mysteries:
– The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson: “Are the characters mentally disturbed, or is there really something supernatural going on?”
– The Shining by Stephen King: “It’s fun because it talks about a piece of ground that is contaminated and villainized. The Overlook Hotel is just evil.”
– The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: “The new governess of an estate notices strange behavior in the children. Is there a sinister haunting going on, or is she just imagining things?”
– Tropic of Night by Michael Gruber: “It’s about two anthropologists who study African ‘magical’ practices.”
– City of Masks by Daniel Hecht: “A woman who is horrified by ghostly phenomena hires an investigator who has experienced the paranormal. Couldn’t take it to bed at nighttime–it’s that scary.”