Dental Records
A Poem and some 🦷 Inspired Halloween worthy Book Recs
Collecting Dust is...One part Nostalgia. One part strange magic. All inspired by photos of real objects begging to tell a story if only we will pay attention.
Given this is the season of the sweet tooth, 🍭(have you ever noticed how many teeth idioms there are?) I decided to make a Halloween newsletter—all about teeth! Because when you stop to think about it, they really are quite disturbing.👻
Dental Records
Do you ever just need something to cut your teeth on? Like a baby, New Bone bursting through pillowy pink gums. Pressure is the only thing that soothes the biting throb of need When the pounding of your heart forever Spurts forth new life. Or do you crave something to sink your teeth into? Like a good book, Pages flapping as skin over an iron-sharp cavity, Tongue searching for what’s gone. But that piece of you, Flesh torn by the taut peel of an apple, Is lost to time. Finally, you may ask, When did I get so long in the tooth? Like a narwhal, whose tusk grows into a crystalline lancing spiral. No. More like sea-tumbled glass, all distinguishing marks smoothed over by life into Ghostly Impressions— Dental grooves the only story left When you die.
📚Toothy Book Recs!
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: The creepiest tooth related twist I’ve ever read and can never forget. I can’t give it away, but if you like dark thrillers and haven’t read this, you’re missing out. Also, The HBO miniseries really captures the disturbing ambiance. (I had “Tumbling Lights” on repeat after watching that show.)
Of course I can’t mention teeth and Halloween in the same sentence without bringing up vampires.🧛🏻♂️
I recently listened to the audiobook version of Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian, a new take on Dracula. It keeps a similar tone and languid pacing to Bram Stoker’s and also contains stories inside stories inside stories for a multi-pov and mutli-timeline account that just feels like the original, though it’s much longer. In the audiobook, the multiple voice actors were helpful and entertaining. The ending fizzled a bit for me, but I enjoyed the journey.
I’ve recently found and devoured all of Grady Hendrix’s titles. The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires is at once hilarious and disturbing. Literally try putting any of his books down. The pacing is insane. I don’t usually go for straight horror, but he has such a way with humor that makes his books a pleasure to read. He also hails from my neck of the woods in Charleston, SC, so I’ve loved reading books where that is the primary setting. (this one as well as How to Sell a Haunted House.)
Tooth Fairy🧚🏽♀️ Conundrums
My son lost a tooth this week. Please tell me, what the heck is a tooth fairy to do with all these?
I hope you have a Happy Halloween and honor your ancestors this weekend for Día de los Muertos.
As always, thanks for reading and I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to post your Halloween books or pictures in the comments. <3
Take Care,
Jacqueline