Spooky Season: Halloween at Split Lip by Ella Schweizer
It’s finally October, which means it’s time to play the scary movies, don our costumes, and get ready for all the tricks and treats of the season! Over the years many goblins and ghouls have made their way onto our pages here at Split Lip, and what better season to celebrate the supernatural?
Ghost Story by Thirii Myint introduces us to protagonists Sam and Sandy as they explore themes of spirituality and attempt to peer beyond the veil to communicate with the dead.
Coyote Shook’s graphic memoir The Young Harris Psalter also grapples with religion and the power of storytelling. Shook illustrates the life and memory of their great-grandmother in a tale that is at times so fantastical even the author themselves struggles to believe it.
Have You Seen Jenny? by Abigail Oswald leans away from the supernatural in favor of pure spine-chilling horror. The eerie imagery and distinctive second-person narration of this dizzying thriller trap readers in Jenny’s story.
My Sad Werewolf by Mark Galarrita swings in quite the opposite direction. This flash fiction is equal parts quirky and sentimental, with a supernatural twist that makes it the perfect addition to our Halloween list.
But is it even Halloween if there is only one monster? Fuck Bodyshaming by Rita Booh exemplifies the artist’s mission of “exploring the monstrous side of femininity” through this striking digital artwork.
The Prevalence of Dragozemlizhil in Nature by Roppotucha Greenberg follows two scientists as they search the outskirts of a sleepy town for a dragon to add to the mix.
Rounding out our monster mash is La Danza, el Bardo by Alejandro Pasquale, which juxtaposes life and death through dancing skeletons in a lush mountain landscape. This oil painting is both jarring and jovial in its depiction of death.
Speaking of whom, Darkness Rushes Out of Itself by Sophie Hoss tells the story of Death’s unpaid intern. Hoss’s flash fiction uses heart-wrenching imagery to bring this unique tale “to life.”
Death is also a central figure in Kevin Bodniza’s mixed media piece, Winning. This piece contrasts the outline of a simple family car ride with a figure dramatically leaping from the trunk, conveying Bodniza’s signature whimsical “reflection of chaos & beauty.”
Window by Ashan Butt brings us closer to reality through this creepy slice-of-life style story. After watching a horror movie, the narrator gets trapped by the window of their apartment as they cycle through the ghosts of their past.
With that, it’s time to find a creepy corner, a bag of your favorite candy, and get to reading! From all of us here at Split Lip, Happy Halloween!
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Ella Schweizer is currently completing a bachelor’s degree in English & Economics from Pitzer College. Beyond interning at Split Lip Magazine, she is working on a book to celebrate the history of sailing on Nantucket. Ella enjoys travel, fashion history, and of course, sitting down with a good book!