Unique Interview: American Hauntstorian, Allen Sircy (Previous Man Lifeless)
For those who may pitch your self and your work in a couple of sentences, what wouldn’t it learn?
I’ve been writing for numerous web sites since 2005, however my ardour for folklore and haunted American historical past started in 2014. I began creating haunted tour apps for cities like Nashville, New Orleans, and St. Augustine. Over time, I expanded the knowledge within the apps into books. I’ve written practically 30 books since then. Just lately, I’ve been adapting among the wildest tales from my books into screenplays. Throughout a haunted tour in Gallatin, Tennessee, somebody referred to me as a “Hauntstorian.” I adopted that title, tweaked it to “American Hauntstorian,” and had enterprise playing cards made!
Why does your writing enchantment to horror followers?
I dabble in a wierd grey space. Whereas I don’t actually contemplate myself a horror man, I take care of some bizarre stuff like grave robbing and galvansim, which is the examine of making use of electrical present to useless our bodies. These two issues sound archaic, however they had been prevalent and considerably commonplace within the nineteenth century. There’s additionally plenty of true crime and cryptid folklore in my books/screenplays. Homicide, sea serpents, Civil Battle, previous Cherokee ladies with a spear for a finger, I’ve written about plenty of bizarre and ugly stuff. One in all my favourite screenplays is named, “The Resurrection of Knox Martin” that includes a voo doo priestess and a Frankenstein-like resurrection. In 1869, Half of Nashville, Tennessee was satisfied that Knox Martin actually had been revived after being executed. It’s nuts!
What horror movies come near your model of writing?
This can be a troublesome query. It in all probability sounds pompous, however there actually isn’t something as bizarre as what I’m doing on the market. I’ve written extensively about occasions that simply didn’t make the reduce after they made the historical past books. The Harrison Horror is a narrative about future President Benjamin Harrison. He returned house to bury his father, Congressman Jon Scott Harrison solely to seek out that his nephew’s grave had been robbed. The following day members of the family discovered Congressman Harrison’s bare physique hanging in a chute at a medical school. The man who was behind it was a British spy. Hollywood can’t make these items up! If something, previous movies with a very good twist impressed me. Movies like “Shattered” with Tom Berenger or “Seven” or the “Ordinary Suspects” with Kevin Spacey have their fingerprints throughout my screenplays.
What fascinates you about folklore and historical past?
Historical past is plenty of enjoyable as a result of it’s stuff that actually occurred. Or with folklore, it’s stuff that was stated to occur however received embellished and much more grandiose because the years went on. Researching my books I discovered plenty of over-the-top tales from previous newspapers and archives that appear too loopy to be true, however relying on the time interval, it was fairly commonplace.
What’s your favourite time interval in historical past?
Rising up in Tennessee, the Civil Battle was throughout me. I actually get pleasure from researching the Civil Battle up by means of Reconstruction as a result of it was a wierd time the place the nation was at warfare with one another after which needed to come collectively once more. Occasions had been exhausting, particularly within the south and it created plenty of advanced characters who had been making an attempt to determine make a dwelling when there was little cash available. Individuals resorted to underhanded strategies like physique snatching. Some folks went across the nation pretending to be a spiritualist and used parlor tips to persuade those who they might summon ghosts for cash.
Do you have got any writing rituals that you simply do earlier than you sit down and create?
I learn plenty of previous newspapers. You possibly can create an account with Newspapers.com and begin typing in search phrases like, “grave robber” or “spirit cupboard”. Earlier than you recognize it, you’ve spent half a day taking place a rabbit gap studying zany tales about among the most good and resourceful individuals who made a dwelling by underhanded means.
Who or what inquires your creativity?
All the things I do is as a result of I wish to give my household a greater life. With that being stated, I’m genuinely considering American historical past and have a style for bizarre and darkish historical past. I additionally get pleasure from being a storyteller and relish telling folks tales that aren’t solely true however will make them scratch their head in disbelief.
The place can we discover your books to buy?
All of my “Southern Ghost Tales”, “Ghost Tales & Graveyard Tales” and “Concern and Folklore” books can be found on Amazon.com. Some titles can be found at numerous retailers across the nation however Amazon is the simplest.
What’s the subsequent step in your journey?
At the moment, I spend most of my time turning tales from my books into scripts. I’ll put out one other guide or two subsequent 12 months however I’m knee-deep in scripts proper now. I’ve had some conferences with producers a couple of grave robbing characteristic known as, “Previous Man Lifeless”, concerning the lifetime of infamous grave robber William Cunningham. I’m actually inspired. Inside two or three years, I’m assured “Previous Man Lifeless” or one other one of many scripts will get made.
