Auden Johnson's Blog, page 6

Nature Photography: Winter Hiking Clothes

I have been dreaming of doing some winter hiking. Can you imagine how pretty this scene will be covered in snow?

Or this landscape?

I’d been reading up on winter hiking clothes but I got a wake up call on a walking trip through the park. Because I can’t go to my usual spot for hiking, I’ve been staying in shape, and getting some photos, by taking sunrise walking trips in my park.

One morning, I wore my Under Armor shirt, my regular hiking trainers, some exercise pants and a ZeroXposur lightweight jacket. That’s usually all I need. That day, I should’ve added an extra layer to my legs. And, my socks weren’t nearly thick enough. My bottom half was frozen by the time I got home. On top of that, my fingers went numb whenever I tried to take a photo. I didn’t stay out long. When I got home, I jumped on Amazon and searched through my drawers for some cold weather hiking clothes.

My dream is to hike the Hudson Valley during or after snowfall to get nice winter landscape pics. Hopefully, becasue of the cold weather, the trail and trains won’t be as crowd.

Usually during Brooklyn snow storms, I’ll walk around my neighborhood to take photos. It’s a miracle nothing happened because I was never dressed right. My toes would be frozen to the point that I’d start worrying. I’d get some good shots though.

Even if you don’t plan on hiking mountains in the snow, these tips will be useful for you. If you want to take beautiful snowy pics, you have to dress the part. Here are a some things I’m learning about hiking in colder temperatures. I got most of this information from The Backpacker’s Field Manual.

Do the Best You Can

If you’re like me, you may be struggling financially during this pandemic. Don’t go broke trying to buy everything. Like most things, good hiking clothes can cost well over $50. Do the best you can. There’s nothing wrong with going cheap for now.

Avoid Cotton

You sweat when you hike. No matter the weather. Cotton is bad for hikers because it absorbs and retains water. It takes forever to dry. This wouldn’t be a huge problem during the summer. But, when it’s 20 degrees outside, the last thing you want is to hike in a sweaty shirt.

“Once wet, cotton loses heat 25 times faster than dry clothing. Wet clothing can be a significant factor in hypothermia.”

The Backpacker’s Field Manual

No Jeans

On that note, avoid wearing jeans when hiking or taking long walks in the snow. Because, again, jean take forever to dry when wet. You don’t want to be out in cold weather wearing wet clothes. Jeans also don’t keep you warm. Whenever I wore jeans to photograph the snowy landscape, I made sure to put on tights underneath.

Dress in Layers

If you’re going to be out in the cold for long periods, you need a way to control your body temperature. If you’re walking a lot, especially uphill, you’ll get warm. With layers, it’s easy to take something off when needed.

I got an Under Amor shirt as a gift years ago and I love it. That things is magic. But I need bottoms, I found ViCherub’s Women’s Thermal Underwear set on Amazon for a fairly cheap price. You get two of them. I haven’t had a chance to try them out yet. I’m not familiar with the brand. But, the reviews are good.

What Kind of Fabric Can You Wear?

Fleece and wool. Down is okay though, similar to cotton, it takes a long time to dry when you’re out in the storm. Polyester is great for your base layer.

Ideally, you’d go to your local outdoor shop or REI and get advice from the people there. But, given we’re in a pandemic that’s getting worse, I don’t want to go to the grocery store let alone a clothing store. Books, YouTube and blogs are your friends.

Test Your Clothes

If you can, before venturing into the snow to take your landscape photos, test your winter hiking clothes. Maybe take a walk around your neighborhood or local park. I bought a pair of EnerWear Women’s Merino Wool Sock. I’ve been wearing them on my morning walks to see how they work. So far, so good.

What Makes A Good Fantasy Story?

The definition of a good fantasy story can be pretty arbitrary. What’s interesting for one person will be boring for another. Defining a good story is interesting in itself. You’ve probably come across books that were terribly written but became bestsellers because they told a good story. What draws you into a story? Here’s my list.

Escapism

People have a funny idea of escapism. When a book touches on a subject that makes them uncomfortable, then they roll out the “I read to escape reality” or “artists should stay out of politics.” For me, escapism doesn’t mean the book shies away from tough topics. It means I can forget reality while reading. Books like Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling did that for me. The series got dark but still, I always feel better after reading the books. Fantasy stories are the ultimate escape.

Diverse Characters

I and many authors have talked about this topic a lot. When I see a fantasy story with a non-stereotypical brown-skinned main lead, I am all over that book. It’s nice reading stories told from a perspective different from my own. I gravitate towards brown characters but I generally like seeing main characters who aren’t white, straight, cis men. Some of my favorites stories growing up were ones where I could see myself in the character. Being a quiet black girl, that didn’t happen often.

Relatable Characters

I mentioned in Elements of a Dark Fantasy Story that I like characters with some darkness in them. Sometimes authors will write a character that’s pure wish fulfillment. That fine. It’s their book. Those types of characters, for me, are boring. I don’t want to read about someone who’s good at everything. Everyone, even the villains, loves them. That’s not relatable. Nobody is that perfect.

I don’t usually read urban fantasy because, for some reason, the POV character tends to irritate me. But, I was surprised by how much I loved the Night Watch series by Sergei Lukyanenko. Anton’s one of my favorite fantasy characters.

Unique Fantasy Worlds

I don’t mind medieval settings but I love when authors do something different like Children of Blood and Bone. One reason why I prefer fantasy manga to novels. You get way more interesting worlds, magic systems and creatures in manga/anime. I love Bleach’s soul society. Fairy Tail has a unique magic system. Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels series technically take place in a medieval setting but both the world and magic make it unique and interesting.

A Good Magic System

Speaking of which, I’m a sucker for a good magic system. I love reading about characters with powers. The system doesn’t have to be fully spelled out. Studio Ghibli movies don’t go into details about their magic, or anything really, but they tell a good story with engaging characters. We don’t know what keeps The Moving Castle going in Howl’s Moving Castle. Technically, it’s powered by Calcifer but we don’t know how.

Witty Dialogue

The High King’s Golden Tongue is set in a medieval fantasy world without magic. The story doesn’t have a lot of action. But it’s one of my favorite series because the dialogue makes me laugh no matter how many times I read it. The clapbacks are on point. The characters don’t hold their tongue for anyone. I live for that kind of teasing dialogue.

What keeps you engaged in a story?

Elements of a Dark Fantasy Story (Infographic)

Dark fantasy is an interesting genre. It’s broad yet simple. It’s difficult to pin down a definition. I usually see it as a mix of fantasy and horror.

Here’s a definition from Goodreads:

“At its most basic, dark fantasy is a term used to describe a fantasy story with a pronounced horror element. A stricter definition is difficult to pin down, as authors, publishers, and readers have used “dark fantasy” in various contexts throughout the years.

Dark fantasy is often used as a synonym for supernatural horror. Some authors and critics also apply the term to high fantasy stories that feature anti-heroic or morally ambiguous protagonists. Fantasy works by writers typically associated with the horror genre are sometimes described as “dark fantasy.” Conversely, the term is also used to describe “darker” works by authors best-known for other styles of fantasy.“

Bottom line, your fantasy story needs to be dark. How that translates is up to you. I’ve listed a few things you could include. You don’t need to have all of them. Even just one of these will make your story dark.

Trigger warning: this post touches on sexual assault. If you want to avoid that, skip the section, Bad Things Happen to Good People.

Anti-Heroes as Main Characters

Probably one of the main reasons I love dark fantasy. I’m not a fan of pure heroes, the knight in shining armor. Give me a character with some darkness in them. Someone who doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty to complete the job.

What separates an anti-hero from a villain? Probably perspective. Characters in my Merging Worlds series are powerful enough to save the world but they don’t. They don’t even try. Not for any noble reasons. They simply don’t want to.

Read/watch Death Note, (the anime/ manga not the Netflix live-action series) for an example of a dark main character done well.

Dark Worlds

This usually translates to post-apocalyptic or dystopian worlds. Or, you could go literal and set your story in a world that doesn’t get any light. I’ve seen some lists that included Uzumaki as a dark fantasy manga. So, a “world” could include a fantasy town possessed by some supernatural baddy. Your entire world doesn’t need to be dark. Your character could get trapped in some dark forest for a good portion of the novel.

Personal preference, if you’re going with a dark setting, that location needs to be more than a simple scene. It’s not dark fantasy if the dark jumps in then jumps out, never to be seen again.

But again, that’s a personal preference. Other people may consider your story dark if you have one chapter set in a horror-filled landscape.

Bad Things Happen to Good People

You’ve probably heard the phrase “kill your darlings.” When writing my stories, I think of the worst thing that could happen to my character. And then I make it so.

Dark fantasy tends to have a lot of sexual assault. I like this genre but I don’t like that writers seem to default to rape when they want something dark. A person on Reddit created a helpful spreadsheet for those who want to avoid rape in their dark stories. Sexual Violence in SFF Database 2.0

If you’re going to add a sexual assault, give it the weight it deserves. People don’t just get over stuff like this. I’d suggest not including it if your only reason is, “my story is dark and that’s just how it was back then.” I stopped reading one book because all the women seemed to only be in there to be assaulted. I’d also suggest avoiding the “female gets assaulted to motivate the men” trope.

Get to know your characters. For them personally, what’s the worst thing that could happen? In The Wailing Town, my main character has always worked with a team. So, she ends up alone in an abandoned city with her team unable to reach her. In The Sciell, Shade and Vayle are stronger together so, I separated them and tortured one.

Battling Inner Demons

My characters often have past traumas (usually bullying) that still affects them in the story. Or, you could go literate and have a character possessed by a dark power/monster. I avoid reading stories that take this route because you often end up with pages of the main character complaining about their power. Naruto is a master class on handling this kind of inner demon. They even gave the “monster” a redemption arc. I love what they did with Kurama.

Dark is Good

In traditional fantasy, dark/black/ugly is bad. Light/white/beauty is good. I like mixing this up which is another reason why I gravitate towards dark fantasy. Make the seemingly pure things evil. While turning the dark things good. I enjoy writing stories with complicated demons. They aren’t the good guys but they also aren’t mindless monsters.

Horror Elements

Horror is about instilling fear and dread into your readers. Tap into that to write your fantasy story. How you do it is up to you. Add monsters that only attack at night. Include some gory scenes. Some of the things mentioned above will add horror elements to your story.

Bad Endings

Have you’ve ever played interactive games like Until Dawn or a dating sim? They have good or bad endings depending on the choices you make. Dark fantasy can have a good ending. Often they won’t. My endings tend to be, yeah, they won but did they really given what they went through? Bad endings are tough. You may not want your readers to reach it and be so traumatized that they never reread or recommend your book. But, you also want it to be realistic to the story you created. I like to sprinkle a little hope at the end.

Grimdark

What’s the difference between dark fantasy and grimdark? Depends on who you ask. Grimdark books tend to be more realistic versions of dark fantasy. If there’s magic, it’s only wielded by certain people, usually not the main character.

Make sure everything in your story serves a purpose to the plot. Avoid putting things in just because it’s dark. That’s a fast way to get people to stop reading. Think of horror. Gory scenes aren’t scary on their own. They only work if they’re done right. Do your research. Read/watch horror and dark fantasy stories to get an idea of how to handle dark themes.

More Reading

The Elements of Dark Fantasy

​A Guide To Writing A Successful Dark Fantasy Story​

What is Dark Fantasy? – Definition & Examples

Can anyone recommend a good dark fantasy anime

Top 10 Dark Fantasy Anime

Best Dark Fantasy Books

Improving Town and Country Maps for a Fantasy Story

Have you ever returned to an old fantasy story, or any story, and go, why did I think this was good? Design is kinda the same thing. My first creations were okay but I’m still learning. Years later, or even tomorrow, I may look at these designs and go ick. That’s the life of an artist. We’re always honing our craft.

Partially for fun, I’m releasing a fancy hardback version of the fantasy story The Sciell: Book 1 of The Merging Worlds Series with updated images. Probably not the best idea. Especially now that in-person events aren’t a thing. I don’t know how well print does for indie and small press authors. I believe, unless we’re looking to get into bookstores, libraries and schools, digital is the way to go.

But, ever since I released To Other Worlds through IngramSpark, I’d been planning to republish all my paperback books through that publisher. Since IngramSpark gives you a bit more room to exercise some creativity, why not go all out?

New Country Map

For this book, I’ll be updating all the interior images. Jael, the main landmass in the Merging World Series, has gone through several redesigns.

That’s the first one. It’s okay. Not great. It gets the job done.

I updated Jael for each book as new locations were introduced. The map became this for Book 2.

Then this for book 3.

I had to revisit this design anyway. I’m trying to get better at making my map more accurate. The rivers aren’t right. Here’s the new map for The Sciell.

There’s a good chance I’ll be returning to this to tweak some things. I may have to restrain myself. You can keep working on a project forever by making small tweaks no one will probably notice.

New Town Map

Then there’s Raesul, the main town in The Sciell.

Not bad. But again, could be better. I hadn’t revisited this since I published Book 1. Here’s the new version.

Both maps will be spread across two pages. They won’t be in colors but they still should be pretty.

I made all these in Photoshop either by drawing them (in Jael’s case) or putting them together using stock images (Raesul second version). The mountains and trees I made using a brush set I found on DeviantArt. I wouldn’t say one method is easier than the other. They’re both fairly time consuming and the final product uses a lot of memory on my computer. But they’re fun. These maps got me using Photoshop’s Pen tool which I’d been avoiding because it’s a pain to learn.

If you have a questions about map making or publishing on IngramSpark, comment below.

Creating a Fantasy World: Magical Powers (Infographic)

I like creating a magical fantasy world. I don’t mind books centered around regulars characters. But, I love, love stories where the main characters have powers and they embrace it. Probably why I gravitate towards manga and anime. Those characters get some pretty creative abilities.

Last year, in the post Author’s Guide to Creating Infographics, I created a special image to walk you through the design process. I hadn’t expected the infographic to be so popular. Now, I’ve updated it. If you want to give your characters magical abilities, here are some ideas.

Elementals

They’re usually fairly powerful and rare in fantasy worlds. Unless you’re in Avatar: The Last Airbender (cartoon not the movie). If you want an example of elementals powers done right, check out Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Assistant Abilities

People tend to sleep on certain abilities because they aren’t explosive or showy. Healing is one of them. I lean into barrier creation in my Merging Worlds series. For certain characters, creating shields is their main ability. They’re the most relied upon. Their barrier hide houses and towns from outsiders. They prevent enemies from tracking them. The characters use barriers to shield themselves from attacks. But, they don’t rely on those barriers. An impact can be distracting.

Unusual Abilities

Fire creation and mind-reading a pretty common. I once created a character born with natural hand-to-hand combat skills. It’s an ability that lives in her family’s blood. On the flip side, she’s prone to violence and terrible with weapons.

Then there’s accuracy. A character in another book is fairly powerful but his main ability is accuracy. He uses his power to create invisible attacks that never miss. Everyone hates sparing with him because his attacks get through barriers.

What’s Your Favorite Power?

I love turning darkness and shadow into something people (good or evil) can control. I actually have to be careful. Shadow/Darkness controls becoming my default ability.

New to Hiking? How to Pick a Day Hiking Trail

You’ve searched Google for a hiking trail near you. You’re looking for something you can do in one day. Depending on where you live, you may come across a few city parks or maybe some mountain trails.

New York is interesting. When most people think of it, they may picture tall buildings, a boisterous city and crowds. I recently got a map of East Hudon Highlands and was blown away by how large it was. I’ve been hiking in that area for a couple of months. If you consider day-long walks in a local park, I’ve been hiking for years. New York has a lot of green spaces, even in the city.

When faced with many hiking trails, how can you decide which one is best for you? Everyone is different. I’ll use myself as a guide. I’ve always enjoyed walking. Before COVID, Oreo and I hiked for miles through Prospect Park. For me, walking 5+ miles through my local park or through a city was nothing. If you’re someone how enjoys walking or who’s never done it for long distances, how can you pick the right trail?

What Does Experienced Mean?

Because I walk a lot, I thought I was experienced. I thought hiking 5 miles up a moderate trail would be simple. Walking 5 miles through a city park or on a paved path and hiking 5 miles up a mountain are two different things. I wasn’t used to steep rocky paths. I didn’t make it halfway on my first “real” hiking trip.

On top of that, when you’re in the city, you have the comfort of knowing help/civilization is not too far away. Mountain trailheads can be a mile from the nearest city. If you’re injured in the middle of the trail, it may take someone a long time to reach you. Often, on some of these mountains, your phone loses signal.

At one point, I’d gotten turned around on the trail and tried using Google Maps to find my location. But, I had no signal. Fortunately, I also had the app Glympe which sends my locations to another person and lets them track me for about 15 minutes. I texted my location to an experienced hiker and they guided me in the right direction.

Experience walker does not mean experienced hiker.

Use All Trails

If you want to get into hiking, I highly recommend All Trails. The app lists all the trails near you or a specific location. I usually search for trails near Cold Spring or Beacon, NY. They grade them from Easy to Moderate and Hard. If you’re a walker, you may be able to tackle short (less than 5 miles) Moderate trails. Read the reviews for those trails to see why they have that grade. Usually, it means the trail has a few steep areas.

Since I’ve started hiking Hudson Highlands State Park, I’ve watched a lot of newbies trek up Breakneck Ridge. It is a Hard trail. Even All Trails says it’s only for experienced hikers. It’s steep and rocky all the way to the summit. And, you have to do some rock climbing at the end. But it’s popular because it’s accessible by train and it’s only 1 mile. I, honestly, would not recommend new hikers try a Hard trail. That’s a fast route to an injury.

If You’re Not a Walker Yet

Even though I was new to hiking, I still stuck with Moderate trails. I like walking and an Easy trail wouldn’t be a workout. If you’re not a walker (or a jogger) stick to Easy trails. Get a feel for the number of miles you can comfortably walk. Easy trails have good views. I found this at the end of an Easy Trail.

More Tips

Picking the Best Hiking Trail for Your Abilities (Easy, Moderate and Strenuous)

Hiking for Beginners

How to Choose the Right Hike

Writing a Fantasy Novel: How to Start World Building

Writing a fantasy novel often means world-building, even when you’re basing it off a real-world location. I have a love-hate relationship with world-building. It’s fun but it can be difficult and a lot of work. Sometimes, just thinking about my novel can be a little overwhelming.

I refused to turn one short story into a novel because I knew the world-building would be a nightmare. Unfortunately, the story had other ideas. It’s becoming Book 4 of The Merging Worlds series and the world-building is ad difficult as I expected.

How can you start world building to finished writing your fantasy novel?

Create a Plan

I don’t create a detailed outline. But, if they work for you, it would probably go a long way in helping you realize what you need to figure out. In my notes app, Evernote, I’m listing all the things I need to research/flesh out.

You Don’t Need to Figure Out Everything

I rarely dive deep into religion and politics because they don’t often play that big of a role in my book. I only world build what I need to write the story. How do you figure out what you need? Some people find that out in the outline. For a panster like me, I start writing. If I’m having trouble writing a certain part of the story then, I stop and figure out why. Usually world building is the answer.

Do A Fantasy Artwork Search

If you’re following this blog, you know I rely heavily on images for my world-building. On Pinterest, I keep boards for general fantasy settings, weapons and character designs, plants and clothes.

Then, I’ll create a board for images related to specific stories. You can find images by doing a simple Google Search. You could also visit DeviantArt and Artstation.

Image search expand the imagination. I often find myself sticking to a lot of real world weapon and character designs. But, it’s fantasy. You can make anything normal

Draw a Map

I’m a visual person. Drawing a rough sketch of the locations helps me better picture the layout. I like making maps in general. The terrible drawings usually turn into maps I put in books or simply share on social media.

Use a World Building Template

Certain websites will have detailed guides about things to consider when world-building. They’ll list questions you need to ask. ReedsyBlog has a pretty good template. Google “fantasy world building templates” and see what come up.

Writing a fantasy novel or any book is an adventure. Figuring out how to make that flame blade believable to my world is fun. I love scrolling through Pinterest for design inspiration. Create a plan. Tackle one thing at a time. Find a part of world building that you enjoy and focus on that.

Fantasy Writing: Creating a World Without Sunlight

Fantasy writing lets you create any kind of world you could imagine. You’d think with the year we’re having, that I’d be sick of dark and apocalyptics settings. But, I’m not. It’s still an escape. It’s a little uplifting. Putting characters in such a terrible world and seeing them thrive despite that.

By Book 4 of The Merging World Series, Darkness has put a barrier over nearly every land. It blocks out all sunlight. The barrier opens once a day, giving people about 30 minutes of sunlight. 

Years ago, I asked a fantasy Facebook group about any issues that could arise in this world. From the response, I realized I need to do more research,. 

Are you writing a world where people don’t get a lot of sunlight? Maybe something happened to the sun or people were forced to live underground. Here are a few things to consider. The below topics are good starting points for deeper research.

Determine What Happened to the Sun

The sun being destroyed will have a different effect than it being blocked out. Similarly, your world will be different if the sun still exists but humans have to live underground.

Vitamin D Deficiency

“Vitamin D is a hormone that’s created in your body when your skin is exposed to the sun. …Some supplements and foods, such as fatty fish, help your body produce vitamin D, but the best way to get enough is from the sun.” 11 scary things that can happen if you don’t get enough vitamin D

Mental Health Issues

“Without enough sun exposure, your serotonin levels can dip. Low levels of serotonin are associated with a higher risk of major depression with seasonal pattern (formerly known as seasonal affective disorder or SAD). This is a form of depression triggered by the changing seasons.” What Are the Benefits of Sunlight?

What Happens to Plants and Animals

Without the Sun’s rays, all photosynthesis on Earth would stop. All plants would die and, eventually, all animals that rely on plants for food — including humans — would die, too” What Would Earth Be Like Without the Sun?

Nature needs sunlight. They’d die without it which means humans would die. In my world, the change wasn’t sudden. It happened over the course of several years giving nature time to adjust. Plants and animals mutated to survive in the dark world. But, as a side effect, plants aren’t safe to eat right off the vine. Animals are harder to catch.

Plants and animals glow. I’ve been having a lot of fun writing that part of the world.

Weather Patterns Could Change

“The sun keeps the engine running for the water cycle: evaporation – cloud formation – precipitation. And it shapes the weather on earth by heating the earth’s surface to varying degrees.” No sun, no life on earth

Never thought about that. Will it still rain if the sun’s covered? I may have to extend the sunlight time to an hour.

Even fantasy writing requires a lot of research. These are only a few things to consider. I’ll be diving deeper into each of these topics, especially the weather. More posts to come.

Do you have anything you want to add? Comment below.

More Resources

Why is the Sun important for life on Earth?

Vitamin D: Vital Role in Your Health

Nature Photography: Adventures of the Trail

Nature photography often leads to paths that have me shaking my fist at faceless trail makers going “really, really.” Sounds like a fantasy story. Let’s put that aside for later. 

For obvious reasons, the summit is never at the end of a flat path. 

I’ve taken the above trail a handful of times and it still gets on my nerves. That is not a path. 

This nonsense comes after walking a flat but steep hill. 

I’m clumsy. I’m more likely to slide down these rocks on the way back. Which I have. Fortunately, I’ve never hurt myself.  But, this comes with the territory. 

In the post Life Lessons While Hiking to Bull Hill/Mt. Taurus Overlook, I mentioned that in order to reach this view:

You have to climb this path.

Unfortunately, the trail is currently under construction. This lovely path was made far worse. It winds, seemingly endlessly, up a steep hill. I didn’t take a photo of it mostly because my mind kept going, “nope, nope, nope.”

The flat but rocky paths are fun. Depending on when I encounter them. Walking from rock to rock turns into a game. 

They provide a good distraction when I’m tired and sore. 

Fall adds a beauty to them. 

I’m going to miss autumn.  Trees are already bare. Those colors make even the most annoying paths tolerable.  

It’s like a beacon in the distance. 

Flat trails are the best. I don’t have to focus on climbing or walking over rocks. I can enjoy the forest scene and the silence.  

Standing on a peak is an amazing reward for all your hard work. Even better when you get nice photographs. But, those flat paths surrounded by trees are bliss. 

For me, it’s the ultimate relaxation. Like writing, when I’m all those trails the world and all its problems disappear. Nature photography is an added bonus. Capturing the trail provides a kind of energy that makes me forget the pain and exhaustion. 

To see more photos from the trail, visit my Behance profile. 

Haunted Prison: Eastern State Penitentiary

Certain locations scream possessed by ghosts. Old cemeteries and abandoned asylums. Eastern State Penitentiary clearly looks like a haunted prison. 

Do the ghosts of past prisoners still roam the halls? 

Eastern State Penitentiary is said to be one of the of most haunted places in America. It’s no wonder. When Charles Dickens visited it years after its creation he wrote, “I believe that very few men are capable of estimating the immense amount of torture and agony which this dreadful punishment, prolonged for years, inflicts upon the sufferers.”

It Began with Good Intentions

Built in 1829 in Philadelphia Eastern State Penitentiary marked the end of public punishment as entertainment. It was one of the most expensive building of its time with seven cell-blocks with 252 apartments. Each cell had heating and plumbing ensuring inmates never interacted with each other. 

It was built as a road to repentance for prisoners. It didn’t start off bad. Prisoners had amenities not available to most. They received an education. Each inmate had their own exercise yard. Their cells had a high ceiling and a skylight. 

A Life of Solitary Confinement

Designed to keep prisoners isolated, Eastern State Penitentiary sentenced inmates to years of silence and loneliness. Though, prisoners found creative ways to make noise. Some shouted through flushing toilets or banged on pipes. 

Unfortunately, this momentary relief from silence brought on punishment. Guards would cover the skylight. During winter, they’d chain the noise-making inmate outside and throw buckets of water on them until ice circles formed. In summer, inmates were strapped to a chair until their legs swelled. Some had a iron gag stuffed in their mouths. 

The administration believed silence and isolation were the perfect recipes for prisoner reform. 

The Haunted Prison

Eastern State Penitentiary has become a popular spot for paranormal investigators. Ghosts Adventure and Ghost Hunters filmed episodes there. People have heard ghostly cackling in Cellblock 12. Others have seen shadow figures and ghostly faces in Cellblocks 6 and 4. 

One of its most famous inmates, Al Capone, said he was haunted by the ghost of a men killed during the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Gary Johnson, tasked with maintaining the prison’s locks, claimed he saw tortured faces in one of the cells. 

This haunted prison is now a historic site open to the public.  

Interested in reading about more haunted locations? Learn about the Pennhurst asylum, also in Pennsylvania. 

Sources

–Levinson, Martin H. “PRISON NATION.” ETC.: A Review of General Semantics, vol. 75, no. 1-2, 2018, p. 83+. Gale Academic OneFile.

–Bell, Richard. “Liberty’s Prisoners: Carceral Culture in Early America.” Early American Literature, vol. 52, no. 1, 2017, p. 201+. Gale Academic OneFile.

-GRIEST, S. E. (2012). The Torture of Solitary. Wilson Quarterly, 36(2), 22–29.

–Is Eastern State Penitentiary Really Haunted?-NPR-https://www.npr.org/2013/10/24/232234570/is-eastern-state-penitentiary-really-haunted

-Prison of Horror. Travel Channel. https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/haunted/articles/prison-of-horrors