Under the Scotch Broom by Allison M. Dickson

Michael: As writers, we’re supposed to be tired of being asked where we get our ideas. I can’t think of anything better than a scary story to provide that all-important nutrient. We think ourselves mundane, that we’ve explored and rooted out all there is to know about human beings and what they’re capable of, but this could not be further from the truth.Īllison: Because perspective is like mental protein that makes our minds strong. But I will say this: we humans really do not give our own brains enough credit for the awe-inspiring electrical meat packets they are. There will always be mysteries well beyond our grasp. Our comprehension about our universe and our own minds still has a long way to go, and I don’t think we will really ever reach a place where we will understand all of it. We used to think bad weather was the result of an angry God. We used to drill holes in people’s skulls to let the bad spirits out. A few centuries ago, we used to think seizures and other neurological disorders were a result of demonic possession. What I do believe is everything has answers, but we just haven’t quite developed the means to understand them yet.

Michael: Wrapped in Black is an anthology of stories about witches and the occult so let’s get right down to the meat: do you believe in magic and the powers of those who claim to practice it? There’s no wrong answer, of course, but if you say yes and then don’t tell at least a little of the story I am going to be serving some serious side-eye.Īllison: I’m not sure I believe in magic or really anything we tend to call supernatural-not to say entertaining such notions or using them in stories isn’t a whole boatload of fun. Dickson, author of the story “Number One Angel.” Allison is a writer with whom I had the tremendous good fortune to appear in Wrapped in White and of whose writing I am a serious fan. Next up for my series of interviews with fellow contributors to Wrapped in Black: Thirteen Tales of Witches and the Occult is none other than Allison M.

Under the Scotch Broom by Allison M. Dickson