🎙️ Jim Best

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Read Jim’s story, Until I'm well, on Foofaraw now!

Do you view this story as one about mental illness or ghosts?

I view it as a story about ghosts told through the prism of mental illness. The whole genesis of this came from wanting to do a ghost story from the point of view of a ghost. I started to think about what the experience of that would be like if hauntings were actually like we often hear them described. It occurred to me that it would be very confusing and disorienting. I realize it would be similar to the experience of somebody undergoing a severe psychosis. So I sort of backed into what turned out to be the entire hook of the story.

Do you have any experience with either?

No experience with ghosts, but I have a very robust experience with mental health. Personally, I am neurodivergent and have general anxiety disorder. Additionally, I have numerous people in my family and close to me who deal with similar issues, from borderline personality disorder to bipolar disorder to major depressive disorder. 

Do you believe in ghosts?

I wish I could give a really clever answer to this with a simple and truthful one is no. I personally have seen no evidence of them in my life. I think they are really interesting and I love ghost stories, both fictional and “true”, but do I believe that there are the literal spirits of the dead walking around the earth manifesting as drafts or creeks or bumps or throwing things across the room? No.

Does our protagonist ever realize what’s actually happening or do you think it’s a perpetual cycle for them?

I think that, on a certain level, he does knows something is up. I think he has realized it in the past and forgets or blocks it and that’s why he gets so afraid when he thinks that the strangers actually won’t see him. I hope that he can break the cycle someday. He has the seeds planted so it might take years more but he can get there if he wants to let himself see it.

What drew our ghost hunters here in the first place?

I kind of imagined this asbeing one of those local spots that people flock to in small towns. One of those abandoned old institutional buildings that everyone talks about is being haunted. Old schools, old prisons, old hospitals or mental wards. It’s the sort of place that I could easily have seen myself and my friends sn into one night to do “investigations” in my teens.

If you were casting the movie for this story, who would play our main character?

I’ve been watching a ton of Downton Abbey lately, so I picture Dan Steven’s

What’s one of your recent favorite short stories?

“The unfortunate convalescence of the Super lawyer” from the anthology Book the end of the world as we know, it was the stand out peace for me in that was basically just a love letter to the fans of Stephen King. 

What book are you reading right now?

Between books at the moment, but the last one I read was actually Dracula. I did the audiobook version from Audible with a full cast. I’ve listened to it before, but I really enjoyed it and I wanted Revisit.

Do you have anything else you'd like to share?

Sure! My story “Something Borrowed, Something Blew” is in the newest volume “Eggplant Emoji” available on Amazon, but be warned it to extremely NC-17 story. Only read if you’d like very raunchy humor. For something, a little tamer and more family friendly, you can check out my short story “Haint Seen Nothin’”. On the alphanumeric podcast from zoetic press. And there’s the awesome horror archive horrificscribbling.com where you can find My short story “ Dead or Alive.”

Thanks to Jim for taking some time to chat during this holiday season!