“Civilized man is in danger of losing all contact with the world of instinct — a danger that is still further increased by his living an urban existence in what seems to be a purely man-made environment. This loss of instinct is largely responsible for the pathological condition of contemporary culture.” Carl Jung
According to Norse mythology, all Nine Realms of the cosmos either hung from its branches, or else grew from its massive roots. As the source of cosmic structure, Yggdrasil commanded enormous respect. The Norse revered it as the giver and taker of life and order.
Occasionally I’m asked, “Why would a nice, conservative naturalist like you write stories about ghosts, demons, and space aliens?”
Good question. I usually refer to a famous quote from Flannery O’Connor:
“When you can assume that your audience holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax a little and use more normal ways of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have to make your vision apparent by shock — to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures.”
After all, two of my favorite authors, Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft, wrote about magic, monsters, and ghosts. Neither author believed in such things, but crafted gripping tales with captivating and evocative characters.
“I have come to think of surrealism/fantasy/the supernatural/magical realism as a kind of steroid, bulking things up and bringing certain perceptions into clearer relief. The distortions I create in a narrative can be thought of as tools that amplify the material, much as an astronomer employs a telescope, or a biologist uses a microscope.”
Lovely. And insightful. Reading and writing are ways of playing with the world, of experimenting with reality to test and clarify one’s beliefs. That’s the challenge and joy of literature.
M.C. Tuggle, Writer 