paranormal

A Scary Q&A with John Robert Colombo

Tell us about your book.

The Big Book of Canadian Ghost Stories is the largest collection of told-as-true narrative accounts by Canadians of the past and especially the present ever published. It builds on thirty years of collecting such stories. It is scary, and full of ghosts, devils, and spirits.

 

How did you come up with the idea for this work?

The psychical and the paranormal are long-time interests. Most people are secretly interested in these matters because they touch upon the nature of life, fate, afterlife, spirits, etc.

 

How did you come up with the title?

It differs from my earlier collections in size and length. It is bulky!

 

Tell us a little about the overarching theme of your work, and why you felt compelled to explore it.

I undertook to collect and create commentaries on these accounts because of my own interest in what constitutes the nature of belief, of hope, of evidence, and of certainty. So the book deals with my own interest and those of many, many Canadians.

 

Did you have a specific readership in mind when you wrote your book?

I assume it will appeal to young adults and old adults, with middle-aged adults purchasing the book for their youngsters or their oldsters. Most books are bought by women and women are particularly moved by introspection, so I assume women will be the main purchasers of this book.

 

How did you research your book?

Whenever I meet a new person, I ask him or her, “Have you seen a ghost or spirit?” Usually the person answers, “No, but my brother or sister or aunt or uncle has.” I track down the relative and ask for an account in writing.

 

What was the creative process like for you?

I am driven by the desire to collect and preserve sensations, experiences, and ideas that would otherwise simply vanish from the face of the Earth.

 

Describe your ideal writing environment.

One hour – sixty minutes – alone – in front of a computer.

 

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The hardest part is always editing away the material to trim it to publishable length.

 

What was your first publication?

The answer appears on my personal website: www.colombo-plus.ca

 

What inspired you to write your first book?

The contradictions of life.

 

In your own work, which character are you most attached to, and why?

I do not write fiction, but I do write poetry, so an honest answer is the character to whom I am most attached is Myself.

 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a writer?

Write what moves you and preserve your manuscripts.

 

Describe the most memorable response you’ve received from a reader.

Hardly a week will go by without someone emailing, writing, phoning, or saying, “I really enjoyed such and such a book or poem.”

 

Has a review or profile ever changed your perspective on your work?

One reviewer called me “Canada’s Master Gatherer” and that alone defined me for most people.

 

Who did you read as a young adult?

Largely “Mechanics Illustrated” and then books with titles like “One, Two, Three … Infinity!” and “The Conquest of Space.”

 

What are you reading right now?

Right now I am reading the words I am writing on the computer monitor.

 

What is your next project?

At any one time I have half a dozen manuscripts in the works. I am currently editing a new selection of poems and aphorisms.

 

Where can readers reach you?

They can reach me through my publishers, through my email address (jrc@ca.inter.net) or through my websites (www.colombo.ca and www.colombo-plus.ca).

© 2008 Defining Canada.