Day of the Dead Authors

Now that Halloween is over, we can really begin to celebrate!

Halloween is the evening before All Hallows' Day or All Saints' Day, which comes the day before All Souls' Day. These days are designed for us to revere the departed--which in most healthy cultures means to celebrate the lives of the dead, rather than get all glum about their being dead. The Mexican misnomer, the Day of the Dead, actually spans three days from October 31st to November 2nd, and involves music, fun, and sugar skulls--all of which meet with our hearty approval.

The souls of children are supposed to return to join in the celebration on November 1, with the creakier old adult spirits following on November 2nd. To prepare for their arrival, families usually clean and decorate their kinsmen's graves with ofrendas of marigold wreaths and toys for los angelitos (the kiddies) and bottles of tequila or mezcalfor adults. In the home, they prepare food and drink for the deceased, but eat everything they leave behind on their plates.

Eighty years ago, the United States threw another celebration into the pot for November 1st: Author's Day. Presumably, in the great stew of holidays at this time of year, we should celebrate dead authors. So I'll be raising a skull-shaped glass of meszcal to Edgar Allen Poe. And in my wildest dreams, I'll aspire to his greatness as we also enter National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org)--a month that begins with three days of the dead, and is supposed to end with a completely finished novel.

Well, we can dream, can't we?