Karin Malady

We can call it “another dimension” or we can say it's deep in a hollow Earth. Or we can say its up in the sky, floating on clouds – or higher – in the far reaches of space. Down the rabbit hole, through the looking glass, up the forest stairway – all these are places of but one essence – Elsewhere – the Other World.

But where is Elsewhere? Somewhere else, obviously. It's far away, hard to reach. Accessible only to the lost or the questing. The place where the dead rest and spirits play their games. In a sense it's a realm of stories. What kinds of stories do well tell? There are generally two categories. All stories we tell are about the world we live in – even... no, especially the ones that aren't set there. The difference is in how they relate to to the world. To some, the world is amazing. We explore it, express our selves through it, and see wonderful things. We try to capture that feeling. But we also tell stories of things that go bump in the night. The creatures of myth, the monsters and slashers. Comedy and Tragedy. Fear and Awe.

A story doesn't have to be long. “I want to believe.” is only four words. So is “He's right behind you.” The definition of medium is relevant here – “the intervening substance through which impressions are conveyed to the senses or a force acts on objects at a distance.” A means through which stories act on the world. If we are in love with the world – does it return that love? And, if the world is a place we fear, does it return that fear?

There's something Grover teaches us – how do you catch a monster? You tell a story about it.