As October comes to a close, us creepy kids often feel a sense of sadness, feeling as though perhaps we did not do all we wanted to celebrate, in my opinion, the most imaginative and fun time of the year, but we must comfort ourselves with the knowledge that true creepy kids keep it creepy all year long. I got to feature my book and experiences on why I love horror for librarian and editor Becky Spratford’s blog. Read more here!
Being a millennial creepy kid has been interesting this year. As more corporations consolidate into monopolies, it feels like many beloved film remakes and products are being aggressively marketed at us to provoke a sense of nostalgia for classic media and things we have loved to pry open our exhausted wallets, and Halloween is no exception (see Hocus Pocus 2, Practical Magic 2, etc). It’s made me wonder if other generations have been marketed to so aggressively before? Has the internet and widespread access to media made this marketing more prevalent?
Nostalgia can be dangerous; just look at how it has been used by the MAGA political movement to bank on a violent white supremacist misogynist fantasy of “better times” in the US. It can become distraction, making space for hyper consumption and a lack of engagement in why certain traditions and celebrations persist. I wonder if, instead of leaning into nostalgia, we seek out the facets of our childhoods, of things we value that we wish to return to, to revive and relive in new ways that can help us navigate a more frightening and fast-changing world.
For an early birthday present to myself, I planned a day trip to St. Helen’s, Oregon for the Spirit of Halloweentown Festival, as this is the town where they primarily filmed the Halloweentown movies. If you know me, you know that Halloween is a big deal for me, and the Halloweentown films were a big part of my tween years, in addition to Sabrina the Teenage Witch and other such shows and films. So on our sojourn to Portland, we drove about thirty minutes away to St. Helen’s, a beautiful little port town on the Columbia River, and indulged in some early Halloween fun. Was the Halloweentown festival cheesy? Sure! Was it all a little overpriced? Of course! Did I still enjoy the hell out of myself? You bet!
I think about the antique mall we visited in St. Helen’s, OR and the goodies we found there, including some DVD’s, as we are trying to build back our physical media collection since streaming has become so expensive and exclusive, and other fun stuff! There were so many antique Halloween decorations that I admired and made me miss the craftsmanship of these kinds of decorations when faced with the AI slop decorations that Michael’s and other stores are now pushing. Instead, many of my friends, also Scorpios and creepy kids, have dipped back into their tried and true decorations, and use natural materials and thrifted finds to create their own costumes. I think about how many of my loved ones have been returning to or learning “slow hobbies,” like knitting, crochet, embroidery, up-cycling clothes, collecting vintage physical media and crafting. Halloween season is a perfect encapsulation of these skills reflected in holiday celebrations!
Throughout the end of September and all of October, I do my best to fit in as many autumnal and Halloweenie activities as possible, not because I feel I have to, but because I genuinely enjoy them. We bring out our small but well-loved decorations that we have been able to take on the road with us. I prepare my altar for Samhain and Dia de los Muertos, though it is smaller than the one we usually have at home. We watch all of our favorite movies and read fun, creepy books. Even on the road, we manage to find these whimsical activities, like getting lost in a corn maze and picking out a beautiful pumpkin to carve.
It’s easy to dismiss Halloween as frivolous, weird or overly commercialized. Reading Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween by Lisa Morton reminds me that our traditions are rooted in ancient celebrations, including the Celtic tradition of Samhain, and how the end of October also signals celebrations of Dia de los Muertos, times when we celebrate the harvest, our ancestors and loved ones who have been passed on, the coming darkness and the thinning of the veil between worlds. It’s a time I feel most in touch with myself and my own whimsical weird ways.
The other morning I read Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween by A.J. Locascio and illustrated by Laurie Conley. It’s a sweet little book about Molly, a young girl who loves Halloween but her parents, who are dentists, don’t like Halloween and don’t allow her to trick-or-treat for fear of all the sugary candy given out on the holiday. So Molly makes a wish for a way to celebrate Halloween, and the Spoops, little Halloween spirits, come to help her celebrate in her own spooky way! This book really embodies what its like to be a creepy, weird kid and nods to the many fun traditions of Halloween based in Irish and Celtic origins.
Besides re-watching the Halloweentown movies and other spooky standbys, I enjoyed Pumpkinhead on Tubi and having access to all the seasons of Are You Afraid of the Dark. Reading YA and Middle grade horror books also makes me feel closer to why I love Halloween. This year I am reading Broken Dolls by Ally Malinenko, Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russel and Give Me Something Good to Eat by D.W. Gillepsie. As I’ve said before, and written about in my article for Medium, I will always support creepy kids!
As the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead are thin, we got the chance to visit San Jose and tour the Winchester Mystery House. It was a fascinating journey to understand Sarah Winchester’s history, the intricate architecture of the house, the lore of the spirits that may have haunted her. What’s most interesting about this visit was that, while eerie, neither Ramiro nor I felt a particular presence being the house. However, his phone battery inexplicably drained halfway through the tour, and half of the photos both of us took on our respective phones came out warped and blurry. A very interesting encounter!
The KOA campground we have been staying in here in California apparently has a long tradition of doing it up big for Halloween. Last weekend, there was a whole schedule of events, including a costume parade and trick-or-treating. Several folks had entire haunted houses set up around their RV’s and cabins, and parents and kids alike dressed up and took part in the reveries.
Not to be outdone, we had a more modest set-up and decided to sit outside to cook our dinner over the fire. While we waited for the kids to arrive, I arranged the table. Taking a page out of my friend Laura’s book, we bought one bag of candy (so expensive!) and a ten pound bag of russet potatoes (less expensive). When kiddos approached, I offered them both candy and a potato, and they were astonished. They got so excited about the potatoes, and we became the potato place. Several kids were talking about what they were going to do with their potatoes!
I also got to show off my costume as Saint Moss, a mossy forest spirit. I spent all month making my costume with real moss I had collected since we were in Oregon and a thrifted dress. I’m happy with how it turned out!
Today, our last day in Petaluma before we move on to our next destination, I visited Word Horde Emporium of the Weird and Fantastic to sign a couple of copies of my books and celebrate their 5th anniversary! I loved chatting with the owners, browsing their wide variety of fantasy, sci fi and horror books, especially hard to find indies, and seeing people of all ages come into the store to celebrate. It’s always nice to find kindred spirits and celebrate my first horror collection with new booksellers and communities.
These traditions remain meaningful to me however we get to celebrate. They are opportunities to be weird and whimsical, finding the small pleasures in celebrating the turning of the year, embracing the coming darkness. Tonight, we will enjoy watching folks celebrate outside, will do a Halloween-themed puzzle, making a cheese plate and watch movies. Happy Halloween!
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2026 Projects, Workshops and Events
- Herencia Speaker Series: Poetry Workshop with Leticia Urieta
- December 6th at 2pm at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM
- Herencia Speaker Series: Poetry Reading with Leticia Urieta
- Wednesday, December 9, 2026 at 6:30pm at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM
- The recording done of the Strong Women, Strange Worlds Quick Reads event I was a part of in July is on Youtube, so if you missed the reading, you can check it out now!
*More events TBA
Here’s three things you can do! Buy and read my books, or request them from your local library! Share my work with your friends! Subscribe to my newsletter, or become a paid subscriber (only $5/month)! Below are side by side photos of Leticia’s books, The Remedy is the Disease and Offerings to a Tumbled Temple.
My horror collection, The Remedy is the Disease, is out now from Undertaker Books! You can order your copy now using the link above! I got to feature my book and experiences on why I love horror for Becky Spratford’s blog. Read more here!
I’m incredibly heartened to that the book has been received so well by several reviewers. Here are some reviews and podcasts I’ve appeared on lately so you can get a sense of the book:
- You can read a review of the book here in Sinister Scoop!
- Review by H.V. Patterson
- Review by Alex Brown
- Review by Robin Knabel
- Susto Podcast Interview
- The Basement Girls Podcast: The Wolf Man
- The Scares That Shaped Us: The Thing
If you missed the virtual book launch I did last week with two of my favorite writers and supporters, Rios de la Luz and Ryan C. Bradley, you can watch the recorded reading here!
My poetry chapbook, Offerings to the Tumbled Temple, is also out now from Purple Ink Press! You can purchase a copy here. Chapbooks like these make great gifts for your poetry loving friends! You can also order a copy from your local indie bookstore or, if you love your local library, you can request that they stock a copy.
Indie bookstores currently stocking my books:
- BookWoman in Austin, TX
- Red Salmon Arts/Resistencia Bookstore in Austin, TX
- Austin Public Library Shop, Austin, TX
- Lark and Owl Bookstore in Georgetown, TX
- Haunt Happy Books in Lockhart, TX
- Curio Mrvosa in Taylor, TX
- Nowhere Bookshop in San Antonio, TX
- Boerne Bookshop in Boerne, TX
- Interabang Books in Dallas, TX
- Palabras Bilingual Bookshop in Phoenix, AZ
- Word Horde Emporium of The Weird and Fantastic in Petaluma, CA
- Secret Garden Books in Seattle, WA
- Poetry chapbook coming soon to the Open Books: A Poem Emporium in Seattle, WA!
Open to New Editing Clients for the Fall!
The summer is almost over, and I’m opening up to a few new clients! As a professional editor and mentor, I would love to work with you to support your creative goals and develop your current projects!
I would love to take on folks who are working on poetry manuscripts or novels of all kinds, especially weird, speculative work, but I’m open to all forms of writing! You can read some testimonials from my current clients. I offer a variety of services and rates to fit your budget, so reach out today to schedule a consultation.
Call to Action: Community Care Spotlight
This space is meant to spotlight communities, creators and activists who are taking action to resist and do caring things for others. This month, I am highlighting a way to support someone in my hometown, Austin, who has been affected by ICE violence:
On September 20, Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan man, was shot in the back by ICE agents in North Austin. Just four hours later, he was released from the hospital into ICE custody, while his wife and attorney were denied information and access. He suffered with a bullet in his neck for almost two weeks before he was able to access the necessary surgery, suffering extreme pain and paralysis. His family is still fighting for proper medical care and his immediate release. This cruelty is state sponsored terrorism. You can donate to support Wilber and his family, and follow updates from Grassroots Leadership on how to support him and other folks who are navigating the impossibly system of immigrant detention and violence from ICE on their “Ice Fuera de Austin” program.
Keeping making room for those moments of agency and care!
Leticia
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