Description: A cultural history of the phenomenon of the 'haunted house' as seen through art, architecture, and ghost stories.
What makes a house haunted? Why do some buildings conjure up a reputation for being particularly creepy, while others leave us unmoved? Barring the possibility of a looming afterlife, what are the particular features, contexts, and histories that lend a building the dreaded identity of haunted house? How to Build a Haunted House tours some of the world's most famously spine-chilling structures in search of answers. From Medieval Scotland to Enlightenment-era London; Victorian suburbs to pre-Civil War Louisiana, Blackwell Baines, an expert in Gothic art and architecture, will explore that specific set of ingredients that captures our imaginations and contributes to our collective understanding of the eternally eerie. After all, whether a staunch sceptic or paranormal enthusiast, we all know a haunted house when we see one.Brief description: Caitlin Blackwell Baines is an art historian specializing in Gothic art and architecture. Born in Toronto, she later emigrated to Britain to pursue an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art and a PhD from the University of York in art history. Upon completing her studies, she worked as a curator at Mount Stuart, a late Victorian Gothic Revival palace. When she isn't visiting haunted houses and recording her ghost story-themed history podcast, Haunted Homes, Caitlin is based in East Sussex, England.
Review Quotes: "A critical look at the haunted house, its rise, and its continued grip on our imagination. The author is a personable and engaging guide, comfortable in archives and attics alike. She neither endorses nor dismisses the supernatural, treating ghosts as meaningful cultural artifacts rather than subjects for belief or debunking. A cultural history with a pleasurable chill."-- "Kirkus Reviews"