Hi there Reader,

Today I'm taking you up into the woods. There are no paths there that the deer haven't made. Instead there are ridges and rock formations, an abandoned house, traces of a forgotten road, and eventually, a swamp.

I've spent over 15 years wandering and photographing these woods - occasionally being lucky enough to find a morel mushroom or two for dinner. The woods themselves feel full of history and stories, waiting to be discovered.

One fall afternoon in 2013 I found a rickety old handmade ladder. Years ago it was likely used for hunting. But now, it obviously was going to lead nowhere - not anymore anyway. And that, in and of itself, felt like a story.

And so I went back, wearing a vintage nightgown (like you do), and propped the ladder up against a tree for a short series of self portraits.

Then I did absolutely nothing with the image. For four years.

And then, one day, the story arrived. It wasn't a story of a ladder going nowhere. It was a question of "what now?" when the path appeared to end.

So now I offer this to you:
​Here. Carry this one with you. 🕯️

​​Haunted Lanterns are occasional dispatches from my Wayward Cottage — notes on making things, noticing things, and following strange threads through art, story, landscape, and the creative life. Subscribers sometimes receive a little something to carry away.

​If you’d like the next Lantern delivered to you, you can join me here. ​

Happy wandering,

Jen
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