Interview with Kim Cool, Author of Ghost Stories of Venice
Rhetorical Context Subject: My Subject is author Kim Cool and our interview discusses a little bit of everything, but for the most part, we stay on the subject of her personal writing experiences that deal with the paranormal. She has travelled the west coast of Florida collecting ghost stories of residents and has visited numerous haunted historical sites such as the Ringling Mansion in Sarasota. Audience: My interview with Kim Cool is intended for Ghost Voices, a magazine dedicated to printing true stories of paranormal phenomenon. The audience for this article has potential for a variety of ages, but its target reader lies somewhere between thirty and fifty. The reader of Ghost Voices is inquisitive and interested in paranormal investigation as well as haunted historical sites in general. The magazine showcases articles that feature ghost sightings, American folklore, and interviews with psychic mediums and ghost hunters on the most popular spots for paranormal activity. Occasion: With a rising popularity of paranormal television shows and movies, this article interviews an author who writes true ghost stories. As someone who has always been interested in the paranormal, I was excited to ask this author about her writing process and learn more about her travels. Purpose: The purpose is mainly to inform readers about this author and interest them in possibly visiting these haunted historical sites. I hope to encourage readers to pick up Kim’s book series, and learn more about what makes these places so fascinating. Q: Where were you born? Have you always lived in Florida?
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A: I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, raised in Shaker Heights Ohio, attended its public schools, and graduated from Sweet Briar College in Va. liberal arts with a major in economics. I moved to Venice in 1999. My parents had lived there and when they died, I ended up with their condo and so I was a snowbird for three years before selling my house in the north (I was a widow so free to pretty much go anywhere). Q: Where did you come up with the idea for your book series? (Ghost Stories of…) A: I was on a press trip to Walt Disney World where I met Charles J Adams III who has written more than 30 books - most are ghost stories dealing with towns or counties in the Middle Atlantic States. Q: When you traveled the west coast of Florida, how much research did you do beforehand? Were you discovering these sites for the first time or were they already familiar to you? A: Because of my job at the paper, I am always out and about, logging 150,000 miles on my present car the past 8 years. I do weekly road trip articles. If I learn about ghost stories, I save them for one or another or even for a Halloween story for the paper. Q: What does your family think of your book series? A: My parents would be proud. They are both deceased… my daughter certainly is and helps with technical things such as my web site. My father used to tell me ghost stories when I was little, although I am not sure he necessarily believed in ghosts. I don't think that matters if the story is any good. About half the people in this world believe and the other half are at least skeptical, if not downright certain there is no such thing. If they had a true scientific mind, they would at least be skeptical since there is no proof one way or the other.
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Q: Did you write these stories while you were traveling? How long did it take you to visit and speak with each person? A: All the stories in my ghost story books were gathered in person or by email from actual people. Sometimes people contact me, and sometimes I contact them because of a suggestion by someone or - in the case of historic properties such as the Ringling house in Sarasota, it is because I want to include it in my book if it might be haunted. In that case, I took two psychics with me and also spent time with people who work there such as the curator. Q: Have you ever been skeptical of the stories you’ve heard from people? A: I am always skeptical because I am a reporter first, but if it is a good story, I let the reader decide if it is believable. Very few ghost stories are believable to downright skeptics. Most people try to find out what is causing the water to turn on at 2 a.m. and call a plumber before they attribute it to a ghost. Q: Do you find there is a pattern in the ghost stories you’ve come across, for instance, setting, people involved in the story, or overall experience? A: Not really. Some spirits (if there are such things) seem to attach themselves to people, such as a grandmother watching over a grandchild. Some ghosts seem to attach themselves to a house such as John and Mable Ringling being at their home in Sarasota. I know psychics who have run into civil war soldiers (ghosts) who do not know the war is over so they are still at their posts. The psychics help them cross over (Again this is if you believe in ghosts and crossing over) Q: Were you first interested in the history of these places (Sarasota, Venice, Tampa Bay, Clearwater, St. Petersburg) or was it because they were possible sites for ghost stories/paranormal activity?
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A: I am always interested in the history of a place and never considered the ghosts stories until I got into that realm of writing. Now I enjoy hearing about stories that seem to have a connection to a place, as well as enjoy ghost tours in other cities when I travel. Q: In your definition, what qualifies as "paranormal activity’? A: I guess anything that pertains to that realm that some people refer to as "the other side" or the place when people dwell after they die. Basically, it is something outside of normal. It might be good or bad, although I have no knowledge of anyone being harmed by a spirit....only scared. Q: Are you religious? Do you think if whether you are or are not religious effects whether you believe in ghosts? A: Some religions believe in ghosts and some don't. The Holy Ghost is in the Bible. Those people who are so involved in their religions that they are nearly fanatic will have the most definite opinions either for or against. I like to think in the possibility of other lives and reincarnation. That is more comforting than to think there is nothing beyond except to spend eternity in a hole in the ground. I was raised as a Christian, but appreciate Judaism and Buddhism as well as aspects of Hinduism. Q: Was there a specific moment or experience that made you believe in ghosts? A: I never say that “I believe”, although I have had a few experiences that might lead one to believe that there is something. I think I may have seen a ghost here at the office. On the other hand I might have been thinking about that person so much that I thought I saw him. After all, what is a ghost? It could be simply a strong memory of someone. Q: What was your scariest ghost encounter or place? A: The scariest was in a "haunted" house in Sarasota, and the people living there sensed an evil spirit. I arranged for a psychic to cleanse the place and she told me to take before and after
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photos. All my before photos and every other photo on my camera were erased that day. It is virtually impossible to erase all your photos on a digital camera by accident. That camera had a three-step process and one could not erase photos accidentally....not even one. Anyway, the psychic seemed to have done her work, and the people felt happier after she left. Q: What was it like visiting the Ringling Mansion? Were you familiar with the history, or a previously a fan of the Ringling Circus? A: I have written so many stories about the house and its renovations and restoration, and also had visited it as a tourist years before so it was fun to be able to go behind the scenes with the curator and actually see John Ringling's ties from Hermes in Paris in his dresser drawer and some stray light bulbs in Mable's dressing table drawer. Just being in the house when no one else is there except for the curator and one or two others is interesting because you can linger and absorb the home's energy. Q: What’s your opinion on horror movies? Can they ever be realistic? Have you ever found any similarities between scary movies and the stories you’ve recorded? A: Scary movies are scary movies...the product of someone's vivid imagination. My first and second Venice books feature a photo of a house in Englewood on Dearborn Street that several people claim has the shadow of the Mothman on the photo. It was not staged and there is a shadow, but there was nothing that could cause the shadow which appears to be of some palm trees, but there were no palm trees near the house in that area. If scary movies are not believable in some way, they are no longer scary. Q: Are you interested in urban myths? A: Urban legends are good because they fuel one's imagination, but might prove dangerous in the case of the gullible who will believe anything.
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Q: What do you think makes people doubt the truth in ghost stories? A: I think anyone of average or higher IQ would doubt ghost stories. It is when someone is certain of anything that I know they do not have a curious or scientific mind. Many people with very high IQs have set out to prove in the existence of ghosts. As far as I know, no has proved one way or another so far and I hope they don't. It is the mystery that makes them fun. Q: Many investigative paranormal television series have popped up on TV recently. Why do you think there is a demand for shows such as Ghost Hunters? Are you fan? If so, what are your favorite paranormal related shows? A: I think most of those shows are staged and totally silly...designed for people with less than average IQs. And why is there always a screaming woman on every show? If she is so afraid, she should not be there. I do not watch them in general. I prefer a good mystery show to cigarette smoke coiling its way across a room in front of a camera and being identified as the “ghost” of someone. Q: There is common belief that renovation in buildings or houses encourages paranormal activity; do you think this is true? Have you seen this happen? A: There do seem to be more stories of ghosts or at least weird happenings when a building is disturbed. If there are ghosts, perhaps they do not want the changes to be made. Q: If you could visit any "haunted" place in the world, where would you want to go? Is there any haunted site or city that you would be afraid to visit? A: I don't have a favorite haunted place. I do love London and have been there at least a dozen times, but never on a ghost tour, although I have been to places that are supposedly haunted. The customs house in Charleston is fun and a must for a ghost tour there. It is only one of two tours
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out of the 15 offered. In Key West, the energy in front of the admiralty house on Duval Street is said to be negative, and I did sense that one time, but all I had to do to be safe was to step away.
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