Halloween Haunts: Halloween People Forever & FTW!
by Angela Yuriko Smith
I’ve always loved the name Halloween People, the title Kevin Wetmore’s wife gave us a few years ago. It somehow fits better than any academic label or literary genre ever could. It speaks to something beyond horror or fantasy, beyond books or films. It speaks to us: the people who live for the magic between the shadows, the ones who find beauty in what others fear.
To me, the Halloween People represent the kindest genre of them all. We recognize that in Halloween Town there is room for everyone no matter your age, your beliefs, your accent, or the color of your skin. Ours is a community built on inclusion and imagination. We understand that difference isn’t something to be hidden away but something to be celebrated. Monsters, mortals, witches, and wanderers are all welcome, always, all year.
I think what makes the Halloween People special is our courage. We are not afraid to look a monster in the eye, to face what lurks in the dark corners, or to open the closet door and see what’s really inside. We shine a light not to banish the darkness, but to understand it and light the way for others. We know that fear can be a teacher, that grief and joy can coexist, and that stories about death are really stories about how fiercely we love life.
We care for each other in that piercing, Three of Swords way that celebrates the broken because it means we have a heart. That’s something I will never stop admiring about this community. Halloween People watch out for one another. We celebrate each other’s triumphs, lift each other through hard times, and never leave anyone behind. We know what it feels like to be the outsider, the misfit, the misunderstood and we’ve built a home where everyone belongs.
As I step down as president of the HWA, I do so with gratitude, not sadness. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to help lead a community that lives so boldly, creates so fearlessly, and welcomes so generously. Titles change, but family remains, and the Halloween People will always be my family.
We are more than fans of a spooky season. We are custodians of wonder, keepers of folklore, and artists of the liminal. We remind the world that it’s okay to be curious about the dark as long as you carry a light for those still finding their way through it.
So to all my fellow Halloween People: thank you for the laughter, the stories, the friendship, and the love. Keep building, keep creating, and keep caring. The world needs what you bring to it.
I may be stepping down from my role, but in spirit, I’ll always be here haunting the edges of our organization as long as I live, and long after that if I can navigate my way back from the underworld. If you see me around, don’t be a stranger… just strange.
That is us at our most authentic and beautiful best.
Angela Yuriko Smith, former president of the HWA and publisher of Space and Time magazine, is the proud recipient of multiple awards, including two Bram Stokers. As a Publishing Coach, she helps writers search less and submit more with her weekly calendar of author opportunities at authortunities.substack.com.