A resident of Toronto, Canada, Mary Rajotte has a penchant for penning nightmarish tales of folk horror and paranormal suspense, exploring mythology & superstition. Her work has been published in Shroud Magazine, and in anthologies from the Library of Horror Press, The Great Lakes Horror Company, Fabled Collective and Burial Day Books.
IN SOMNIO editor Alex Woodroe spoke with Mary about Toronto and horror.
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AW: Does your story touch on anything personal to you?
MR: I didn’t set out to write anything personal but I found when I wrote the scene with Hannah and her Pa, it was indirectly about my own Dad. I started calling him Pa when I was younger and watched a lot of Little House on the Prairie, and it’s a nickname I called him even into adulthood. He passed away in 2001, and I didn’t see him at the end, but I realized the scene with Hannah was inadvertently about me…
AW: What other inspiration did you have?
MR: Most of my stories are in the folk horror realm so it wasn’t difficult to find tree lore to inspire this story. The initial seed came from the idea that some people believed in planting a new tree for each child born in the family. From there, I added my Gothic flair along with the emotional core of what my main character would do when faced with something that would threaten her world. I’d like to think I managed to bring a macabre, isolated mood to the piece.
AW: Is Toronto supportive of horror writers and indie presses? Does it ever influence your writing?
MR: There is definitely a rich horror scene here in Toronto, with many authors who like to walk on the dark side. I wrote a book with a punk rock Reaper set in Toronto and a number of local landmarks, bars and other locales make an appearance. I think living here has definitely influenced my writing—even my folk horror stories, which mostly take place in small towns, is influenced by city living and the fascination of those out-of-the-way places and what might be lurking in the shadows there.
AW: Do you have any specific formative memories that roped you into Gothic fiction?
MR: I took a Writer’s Craft course in high school around the same time I was really into Anne Rice. Our main project at the end of the year was to present a study on themes in the works we read and to write a story inspired by our chosen author. It was a really cool way to explore not just the writing but the themes in the work. I found a lot of Ancient Egyptian details in Anne’s work, which is probably where my fascination for mummies started, too.
AW: Did you ever embrace the Goth culture? Carry a parasol? Do you still? If not, what was your teen ‘scene’?
MR: Oh for sure! I was the girl in high school with purple hair wearing fishnet tights to school and getting my nose pierced. I still have the purple hair. And the nose ring. I could use some new tights, though ;)
AW: Why Horror? Are you and Horror exclusive, and if not, what else do you flirt with?
MR: As I said earlier, I’m a fanatic about folk horror, superstition and folklore. I find those old wives’ tales and folk tales fascinating, not just the strange beliefs but how they influence people. Those underlying suspicions and fears are a fertile breeding ground for unsettling tales, my favorite thing to write.
AW: Where can people see more of your past/upcoming work?
MR: All updates on my current & upcoming projects can be found on my website. I’ll have a half dozen new stories coming out in the next few months so it’s a very exciting time and a culmination of months of sending out my work until it found the right home. I also have a Patreon where I post behind-the-scenes tidbits on my writing process and share story inspiration.
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IN HER OWN WORDS:
A selection from Mary’s “The Blight of Black Creek” is below; watch and then click here to support the IN SOMNIO campaign on Kickstarter!