The LSM, June 25, 2026
SIGNPOST
Welcome back, Lemonheads, for another week of the weird and wonderful! Here’s a querstion for you: when you think of summertime movies, what do you think of? The reflex answer feels like summer blockbusters like big, set-piece action movies, but the first summer blockbuster was Jaws. I’m of the mindset that monster movies are also a serious contender for perfect summertime movies. Think about it. Think about the setting. It’s late. Late enough the sun has gone down. Popcorn is crackling. A crisp, cold soda (or pop if you’re a midwesterner like me) is open. Everyone huddles into the living room, the television lights up the darkness with its eerie glow, and you get swept up in a creepfest that extends the excitement and adrenaline of a pool or beach day. Monster movies are the freaking best.
I scheduled out a movie marathon for myself this summer so that every Friday night I’m rolling up an old-school action or horror classic to really dig on the vibes of the season. If you want to follow along, this Friday night I’ll be watching They Live by John Carpenter. On the horizon: The Thing (because John Carpenter is a freaking genius), IT Chapter One and IT Chapter Two (my current read), and Poltergiest (one of the greatest dark comedies of all time).
THE PULP
This week, my essay is an examination of the fathoms writers often plum in order to bring more body and ‘believabity’ to their work. World building, particularly in litarary works, is often incredibly subtle and has to happen organically rather than overtly. Small details like the ring one character wears or the name of a street may have extensive meaning underpining them, though the author never points directly to this hidden mythology. Consider this a brief explanation of the ‘iceberg’ of story details, and a peek under the hood of the work beyond just the writing that goes into novels. You can read and listen to ‘Depth of Lore’ here.
EXTRA SLICE
A few fun tidbits from the corners of the haunted cornfield this week.
What I’m Reading: IT, by Stephen King. This is my first time reading this book, and holy sh** is it a ride. By the time you read this I’ll be about 800 pages in (started at the beginnning of the month) and I’ll share fuller thoughts when I finish. What are you reading?! (besides your favorite short story by Skylar Dates).
What I’m Listening To: Driven to Madness by ‘Dance With The Dead.’ The spooky synthwave vibes continue, and I love how much heavy metal works its way into this band’s music. I’m a particular fan of ‘I’m Your Passenger’- the vibes are immaculate.
One Open Tab: Modern Camp Classics. No, not like sleepaway camp with s’mores and whatnot (although that is the setting of some of these). Camp as in schlocky horror or neon-drenched action movies. This is a pretty wild and wacky directory and it’s been fun seeing how many I’ve checked off as a child of the modern era. You can read the list here.
THE DREDGE
That’s it for this week, Lemonheads! If you’re enjoying the pulp from the stand, let your friends and family know where to find us! Share it with fellow lovers of spooky things.
Next week, it’s scary story week! We’re leaving the midwest neighborhoods and going back in time to Bronze Age Scotland in a moody, ferocious tale of survival, Loch Lyon.
Crossbone hugs and phantom breeze kisses,
