Saturday through Auntie’s Bookstore: talking about ghosts

Above : Deb Cuyle is author of “Ghosts of Coeur d’Alene and the Silver Valley,” (Wallace Idaho Chamber)

So many stories lately are being told about the dreams so many of us are having.

Dreams and sometimes nightmares.

Sleep disruption is a natural reaction, psychologists say, to periods of stress. And stress certainly has been prevalent throughout the world ever since we began reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic back in March.

Story after story, though, offer ways to counter the problem s caused by such stress. Making sure you know what to do in an emergency, is one. Getting exercise is another. Finding things to do that you enjoy is stressed as well.

That last one actually can have a dual purpose when it’s applied to a local business. And one local business that I support in particular involves bookselling, whether it’s independent stores such as Auntie’s Bookstore or chain stores such as Barnes & Noble.

Which is why I take every opportunity that I can to write about the special events that local stores present. Case in point: a Zoom event that will take place through Auntie’s on Saturday.

Deb Cuyle, author of “Ghosts of Coeur d’Alene and the Silver Valley,” will discuss her, uh, nonfiction book at 7 p.m. Saturday. Among Cuyle’s subjects are the “ghosts of a young boy and teacher (who) actively wander the halls of The Roosevelt Inn. A prisoner of war (who) haunts the old fort where his torture and killing took place. Still waiting for her lover’s return, an expectant spirit (who) haunts her favorite room in the Jameson Hotel.”

And so on. You can order the book through Auntie’s, and the Zoom link will be posted earlier on Saturday.

Hearing stories about ghosts might not seem like the most appropriate thing to do during an international health crisis. Then again, it might be just the activity we all need. If nothing else, it might help us see the real world a slight bit more clearly.

As Salman Rushdie wrote in “The Satanic Verses,” “Now I know what a ghost is. Unfinished business, that’s what.”