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Monthly Reading
October Themed Reading: Haunted Places + the Stories They Hold
Just in time for spooky season, this month we’re featuring Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey, sponsored by Elevation Studio.
From abandoned buildings and historic homes to hotels, prisons, and other supposedly haunted places, Ghostland explores the stories Americans tell about the spaces that haunt us. Dickey looks beyond the ghosts themselves to consider the history, culture, and memories attached to these places—and what those stories can reveal about the people and communities that came before us.
For architects and designers, it offers a different way to think about the built environment: buildings don’t just hold people and programs—they can also carry layers of history, memory, folklore, and meaning long after their original use has changed.
For a little spooky-season atmosphere while you read, pair it with:
Spiced Apple Cider – Warm, autumnal, and perfect for exploring stories from the past.
Black Coffee – Dark, simple, and well suited for a late-night ghost story.
Maple Old Fashioned – A seasonal twist on a classic for wandering through America’s haunted history.
A huge thank you to Elevation Studio for sponsoring this month’s title! Based in Columbus, Elevation Studio approaches design through context, clarity, and compassion, with an emphasis on understanding the story surrounding each project. Their support makes them a fitting partner for a book that asks us to look more closely at the places around us, and the stories they continue to carry.
Limited copies available! Visit AIA Ohio OverDrive and sign in with your AIA Member ID to reserve your copy.
Prefer to take your reading on the go? Use Libby, the library app, to access AIA Ohio’s digital collection wherever October takes you.
Some places leave behind more than buildings, they leave behind stories.