Paul Cuneo

I live in LA but grew up in Nebraska, where a strong religious upbringing and an abandoned haunted house on a nearby farm led to a fascination with ghosts. Though I kept that hidden for decades for fear of having to explain myself to those who knew me for my penchant for looking on the bright side, the darkness of the pandemic created a petrie dish to grow a kind of alter ego who helped me to cope. I named her Little Morwenna, and one day I let her skip fully out of my subconscious and onto the page. A huge fan of Edward Gorey, I loved his Gashlycrumb Tinies, and Little Morwenna seemed like a strong heroine who could add something to the genre and carry a little primer on her own. She really found me at the right time—I might even go so far as to say she saved me in 2020—and I hope she finds you at the right time and everyone longing for a reprieve from the bright side and wishing to spend a little more time in their dark. I can tell you there's no obligation to be anything or anyone there, just a place where you can sip apple juice with your shadows, fall into the void of possibilities, and snuggle with the monsters under your bed.