Monday, April 29, 2024

Pablo Escobar poses for a family photo outside of the White House, 1981

pablo escobar house

The museum has a small curio and souvenir store carrying key chains, mugs and Escobar memorabilia. Most taxi and Uber drivers know of the Casa Museo Pablo Escobar as well as where his grave is located. “This symbol, which is a symbol of illegality, of evil, will be brought to the ground,” said Federico Gutiérrez. The mayor vowed to topple the building by next year and to put a park remembering victims in its place. Recently, however, attention to the building has returned, piqued by scores of international books, telenovelas and movies about Mr. Escobar.

A Journey to Coney Island Creek's Sunken Submarine

Pablo Escobar, who died in 1993, has his life story as the basis for current Netflix series called Narcos. De Berdouare and Valoppi had been previously notified by workers about another safe that was found hidden under a slab of marble floor. But they said that one was stolen in the last 30 days, and police are investigating the disappearance. After so many days of partying, the hydrotherapy session was exactly what we needed.

Death

The watermelon and passion-fruit juice was so delicious that Ria tried to re-create it for her wedding cocktail. Casa Malca opened in 2014 with eight rooms in the original mansion and has since expanded to 71 suites offering views of the private beach or lush gardens. I was heading to Tulum for a bachelorette party and booked a few extra days so I could explore. Originally a laid-back hippie town, Tulum has fast become a go-to destination for more than just bohemians. Celebrities have flocked to the resort-lined jungle on the Caribbean coast, while the wild beach clubs and restaurants are now a huge draw for partygoers. Pablo Escobar has frequently been glorified in books, tabloids, television and movies.

Museo de la Coca (Coca Museum)

As well as countless luxury cars, he had 15 planes and six helicopters. His opulent home in Puerto Tiunfo, the Hacienda Napoles, came complete with his own zoo of rhinoceros, giraffes, elephants, and a dinosaur park made with genuine prehistoric bones. For his secret party home on La Isla Grande, Escobar’s plans were no less ostentatious. He commissioned a giant complex featuring a mansion, waterfront apartments, a palm court centered around an enormous swimming pool, and helicopter landing pad.

The Medellín Guru reported that the park has continued to expand and re-opened in 2014 with a "Jurassic Park" theme that includes a water park. Today, Hacienda Nápoles is no longer just a playground for Escobar and his guests, but a public place that is good for the community. The demolition itself was a highly controlled affair, with drones circling overhead to capture the implosion from every angle. More than a thousand invited guests, many of them kidnapping victims or their relatives, sat in the club’s parking lot facing a stage where a symphony played and victims recounted their histories both live and on large screens. Each white folding chair came with a large white parasol for the sun and a swag bag containing a paper face mask to protect from the fumes of the explosion.

With no running water and electrical power lines, daily life still generally revolves around when the sun rises and sets. Meanwhile, the hippos still roam the property, feral after all of these years. Known for wreaking havoc on the local environment, they’re sometimes viewed as a testament to their previous owner’s legacy. In the 1982 parliamentary election, Escobar was elected as an alternate member of the Chamber of Representatives as part of the Liberal Alternative movement. Through this, he was responsible for community projects, such as the construction of houses and football fields, which gained him popularity among the locals of the towns that he frequented. That’s the White House’s North Portico, and that means that Escobar and his son are standing on the sidewalk adjacent to Pennsylvania Ave which at the time was open to vehicular traffic.

Vanilla Ice Recalls Wild Encounters With Pablo Escobar & His Cartel: 'We Were All Friends' - HipHopDX

Vanilla Ice Recalls Wild Encounters With Pablo Escobar & His Cartel: 'We Were All Friends'.

Posted: Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Accessible by water or dirt road, a modern house will greet arriving guests, which is a restaurant owned by Pablo Escobar’s ex-butler. After hours of trekking through the Caribbean forest, first on canoe through dense mangrove swamps, then by bicycles with the suspension long gone, and finally by foot, I saw a glimpse of white concrete through the thick tropical undergrowth. The forest floor gave way to an old ornately tiled pathway that led into Escobar’s palace.

Years After Escobar’s Death, Medellín Struggles to Demolish a Legend

pablo escobar house

Years before Pablo Escobar went on the run, the cocaine kingpin purchased Hacienda Nápoles in 1978. Measuring about 7.7 miles, Escobar’s estate soon became just as impressive as his power in the 1970s and ’80s.

But alas, the luxury estate was not to last — because its owner would soon be dead. While Hacienda Nápoles wasn’t Pablo Escobar’s only house, it was clearly his favorite. And since he was bringing in millions of dollars each day, he had plenty of cash to ensure that the property was outfitted with every single amenity he could ever dream of.

Pablo Escobar, legend or disgrace? - EL PAÍS USA

Pablo Escobar, legend or disgrace?.

Posted: Sat, 02 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

And as we walked around, I was surprised by how quiet everything felt. There were other guests of course, but with so much space for only 71 suites, it mostly felt like our own private resort. As we walked by the pristine beach, our guide told us we could sleep under the stars if we desired since Casa Malca's beach is also completely private. While tourists can access Casa Malca by paying a $110 food and drink minimum at any of its restaurants, most of the resort — including its popular Instagram spots — is reserved only for guests. But it's Malca's personal touch that really makes the resort stand out.

Each room has been curated by the gallerist himself, with priceless works of art in every nook and corner. Search for Casa Malca on Instagram and you'll see a Keith Haring, Basquiat, or Jeff Koons pop up on an influencer's grid. General Manager Oberdan Martinez told The National Desk via YouTube that they've been able to take something that was born of criminal enterprise and turn it into a "productive project" that generates employment and economic activity in the area.

I met a former TV news reporter who found out she was pregnant and started writing letters to Escobar while she was staking out La Catedral, the luxe prison he had built for himself. He had killed her uncle and her grandfather, and she asked him how he spoke to his children about the horror he inflicted on the children of his victims. He didn’t answer those questions but kept up a steady stream of handwritten letters to her about his children anyway. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. As well as countless luxury cars, he had 15 planes and six helicopters.

His opulent home in Puerto Tiunfo, the Hacienda Napoles came complete with his own zoo of rhinoceros, giraffes, elephants, and a dinosaur park made with genuine prehistoric bones. He bankrolled his beloved football team, Atletico Nacional to the extent they became the first Colombian team to win the South American club championship, the Copa Libetadores. As detailed in the 2010 ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “The Two Escobars,” corruption and bribery dominated Colombian soccer, and it is alleged many match officials were bought off in the process.

Pablo Escobar's Abandoned Secret Island Mansion Barú, Colombia

pablo escobar house

He soon graduated to setting up a distribution channel for cocaine himself while establishing smuggling routes to the United States. Mr. Escobar lived for years in the Monaco Building, a white, six-story edifice with a penthouse apartment on top and his family name still inscribed in fading letters on the exterior. Last Tuesday, a white or cream-colored package, about one foot long and wrapped in plastic with metal seals on the ends, was also found. Forensic tests by Miami Beach police determined it did not contain drugs. The safe was hidden beneath the entrance of what had been a large pink mansion consisting of four bedrooms, a pool, six bathrooms and a garage.

Life-Changing Lessons We Learned in 2023

Everyone needs a place to get away, and violent cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar was no exception. The spot he chose was on the shores of the Peñol Reservoir in the idyllic resort town of Guatapé. There, Escobar built a lavish estate called La Manuela (named after his daughter) that would be the scene of one of the most dramatic episodes in his downfall. Beyond the swimming pool, a series of broken-down chalets overlooks the ocean. As with the larger structures, the individual chalet apartments have long since begun to deteriorate at the hands of the relentless Caribbean trade winds, while for the people of Isla Grande, life carries on much as it did before Escobar arrived. My guide Jesús put a cautionary hand on my arm signaling me to be quiet.

Personal life

During one of his prison stays, he was partially blinded by a letter bomb that exploded in his face. Roberto’s blue eyes are now covered with a transparent, gray film, and he occasionally takes out a small bottle of artificial tears to moisten them. Escobar is said to have dedicated much of his energies into making the isolated plot of land in the wilderness his own private playground.

Casa Malca was once a mansion owned by the Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.

With more than 300 rooms for guests and party-goers, no expense was spared, even down to the gold shower heads in the bathrooms. Escobar’s playground resembled a strip from Miami’s South Beach in its 1980s heyday. For his party home on La Isla Grande, Escobar’s plans were no less ostentatious. He commissioned a giant complex featuring a mansion, waterfront apartments, a palm court centered around an enormous swimming pool and helicopter landing pad. With over 300 rooms for guests and party goers, no expense was spared, even down to the gold shower heads in the bathrooms.

Attorney Roger Schindler bought the home from the U.S. government in 1990 for $915,000. In 1987, U.S. authorities confiscated the property, along with $20 million in properties the Colombian drug dealer owned across Florida. Escobar bought the mansion in March 1980 for $762,500, according to Miami-Dade County public records.

This unofficial museum details the rise and fall of Colombia's most notorious narcotrafficker, Pablo Escobar.

His stock piling of cash was such that his brother Roberto Escobar estimated they were spending around $1,000 a month just on rubber bands to wrap around the never ending piles of money. His policy for smuggling cocaine into the US was based on what he called “plata o plomo,” meaning “silver or lead”; that is, accept the bribe money or face the bullets. By 1989 he was worth an estimated $30 billion, with Forbes magazine listing him as one of the world’s ten wealthiest men. And Escobar was as ruthless as he was rich; from his stronghold fortress in Medellín, he fought a deadly drug war with the rival cartel de Cali, the Colombian government and the CIA. In recent years, Colombia has undergone a marked renaissance, especially where tourism is concerned. After his death, the Hacienda Napoles fell into the hands of the Colombian government.

The truth about Carlos Lehder, Pablo Escobar’s feared associate - EL PAÍS USA

The truth about Carlos Lehder, Pablo Escobar’s feared associate.

Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It was staged under the auspices of Medellín, Abraza Su Historia (Medellín, Embrace Your History), a branding campaign launched by Gutiérrez. The Monaco also served as the starting or ending point for many of the city’s popular narco tours—including one led by Escobar’s brother. The mansion in La Isla Grande, now government owned, has steadily fallen into ruin. Like some kind of coke-fueled Xanadu, the sprawling complex is already being reclaimed by nature. Stepping into the main mansion—it had been decorated with white tile and marble—the cracked walls still show the 1980s color schemes of pastel blue and coral pinks. The lobby leads to an immense courtyard, shaded with palm trees overlooking the Caribbean sea.

Pablo Escobar's net worth: what happened to his money after passing? - Legit.ng

Pablo Escobar's net worth: what happened to his money after passing?.

Posted: Sun, 22 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

We enjoyed massages on the private beach, which was nearly empty.

Also at the lunch were the widow and children of Colonel Valdemar Franklin Quintero, the murdered commander of the Antioquia state police department. In 1989, when police were being picked off right and left, Colonel Quintero was a symbol of fearless incorruptibility. Eventually, however, Quintero concluded that his days were numbered, so he dismissed his bodyguards, telling them there was no reason their families should lose their fathers. One of his sons and a nephew also participated in the Medellín ceremonies. Medellín has Pablo problems in all strata of society, not just the poor neighborhoods. The current mafia headquarters, the Oficina de Envigado, is located in the rapidly growing nearby town of Envigado, where Escobar grew up.

General Court confirms that PABLO ESCOBAR is contrary to public policy and accepted principles of morality

But more than 25 years after Mr. Escobar’s death, the six-story building with a penthouse had still caused heated debate, as city officials weighed the potential tourist draw of the site against the urge to move on from a painful past. I was a 21-year-old Peace Corps volunteer when I fell in love with Medellín and the lush countryside that surrounds it. While there, I helped build a school near what would become one of Escobar’s hideouts, and in 2005 I founded the Marina Orth Foundation, an educational foundation for underserved kids. Today, we teach STEM, robotics, English, and leadership in 21 schools. I was just as thrilled (and surprised) when, during the ceremony, I was awarded a medal of courage from Gutiérrez as part of a group of Valientes who stood up for the city during its long ordeal.

In the 80s, more than 600 police officers were murdered after Esobar offered a bounty of over 2 million pesos for each one. Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. While there have been some efforts to erase the drug lord’s name from the park, tourists still flock to the region because of him.

But he also carefully cultivated a Robin Hood image with the working classes of Colombia. He built deluxe soccer fields in the barrios, and organized teams and leagues for the children. The street vendors of Cartagena, las Palenqueras sell t-shirts bearing the face of El Patron alongside replica jerseys of the Colombian hero and Real Madrid forward James Rodriguez.

pablo escobar house

According to The New Yorker, Escobar had roads paved, installed artificial lakes, and a private zoo with hippopotamuses, giraffes, zebras, and more. There was also a bull-fighting ring, swimming pools, stables, and a fleet of speedboats. By the time of his death, Brittanica reported that Escobar had collected around 200 animals for his private zoo, many of them native to Africa. The explosion was the centerpiece of a two-day, city-wide ceremony last February 21 and 22, aimed at changing perceptions among both Medellín’s residents and its rapidly growing contingent of some 90,000 annual foreign visitors.

The noise of dynamite on a sunny day blew out a host of buried memories, welcome and otherwise, among those who’d survived Medellín’s long years of violence. Aurelia Puyo, a female guerrilla who’d grown up upper-class before running away to join the guerillas, allegedly targeted the place in an effort to strike at the heart of the establishment. Escobar had phoned and threatened Horacio not to allow certain politicians into the restaurant.

The Hacienda also offers visitors a detailed history of Escobar's life and death, all documented through photos, newspaper records, and interviews with people who were close to him. Perhaps most striking is the famous 1993 photo of Escobar's lifeless body after the shootout with the Colombian government that ended his life now prominently displayed on a wall in his former home. At the far side of the island, hidden and secluded between the tropical forest and the Caribbean Sea, lies a grandiose complex of luxury buildings. At the height of his powers, Pablo Escobar was responsible for around 80 percent of the world’s cocaine. He headed the Medellín drug cartel, smuggling over fifteen tons of cocaine into the United States every day.

To what extent Escobar was a genuine benefactor for the working classes of Colombia, versus the hagiographical image he created around himself, is hard to judge. Certainly his public funeral resembled the passing of a popular king, and not a mass murderer. But his popularity in the working classes also benefitted him when he came to run for public office. Asking Jesús and other islanders on Isla Grande whether El Patron did anything for them, the answer was no. I was struck by the overt friendliness of the people of Orika and by the paradox of their island home. They’ve never had a police force  according to Jesús, yet through the forest was the fortress of the world’s most lethal drug baron.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Pasadena Showcase House of Design 2024: Step Inside the English Tudor Revival Manse

silver spring house

Decades after the house had been knocked down and rebuilt, the odd phenomenon has continued to be reported, even beyond the home’s gates. Regardless of the court’s opinion, the horrific crime did impact the resale value of the home. Without new tenants, Altobelli moved into the home himself and lived there for the next 20 years, allegedly listing the property several times along the way to no avail. In September, 1988, the house hit the market at $1.99 million and was finally sold that November to an investor named John Prell for $1.6 million.

Remember your dad's grilled chicken? Silver Spring House has him beat

The glamorous touches continue in the ensuite bath, where Sabatella added a custom mirror-tiled tub that plays off the vintage French tile floor. Designer Ashleigh Miranda focused on juxtaposing technology and earthy elements in her moody media room. “I really wanted to showcase state-of-the-art technology but in a way that was grounded and spoke to our primitive nature.” Cutting-edge tech from Bang & Olufsen, Lutron, and JoshAI is balanced by curvaceous seating and unique art. Bursts of hot pink and apple green energize Steven Cordrey’s design for the home’s veranda. Hand-beaded light fixtures illuminate the seating areas, which feature tables and chairs from Janus et Cie’s Amalfi Coast outdoor collection. Lido Marina Village is a stylish and relaxed waterfront complex in Orange County.

Montgomery Co. deal with biotech company to bring parking garage, affordable housing to Silver Spring - WTOP

Montgomery Co. deal with biotech company to bring parking garage, affordable housing to Silver Spring.

Posted: Sat, 16 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

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A brick-walled patio became a party-ready outdoor kitchen and dining area thanks to Douglas R. Sanicola of Outdoor Elegance. Sanicola and Monique Wood installed Caesarstone countertops fabricated by Carlito’s Way Stone to create a functional space for outdoor entertaining. As one of the country’s oldest house and garden tours, the Pasadena Showcase House of Design benefits the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, an all-volunteer organization that contributes to arts and music nonprofits in Southern California. The event draws more than 25,000 guests each year and offers several dining spaces, including Roe Japanese Fusion, the Tudor Rose Bistro, and Wattle & Daub Tavern. The Shops at the Showcase offer an array of merchants, from handmade jewelry to artisanal chocolates, and are also home to the Shops’s Wine & Cheese Bar. Use filters to narrow your search by price, square feet, beds, and baths to find homes that fit your criteria.

Grilled Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

It offers a variety of boutiques, cafes, and restaurants with inviting outdoor seating. Enjoy a stroll along the streets and boat docks, indulge in delicious food, and discover unique shops. Taulbee, a native of Cincinnati, dedicated his life to the hospitality industry, specifically in restaurant management.

Others focused on bringing the beauty of the estate’s gardens and views inside with verdant murals, floral fabrics, and nature-inspired lighting. From the time it was built in 1941, the home at Cielo Drive was the perfect escape for Hollywood’s biggest stars. Perched high on a plateau at the end of a long, winding drive in Benedict Canyon, guarded by a gated driveway, and set back amongst the trees, the country cottage-inspired farmhouse designed by architect Robert Byrd was private and picturesque. Even with its in-ground pool, 2,000 square-foot guest house, and separate garage, the expansive property exuded a distinct charm that could be described as nothing short of a fairytale. Designer Rachel Scheff used the home’s spectacular ceiling, woodwork, and stained glass as the inspirations for her fanciful, flora- and fauna-filled foyer.

The firm used a mix of fabrics and wall coverings by Ralph Lauren Home from Designers Guild throughout the space. “I really feel like the dining room is a forgotten room,” says the designer, who set out to prove how vital the space is to a home. The room is anchored by a Riva 1920 table made with the wood of a 50,000-year-old Kauri tree, which Levine surrounded with seating for 12. Another seating area with views of the garden was designed for more intimate dining, games, or meetings, and it’s illuminated by a Murano glass chandelier. At the far end of the room, Levine installed a lush purple sofa with cocktail tables, creating the perfect spot for drinks, dessert, or relaxing with a cup of coffee. Hand-painted floors were the jumping-off point for designer Amy Peltier’s soothing primary bedroom design.

silver spring house

Black Bean and Chicken Salad

With its cozy farmhouse vibe, it's the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a fantastic meal. Silver Spring was built in the twenties and has retained all of its original charm, with bright, open spaces and terracotta accents. As well as a front garden, you have access to a back patio with a barbecue and koi pond, which is perfect for those long, warm evenings.

Designer Mark Hermogeno paid tribute to Silver Queen Susanna Bransford Emery-Holmes in the kitchen, butler’s pantry, family room, powder room, and mudroom. “We had thought, What if she actually came back to life and asked us to remodel the space? “We wanted to concentrate on polished nickels and polished chromes to get that silver feel back in,” he says of the fixtures, hardware, and lighting by Kohler and Kallista.

Baltimore man found guilty of murder after 2023 Silver Spring home invasion - WJLA

Baltimore man found guilty of murder after 2023 Silver Spring home invasion.

Posted: Wed, 20 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

In fact, it sat on the market for more than three years, dropping in price from $12 million to $7.7 million by December 1999, until it was finally purchased for $6,375,000 in January 2000. “I’m all about gardens connecting the architecture into the landscape,” landscape architect Timothy John Palcic tells AD PRO. He used a limited palette of chartreuse and dark hues that nod to the brick exterior and arranged benches to create intimate seating areas within the larger English-garden-inspired space. For a bedroom off the nursery, Carmine Sabatella wanted to create a jewel-toned escape. “I thought, if somebody’s taking care of the baby, they have a space where they can come and feel like it’s a retreat,” Sabatella says. The designer outfitted a door handcrafted in India with a vintage mirror to create a one of a kind headboard and bathed the space in deep emerald green.

silver spring house

His love for his family extended to his community, as he actively participated in various charitable events and fundraisers, always seeking ways to give back. A fun and relaxing restaurant and bar, famous for its “Cincinnati’s Best” citrus marinated grilled chicken, great atmosphere, open air dining, and amazing service. The Spring House is located in Symmes Twp, in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, Altobelli sued Polanski and Life for $650,000 (plus an additional $198,000 for Polanski alone), claiming that the photos were taken without his permission and damaged the resale value of the property. An office space in the Gatehouse is now a soothing spa-inspired lounge designed by Margaret Lalikian. The designer referenced the house’s original name, El Robles—Spanish for oak tree—with a tree-filled landscape mural by Arpy Dabbaghian. “For the wall mural, I had to pick something to bring them into nature and a calming environment,” Lalikian says. Maria Videla-Juniel, who designed the primary bathroom of the main house, also devised a welcoming entry to the Gate House. A Thibault wall covering graces the entry, and a Fibreworks runner leads guests up the stairs.

His dedication to his craft, his kindness, and his unwavering commitment to creating meaningful connections made him a beloved figure within the community. As the news of his passing spreads, it serves as a reminder to cherish each moment and the impact we can have on others. Taulbee’s sudden passing has left many in shock, as he was a pillar of the community and an inspiration to those who knew him. Friends and acquaintances have taken to social media to express their condolences and share their fond memories of the late General Manager. Fillets of tilapia blackened and served with a chipotle slaw, guacamole and soft tortillas.

51 Beautiful Small Garden Ideas for Your Outdoor Space

landscaping design ideas

Mirror the shape of structures and features around your home within your backyard landscaping. This creates a cohesive aesthetic that flows well throughout your indoor and outdoor living spaces. These shape details can be incorporated into the planters you select, walkway stones, the style of patio furniture, and even how you prune your trees and plants. For backyard landscaping ideas, raised beds, patio covers, and maybe even an outdoor fireplace can totally transform a patch of land into prized property.

How to design a garden

Great for providing both garden screening from neighbors and some faraway escapism with pretty Moroccan inspired fretwork. In this garden by Charlotte Rowe, in the far end of the garden a swathe of Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ fragrances the air alongside the path, providing summer nectar for the bees. Understated chunky wooden benches are placed on the other side and under the shade of the garden’s mature trees to create a place to sit and admire the garden. Whatever the shape or size of your garden, it will almost certainly have a path that travels from the back door to the end of your garden. Think about the function as well as aesthetic when looking at garden path ideas and deciding on the line or curve of your path. Subtle lighting makes this garden atmospheric at night – key trees and pleached hornbeams are uplit while Cor-Ten steel posts, with a rusty finish, create low level lighting along the gravel paths.

Go for Modern and Minimal, Yet Colorful

Plant clematis during the cooler weather of fall and spring in fertile, loose, well-drained soil with lots of organic matter. It likes cool roots, so plant where the leaves get sun but roots are shaded. Feed monthly in spring and summer with an organic fertilizer labeled for roses or tomatoes. With over 30 years of working in journalism on women's home and lifestyle media brands, Rhoda is an Editorial Director, Homes Content, at Future. She was also editor of Country Homes & Interiors for 14 years, leading it across print and creating the blog Country Days.

Use a ladder to display plants

It can provide shade with a fabric canopy or climbing plants, offer an elegant place to sit or mingle, and has a beauty that no other structure captures. This simple pergola available at Wayfair is one of our favorites. Flower-filled gardens are lovely, but flower beds and pots give your backyard landscaping a little something extra. Elevated flower beds are kinder to the back muscles, with less bending required to prune, plant, and maintain. Flower beds can be placed in areas where they’ll get the right amount of sun, which may lead to more thriving flower gardens. An empty or neglected flower bed attracts attention for all the wrong reasons; keep your flowers perky and thriving by selecting outdoor plants meant for your climate.

landscaping design ideas

From sandboxes to playgrounds, kids require an outdoor area that’s just for them–otherwise their games may encroach on other areas of your landscaping that you want them to avoid. Investing in a large activity structure, such as this highly rated cedar swing set available at Wayfair, keeps kids busy for hours. A fire pit is usually the middle of the action, where guests gather around it. An outdoor fireplace, on the other hand, tends to be on the periphery, larger than a fire pit, and generally more opulent. Some come with mantles, they can be modern or rustic, and they are made from an array of materials. When building your outdoor fireplace, try to place it in a direction that blocks prevailing wind, so it retains more heat for those sitting in front of it.

Don’t dismiss the obvious choices for container gardens.

Instead of grass, build a deck or terrace to extend your living space. Replace traditional lawn turf with creeping thyme – it gives you a beautiful, hassle-free lawn that can still be stepped on. You can start with one space at a time, adding a garden border before turning to container gardens in pots. You may choose to update or create a new structural element, adding some hardscaping or a new pathway, a water feature like a pond or fountain, or a new seating area.

Chances are, you want to flex your green thumb, but don't have enough room for a sprawling garden. First narrow down your options by thinking about the look you want to achieve. There is a huge choice of materials available, but one of the most important decisions to factor in is the sustainability of your desired materials and if they’re long lasting.

Dividing the space into garden rooms will ensure that green spaces have different purposes, such as a terrace area for eating or a patch for growing vegetables. We have covered garden ideas of every manner in this guide, from coastal to English to vegetable garden ideas. Take inspiration to create a space that's personal, and special, to you, whether a relaxed and informal family space, or a more formal garden design. This round-up of garden ideas will help inspire you to create a wonderful retreat in your backyard. Garden ideas can cover everything from quick improvements, such as new containers packed with blooms to larger-scale projects, such as redesigning an area of your garden for vegetables.

Outdoor Kitchen

15 Rock Garden Ideas for Low-Maintenance Landscaping - Bob Vila

15 Rock Garden Ideas for Low-Maintenance Landscaping.

Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The deep, rich tones of the dark brown decking creates a an elegant foundation for the space, offering a visually striking contrast to the natural surroundings. The wicker furniture adds a touch of casual luxury, providing comfortable seating and a relaxed ambiance for outdoor living. If you’re fortunate enough to live in a warm climate, you can create an entire outdoor living space in your backyard.

Large shrubs and small trees are great for defining boundaries, creating privacy screens, or framing specific areas. Create a cohesive outdoor space by pairing whitewashed walls with white garden furniture. White acts as a bright canvas, making your garden feel more open and spacious. The light background lets your lush greenery take centre stage, whilst the clean lines and minimalistic colour palette creates a contemporary feel in the garden. Have you decided it’s finally time to landscape your overgrown garden?

Let’s face it, how the grass looks makes or breaks the aesthetic of your backyard landscaping. Thick, perfectly tended grass has a simple beauty that makes a yard look amazing. It’s never too late to improve the look and feel of your grass.

House of Leaves Wikipedia

house of leaves

The two works cross-pollinated heavily over the course of their creations, each inspiring the other in various ways. Poe's statement on the connection between the two works is that they are parallax views of the same story. House of Leaves refers to Poe and her songs several times, not only limited to her album Haunted, but Hello as well. One example occurs when the character Karen Green is interviewing various academics on their interpretations of the short film "Exploration #4"; she consults a "Poet," but there is a space between the "Poe" and the "t," suggesting that Poe at one point commented on the book. An appendix provided by the editors includes a miscellany of writings from both Zampanò and Truant excluded from the body of the book, an obituary for Truant's birth father, and a series of letters later compiled in the Whalestoe Letters.

Southern California residents say car insurance company is unfairly denying cl...

Navidson's camera captured himself attempting to read a book titled House of Leaves in total darkness; having lost all supplies, he resorted to burning the book page by page to provide light for reading. Truant, however, debunks The Navidson Record as a wholesale fabrication, citing his own findings that the film does not exist; that Navidson is a fictionalization of the real-life photojournalist Kevin Carter; and that Zampanò outright invented numerous sources and quotes. Truant also determines that Zampanò copied secondary sources to hide his own inexpertise in various subjects. More paradoxically, Truant notes that Zampanò purports to authoritatively write about filmmaking and cinematography despite being blind. At the same time, Truant's own factual errors, limited knowledge, and open admission to adulterating Zampanò's work also throw his own reliability into question.

house of leaves

About House of Leaves

'House of Leaves changed my life': the cult novel at 20 - The Guardian

'House of Leaves changed my life': the cult novel at 20.

Posted: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Even as he grows increasingly unstable, Truant remains steadfast in his editorial work, neglecting all else. She turned to filmmaking herself to reconcile her relationship with Navidson, while also showing his footage to literary, artistic, and scientific authorities such as Stephen King, Stanley Kubrick, Douglas Hofstadter, Ken Burns, Harold Bloom, Camille Paglia, Hunter Thompson, Anne Rice, and Jacques Derrida. Navidson, still investigating the house, sought explanations from laboratory analysis, only to learn that samples taken from the maze are older than the Earth itself. Flouting conventions of academic writing, Zampanò narrates the lives of the Navidson family during the events depicted in The Navidson Record, set in April 1990, including unfilmed events sourced from media and public records. The family are Will Navidson; his unmarried partner, Karen Green, a former fashion model; and their two children, Chad and Daisy.

The Whalestoe Letters

The novel is written as a work of epistolary fiction and metafiction focusing on a fictional documentary film titled the Navidson Record, presented as a story within a story discussed in a handwritten monograph recovered by the primary narrator, Johnny Truant. The narrative makes heavy use of multiperspectivity as Truant's footnotes chronicle his efforts to transcribe the manuscript, which itself reveals the Navidson Record's supposed narrative through transcriptions and analysis depicting a story of a family who discovers a larger-on-the-inside labyrinth in their house. Johnny Truant is a tattoo shop employee living in Hollywood who frequently drinks, uses drugs, and has sex with women. He and his friend, Lude, discover The Navidson Record in the room of a recently-deceased man named Zampanò. Johnny takes the manuscript home and begins reading it, becoming more and more obsessed with it as time goes on. He starts compiling a series of footnotes to Zampanò’s text, in which the actions of his own life unfold.

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He experiences a series of episodes in which he breaks with reality; he thinks events occur then immediately finds out they did not occur, so much so that the reader is often unsure of what is happening in the reality of the novel. Johnny sometimes sees or experiences “the beast”—a type of animal or being with a threatening, destructive presence. Johnny’s physical health deteriorates, and he leaves his apartment less and less, finally getting fired from the tattoo shop. Eventually, Johnny decides to put the manuscript in storage and goes on a quest to Virginia, to find the house on Ash Tree Lane recorded in the documentary The Navidson Record. While travelling, he encounters a band who are in possession of the manuscript he has been working on; they report that the manuscript has been distributed.

Though Pelafina's letters and Johnny's footnotes contain similar accounts of their past, their memories also differ greatly at times, due to both Pelafina's and Johnny's questionable mental states. Pelafina was placed in the mental institution after supposedly attempting to strangle Johnny, only to be stopped by her husband. Johnny claims that his mother meant him no harm and claimed to strangle him only to protect him from missing her. It is unclear, however, if Johnny's statements about the incident—or any of his other statements, for that matter—are factual.

house of leaves

This powerful and extremely original novel is strongly recommended for all public and academic libraries.--Jim Dwyer, California State Univ. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Similarly, the cultural fascination with House of Leaves remains as fervent and as imaginative as ever. The novel has gone on to inspire doctorate-level courses and masters theses, cultural phenomena like the online urban legend of “the backrooms,” and incredible works of art in entirely unrealted mediums from music to video games. Through reading the manuscript, we learn about the events of the film, The Navidson Record.

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The Navidson Record, his film of these explorations, becomes the intense focus of a blind man called Zampanò, who writes about the footage with lengthy, academic precision. When Zampanò is found dead in his apartment, troubled tattoo artist Johnny Truant discovers his notes and inherits the fixation. As Truant becomes increasingly obsessed with the story, so too does the reader. Though Truant attributes Zampanò as the author of The Navidson Record, Truant offers few concrete details about Zampanò's character or past, citing only information learned from his former acquaintances. These include neighbors and various students and social workers, exclusively female, who volunteered as readers for Zampanò's research.

A segment titled "Contrary Evidence", compiled by the editors themselves, instead contains what appears to be evidence of the Navidson Record's actual existence, with a series of artworks depicting segments or concepts from the film as well as what purports to be a single, bootleg frame from within the film itself. Or, to follow the premise of Mark Z. Danielewski's genre-bending debut, can a book about a book about a film be anything else? House of Leaves is both vast and claustrophobic, crammed with minutiae (footnotes, appendices, poems and letters, and layout trickery) yet cored by a deep, absorbing emptiness, a deliberate void that accommodates, even incorporates, each character's—perhaps even each reader's—expectations, quirks, and fears. We learn about Zampanò himself through his writing about the film, which Johnny ultimately determines does not actually exist. He has a series of women come visit him, read to him, and help him transcribe the manuscript.

Entirely written by Truant, this chapter recounts the conclusion of his downward spiral after Lude's death. Truant invents two different accounts of positive turnarounds, only to disavow both. He then describes setting fire to the completed manuscript, and, after a struck-out passage in purple – the only such passage in the entire book – Truant tells an ambiguous story about a woman who loses her baby in childbirth. Meanwhile, Karen followed Navidson, finding the house now normal and the hallway gone.

On their mission, Holloway breaks with reality and shoots Wax and Jed, killing the latter. After everyone leaves the hallway, the house starts a type of attack on the owners, forcing everyone to leave. House of Leaves was accompanied by a companion piece (or vice versa), a full-length album called Haunted recorded by Danielewski's sister, Anne Danielewski, known professionally as Poe.

Will Navidson, a character who is a Pulitzer-Prize winning photojournalist, and his partner, Karen Green, a former model, move into the house on Ash Tree Lane in Virginia with their children, Chad and Daisy. They discover that the house is slightly bigger on the outside than on the inside. At first, the hallway seems only a few feet in length but it grows and sparks in Will the need for investigation. Will enlists help from explorers Holloway Roberts, Jed Leeder, and Wax Hook to investigate the hallway.

Zampanò's text claims that The Navidson Record, a documentary film directed by an acclaimed photojournalist named Will Navidson, became an American cultural phenomenon upon its theatrical release in 1993, generating volumes of multidisciplinary academic literature, as well as extensive media coverage in popular culture. In support, Zampanò cites or quotes articles, journals, symposia, books, magazines, TV programs, and interviews, many supposedly dedicated to this film. Zampanò discusses not only Navidson's filmmaking techniques, but also segues into topics such as photography, architecture, Biblical studies, and radiometric dating, often interspersing overwhelmingly esoteric tangents, several of which devolve into nonsensical, page-long lists of only superficially relevant items. Though many of the academic works Zampanò cites appear to analyze the Record purely as a work of horror fiction, Zampanò's writing remains adamant as to its authenticity.

The album Haunted also draws heavily from the novel, featuring tracks called "House of Leaves", "Exploration B" and "5&½ Minute Hallway", and many less obvious references. The video for "Hey Pretty" also features Mark Danielewski reading from House of Leaves (pp. 88–89), and in House of Leaves, the band Liberty Bell's lyrics were also songs on Poe's album. The book was followed by a companion piece called The Whalestoe Letters, a series of letters written to the character Johnny Truant by his mother while she was confined in a mental institution. Arriving at the house to help Navidson measure its dimensions, Tom is said to have improved the family's relationships and mood during his presence. Tom extended his stay to assist in the hallway explorations and subsequent rescue, in which he camped alone for days in the maze to maintain radio contact, built an improvised pulley to assist in the rescue, and, ultimately, saved the Navidsons' children from the house at the cost of his own life.

Many citations to critics, scholars, and media coverage present Navidson as a well-known public figure, with his notoriety further compounded by the film's release; the extent of this public interest is such that academics are supposedly divided into three conflicting schools of thought interpreting his unexplained motivations for returning to the house. The Whalestoe Letters, a compilation of letters written by Truant's mother Pelafina during her committal at The Three Attic Whalestoe Institution, are published both as an appendix to House of Leaves and as a standalone book with additional content. The explorations, already challenged by the maze's inhospitable, vast, and ever-shifting nature, finally led to disaster when one of the crew turned on the rest. After several ordeals, one explorer was killed and another rescued, but the house itself then transformed in a hostile fashion, killing Navidson's brother Tom and forcing the family to frantically escape.

ONE STOP GARDENS 6 ft x 8 ft. Greenhouse for $329.99 Harbor Freight Coupons

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I cut this slot with a dado blade on my table saw. If you do not have that equipment, you can use two 2x2 supports instead, one on each side of the metal rods. Harbor Freight is America’s leading retailer of quality tools at the lowest prices. We stock a full selection of tools and accessories in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools and more. Our hand tools come with a lifetime warranty. The 16,000-square-foot Harbor Freight store in Los Angeles stocks a full selection of hardware, tools, and accessories in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools, and more.

Step 7: Attach Hinges to Door.

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Real-time travel information is available on the WSDOT app and statewide travel map. Visit your local Harbor Freight Tools store today. For the newest coupons for Harbor Freight Tools, visit go.harborfreight.com. Find a Harbor Freight Tools store by visiting the Store Locator on HarborFreight.com. Harbor Freight stores are open seven days a week from 8 a.m. See your local Harbor Freight store for hours on holidays.

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The completed door is shown in the photos from the outside and inside. When the aluminum framework is complete, use a saber saw or reciprocating saw to cut through the aluminum base plate and finish the cuts you made earlier in the front 2x12 sill to open up the doorway section. You can also use an angle grinder, as I did, with a metal cutting blade to cut the aluminum base piece. The final photo shows what your structure should look like at this juncture.

Step 4: Opening Up the Doorway

No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. PRICES - Although we make every effort to assure that our prices, products and coupons are advertised as accurately as possible, we are only human, and in the event an error is made, we reserve the right to correct it. To receive the coupon prices online, the coupon code(s) must be entered into your shopping cart. A)  Lay out 4 foundation piers.The HF greenhouse can be built on any number of “foundations”. I chose to erect mine using the 4-pier technique but other foundations are just as effective and directions for laying out various foundations are provided in the assembly instructions.

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Harbor Freight’s hand tools come with a lifetime warranty. A)  A 48" long 2x4 is screwed to the inside of the base at each corner.  Use a level to make sure the 2x4's are perfectly vertical in each plane.   I used treated lumber throughout the interior construction but common lumber would suffice since it will have minimal contact with the elements.B) Add a 75" vertical door post and horizontal bench support. Then, using 2x4 material, construct the center bench/shelf support and similar support at the opposite end of the greenhouse to the height and width you want for your shelves. My top shelf is 48" above the floor and 24" wide but you can build to suit your own needs. Perfectly sized to fit in the backyard, this greenhouse is ideal for the casual gardener or flower enthusiast. The greenhouse features a durable, all-weather aluminum frame and sliding door for easy access.

Since our new door sits about 12" higher off the ground than the original, we have a rather large gap left open at the bottom of the door.  We want ventilation anyhow, so this gap is covered with two layers of 6 mil UV film.   The film is slit approximately every 3 inches and the slits are offset to reduce air flow.

I used Everbilt “Narrow Utility Hinges” (shown in photo) which are about 3/4" wide and 2 ½" tall. The door frame itself has a small channel milled into the aluminum and a spacer is required so that the hinge will lay flat. Before hanging the door, cut off the small plastic tabs which protrude from the bottom of the door. These are guides used to keep the sliding type door in the bottom track and will interfere with the door being opened when using a hinged configuration.

Make sure the bottom of the door is even with the bottom of the framing side pieces (#s 6 and 7) to insure it will open and close properly. Swing the hinges so they are against the outside of the aluminum framework around the door opening. Using the hinge holes as guides, drill mounting holes through the frame.

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Utilizing a double-extruded aluminum frame, this greenhouse also features two sliding doors for easy access, UV-coated polycarbonate panels and four vents to ensure proper conditions. A) Put together the aluminum door frame following the instructions in the HF manual. Do NOT install the door hanging hardware (pieces labeled 14 & 19 in my kit). Remove the rubber seal which will most likely be pre-installed on each side of the door frame. The seal can be easily pulled out of the channel from either end.B) Attach three hinges to the left hand side of the door frame.

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On my installation, the hinges did not lay quite flat against the framing. And if you install a spacer behind the hinge it can interfere with installation of the polycarbonate panel. I simply left this slight angle in the hinge installation and the door works fine. After all the hinges are bolted up, test the door to insure it swings freely and remains lined up with the surrounding framework. A) You can now begin to assemble the aluminum framing pieces following the directions in the greenhouse kit. This aluminum greenhouse lets you grow vegetables, plants and flowers out of season.

Whatever foundation you use, just make sure it is level and will allow you to lay out the base sills perfectly square. Concrete piers are available at almost any building center such as Lowes, Home Depot, or Menards. The four aluminum base pieces from the kit (#s 16, 17, 34 and 34) can then be temporarily assembled and clamped or screwed  on the four 2x12 sill pieces. If you have already installed them, temporarily remove the polycarbonate panels which are to the left and right of the door opening to give yourself some working room. Position the door square on the aluminum door framing and clamp it in place.

Mark Z Danielewski Wikipedia

house of leaves

While travelling, Johnny also visits The Whalestoe Institute, the psychiatric hospital where his mother lived, prior to her suicide. Rather than Danielewski, the title page of House of Leaves credits two men named Zampanò and Johnny Truant as its authors. In an introduction dated 1998, Truant claims to have found the book as an unfinished manuscript left by the recently deceased Zampanò, having never met the author in life.

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The book interweaves the manuscript with over 400 footnotes to works real and imagined, thus illuminating both the text and Truant's mental disintegration. First novelist Danielewski employs avant-garde page layouts that are occasionally a bit too clever but are generally highly effective. Although it may be consigned to the "horror" genre, this novel is also a psychological thriller, a quest, a literary hoax, a dark comedy, and a work of cultural criticism.

House of Leaves: The Remastered, Full-Color Edition

This powerful and extremely original novel is strongly recommended for all public and academic libraries.--Jim Dwyer, California State Univ. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Similarly, the cultural fascination with House of Leaves remains as fervent and as imaginative as ever. The novel has gone on to inspire doctorate-level courses and masters theses, cultural phenomena like the online urban legend of “the backrooms,” and incredible works of art in entirely unrealted mediums from music to video games. Through reading the manuscript, we learn about the events of the film, The Navidson Record.

house of leaves

House Of Leaves By Mark Z. Danielewski

Many citations to critics, scholars, and media coverage present Navidson as a well-known public figure, with his notoriety further compounded by the film's release; the extent of this public interest is such that academics are supposedly divided into three conflicting schools of thought interpreting his unexplained motivations for returning to the house. The Whalestoe Letters, a compilation of letters written by Truant's mother Pelafina during her committal at The Three Attic Whalestoe Institution, are published both as an appendix to House of Leaves and as a standalone book with additional content. The explorations, already challenged by the maze's inhospitable, vast, and ever-shifting nature, finally led to disaster when one of the crew turned on the rest. After several ordeals, one explorer was killed and another rescued, but the house itself then transformed in a hostile fashion, killing Navidson's brother Tom and forcing the family to frantically escape.

Books

The Eclectic Inspirations for Alan Wake 2's Surreal Tale - The New York Times

The Eclectic Inspirations for Alan Wake 2's Surreal Tale.

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She resumed living in the house, becoming confident that Navidson can still be found within. She found Navidson emaciated and maimed by frostbite and injury, but they materialized together safely outside the house. The film concludes with Navidson and Karen marrying, and reuniting their family in Vermont. Ultimately, Navidson returned to the house alone, leaving only a seemingly incoherent letter for Karen.

'House of Leaves changed my life': the cult novel at 20

Will Navidson, a character who is a Pulitzer-Prize winning photojournalist, and his partner, Karen Green, a former model, move into the house on Ash Tree Lane in Virginia with their children, Chad and Daisy. They discover that the house is slightly bigger on the outside than on the inside. At first, the hallway seems only a few feet in length but it grows and sparks in Will the need for investigation. Will enlists help from explorers Holloway Roberts, Jed Leeder, and Wax Hook to investigate the hallway.

Johnny Truant

The text is further marred by missing pages, missing footnotes, missing supplemental documents, and text accidentally or deliberately destroyed by Zampanò, Truant, or unknown causes. House of Leaves is also the "book," painstakingly compiled by a strange old man named Zampanò, acquired after his death by Johnny Truant, an apathetic slacker mired in drugs and sad sex. Johnny's obsessive immersion in the manuscript echoes the black-hole threat of the hallway to Navidson; both are caught then consumed by the need to go deeper than safety, or sanity, can support; both will risk their lives in pursuit of the secret of the hallway, and both will be damaged by the experience in ways they cannot anticipate or escape. The questions, author biography, and suggested reading that follow are intended to enhance your group’s reading and discussion of Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves. We hope they will provide you with a variety of ways of thinking and talking about this truly challenging and extraordinary book. When a mysterious doorway appears, leading to a maze of smooth, ash-grey walls, Will Navidson – the house’s owner, a Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist – goes in to investigate.

Unable to even determine Zampanò's full name, Truant only confirms that Zampanò became blind some time during the 1950s, and was approximately eighty years old at the time of his death. Truant also learns that Zampanò was erratic and capricious in his lifestyle and writing habits, diagnosing him with graphomania. Parallel to the plot of the Record, Truant's footnotes document his descent into obsession, delusions, and paranoia as he compiles the manuscript. He recounts tales of sexual encounters, his lust for a tattooed dancer he calls Thumper, and his bar-hopping with his friend Lude.

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The two works cross-pollinated heavily over the course of their creations, each inspiring the other in various ways. Poe's statement on the connection between the two works is that they are parallax views of the same story. House of Leaves refers to Poe and her songs several times, not only limited to her album Haunted, but Hello as well. One example occurs when the character Karen Green is interviewing various academics on their interpretations of the short film "Exploration #4"; she consults a "Poet," but there is a space between the "Poe" and the "t," suggesting that Poe at one point commented on the book. An appendix provided by the editors includes a miscellany of writings from both Zampanò and Truant excluded from the body of the book, an obituary for Truant's birth father, and a series of letters later compiled in the Whalestoe Letters.

In 2001, a remake of Poe's song "Hey Pretty (Drive-By 2001 Mix)," which featured Danielewski reading from House of Leaves, reached #13 on Billboard's Alternative Chart. That summer, Poe and Danielewski spent three months as the opening act for Depeche Mode's 2001 North American tour. On this tour, he played Madison Square Garden.[14] He also composed the song "A Rose Is a Rose,"[29] which Poe sang on the Lounge-a-Palooza compilation album. Peters had no idea there was a blind character in House of Leaves before he started it, and says the book’s use of sound, rather than visual descriptions, made it a unique reading experience for him. “We always read about visual descriptions of characters, places and objects, but what literature does not understand is, though sight is an important sense, it is one of five,” he says.

A segment titled "Contrary Evidence", compiled by the editors themselves, instead contains what appears to be evidence of the Navidson Record's actual existence, with a series of artworks depicting segments or concepts from the film as well as what purports to be a single, bootleg frame from within the film itself. Or, to follow the premise of Mark Z. Danielewski's genre-bending debut, can a book about a book about a film be anything else? House of Leaves is both vast and claustrophobic, crammed with minutiae (footnotes, appendices, poems and letters, and layout trickery) yet cored by a deep, absorbing emptiness, a deliberate void that accommodates, even incorporates, each character's—perhaps even each reader's—expectations, quirks, and fears. We learn about Zampanò himself through his writing about the film, which Johnny ultimately determines does not actually exist. He has a series of women come visit him, read to him, and help him transcribe the manuscript.

Truant, an apprentice at a Los Angeles tattoo parlor, decided to complete and submit the work for posthumous publication. The rest of the book is punctuated by footnotes by Truant, whether fact-checking, editorializing, translating, or interjecting seemingly irrelevant personal anecdotes. Truant's work is further supplemented by uncredited professional editors, who profess to have, in turn, never met Truant. When Johnny Truant attempts to organize the many fragments of a strange manuscript by a dead blind man, it gains possession of his very soul. The manuscript is a complex commentary on a documentary film (The Navidson Record) about a house that defies all the laws of physics. Navidson's exploration of a seemingly endless, totally dark, and constantly changing labyrinth in the house becomes an examination of truth, perception, and darkness itself.

Though Pelafina's letters and Johnny's footnotes contain similar accounts of their past, their memories also differ greatly at times, due to both Pelafina's and Johnny's questionable mental states. Pelafina was placed in the mental institution after supposedly attempting to strangle Johnny, only to be stopped by her husband. Johnny claims that his mother meant him no harm and claimed to strangle him only to protect him from missing her. It is unclear, however, if Johnny's statements about the incident—or any of his other statements, for that matter—are factual.

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