Discover the Mysterious World of Shirley Jackson: Top 10 Unbelievable Fun Facts You Never Knew!

1. Master of Psychological Horror

Though not quite the Ghost Whisperer or a supernatural savoir-faire, Shirley Jackson did have an uncanny way of sending shivers down readers' spines: She masterfully crafted chilling tales like "The Lottery," "We Have Always Lived in the Castle," and "The Haunting of Hill House" which became synonymous with psychological horror and captivated audiences by delving deep into mental illness and social entrapments.
Source => goodreads.com

2. Sitcom Queen in an Alternate Reality

In an alternate reality where Hitchcock dabbled in sitcoms, Shirley Jackson reigned supreme as their beloved queen: Adept at much more than spine-chilling tales, she also penned delightful essays and memoirs that chronicled the life and times of a witty wife and mother.
Source => newyorker.com

Discover the whimsical world of the Bloomsbury Zoo, where Virginia Woolf and her literary friends roamed free with delightful nicknames like Mandrill, Mongoose, Dolphin, and even Old Toad! Uncover the secret stories behind these charming aliases. 🐒🐬🐸

=> Fun Facts about Virginia-Woolf

3. DIY Ouija Board Enthusiast

Forget Hogwarts and tarot cards: Shirley Jackson was the original witchy woman! Harnessing her supernatural talents with a DIY Ouija board as a part-time hobby, Jackson stirred up otherworldly communications that inspired her spine-chilling novel, "The Sundial."
Source => nytimes.com

4. Panic-Induced Tale Writing

Shirley Jackson wasn't just the queen of the macabre; she also gave Panic! At The Disco a run for their money: Drawing from her own social anxiety and agoraphobia, Jackson penned the chilling short story "The Lottery" during a full-blown panic attack.
Source => bustle.com

5. Spooky Squad Inspiration

Move over, Ghostbusters! Shirley Jackson's spooky squad of psychic researchers was haunting the pages long before any movie cameo: Jackson's classic novel, The Haunting of Hill House, was inspired by real-life paranormal investigators moving into a haunted house, which resulted in a widely influential book that's earned rave reviews from horror royalty like Stephen King and Ramsey Campbell, while reflecting her own struggles with isolation and loneliness.
Source => theguardian.com

6. Sinister Maestro of Horror Literature

When Shirley Jackson isn't winning any popularity contests for her grizzly lottery prizes or sending shivers down your spine like an icy wind on a cold winter's night: She's making literary history with her hauntingly suspenseful short stories, including the infamous "The Lottery," which has made its way into school curriculums around the globe and firmly planted her as a sinister maestro of the horror genre and an iconic figure in American literature.
Source => goodreads.com

7. Literary "Where's Waldo?" Creator

When Shirley Jackson penned "The Lottery," she inadvertently invented the literary version of "Where's Waldo?" as readers scrambled to find the meaning behind it: Due to the perplexing nature of her short story, over 300 baffled enthusiasts bombarded The New Yorker with letters, leaving only a handful of kind responses from her friends, while the majority simply yearned to uncover the hidden message within the tale.
Source => newyorker.com

8. Witchcraft-Obsessed Bibliophile

Shirley Jackson must have had her witch senses tingling long before Harry Potter made it cool: she was utterly fascinated by witchcraft and the occult, amassing a library of related materials, but not dabbling in Ouija boards or seances, opting instead to use the lore's rich symbolism and themes as inspiration for her captivating writing.
Source => electricliterature.com

9. Hosting Literary Parties with Dylan Thomas

When the poet met the mistress of macabre: in a bizarre twist straight out of one of Jackson's stories, the horror writer Shirley Jackson and her husband hosted rollicking literary gatherings at their Westport, Connecticut home, attended by none other than the Welsh lyrical genius, Dylan Thomas.
Source => lithub.com

10. Real-Life Witchy Trials Over Occult Practices

As unlikely as a witch doctor performing open-heart surgery: Shirley Jackson was, in fact, not involved in occult practices, despite her keen fascination with supernatural and paranormal elements which is evident in her chilling tales such as "The Lottery." Her actual witchy trials featured battling crippling anxiety throughout her life and seeking professional medical aid to remedy the condition.
Source => mdpi.com