Evan McQueen has been terrifying readers with his horror novels for decades. But now, it’s not his books that are scaring people—it’s his tweets. These tweets, in which he questions the disappearance of everyday things that haven’t actually disappeared, have left many puzzled. This had lead many readers to ask, AUTHOR FORGETS STUFF—OR DOES HE?”
Neighbors Debate McQueen’s State of Mind as AUTHOR FORGETS STUFF
McQueen’s Cape Cod-style mansion in Gorham, Maine, affectionately known as “The Castle,” is the home of a once-nimble mind that some locals believe has slowed to a glacial pace. The mind in question belongs to Evan McQueen, the bestselling author who has earned the title of Master of the Modern Macabre. McQueen is famous for spine-chilling horror stories like Cap the Bottle, A Shell of Himself, The Tongueless, and Sit In the Darkness. Despite his age, McQueen continues to write, with his latest novel, Some Concern, released just this past April.
But this year, McQueen has taken on a new project—tweeting questions about things from his past that he believes no longer exist. The twist? They do.
Bizarre Tweets Spark Concerns Over Forgetting Stuff
In the first week of January, McQueen puzzled his millions of Twitter followers with a strange question: “Do you remember that Nestle candy bar that has rice pieces and is kind of crunchy? Why did they discontinue that?” The next day, he tweeted again: “I was thinking today about the days when they made sneakers. That was a crackerjack shoe design that I wish was still around.” And then, a third tweet: “You know what I haven’t seen in a dog’s age? Bicycles!” followed by, “I forgot to look up forgetting.” As this author forgets stuff, we ask, does he?
These daily tweets have continued, with McQueen wondering why there are no more banjos, model rockets, stoner comedies, lifestyle magazines, produce departments, or even ballpoint pens. But here’s the kicker—not a single thing he’s lamented has actually disappeared.
Is the great Evan McQueen losing his marbles, or is there something more to these tweets? AUTHOR FORGETS STUFF? His neighbors in Gorham are divided.
Jodie Harris, who lives down the street, speaks with concern. “I used to visit him, but now it’s frustrating. The last time we talked, he asked if I remembered blue jeans,” Harris says. Kevin Kallibosh, another neighbor, shares her worry. “I try to stay calm,” he says, “but it makes me very worried. How can he think there’s no more Burger King or professional sports?”
However, not all Gorham residents are concerned. Howard Richt, who lives nearby, dismisses the idea that McQueen is losing it. “They say the old dog is helpless,” Richt says, “but he remembers every last bone.” Richt believes McQueen’s tweets are part of a promotional campaign for a new book. “He’s probably writing a story about how the world starts to fade, and he’s trying to go, what’s the word, viral. AUTHOR FORGETS STUFF”
AUTHOR FORGETS STUFF—OR DOES HE?
Some, like Mrs. Hermione Mills, a former schoolteacher and church organist, prefer to keep their distance. “I simply do not care for the man,” she says. “He gives me the creepers.”
As for McQueen himself, he has not directly addressed the speculation surrounding his tweets. However, his latest message may offer a clue: “Does anyone remember Mrs. Hermione Mills? I didn’t mind her back in the old days when she was alive.”
