forces of her long-buried aunts, the same kinfolk detailed
affectionately in the story “The Girls of Kinderhook” from her first book. Or, perchance, it’s a
subconscious decision on the guest’s behalf to not chance angering that invisible power pervading
the chilly, afternoon air. Afterall, what if ghosts really do exist?
Ghosts? That is the question that Dorothy Burtz Fiedel has attempted to conquer with the publishing of her books.
“I write the truth,” she says without hesitation. And the truth it is, as far
as she can tell.
Unlike the stereotypical spectral writer, Dorothy is not, as she glibly puts it, “a psychic, a
medium, [or] . . . a ghost-buster.” Nor does she request (at least not for this interviewer) visitors
to her cozy, family home to wear soft-soled shoes so as not to disturb the “spirits.” She is simply
“a writer who writes about ghosts,” mysteries, and other strange phenomena. Rather than rely on
biased emotions or the ravings of Ms. Warwick’s well-paid clairvoyants to form the crux of her
pro-ghost campaign, Dorothy reverts to the theories and words of some of this century’s greatest
scientists such as Carl Jung, creator of the theory of synchronicity and colleague to Sigmund
Freud, and Albert Einstein, designer of the theory of relativity, to defend and nurture the
plausibility of the existence of the other realm. Admittedly, with story topics ranging from
vanishing canines on moonlit evenings to a couple ensnared in a rainbow, proving beyond the
shadow of a doubt that ghosts, spectres, or spirits romp and frolic everyday amidst the healthy
and living may require some heavy-handed theoretical support.
With regards to the rainbow challenged couple, for example, most scientists contend that it
is contrary to the basic laws of physics for such an event to ever occur naturally. In Dorothy’s
research for her third book, however, she uncovered an article in a journal of meteorological
anomalies that provides evidence for such a possibility. Who, then, are the confused, frightened
masses to believe?
Well, all we can really do is judge for ourselves. Dorothy’s success has transformed her
from a person who writes about supernatural happenings into a paranormal confessional for those
previous non-believers. Since her books have hit the shelves, Dorothy has received hundreds of
letters, phone calls, and testimonials from others who have experienced similar scrapes with the
netherworld. From ultra-conservatives to her Korean War veteran neighborhood gas man, she
has fielded stories and disclosures from newly converted believers.
Believers, non-believers, converts? Is religion too far removed from this taboo topic? The
supernatural, Dorothy insists, is not a religion. Nor is it the earthly battleground of good and evil.
These episodes are an intrinsic component of the human experience. They are an additional
reality in our already crazed lives. Moreover, practically every religion accepts the existence of
miracles, angels, and stories of transmutations. So why should we acquiesce only on the side of
religion and deny what may be right under our noses? To her credit, Dorothy does not question
or denounce faith or expect any reader to do the same. In her opinion, she is a historical
preservationist. With her books revealing forgotten, often socially forbidden tales of the
unknown, she says that her writings are important, historical records that illuminate and, more
importantly, preserve a previously unwritten oral tradition of the humankind.
However the story unfolds for Dorothy Burtz Fiedel in the here and now, rest assured that
the literary world will be hearing more from her in the future.
