Dear Mr. Del Toro,
This morning I had the surprise of hearing your interview on public radio from KOSU. It hits four entire states with its reach. I'm not from Oklahoma.
In fact, I grew up mostly in Southern California in the desert and in the high mountains above the desert. And I spent a very large amount of time alone in the wilds.
Your words spoke to me - first being a child who'd disappear for days into a realm of myself with my dog later. A child misunderstood.
A child who's parents moved into a cinder block brick library for free rent where I read religious books and old school medical texts. I memorized them.
And what intrigued me most is you seemed to understand the types of dreams that have plagued me my whole life - intense, vivid dreams. Dreams where I lived other lives, I fought demons, and I climbed a great staircases.
Dreams where you realize its a dream and wake up as your lover or lost kitten floats away and never was.
And in the dream I often visit a place I call Dark Night City - made of every city. Sometimes I drive a cab and ferry dreamers across the city. Sometimes I'm searching for something I lost my parents took away. Like my 1964 Falcon Ranchero.
I like to pretend it's Jung's collective consciousness. Or that we really all are linked psychically to other storytellers?
And Mr. Del Toro I know this is not because some grand spiritual thing, its because I have a photographic memory and since 7 known to have a 149 IQ. And alas dyslexia and mental health issues too.
I know things and see things at 50 that I cannot explain to others. And you'll probably hate "Pan's Labyrinth" was so vividly, heart breaking I could only watch it once. It was at least watched in an Indie theater in Santa Cruz.
However I've watched "HB/HB The Golden Army" over and over. And Over. Because I've roleplayed and dreamed in these hidden worlds. Mourned the loss of magic and wild things.
As the Trollverse bloomed and expanded I watched too. Because I love children's content that is brave and scary. But good. I love any images that make this world I see real.
And "Book of Life" brought so much to this world. It made "Maya and the Three" attainable for its writers and other Mexican culture so real and attractive to Hollywood.
Mexico and Indigenous So Cal is part of my culture, too. And my students from south Oklahoma City, they needed to see themselves in the story! Finally.
(I have many stories about representation in a story that shows how it changes lives.)
I'm looking forward to seeing your "Frankenstein" movie greatly after your description. I did love Kenneth Brannaghs version - definitely fleshy and grotesque. And I was glad to hear you mentioned "Young Frankenstein" which was a family favorite.
And why I write this? Today, I felt not alone. I knew today someone else has these dreams, too. I have hundreds of stories too.
(A life led while an inconveniently tall and unusual looking woman who was told she could not play Titania, but she did. A writer. And shaper of elaborate dreams as a dungeon masteress.)
Good luck! Good will. Happy Halloween and Dios de Muerte.
Have some of my flowers.
