Nocturne

The dark stillness of night envelopes and cushions us. It draws us into ourselves and close to our loved ones. But comfort turns to horror in a heartbeat when the night becomes weaponized - used by bullies to terrorize and control, allowing the cowardly perpetrator to hide in the shadows and evade detection or identification. This is the most ominous embodiment of the night. Its most salient symbols are those of burning crosses, and the nightriders delivering their messages of terror.

Campbell Harmon has played all sorts of monsters at the Wallingford Trail of Terror. He spends all year creating costumes and preparing the elaborate scenes that terrify guests each Halloween. Getting into character and scaring people silly is one of his favorite things in life. But his relationship to being a monster goes deeper than playing one in a haunted attraction.

The theme of this year’s KCRW 24-Hour Radio Race was “Where the Sun Don’t Shine”. One entry received the Nocturne Award. It’s called “The Telltale Arse” and it’s by producer Matt Livadary. The piece truly peers into the dusty corners of the night, where many would not look, and if they do what they see is uncomfortable, but real.