The Paranormal Blog

Spindrift: Spray From a Psychic Sea, by Jan Bryant Bartell

Just picked up this gem a couple of weeks ago, and I could not put it down. Here's what the inside of the dust jacket says about this book:

"It started out as a search for an apartment, changed to a ghost hunt, became a deeper spiritual search that led through the occult and the esoteric philosophies, and concluded with Jan Bryant Bartell's death a few weeks after she had completed this manuscript, which recounts her experiences.

Although it often reads like a Gothic novel, Spindrift is not fiction. It is the true story of a haunting; whether it is the haunting of a house or a person, only the reader can judge. But one thing is certain: when Jan Bartell moved from the first troubled house and into the second, so did the mysterious and frightening occurrences. And, as time went by, the haunting grew more and more macabre.

When it all began, Jan Bartell did not believe in a spirit world, a world she could not see. She simply loved antiques and old houses. When she found an apartment in a town house in New York's Greenwich Village, on a quite tree-shaded street, her troubles began-and they did not let up for twelve years.

But, despite the strange shadows and unexplainable sounds that seemed to occur frequently, all was not terror and dread. Her fears were mixed with curiosity. She wanted to know what it was that seemed to clutch at her in the dark; she wanted to understand what it was that seemed to follow her as she moved about her apartment. So she began to investigate old books of mysterious and esoteric knowledge. She called upon famous mediums and professional ghost hunters to try to unlock doors.

And it came to her like the spindrift that sprays in the wake of a passing ship. Gradually, the spray from the psychic sea became more and more familiar to her and, like a game of Ten Little Indians, deaths began to occur in the house. The first to die was a dog, Jan's own beloved Penelope. But, within twenty-four hours, she was to learn of the death of the first human tenant. Whether by heart attacks, suicide, or murder, the deaths came in rapid succession.

In terror, with nine little Indians gone, the Bartell's moved far away from Greenwich Village. But the haunting followed them. After the completion of Spindrift, Jan Bartell became the tenth."

The book was published in 1973, and depending upon which source you believe, either the author committed suicide or died of heart failure just prior to the book's release.

The "Ghost Hunter" mentioned above is Hans Holzer, and he did write about this case in one of his own numerous books. Without giving too much away, Jan's book absolutely reinforced my opinion of him.

This book is no longer in print and considered rare. I have seen first editions going for outrageous sums of cash on Ebay and other online auction sites.

I purchased my copy through Deb at Aliens & Alibis Books for a very reasonable $13.00 US including shipping costs to Canada via air. Deb has a great selection of vintage and rare books at terrific prices. She is also a super nice person!

Cheers!
Sue