Zozobra! The Story of Old Man Gloom

"The crisp September evening in Santa Fe will be special. Tonight is the annual burning of Zozobra, or Old Man Gloom. He stands across Ft. Marcy Park, where thousands of people gather in awe of the fifty-foot puppet with a gaping mouth and neon eyes. When Zozobra burns into smoldering ash, so, too, will everyone's gloomy thoughts - or so they hope." "The lights, music, fireworks, and frenzied expectation make the experience unforgettable - and this book vividly documents the evening, including the dance of the Gloomies, those select few eight and nine year-old children who perform around Zozobra just before he burns. It also takes us behind the scenes, where we see the construction of Zozobra over the previous two weeks. Most importantly, we are given the best seat in the park to watch the burning of Zozobra. We see him flail about, hear his moans of protest at his coming fate, watch in wonder, fear, and joy until the chanting of "Burn him! Burn him! Burn him!!!" creates a frenzy."--BOOK JACKET.Dewey, Jennifer Owings is the author of 'Zozobra! The Story of Old Man Gloom', published 2004 under ISBN 9780826332783 and ISBN 0826332781.