Books, Boots, and a Bit of Fog: Behind the Scenes with Elizabeth Hand
A historic schoolhouse, a haunted cottage, and the objects that linger.
For the shoot with celebrated author Elizabeth Hand, director Philip Gelatt and the Etch team knew the setting had to speak its own language. Something textured. Something storied. Something that felt just a little bit haunted.
The interview was filmed at a local historical society in the town where Hand lives — a location discovered by producer Will Battersby, who was searching for a spot that offered full-day access, atmosphere, and close proximity to the author’s home. The historical society delivered on all fronts. A bonus: Hand is friends with the woman who runs the space and knows it well.
The building itself is a former one-room schoolhouse, and, according to Gelatt, it still carries the feeling of a place built for learning. Its walls are lined with curiosities — an eclectic trove of objects that ooze history and demand attention. That, naturally, became one of the shoot’s biggest challenges: deciding which of those evocative items would make it into the frame.
Take a close look during the interview segments. Over Hand’s shoulder, you’ll spot a row of antique textbooks, a table with a solemn owl figurine, and, in the far background, the silhouette of a late 19th-century woman’s boot — selected by the team for what Gelatt describes as “obvious reasons.”
The reading portion of the episode was filmed in a different location: Tooley Cottage. Hand discusses the space in her third episode, and it’s easy to see why it’s a meaningful backdrop. The cottage — more photos of which are available on Hand’s website — is intimate, creative, and deeply atmospheric. In short: a perfect extension of the writer herself.
For Gelatt and the Etch crew, these two locations offered more than visual richness — they grounded the episode in a tangible sense of place, history, and lived experience. And as a quiet shoutout from the team, consider this your reminder: support your local historical society. You never know what strange wonders are waiting behind the door.
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