Stephanie M. Wytovich's Blog
September 30, 2023
September Madhouse Recap: Mabon, Spooky Reads, and Fall Wellness
Hello friends and fiends–
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We started September off with some good, spooky vibes. Labor Day weekend was spent drinking fall cocktails, making pumpkin cookies, and reading spooky books by the bonfire with Evie. We specifically enjoyed The Skull by Jon Klassen–one that I have a feeling we’ll returning to again and again—and Vlad, the Fabulous Vampire by Flavia Z. Drago.
Then to continue the horror, Gwendolyn Kiste, Sara Tantlinger, Michael Arnzen, and I all went to a Haunted Tavern cocktail event in Pittsburgh where we drank smoking drinks, heard some ghost stories, and laughed a lot. It was such a fun night with a cool almost-burlesque atmosphere and I so enjoyed getting to hang out with some of my crew.
Another fun spooky bucket list item for me was to go to The Living Dead Museum in the Monroeville Mall. Somehow, despite living within 30 minutes of it for the past however many years, I’d never gone, but this month, I finally made it happen–and wow was it cool!
We had a small gathering for Mabon this year with lots of yummy food, drinks, and good friends. I introduced Evie to fingerpainting, so we’ve been making lots of art together, which I’m really enjoying. It’s wild how her style is already changing. She went from poking and dabbing, to a mix of blending and broader strokes. I try to paint with her a few times a week, and it’s been really therapeutic for me, too, so this is something that we’ll both be fostering.
September also brought with it the release of my seventh poetry collection, On the Subject of Blackberries! Releasing this book has been such an incredible experience. It’s been healing, nerve-racking, terrifying, and exciting, and I wouldn’t change any of it.
If I can entice you with another blurb, please check out what Tim McGregor, author of LURE, had to say about On the Subject of Blackberries. He wrote: “It's brutally tender and lush with folk magic vibes. A chance to slip back into the world of Merricat and Constance, but filtered through a deeply personal lens that reveals a feral snarl and a mischievous smile.”
Also, Lee Allen Howard, author of The Covenant Sacrifice, wrote a beautiful review of the collection that you can check out here. Lee was also kind enough to blurb the collection for me, where he said: “Wytovich discloses the festering secrets of her darkest thoughts with the inevitable doom of Emily Dickinson and the dread-infused paranoia of Poe’s ‘Tell-Tale Heart.’Recommended for lovers of the exquisitely macabre.”
Outside of that, I’ve been leaning heavily on my PTO, taking lots of mental health days, and leaning into wellness checks. I made a bunch of appointments and have been having positive conversations about my mind/body health lately, and I’m proud of myself for working to take care of myself a bit more these days. I find that I tend to be more active in the fall (my seasonal depression hits in the summer), so now that it’s cooler, everything seems a bit more manageable and I’m doing everything I can to seize that energy.
Plus, next month is the pumpkin king awakes!
On the writing/teaching front:
This month brought an end to my Witch Lit class via LitReactor. I had such a great time reading everyone’s stories and poems and the discourse we had in regard to gender, class, and politics was really inspiring. While I’m sad to see this section come to an end, I have four undergrad students I’m working with this semester who are taking independent studies with me on this topic. I’ve already read some great Plath/Sexton-inspired poetry, so I’m excited to see what else they work on in the upcoming weeks.
I was so honored to be included in Rue Morgue's FANGirl Book Review section. Thank you, Lindy Ryan, for including my upcoming collection, On the Subject of Blackberries!
Re: Under Her Eye, edited by Lindy Ryan and Lee Murray. I remain so honored to be included in this deeply important project and to have been mentioned in Lee's introduction is just icing on the cake. You can read more about the project here.
In honor of Stephen King’s birthday on September 21st, I wrote an open letter to Carrie White (Carrie). You can check out my LitReactor piece here.
My poem “Dinner Plans with Baba Yaga,” previously published in Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga was awarded an honorable mention in the short poem category of the Rhyslings vis the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association. I am immensely grateful for this. This magical little poem has brought me so much joy. I hope it keeps reaching readers.
I got an acceptance for a short story that I’m really excited about. I should have more information for you all soon. This one is a based-on-a-true-story piece and not only is it dark, but it’s hungry.
My funeral service students and I got to tour the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science this month. Everyone was so welcoming and informative and we all left inspired.
This month, I read:
We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix
Sylvia Plath: A Biography by Linda Wagner-Martin
Poet, Warrior: A Memoir by Joy Harjo
Rivers in Your Skin, Sirens in Your Hair: Poems by Marisca Pichette
A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll
The Nice House on the Lake, Vol 2 by James Tynion IV
The Neighbors, Issues 1-3 by Jude Ellison S. Doyle
"Bog Girls" by Maureen O'Leary and “Why Are You Haunted?” by Joan Tierney and “Tropical Fish” by Mark Alper t via Nightmare Magazine, Poetry
“Student Living” by Ashley Deng via Nightmare Magazine, flash fiction
This was a great lesson in experimental form. I shared this with my MFA students as an example of the many ways you can tell a story.
“Five Things That Go Through Your Mind After the Masked Killer Decapitates You with an Axe and Your Still-Living HeadHas a Few Seconds of Consciousness Left to Gae at your Twitching Body” by Adam-Troy Castro via Nightmare Magazine, flash fiction
This was so fun! If you want a dark comedy, definitely check this one out.
On the media front:
No One Will Save You (2023), The Devil Wears Prada (2006, and yes, I had never seen it before), Moving On (2022).
What We Do in the Shadows (2023): I absolutely loved the final two episodes. So satisfying (and hysterical). And honestly, what great character development for Nandor!
Only Murders in the Building, Season 3 (2023): When Steve Martin killed that patter song in episode 8, I lost it. That was pure, raw talent.
How to Become a Cult Leader (2023): I’m fascinated by cults, and this has been on my to-watch list for a while, although I’ll admit the way it’s formatted really unnerves me. I watched the first episode “Build Your Foundation” on my work break the other day and this mostly focused on Charles Manson, who I’m sure we’re all quite familiar with now. It’s hard to believe that Leslie Van Houten is out there walking amongst us all now…
“Episode 2: Grow Your Flock” was about Jim Jones and I definitely shouldn’t have watched this one before bed. I ended up having a wild, horrifying dream that woke me up in a cold sweat gasping for air. I didn’t realize that there was/is speculation/proof that this wasn’t a mass suicide but rather a mass murder. I hate that I’m so fascinated by this stuff. It truly unnerves me.
“Episode 3: Reform Their Minds” was about Jaime Gomez and Buddhafield. This was all completely new to me. The fact that members of this group were willing to get plastic surgery to achieve “perfection” and/or to help him see what it would look like on him is chilling. I found a few podcast episodes on this that I want to check out.
“Episode 4: Promise Eternity” was all about Heaven’s Gate. This one is always a trigger for me because a few years ago I went to the Death Museum in Los Angeles and saw the bunk beds and sneakers from the group that they were in/wore when they committed suicide. When I saw this, I had a panic attack and had to leave the museum and it’s something I think about frequently. Then, because I’m a masochist, I went to the Graveface Museum when I was in Savannah, Georgia last year, and when I walked into their crime museum (and truly, had no idea of what I was getting into), Marshall Applegate was on a TV talking directly to me…and the panic attack returned. Needless to say, this episode was a hard watch for me.
Junji Ito: Maniac (2023): I had a long chat with one of my advisees the other day about Junji Ito, and we both agreed that we needed to finish watching this series, so I tried to squeeze in a few episodes this month. I watched “The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel” and “Ice Cream Bus.” I wanted to like these both more than I did, honestly; it just felt like something was missing, however, the tunnel one did intrigue me and have some spooky moments. That said, I watched “The Back Alley” and “Headless Statue” and I enjoyed them much more, especially the latter. “Headless Statue” was perfect Ito for me (grotesque, filled with body horror, and bordering the sublime). After that, I checked out “Whispering Woman” and “Soichi’s Beloved Pet.” Now, I hate Soichi (he really, really creeps me out) so his storylines don’t usually work for me, but I liked the vibe of “Whispering Woman,” especially with how Ito had her change appearance throughout. This one felt more heartbreaking than scary, but I’m here for whatever vibe Ito wants to lean into.
Podcasts:
Books in the Freezer, “Road Trip Horror with Haley Newlin”
Books in the Freezer, “Cursed Object Horror with Josh Winning”
She Wore Black, “Grady Hendrix on Vintage Gothic Romance”
Last Podcast on the Left, “Lizzie Borden, Part I, 41 Whacks”
Last Podcast on the Left, “Lizzie Borden, Part II…With an Axe!”
Last Podcast on the Left, “The Demon House, Gary Indiana: Portal to Hell”
Last Podcast on the Left, “La Llorona, The Legend of the Weeping Woman”
Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon. You can also sign up for my Substack , which is where all Madhouse interviews ( ) will be posted starting in 2024. As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.
August 30, 2023
August '23 Madhouse Recap: Writing, Meditating, and Welcoming the Fall Semester
August‘23 Madhouse Recap
Hello friends and fiends–
August, August, August. You were an interesting, beautiful, cruel, unforgettable month, and I’m both thankful for you and happy you’re in the rearview window. I started out the month with a wonderful writing retreat with WCSU deep into the Poconos Mountains. It was restorative and inspiring, and I met so many wonderful people. Plus, Lindy Ryan and I got to spend the whole week together chatting, plotting, and drinking chocolate wine long into the night and it was amazing. I don’t think I’ve laughed or smiled that much in a long time and I’m looking forward to the next event we’re all together. In short, I’m beyond grateful for that time, space, and the memories that were created there.
After spending a week eating farm-to-table food and meditating in word gardens, I came home to a bit of a work kerfuffle. I spent about two weeks of August plagued with panic attacks, stress migraines, and nausea, and it caused me to do a lot of evaluating. I won’t get into it because frankly, it’s very personal, but I will say that I’m learning more and more to protect my mental health and acknowledge my self-worth. Thankfully I have a great group of support people and we were able to get through things, but it really made me reflect on a number of things professionally speaking.
BUT on to happier and more soul-enriching topics!
I’ve gotten a few more blurbs for my upcoming collection, On the Subject of Blackberries. The book will be out on 9/21 but you can preorder it here. Check out the below for some more insight into the book. I do hope they tempt you into reading, and if you’re a reviewer, you can request your copy from NetGalley today!
"Dark, lovely, and brutal, these poems are a tribute to Shirley Jackson and a hymn for the inner Blackwood sister who resides in all of us. Fans of gothic horror will devour Wytovich’s stunning collection in one sitting."--Jessica Drake-Thomas, author of Burials and Bad OmensA haunting collection that blends urgency alongside the myth of pastoral, the supernatural, and the body. Stephanie Wytovich’s collection is a cacophony of seeking out darkness in light and light in darkness. Each line comes together in a dazzling cemetery of selves—past and present—seeking a rebirth into something truly extraordinary. If Wytovich’s words are a match, then this book is the flame. - Stephanie Valente, author of Internet Girlfriend"Once again, Stephanie M. Wytovich knocks it out of the park with her inimitable poetry. Brilliant and beautiful, On the Subject of Blackberries is a worthy companion to Shirley Jackson's classic, We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Everything I'd hoped it would be and more." -- Gwendolyn Kiste, Lambda Literary and Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Reluctant Immortals and The Rust Maidens“Wytovich discloses the festering secrets of her darkest thoughts with the inevitable doom of Emily Dickinson and the dread-infused paranoia of Poe’s ‘Tell-Tale Heart.’ Recommended for lovers of the exquisitely macabre.”—Lee Allen Howard, author of The Covenant SacrificeSpeaking of all things spooky, I was able to hang out with some friends from the Pittsburgh HWA Chapter at one of my favorite bars, Harold’s Haunt. I haven’t been able to go to a lot of meetings and events, but I try to make time when I can and I’m definitely hoping to be more active and social this fall. This night was a good reminder that friendship is good for the soul. Plus they had the 1964 Addams Family playing on the TV…so like, perfection, right?Another highlight of the month was going sunflower picking at Trax Farms. We met my mom and dad there and ran around in the flowers with Evie and picked up some fall goodies. Because the sunflowers didn’t last long as we cut them, we decided to repurpose them. We plucked all the petals and then dried them out so we could use them in spell jars, simmer pots, baths, etc., and then laid out the rest of the flower to dry so we could use the seeds to feed our bird friends.
Oh, and there is something else new I can talk about. A lot of you know I spend a lot of time studying Thanatology, and this is something that's been reinforced by the work I do advising the funeral service students at Point Park. Well, I'm teaching a funeral service-specific version of City Life this semester, and I've put a lot of research, reading, and networking into place this summer to make it something special, but in addition to that, it also gave me the push to do something else I've been thinking about for years: studying to be a death doula.
I recently took a class and got my certification (something that isn't necessary, but I felt I needed it) and I'm excited to have this knowledge and start volunteering my services. For those interested in what a Death Doula is, you can read more here.
Oh, and if you’re wondering if I’ve started decorating my house (more) for Halloween…the answer is YES!
On the writing/teaching front:
Mid-August brought with it the beginning of my Witch Lit class via LitReactor. We’re deep into the forest together now, but as always, this remains one of my favorite classes to teach. I’m also in the final throes of the design for a new class that we hope to debut soon, so be sure to keep your ears open for any murmurings of that in the upcoming weeks.I attended the WCSU Summer Residency at the Highlights Foundation where I co-taught and performed a lecture and reading with Lindy Ryan and got to meet my mentees and plan a bit more for the fall semester. I’m currently mentoring 5 students and we’re ranging on topics from the weird to the fairytale, the mystical, to the poetic, the monstrous, and to the divine.I’m working on a new course that I’m hoping to debut at Point Park in the spring. It’s based on horror and thanatology and I’m having a blast working on the syllabus and considering books and exercises for the students. I don’t think you’re supposed to get this excited about developing a curriculum, but it’s definitely something I’m finding I really enjoy.I invited Jessica McHugh into The Madhouse this month to chat about her upcoming collection The Quiet Ways I Destroy You. You can read my interview with her here.I recently took and finished a children's literature course at Point Park University to help inspire my writing this summer. I was so engaged by the material that I made myself a short reading list to tackle while I simultaneously worked through the syllabus. Below is a small taste of that. Check out my latest LitReactor column where I talk about my journey with middle-grade and young-adult graphic novels...all featuring the spellbinding allure of the witch: Spellbinding Reads for Young Adults.Into the Forest was awarded the 2023 Silver Falchion Award for Best Anthology at the Killer Nashville Con. If you’d like to watch the replay of the awards banquet, you can do so here: https://www.youtube.com/live/LuVu69wlUMI?si=WBktYqFWlcx59dFK.I recently had a conversation with the ever-lovely Joanna from The Creative Pen Podcast. We talked about all things Writing Poetry in the Dark. You can listen to the conversation here.A quick reminder: Shakespeare Unleashed released itself into the work via Crystal Lak Entertainment. This is the second book in the Unleashed series and I’m beyond honored to have a Macbeth-inspired sonnet inside. You can pick up your copy here.This month, I read:
Made to Explode by Sandra BeasleyNote: This was a fun experience because I read this collection at the WCSU summer residency where Sandra taught a workshop and did some readings. I love when I can take advantage of these moments, to read a writer while they’re reading their work. It feels surreal and if you haven’t done it before, I encourage you to give it a go. It makes the book and the poetry come alive in such a beautiful way.Maw, Vol 1 by A.L. Kaplan and Jude Ellison S. DoyleI Hate This Place, Vol 1 by Kyle Starks and Artyom TopilinLovesick, Vol 1 by Luana VecchioThe Lunch Witch by Deb LuckeBitter Root, Vol.1: Family Business by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene“Deep Roots / Rich Soil: Race, Horror and the Ethnogothic” by John Jennings“The Root of the Matter: Rootwork and Conjure in Black Popular Culture” by Kinitra Brooks“Blood and the Rut” by Regina N. Bradley“Skin, Skin Don’t You Know Me?” by Qiana WhittedConfessions of a Funeral Direction: How the Business of Death Saved My Life by Caleb WildeOur Wives Under the Sea by Julia ArmfieldInadvertent by Karl Ove KnausgardOn the media front:
Pearl: An X-traordinary Origin Story (2022), Infinity Pool (2023), You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)Cruel Summer, Season 2 (2023): Okay so I think I liked the first season more (it felt grittier and more layered, I think). I didn’t hate the ending here–and was happy when we got the twist–but I suppose I wanted it to be darker and more fleshed out, especially in the aftermath when we realize what actually happened. Would I still recommend it? Absolutely.iCarly, (Reboot), Season 3 (2023): So I was a huge iCarly fan growing up, and when I heard they were rebooting it, I immediately jumped on board. I just finished watching season 3 yesterday and 1) my heart has been waiting 15 years for this) and 2) How could they end on that cliffhanger!
While we’re on the subject if you haven’t read Jennette McCurdy’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, please do. It was one of the most honest, vulnerable, and heartbreaking books I’ve read.
Over the Garden Wall (2014): Why didn’t anyone tell me I would love this show? I told Twitter I’m about to make this my whole personality, and I just might. I really enjoyed this and am still spinning thoughts around Aunti Whispers and Enoch. Weird. Surreal. Haunting at times. Loved it
Modern Family, Season 1 (2009):. I’d never seen a single episode of Modern Family until a few months ago. Dennis and I needed something light to watch, so he recommended we give this a try and we both really love it. I know I’m impossibly late here, but better late than never!
What We Do in the Shadows (2023): I’ve actually been enjoying this season a lot and I think it’s had a lot of really funny moments. Episode 6 “Local News” killed me, especially when Colin started doing the weather; Episode 7 “Hybrid Creatures” is one that I’ll be rewarching for sure; and “The Roast” had me cracking up with the Baron and Guillermo. I still think Lazlo is my favorite character though–yes, sure, thank you!
Only Murders in the Building, Season 3 (2023): This is such a comfort show for me. I love where this season is going and I’m super here for the romance between Martin Short and Meryl Streep.
Podcasts:
The Art of Dying Well, “Funerals, Funeral Directors and Forward Planning”
Death in the Afternoon, “Interview: How We’re Failing New Morticians”
Death in the Afternoon, “Classic Article: Whose Green Burial is it Anyways?”
Death in the Afternoon, “Interview: Opening a New Green Burial Cemetery”
Death in the Afternoon, “Interview: The Doulas Taking on California’s Cemetery and Funeral Bureau”
Talking Scared Podcast: “Stephen King & Writing From the Nerve Endings”
Talking Scared Podcast: “Josh Winning & The World Through Blood-Tinted Glasses”
Talking Scared Podcast: “Sadie Hartmann & The Books of Our Horrid Hearts”
Talking Scared Podcast, “A History of Gothic Horror with Professor Roger Luckhurst”
Talking Scared Podcast, “Alex Woodroe & The Sweet Science of Folk Horror”
Talking Scared Podcast, “Tim McGregor and Blaming the Danish”
Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon. You can also sign up for my Substack, which is where all Madhouse interviews (+) will be posted starting in 2024. As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.
August 18, 2023
The Madhouse Meets The McHughniverse and Then Quietly Destroys You
Hello Friends and Fiends--
Today in The Madhouse, I'm so thrilled to have Jessica McHugh back here again to chat about her upcoming poetry collection The Quiet Ways I Destroy You. However, before we jump into that, it would be remiss of me not to mention her other collections: Strange Nests and A Complex Accident of Life, both of which are absolutely inspiring and grotesquely wonderful. Do yourself a favor and pick them up when you get a chance, and if you're interested in getting a black-out poem commissioned, too, you read more about how to do that here.
Preorders for The Quiet Ways I Destroy You can be found below:
Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Ways-Destroy-You-ebook/dp/B0CFWVLDFSPrint: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFX64JC2For now, though, sit back, relax, and let me whisk you away to where the asylum meets the McHughniverse, a small spot of existence filled with the cosmic and the strange.
Yours cruelly,
Stephanie M. Wytovich
SMW: Hi Jessica! Welcome back to TheMadhouse. I have to tell you. It’s been so wonderful watching you blossom as apoet, and I was over-the-moon excited when you reached out to me about yourupcoming collection The Quiet Ways I Destroy You. Can you talk a littlebit about your draw to black-out poetry and how/why it’s become your preferredmethod?JM: That’s such a huge compliment coming fromyou, Stephanie. You’ve been a major inspiration to me as I’ve evolved as apoet, so thank you for that, and for having me back in The Madhouse. Itdefinitely feels like coming home again.
I’ve been a writer all my life—poetry, short stories, I even startedwriting novels in 4th grade—but I’ve always craved visual art too.When I was a kid, I played around with watercolors, charcoal, all kinds ofweird sketches, but my visual art abruptly stopped in middle school due tobullying from my brother & his friends. I don’t know why they ridiculed meover my paintings and not my stories—less effort for them, I guess—I’m justgrateful they didn’t steal more creativity from me.
It wasn’t something I thought a lot about over the years. I always said“I can’t draw” in discussions about visual art rather than get into the truth,so eventually I came to believe it. I came to believe a lot of incorrect thingsabout myself, it seems. Just a few months before I discovered how much Ienjoyed making blackout poetry, I seriously contemplated stepping away fromwriting as a career. I just wasn’t having fun anymore. It‘s wild. I had no ideawhat was right around the corner, or how deeply it would nourish my artisticsoul.
Blackout poetry satisfies both the writer and visual artist in me,allowing me to communicate through words, color, erasure, clutter,illustration, and sculpture. As someone whose encounters difficulty expressingmy feelings verbally, this artform accesses places of my psyche that requiremore glitter than words to express.
It also has a high celebrado payoff. I feel accomplished when I find apoem. I feel accomplished in a new way when I complete the artwork. Anothersense of accomplishment comes if it’s published, and yet another if I sell thepiece. In that celebrado sense, for me, it beats novel writing to a pulp.
SMW: This collection used Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women asits primary resource. What is your connection to the novel? And what about itcalled to you at this point in your life?
JM: I think Little Women is the caul inwhich most female-identifying humans are formed...which is an idea I explorefurther in this collection. From the book to the musical to the many filmadaptations, it has always been a part of my life. The 90s score basicallyplays in my head non-stop. In high school, I got an A+ performing a mixed-piecemonologue during which I transformed from Tatania at the height of rage in AMidsummer Night’s Dream into Beth March during her legendary death knell.At one time or another, I have been Marmee, the four March sisters, Hannah,Sally Gardiner, and more. But I feel like I could’ve only seen it now, as a 40-year-oldbisexual woman whose body has been mandated, whose friends and family sufferunder the bigoted policies of cowardly, ungodly men and their parasiticfollowers. Now I see the power of this story, and how it teaches us torecognize the power in our individuality as well as the shared spectrum ofwomanhood.
SMW: I’d love to hear a bit more about your artisticprocess with the collection and with the form in general. How do you go aboutselecting colors, creating the art, staging the poems? Is it spontaneous? Whichcomes first—the poem or the art?
JM: The poem always comes first. So much of thewords’ orientation on the page influences the shape of the artwork, so it’ssomething I have to be very sure about before I start coloring. However, it’snot exactly rare for me to have all my colors ready and then change the entirepoem in the last seconds. When I’m making a collection, I tend to write all ofthe poems before I add a drop of color so I have a more complete picture ofwhat I want the artwork to communicate, so there’s sometimes months betweenwriting and coloring. For The Quiet Ways I Destroy You, it was almost ayear. And I ended up cutting 40+ poems from that group before the blackoutprocess began.Sometimes I get ideas about colors and shapes while I’m making the poemor looking over it months later, but I don’t usually get a full sense of thepiece’s personality until I’m ready to black it out. It might look like I'mjust staring at a piece of paper like an idiot when I’m figuring out theartwork, but I’m essentially evaluating all the tiny and not-so-tiny ways thepoetry translates to colors, shapes, illustrations, and sculpture. And asannoying as this might sound, I see it, kind of like one of those Magic Eyeillusions, but the hidden images are associated with the words already floatingaround in my mind. I do like to play with opposing imagery and subvertingexpectations when it comes to the interpretation of the words, though.
SMW:I noticed a lot of blood imagery throughout with allusions to menstruation viaphrases and words like “hammered strawberries,” “turning red,” seeds, etc.Personally, I love that we’re out in the world talking about our periods nowand that the stigma attached to them is slowly being removed and challenged(even if pink tax still exists! *eye twitch*). When it comes to horror though,how does menstruation factor in with topics such as body horror, the monstrousfeminine, witchcraft, female rage, etc.
JM: While not every woman menstruates, I thinkwe’re all attuned to a certain feeling that we lose a lot of blood in theprocess of becoming women. Whether it’s coming to terms with that monthly agonyand the subsequent loss of it at a certain age, whether it’s all the ways wecan birth children or lose children, the surgeries we require for our outsidesto match our insides, the surgeries to prevent our bodies from killing us inhundreds of ways.
Menstruation itself is quite fascinating to me, though. I learned aboutit fairly early from my mom, who was a nurse, so I was really excited, thenquite impatient, for it to happen. It seemed like I was going to experiencesomething magical, though I had no evidence of magic affecting my friends whogot it before me. Of course, I regretted that excitement once the reality ofcramps and shits, mood swings and ruined clothes, finally set in, and I loathedit for years. When I started using a Diva Cup, some of that magical feelingcame back. I’d always seen my period once it was soaked into something, which Iquickly disposed of, but it was different in the cup. There was so much of it,crimson so dark it was almost black. It pours like oil on the first days, butits consistency and color changes as the days pass, and you really get to seehow beautiful and disgusting it really is. AND MAGICAL. The biology of it, theextraordinarily natural blessing and curse of it...menstruation basicallyencompasses all horror genres. You want body horror—hey I've A1 steak sauce isoozing out of me by day 4, honey, come and get it. You want a haunted housestory—my walls are literally bleeding over here. And you can get into all kindsof fun areas of witchcraft and cults with menstruation viewed through a lens ofsacrificial blood. It’s a fun topic to splash around in.
SMW: Your poem “The Happy Times, Finished” reads: “Go to bed./ Try tosleep in spite of the great trouble.” I read that and my heart dropped in mychest. You know I love how much your work challenges and confronts thepatriarchy, and my head immediately went to Roe V. Wade being overturnedhere…in addition to, well, a million other horrible things happening in theworld right now. As we both know, horror has always been political, but Iwant to know how you specifically use it as a platform for activism,particularly with your poetry.
JM: I am both overjoyed and devastated that yourecognized the inspiration behind this piece. It was created on the day Roe vWade was overturned, in direct response to it. As Marmee says, “I am angrynearly every day of my life,” and though she hopes not to feel that anger, Iembrace my own, just as I embrace my glee and my sexuality and my sillygooseness. I feel powerless in a lot of ways that terrify me, but art makes me feellike I have control. It allows me to express the things I’m both scared to sayand that I feel will fall on deaf ears no matter how loud I yell. It does thaton an intimate level, but it’s bigger than that as well.
That’s one of the main reasons the sections in this collection aredivided in 4 parts. The poems in the 1st part are mostly an I / You POV to showthat we start this journey alone. The 2nd part is She / Her / They toillustrate how we watch and meet other women who inspire us. The 3rd section isin We / They POV and encourages embracing the vast spectrum of womanhood,joining together, and becoming something more complicated, something to befeared. Which is how we wind up back in the 1st person POV in the last part,with little hints of they, she, and we, because even though we have united, weare still individuals in the complex root system of womanhood.
SMW:With a story like Little Women, I appreciated how you challenged notionsof femininity, womanhood, sisterhood and gender. Can you talk a little bitabout how you handled this? Was it conscious or subconscious in its fluidityand conception?
JM: I approached the collection knowing I’d beembracing different kinds of femininity as it pertained to the March women, butit wasn’t until I was pretty deep into it that I realized the overarching storywas much bigger than expected. I already had poems written for Meg, Jo, Beth,and Amy, but I started to add as many other female characters from Little Womenas possible. Speaking from so many different points of view allowed me toexplore all these little rooms in myself, where I composed from places of rage,love, fear, and fulfillment, sometimes consciously, sometimes subconsciously.At one time during the writing, I was under the impression that Marmee / Motherwas the mycorrhizal fungi that connects us—and she is still a strong unifier inthe collection—but after I hit the 100th poem, I realized the storyof Little Women itself is what seeps into our roots and joins us, nomatter what kind of woman we are...or will be...and that kind of support fromour fellow sisters is what allows us to feel free.
SMW:To build on the above, I loved seeing a focus on awakening throughout:an awakening to self, to sexuality, to rage. I attended the Queer Canon panelat StokerCon ’23 recently and they talked a lot about whether queer joy as aplace in horror. How do you think your collection speaks to and handles that?
JM: To quote Eric LaRocca during that Stokerconpanel, “THERE IS NO ROOM FOR JOY.”
I kid, of course. To be frank, as a bisexual woman in a straightrelationship, I often feel like I’m not queer enough, or that I shouldn’t beallowed to label my work as queer even though it is unquestionably so. In thiscollection, I threw those fears aside and embraced everything that I am withoutapology. Honestly, I’m not sure there’s a single queer poem in this collectionthat doesn’t exude joy...and maybe a little vengeance. As far as little roomsin myself go, that was a wonderfully cathartic one, and I hope these poems helpothers feel the same.
SMW:Something I’ve always admired about how you work is that you’re always findingtime to write. You write at your job, on your off time, at conventions. It’ssuch a bright light to see someone love what they do so much and it’s inspiringto writers, no matter where they’re at in the career. How do you keep that loveaffair—or perhaps marriage would be a better word here—with and to writing sofresh and passionate and exciting?
JM: There are ups and downs, to be sure. As Isaid before, I considered stepping away from my writing career in 2018. Butwriting itself...I don’t think I could ever step far away enough; it wouldalways be nipping at my heels. I think the enduring passion of this inkymarriage (I agree, it does feel like that) comes from curiosity. I keep wantingto find out what other stories and characters and sticky icky things lurk in mypsyche and figuring that out brings me an immense feeling of comfort and joy.As for the frequency of my work, I honestly don’t know what to do with my handsotherwise. Ally Wilkes said much the same at Stokercon when I noticed herknitting socks at the bar. I write to occupy my hands, to explore my mind, tofill the empty spaces, to calm me in awkward situations, to distract me fromgrief, to perk me up when I’m feeling tired. It is the cure-all for nearlyevery bummer in my life, and though I’m sure we’ll have our skirmishes untilthe end, I have no doubt our obsessive love will get us through.
SMW:What poets are you currently reading? Are there any collections you’re lookingforward to adding to your TBR list?
JM: I’m currently reading Cina Pelayo’s StokerAward Winning collection, Crime Scene, Maxwell I. Gold’s BleedingRainbows & Other Broken Spectrums, and John Baltisberger’s forthcomingexperimental prose & poetry collection, All I Want is to Take Shroomsand Listen to the Color of Nazi Screams, which is a really fun mixture! I’mdefinitely looking forward to your new collection, Stephanie, and I’m alwayseager to read anything Adrian Ernesto Cepeda, Avri Margariti, & ChristinaSng put out.SMW:What’s next for your readers?
JM:I have lots of fun stuff coming up, including Seek & Hide: aneducation and interactive blackout poetry workbook playbook coming fromApokrupha this fall! My HP Lovecraft blackout poem “Arched Bridges” will appearin the 100th Anniversary Edition of Weird Tales Magazine (the 1st everWeird Tales blackout poem!! EEK!) in October, and I’m a featured poet in UnderHer Eye with my piece, “A Map of the Backyard,” coming from Black SpotBooks in November. Also from Black Spot Books, I’ll have a story in their MotherKnows Best anthology, coming in 2024, along with more I can’t quite spillyet. And I am currently writing the 3rd and final installment of myGardening Guidebooks Trilogy from Ghoulish Books. Keep an eye out for Witchesin the Warren coming in 2024 as well!
Thanks for stopping by!
If you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! You can also sign up for my Substack, which is where all Madhouse interviews will be posted starting in 2024. As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.August 1, 2023
July '23 Madhouse Recap: Writing Stories, Thinking About Life, & Devouring Graphic Novels
Hello friends and fiends–
I spent July thinking and traveling and meditating on my goals and what I want to accomplish in the second half of 2023. Do I have answers? Of course not. But I feel like I’m getting closer to some solutions. I read a meme or something recently that said due to not wanting to, I will not be, and that resonated with me a lot. I feel like I’ve been filling everyone else’s cups for years, and it’s getting time for me to start worrying about bringing joy and less stress into my life for a while.
That said, we started the month off with a family trip to Hilton Head where Evie got to see the ocean, take her first swim, play with turtles, and eat her weight in flounder and hush puppies. Dennis and I even got to steal away to Savannah again for cocktails, a nice dinner, and a walk in the cemetery. It was a really beautiful night out and I have a feeling that we’ll be back to that city again soon.
After vacation, we started preparing for Dennis’s new job and the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year. We’ve been working with Evie to get her into more of a routine as things change around her, so fingers crossed for smooth sailing (it won’t be, but hey, a girl can dream, right?). I’ll be teaching a lot in the fall, so if I seem to be a bit crazier than usual, just roll with it and usher me into a silent room when I need to scream, okay?
As you read this, I’m likely en route to the WCSU Summer residency where I'll be lecturing, participating in panels, and doing a reading. I’m so looking forward to this time to meet my students, chat about writing, and work on some projects of my own. I have a hefty to-do list I’m looking to accomplish while I’m there and I’m hoping that the solo time away will be good for my head and my spirit. Also, I have a bunch of movies I really want to watch, and I’m excited to be able to put a dent in my list while I’m away!Other than that, I’ve been writing like crazy. Mostly fiction, but some essays, too. I’m also preparing for the release of my next poetry collection, On the Subject of Blackberries, which is set to debut in September. If you’re interested in reviewing the collection, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. We’ll be doing a cover reveal soonish so keep an eye on my social media pages for more announcements regarding that.
On the writing/teaching front:
This month, I read:The Okay Witch by Emma SteinkellnerThe Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow by Emma SteinkellnerHollow by Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, and Berenice NelleCoven by Jennifer Dugan, Kit SeatonCrumbs by Diane StirlingSeance Tea Party by Reimena YeeUnfamiliar by Haley NewsomeThe Witch Boy by Molly Knox OstertagThe Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra KhawTheir short story “And In Our Daughters, We Find a Voice” also completely blew me away. I’m definitely keeping this in mind for a future class I’m planning.Nineteen Claws and a Blackbird by Agustina BazterricaGory Details: Adventures From the Dark Side of Science by Erika EngelhauptIn the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria MachadoThe Camera My Mother Gave Me by Susanna KaysenMy Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa MoshfeghLure by Tim McGregorThe Giver by Lois Lowry“Ever After” by Lois Lowry: this was an essay that she had written about the ending of the book, the continuation of the series, her inspiration for the book, and her continued hopes for it. It was really beautiful and I’m happy it was included in the edition I read.
On the media front:
Renfield (2023), The Giver (2014), Knock at the Cabin (2023), The Ritual Killer (2023)Cruel Summer (2023): Episode 9’s ending? Jesus! I NEED TO KNOW.What We Do in the Shadows (2023): Have I mentioned how much I adore this show? Lazlo is really shining for me this season. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes.
I started watching Tin and Tina on Netflix, and I made it about 30-40 minutes in, but as soon as the kids showed up next to the dog, I panicked. I went to doesthedogdie.com and after reading a bit more about what happens, I tapped out. I don’t know if I’ll go back and finish this one, but if I do, I’ll report back.
Podcasts:
Monstrous Agoniess, Episodes 16-21
Books in the Freezer Podcast “More 2023 Upcoming Horror Releases”
Books in the Freezer Podcast, “Food Horror with Tessa”
Books in the Freezer Podcast, "Adult Summer Scares Readalikes with Sadie Hartman"
The Monster, She Wrote Podcast “The Yellow Wallpaper”
The Monster, She Wrote Podcast “Interview with Sadie Hartmann”
Death in the Afternoon, “Does Death Positive Mean Death Fearless?”
Death in the Afternoon, “Washing Kathryn, Touching Death”
Death in the Afternoon, “Whose Green Burial is it Anyways?”
Mini Magic, A Witchcraft Podcast for Kids: “The Magic of Color”
Mini Magic, A Witchcraft Podcast for Kids: “All About Altars”
Mini Magic, A Witchcraft Podcast for Kids: "Moon Magic"
Mini Magic, A Witchcraft Podcast for Kids: "C is for Coven"
Mini Magic, A Witchcraft Podcast for Kids: "Divination Breakdown"
Mini Magic, A Witchcraft Podcast for Kids: “The Wheel of the Year”
Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.
Best,
Stephanie
July 11, 2023
Guest Post: Horror and Romance: A Compatible Relationship by Lee Allen Howard
Hi friends and fiends--
Today in The Madhouse, I'm thrilled to host my dear friend and colleague Lee Allen Howard. . Howard earned a BA in English, an MA in Biblical Studies, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. He’s been a professional writer and publishing system administrator in the software industry since 1985, is the founder of Dark Cloud Press, a publisher of horror and dark crime anthologies, and is a freelance editor of fiction. An active member of the Horror Writers Association, Howard resides in western New York with a ton of books. Readers and writers alike can follow him on social media at https://leeallenhoward.com/contact-lee/#social-media and sign up for his monthly email newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/LAH-signup.
Lee stopped by this afternoon to talk about one of my favorite topics: the intersection of horror and romance. Since I've been listening to the She Wore Black podcast lately, this marriage is something that's been on my mind a lot, so I hope you'll take some time to read about Lee's horrormance, and then check out his latest book The Covenant Sacrifice, which goes live this Friday!
With whips and chains,
Stephanie M. Wytovich
Horror and Romance: A Compatible Relationship
by Lee Allen Howard, MFA
Can horror and romance coexist in the same novel? A fewyears ago, I would have insisted, “No!”
You see, for most of my fiction-writing career, I had ahate, hate, hate relationship with romance. Me, write romance? Not on yourlife. “I write the dark stuff,” I said. “Gritty, sordid stuff. Yeah.”
Being a horror writer, I celebrated dark fiction whiledisdaining the “mushy gushy” stuff of romance. (Although, now that I thinkabout it, horror can be “mushy gushy” too, in a very differentway—consider the chainsaw…)
Although I once disliked reading romance and had no interestin writing it, I’ve had a change of heart. Here’s why.
In 2006, my wife and I divorced amicably, and I came out asgay. That’s when I discovered that gay romance existed. “Woof!” I said. “Nowwe’re talkin’.” It dawned on me that I’d hated romance prior to this because Ihad no idea anything besides cishetero romance stocked bookstore shelves. Nowonder I never wanted to read or watch “that stuff”; I couldn’t relate to it,didn’t share the characters’ interest in the opposite gender. Shortlythereafter, I wrote an erotic gay love story for a contest—and won publication.(My pen name shall forever remain secret!)Despite that success, I didn’t want to pursue a career writinggay erotica. Yet I’d read somewhere that including romance was a way to deepencharacterization, raise stakes, and flesh out a novel of another genre. I’vealways written short, so I needed more scenes, more pages. I tried my hand byincluding a romantic subplot between Kennet Singleton and a girl named Christyin Death Perception, a supernatural thriller. The subplot was simple,short, tame; not a major part of the book.
As I developed the idea and plotted my latest LGBTQ horrornovel, The Covenant Sacrifice, a romantic relationship betweenprotagonist Jarod Huntingdon and his childhood best friend, Scotty, becameintegral to their character arcs and plot. So, I read a few more romances andstudied craft books about writing in the genre. Then I developed therelationship between these young men as a major subplot (some might say a dualplot) supporting the horror spine. And, besides enjoying the process, Idiscovered three reasons why horror and romance work well together.
1. Both genres provide plenty of opportunity forcharacters to feel and display strong emotions, emotions often experienced inthe body: racing heart, tingling sensations, hyper-awareness.
Awareness is a crucial part of both horror and romance. Yourprotagonist and love interest should always be alert to each other’s presence.Their senses should prickle when the other character is near. They should focuson one another more than anyone around them. Romance characters feel, feel,feel.
The same should go for horror characters when dangerous antagonistsshow up. I’ve read and edited too many horror stories where the antagonist appearsand does something horrific, but the characters barely react. If yourcharacters aren’t frightened or terrorized by horrific events and those whocause them, will readers be? Readers take emotional cues from characters. They wantto feel what your characters feel, but they can’t unless you actually put yourcharacters’ thoughts, emotions, and physical reactions on the page. Afterstudying and practicing writing romance, I’ve spent a decade improving thisaspect in my writing, and it’s paying off.
My LGBTQ horror fiction takes characters’ psychological,emotional, and physical reactions to antagonistic forces a step further. Characterfear is often compounded by an antagonist’s callous—or outrightthreatening—expression of homophobia. Homophobia has set my awareness on edgefrom an early age until this day.
So, why do I work this subject into my dark fiction? Because,where I came from, such treatment was my unfortunate experience, resulting in alifelong sensitivity and fear of being ostracized, demeaned, or physicallyattacked because of my orientation. That’s why homophobia—especially religioushomophobia—is a primary trope in my LGBTQ fiction. This is certainly true in TheCovenant Sacrifice.
2. Another similarity horror and romance share is thenecessity of forcing characters into a situation they cannot escape.
The supernatural threat in The Covenant Sacrifice iscomplicated by a violent rainstorm that traps everyone in the remote ruralvalley of Annastasis Creek. When local residents go missing, abducted by theirdead relatives who have returned from the grave, Jarod and Scotty participatein the search. This time together forces them to admit and resolve theirdifferences in order to rekindle their relationship.Another way to keep your romantic characters together is, whenthey find themselves in a crowd, cloister them in a corner. Like when Jarodattends Scotty’s father’s funeral, and they renew their acquaintance at a photoboard.
(Total aside: It occurs to me how often funeral homesfeature in my fiction. One is a primary setting in Death Perception; inanother, a pivotal moment takes place in The Bedwetter: Journal of a BuddingPsychopath; a crisis point in my short story, “The Gloves and the Glasses”happens in a funeral home; and again, of all places, the meet–cute in TheCovenant Sacrifice takes place at the photo board near the open casket. Butthat analysis is for another day—along with examining recurring scenes ofconflagration in most of my novels, including my YA gothic, The AdamsonFamily, not to mention the many horrors I’ve buried—or unearthed—in thecellar…)
3. In horror and romance—really, any genre—putting thelove interest in danger raises stakes for the protagonist, generating readeridentification and suspense, tension that encourages readers to turn the pageto see what happens next: something wonderful, something awful, or both.
I’m glad I got over my dislike of romance. With the rightcharacters, it’s actually fun to write. Most importantly, I learned that horrorand romance work well together—like being scared to love or loving to bescared. You’ll find both in The CovenantSacrifice.
June 30, 2023
June '23 Madhouse Recap: Catching Up with the Horror Community and Other Tales
Hello friends and fiends–
June included a lot of socializing, which isn’t something I usually do or am particularly good at, but I had an absolute blast and these past few weeks stand as a reminder that I just need to be surrounded by the right people to feel my soul really shine. I started the month off by meeting Michelle for happy hour at The Butter Joint. We shared dinner (and a piece of vinegar pie!) and caught up on life, love, and everything in between. We’re due for a pretty intense conversation about vampires–over coffee and pancakes, of course–so I hope to make that happen for us sooner rather than later.
Because StokerCon happened in June, I decided to chop a few inches off my hair and dye it a rather dark brown with some highlights to freshen things up a bit. I’m definitely more myself with this color and because I tend to get weird (i.e. seasonally depressed) in summer, I wanted a comfort color. I’ve also decided that I’m in my flowy pants-tunic-kaftan dress era. Give me all the breathable, comfy fabric so I can just ride the breeze and ignore the heat.
We also participated in a community yard sale last month, where we made some money and some new friends. We’re hoping to get a D&D group started here soon–I’ve never played but I really want to at least give it a try–and it was a wonderful surprise to learn that so many of our neighbors have similar interests.
Needless to say, StokerCon was an absolute whirlwind of joy. I got to see people I haven’t seen in years and then meet people I’d been reading and talking online to for ages. The Wednesday before things kicked off, I visited the University of Pittsburgh’s Hillman Library and got to sort through their horror archives, which was just a beautifully surreal moment. I then headed out to Harold’s Haunt with some friends, where we had drinks and participated in a protection ritual. Can all conventions start this way from now on, please?
After that, it was business for a while. I participated in the You Can’t Get There From Here: Tales of Weird Pittsburgh panel, ran to the Raw Dog Screaming Press Party (happy 20 years!), and then grabbed dinner with friends. I popped into the opening ceremony for a bit and then had a few drinks and some good conversation before getting home early to tuck Evie into bed.The next day I had a reading, and then participated as a panelist in the Quoth the Raven: The Rise of Dark Poetry panel and the Monstrous Mothers and the Women Who Write Them panel—which was an absolute joy to be a part of. Evie showed up later that night and hung out with the crew a bit and it made my heart smile with how wonderfully kind everyone was to her. Those moments will stay with me forever.
That Saturday I sat on the Pitch Session Panel and then took poetry pitches for RDSP. I want to thank everyone who attended or who pitched their work to me that weekend. I’m having a blast reading through everyone’s collections, and while I obviously won’t be able to accept everyone, please know that it’s such an honor to have you consider working with us. I look forward to getting back to everyone in a timely manner.
While Writing Poetry in the Dark didn’t take home the Stoker, being nominated in nonfiction has always been a dream of mine and to have my name said in the same company as Tim Waggoner, Lisa Kroger, Melanie R. Anderson, Michael Cisco, Leanna Renee Hieber, and Andrea Janes was surreal. I so deeply admire all of their work and this was a career highlight for me for sure. Plus, the book sold out at the convention, so that was a nice bit of icing on the cake!
On the writing/teaching front:
I participated in my first SNHU Fireside Chat. We had a blast talking about speculative poetry and why fiction writers should care about it and read it. The vibe was so wonderful and it made me extra excited to teach next month.I’m taking a Children’s Lit course at PPU this summer and I’m about halfway through it now. It’s been a lot of fun, especially the nursery rhyme and fairy tale sections, and I actually storyboarded the children’s book I’ve been working on for the past few months. This class is doing exactly what I hoped it would for me: inspiring me.I'm thrilled to announce that my short story "Mother, Daemon, Ghost" will be published in Lindy Ryan's forthcoming anthology MOTHER KNOWS BEST via Black Spot Books. This win feels especially good.I also want to share an interview I did with Kailey Tedesco (@KaileyTedesco) in The Madhouse. We talk about her incredible dark poetry with a focus on her collection FOREVERHAUS. You can check it out here.Lastly, things are coming together with On the Subject of Blackberries. I wrote a terribly vulnerable piece that doubles as a craft essay and sent it to Jennifer, so the book is officially out of my hands now. *cue all the emotions*RE: "The impending closure, in September, of Amazon’s Kindle Periodicals program." If you haven't read the June Nightmare Magazine Editorial yet, please do. It's about the threat to SF/F/H magazines and it's something as writers (and readers) we should all be concerned about.
This month, I read:
A House with Good Bones by T. KingfisherNineteen Little Stab Wounds by Alexis DubonFinal Girls by Mira GrantToil and Trouble: A Women’s History of the Occult by Lisa Kroger and Melanie R. AndersonSad Sexy Catholic by Lauren MiliciI Call Upon the Witches by Chloe HanksThe Quiet Ways That I Destroy You by Jessica McHughDoughnuts and Doom by Balazs LorincziI’ve been reading Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by Agustina Bazterrica. I’m about halfway through, and my favorites so far are: “A Light, Swift, and Monstrous Sound,” “Roberto,” “Earth,” and “The Wolf’s Breath.”I’m also about halfway through Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science by Erika Engelhaupt. I love books like this and I’m really enjoying it.From the StokerCon Souvenir Anthology 2023“Why the Bram Stoker Award Matters” by Michael Arnzen“In Favor of Zombies” by Angela Yuriko Smith“The Monsters That Made Us” by Sadie Hartmann“Circumstantial Monstrosity” by R.J. Joseph“Who Made Who?” by Todd Keisling“Mother Root” by K.P. Kulski“The Black Lagoons of Our Eyes” by Hailey Piper“One Monster is Never Enough” by Tim Waggoner“The Thing About Vampires” by L. Marie Wood“Bog Girls” by Maureen O’Leary, Nightmare Magazine, Poetry“They Say” by Matt Dovey, Nightmare Magazine, Flash Fiction
On the media front:
Influencer (2023), Baby Ruby (2023), There’s Something Wrong with the Children (2023).
Love and Death (2023): I binged this series so fast. I had never heard of the case prior to watching this, but from episode one, I was captivated and couldn’t stop watching. Heck, I’m even listening to the official podcast now, and I put the book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson on my TBR.
Cruel Summer, Season 2 (2023): The grip this show has on me…
Black Mirror, Season 6 (2023): This show is evolving and I’m not mad about it. Here is my ranking of Season 6, for those who are interested: (1) Loch Henry, (2) Mazey Day, (3) Demon 79 (4) Joan is Awful, (5) Beyond the Sea. This ordering is probably super controversial, but well, there you go.
Human Resources, Season 3 (2023): I love this show and Big Mouth. It’s kind of absurd how much I’ve watched them (it’s a comfort show for sure), but I think this is just such a smart, funny, accessible way to have conversations about gender, sexuality, and emotions.
Interview with the Vampire (AMC, 2022): I don’t think I was fully aware of how much I needed this show. I’ve been waiting to see Louis and Lestat together for so long and finally seeing it? It was as perfect as I’d hoped it would be. I also can’t say enough good things about Sam Ried as Lestat. I’ll eagerly be here waiting for season 2 and probably rewatching this more times than I care to admit.
Podcasts:
Books in the Freezer Podcast, “Cozy Horror with Agatha from She Wore Black”
She Wore Black Podcast, “Sarah Hawley Talks About Witches, Demons, and Rom Coms”
She Wore Black Podcast, “The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies” with Alison Goodman
Talking Scared, “Mike Flanagan & Lighting Up the Darkness”
Talking Scared, “Paula D. Ashe & A Bizarre and Bitter Reprieve”
Monster, She Wrote, “Episode 6: Fledgling”
Monstrous Agonies, Episodes 1-16
Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.
Best,
Stephanie
June 21, 2023
MADHOUSE AUTHOR INTERVIEW: FOREVERHAUS BY KAILEY TEDESCO
Hello friends and fiends--
Today in The Madhouse, I'm absolutely thrilled to welcome Kailey Tedesco, witchy poet extraordinaire! Tedesco (she/her) is the author of three full-length collections of poetry: SheUsed to be on a Milk Carton (April Gloaming Publishing), Lizzie, Speak (2018winner of White Stag's full-length MS contest), and FOREVERHAUS (White StagPublishing). She currently teaches courses pertaining to Gothic literature andthe witch at Moravian University. Her work has been featured in ElectricLiterature, Black Warrior Review, Fairy Tale Review, Passages North, GiganticSequins, and more. Her collection Foreverhaus completely enchanted me (and continues to haunt me in the best of ways!) and I have not been able to stop thinking of it. I first encountered Tedesco's work through Luna Luna Magazine, where she writes these deliciously lush and dark pieces about witchcraft, womanhood, poetry, and all things strange and unusual. If you're new to her work, I highly encourage you to check out some of her work there and to peruse Luna Luna in general. It's a beautiful literary journal filled with writing advice, occult history, rituals, and media recommendations that span the worlds of magic, shadow, and liminalities.
When it comes to Foreverhaus though, fans of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House will absolutely adore this collection of witchcraft, illusion, disassociation, and dreaming. While reading I envisioned spiral staircases and ectoplasm, pendulums, and seance rooms. I felt inclined to salt my doorways and cover the mirrors in my house, and I think you folks will be stocking up on brick dust and eggshells after reading this collection, too---which you know is just the highest of compliments from me.
Before we jump into the interview, I want to leave you with one of my favorite lines from this book to help set the mood. It's from her poem “the afterlife as an option” where she writes: “i take back my baptism / let me go where i’d like.” When I first read those lines, I distinctly remember putting the book down in awe. Tedesco's writing is so evocative, but more than that it's a reminder of how much power we hold inside ourselves. Reading her work leaves me feeling untouchable, not to mention highly excited to embrace my darker roots and ease into my villain era. I hope you'll all enjoy this conversation as much as I have and that you'll consider picking up her work soon. I can guarantee you won't regret it.
Hauntedly yours,
Stephanie M. Wytovich
SMW: HiKailey! Welcome back to The Madhouse. Since this is your first time joining ushere, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what drew you to poetryin the first place?
KT: Hi Stephanie! I’m really honored to behere & I’m such a fan of all of your work!
I’m a sleepy mom currently living inAllentown, PA. I teach courses on literature and writing (primarily centeredaround Gothic Lit) at Moravian University and Northampton Community College. I’vebeen writing for many years now and have released three full-length collectionsof poetry. I love horror movies (of course), animals, and vintage clothing. Ialso love to travel when I can, mostly to old honeymoon hotels with theiroriginal heart-shaped tubs.
I was a super moody kid who grew intoa super moody adult, and I think poetry has always been my preferred mode ofprocessing. I lost my grandmother when I was eight and immediately put pen topaper. I think it just felt natural to play with language and try to put allthose overwhelming feelings into words that came close to capturing what washappening in my head. I’ve also struggled with OCD and sleep paralysis since Iwas at least a teenager. Both my seemingly endless “thought loops” and my sleepparalysis “sightings” really freaked me out for years and years and years.Mostly, I just didn’t know what was going on with me or why certain thoughts orimages would pop into my mind. I felt really isolated by [that] so again poetrybecame a way to vent some of this out without giving away what I felt, at thetime, shouldn’t be shared. If I wasn’t writing poems to soothe myself, I wasincessantly praying (thanks, Catholic upbringing), and poetry was always MUCHmore enjoyable and obviously healthier.
Now that I’m treated and more knowledgeableabout my mental illness (& sleep quirks!), I feel more comfortableexploring it all more openly. All of this lends itself really nicely to horrorpoetry.
SMW: Whatwas your writing process like for Foreverhaus? Does witchcraft and/or ritualfeature in your process at all?
KT: Yes, for sure! With FOREVRHAUS especiallyI turned to automatic writing practices and psychometry. I love Shirley Jackson’sconsistent illumination of everyday objects—jars of jam, cups of stars, stonelions, & on & on & on. I spent a lot of time at antique stores andestate sales while writing this collection and I let myself really feel thestories of the objects I was interacting with. There’s this really cool spacefor communication here that leaves me open for images and language I wouldn’tnormally tap into. This process & ritual has since become habitual for me.
SMW: That's so amazing, especially because, in my notes, I have this feels like a haunted estate sale written there in regard to the overall vibe of the collection. With that said, h owdo you define the term foreverhaus? And do you consider this a horrorcollection?
KT: FOREVERHAUS is a final destination anda liminal space all at once. It’s where you go when you die and when you dream.I wanted to create an archetypal space that is universally recognizable. It isthe house in your neighborhood that makes you uneasy for no particular reason.It’s an afterlife. It’s a maze of personal traumas.
I do consider this to be a horrorcollection. Many of these pieces were inspired by horror tropes and images,both from reality and from media. I think ultimately this was an exploration ofthe way that folklore, in particular, both makes up our identities, but alsohas the ability to cloud our memories. This, to me, is a horrifying concept ina psychological sense. I’ve also always been fascinated by the warped optimismof a haunted house. If it’s haunted, that means there’s something for usafter death. Whether or not that’s desirable is to be determined. This is theambiguity I love to just soak up in horror.
SMW: Yourpoem “gushblood” has stayed with me since I first read it, and it’s one I’verevisited a few times since. The last few lines read: “i can eat everything nowthanks to the gushblood/ i live in a doorway of splatter my caul blooms fungalwith turrets/ you are welcome to the bloodfeast but first/ ring the bell oryou’ll drown.” I love how violent and primal this is, and something I’ve beennoticing in the publishing world lately is this refreshing embrace of femalerage and dark female archetypes. Can you talk about that a bit and how itrelates to your work?
KT: Thank you! This was one of the firstpoems I wrote for this collection.
I am a HUGE fan of Julia Kristeva’swork surrounding abject horror. I was particularly fascinated by the way somany legends, specifically with ties to femme identities (like Bloody Mary)concern themselves with the body.I love the idea of exploring the bodyin a state of abjection and power all at once—bleeding and oozing butpersisting. So often the corpses of women are the subject of poetry, and ofcourse, in so many instances they are simply dead without any agency. I think it’simportant to unpack and deconstruct that. Men, in particular, have objectifiedand exploited dead women for ages. Now I want them to wake up and talk back.
SMW: Yourpoem “invisible world” has direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials and CottonMather’s manuscript The Wonders of the Invisible World. Here you talk about the disappearance ofwomen and the monstrous and/or haunted mother, and because I know you alsoteach a class on witches, how does the history and archetype of the witch playa part in your poetry and perhaps your writing in general?
KT: I truly don’t ever tire of readingabout The Salem Witch Trials. It’s such a tragic and deeply complicatedhistory. With FOREVERHAUS, I was particularly fascinated by thePuritanical cosmology during the time of the trials. There was this pervasivebelief in the unseen world, and this was the space [where] the devil, witches, andalso angels were supposed to reside.
I think the Salem witch is sointeresting because they were not witches at all. They were, ultimately,marginalized people who were accused based on any number of factors that may ormay not have even had anything to do with their actions or ideas. So, in thispoem and in most of my work, I like to explore these cosmologies for what theyare—folklore. Of course, the trials, in many instances, came down to a fear ofindividuals (mostly women & folks in poverty) claiming power that wasthought to be unearned. I like to play with this power in my work. To me, thisis the most base definition of a witch—someone who claims power for themselves,regardless of whether society says they can have it.
SMW: AfterI read Foreverhaus, I immediately picked up and devoured your collection Lizzie,Speak. Something that I adored in both of these collections was your focus onhistorical figures (turned urban legend) Bloody Mary and Lizzie Borden. Canyou talk about what drew you to these women?
KT: I am consistently drawn to myth,especially when it’s myth made from historical fact. So many people I’veencountered assume that Lizzie Borden is simply a character from a nurseryrhyme when in reality, of course, she was an actual human being struggling withidentity and oppressive family dynamics. Culturally, we’ve warped her humanityinto this myth where any number of powers have become possible for her. Iwanted to explore this space of myth in the collection Lizzie, Speakwhile also negotiating that contrived mythos with her actual existence.
It was different with Bloody Mary,though. I was interested in exploring each iteration of the maiden/mother/cronearchetype as they move about this Foreverhaus. I wrote a lot about thispunishing mother who is really just another evolution of the speaker in thecollection. I couldn’t divorce this mother from my own ideas of Bloody Marygrowing up—a woman you call upon, only to be terrified when she replaces you inthe mirror. I thought it would be interesting to make Bloody Mary one in thesame with this mother and then, ultimately, also the self.I read a lot of Alan Dundes work onBloody Mary while teaching a writing class on folklore and legends. I wasreally interested in how this is a ritualistic legend that is performed andtold differently depending on where you are from, but ultimately it comes downto a fear of aging, both in a vain sense, but also in the sense that ourgreying hair is a harbinger of our imminent death. Bloody Mary then felt like areally natural sort of Virgil, or guide, for the Foreverhaus.
SMW: Severaltimes throughout the collection you refer to the candyhaus or the haus ofgingerbread. What influence have fairytales and folklore had on you as awriter, and are there certain ones that you continue to feel drawn to orinspired by?
KT: I was always an incredibly shy kid,but I was also always the kid who would start telling scary stories at slumberparties. Ghost stories and fairy tales are my comfort zone. When I don’t knowwhat to say or how to share myself in conversation, I often turn to thesefoundational stories and archetypes. They’re universal in a lot of ways andtherefore unifying.
I grew up in the NJ Pine Barrens andthe Jersey Devil legend has been told to me probably thousands of times. I feela kinship with him as a sort of guardian of my hometown. I’m not religious inthe traditional sense, but I think stories like these [in]form my personalbelief systems and ideologies about the world. Working with archetypes likewitches and devils and gingerbread men is my favorite thing to do whenformulating a new poem or project.
SMW: It’sno surprise to anyone reading this interview that I am a huge fan of hauntedhouses (real, fictional—doesn’t matter!). More often than not, we see ties tothe feminine with the occult, and it’s usually the mother, wife, daughter, etc.who gets an inkling that something is off in the house, starts noticing disappearances,or becomes sensitive to changes in temperature and other sensory details. Inyour poem “poltergeist I” you write: “my mother once said everything is hauntedwhen you are/the haunting—now all the prayer-closets screech with her wrath.”What do you think the link is between women and haunted houses specifically?
KT: Oh, this is really interesting! Iconstantly return to this book I have on Spiritualism and social justice called
Radical Spirits
. There’s some really cool and progressive (for thetime!) discourse on gender and mediumship in this text. There’s a part thatdiscusses how the most connected mediums were often feminine, but they didn’talways necessarily identify as women. This is something I think about a lotwhen considering the ways that witches and mediums have been accepted orcondemned throughout time.I feel like maybe this connectionbetween femininity and hauntings comes down to feelings of hyper-vigilance.Since femininity is so often othered or belittled, there seems to be a higherlikelihood of femme individuals looking inward and outward at the same time asa form of self-preservation and protection. If you’re constantly in a state ofchecking yourself and your surroundings, I feel as though you’re more likely topick up on things that others might not.
SMW: Whatpoets are you currently reading? Are there any collections you’re lookingforward to adding to your TBR list?
KT: I’m currently reading and loving Biancaby Eugenia Leigh. I’m so struck by her writing on motherhood and mental illnessin particular. I also just finished The Salt Grows Heavy by CassandraKhaw which is technically a novella, but it was so, so lyrically lush andgorgeous. And, I can’t wait to get my hands on The Shining by DorotheaLasky.
To be honest, I’ve been grieving thesudden loss of my beloved dog, Barnabas (who FOREVERHAUS is dedicated to—hewas with me the entire time I wrote and edited it). He was really everything tome. I find that when I am grieving I seem to turn to more linear narratives, soI’ve been mostly tearing through paperbacks lately. I read Elizabeth: ANovel of the Unnatural by Ken Greenhall (& what a journey that was),and I’m looking for more of these pulpy quick-reads. I’m a lifetime fan of V.C.Andrews, so give me anything filthy, absurd, and Gothic, please!
SMW: What’snext for your readers?
KT: I have a new full-length collectionthat explores the complexities of postpartum depression (based on my personalexperiences, anyways) through the persona of Mrs. Leeds who is the folkloricmother of the New Jersey Devil. Fingers crossed that this manuscript might seethe light of day soon!
I’ve also been experimenting moreoften with visual poems and I’m hoping to put a little chapbook together withthese soon. I have a poem shaped like a dollhouse coming out soon in Driftwood.I’m really excited to share this one!
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“FOREVERHAUS, Kailey Tedesco’s timely examination of domesticity made macabre, conjures the architecture of a dwelling whose vestibules ail, its floorboards imbued with an intimacy matched by such exquisite details as “jadeite bowls” and “a suit of tooth-plaque.” Tedesco grants as much reign to Bloody Mary as she does to language steeped in beadwork of the afterlife. I marveled at ghostlore, cakerot, and “peppermint christ,” while connecting with a narrator who wants “so badly to look like i come from a place / of costumes.” Reading FOREVERHAUS is like attending a Halloween party thrown by Anne Sexton and grimoire’s best clairvoyant. A beautiful eeriness promenades the collection—from Bela Lugosi to Theda Bara, these poems are nostalgically embroidered. There’s even room for Zelda Rubinstein on the guestlist. “Gothic in stature,” Tedesco’s aesthetic makes a home.”-Jon Riccio, Poetry Editor of Fairy Tale Review
“Kailey Tedesco’s FOREVERHAUS transforms the body into house, each poem/spell a baroque door between our very human world and the otherworldly haunts of personal memory, familial understanding, and the faith and lore in all that lies between. Tedesco writes, “Once I was inside the / dark, I could experience everything fully”: FOREVERHAUS is a lyric, compassionate haunting that, with every sharp line, will spellbind you toward the glitter and wonderment found in horror.”
-Carly Joy Miller, author of Ceremonial
June 1, 2023
May '23 Madhouse Recap: Green Witchcraft, Creative Pursuits, and Kitchen Magic
Hello friends and fiends–
Did you all remember to blow cinnamon into your homes for abundance on the first of the month? I ask because it’s something I try really hard to remember, and Dennis actually did it for us this time around!
May was and always is a weird month for me. It’s very yin-yang because there is this mad rush to finish up classes, so I’m swamped with grading, meetings, evaluations, etc., and then it all gets very quiet, which makes me feel a bit untethered if I’m being completely honest. I took a lot of time to sleep and relax and kind of wind down from all the stress; I even treated myself to a massage, which is something I try to do before and after the semester since my body is also so tense from reading, writing, and well, living on my computer. I made a bunch of doctor’s appointments to keep up with my wellness journey, am going in to get treated for TMJ at the Dentist this month (thank god), and I’m planning on doing some other bodily self-care stuff, especially for my hair since I’ve been struggling with postpartum thinning and hair loss for a while now.
On that note, I’ve been thinking a lot about my relationship with food. I love food: making it, serving it, and enjoying it with friends and family, but I’ve always had a really horrible relationship with it for reasons we definitely won’t get into here. That said, I’ve been trying to be a lot more intentional with how and what I eat lately. For instance, I got a bunch of lemons on sale so I made a batch of lemon/ginger/turmeric/cayenne health shots for me and Dennis, which we’ve been enjoying all month. I froze them individually so we could wake up in the morning, pop one into our teacup, and then pour hot water and local honey over it. It’s been a great way to start our day, and there are so many health benefits to it: reduction of joint pain, reduced blood pressure, tons of antioxidants, increase immune system, and more! I’ve also been working with dandelion a bunch this spring and I messed with a recipe that I’m looking forward to making again for dandelion fritters (which were delicious!) and then I’ve been using dandelion leaves in our salads, too, to help with lowering our blood sugar and cholesterol, and giving us a boost of a ton of vitamins, iron, and potassium as well.
That aside, I’ve been reading and writing a lot, working with my Anatomize Oracle Deck, getting back into building puzzles, doing word searches, and playing with collage again. Fun Fact: when I was a teenager, I collaged my entire room from top to bottom. I loved it and it felt like such an intense expression of myself—but I did totally ruin the walls and my parents were not happy. It was fun while it lasted though, ha.
Something else we did this month was carve out some time to work on some outside projects for the house. I’ve been enjoying spending time with the birds in the morning, so I’m forever feeding them, refilling up our bird feeders, and making sure they’re taken care of (Apollo helps, too). We started to do a bit of landscaping, which we’re planning on continuing this month, and then we got our garden situated for the summer. I bought some flowers and a ton of herbs, and then Dennis is focusing on tomatoes and a variety of peppers. He even bought a mulberry bush, so we’ll see how that goes. Things look beautiful though and my roses are blooming and doing wonderful already.
Nature will just forever make me smile.
On the writing/teaching front:
I finished teaching three graduate classes this month and had a blast with my mentees this semester. I ended up doing a couple assignments with them and am gearing up for summer residency, where I’ll be lecturing, doing a reading, and participating in lots of r&r and writing sessions with old friends and new. I truly can’t wait to see everyone. I’m looking forward to this so very much.Book Deal Announcement, RDSP: I am so incredibly excited to share my collection On the Subject of Blackberries with you. It's found poetry, bibliomancy, witchcraft, and words inspired by my adoration for Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, a book I held close and reread while I felt I was going mad--and maybe I was.I'm honored and so excited that my poem "Dinner Plans with Baba Yaga" is a 2023 Rhysling Award Finalist. Congrats to everyone nominated and everyone who wrote a poem last year. Let's keep poetry weird!My reading experience of Travis Bladree’s Legends and Lattees is live on LitReactor. This book introduced me to cozy fantasy, which lead me to pick up a cozy mystery, so it’s pretty much responsible for all the coziness in my life right now. If you haven’t picked it up yet, it’s a perfect relaxed summer read. Plus, the prequel Bookshops and Bonedust is out later this year.I put myself through a reading challenge these past two months, which was inspired by my Psychology of Sexuality course. I read a ton of queer graphic novels and had an absolute blast, so I wanted to write about my journey for LitReactor. Celebrate Pride with me and check out these wonderful reads!I had such a wonderful time chatting with Tiffany Morris on her podcast, Verses from the Void. I read some pieces from my collection The Apolcayptic Mannequin but then I also snuck in a few poems I wrote from Black Telephone Magazine, Southwest Review, and the Under Her Skin anthology. We also discussed witchcraft and talked about how writing is its own form of magic. I hope you'll take some time to listen to it and that you'll also check out Tiffany's work, too. Her collection Elegies of Rotting Stars is truly incredible.My StokerCon Schedule (6/24-6/18) so far:Monstrous Metaphors: Horror Movies and Cultural Commentary (Virtual), PanelistYou Can’t Get There From Here: Tales of Weird Pittsburgh, Panelist, Thursday 4-4:50Raw Dog Screaming Press Party, Thursday 4-5:30Author Reading, Friday 12-12:50Quoth the Raven: The Rise of Dark Poetry, Panelist, Friday 1-1:50Monstrous Mothers and the Women Who Write Them, Panelist, Friday 3-3:50Pitch Session Panel, Panelist, Saturday 11-11:50Pitch Session, Saturday 12-2:00StokerCon Cocktail Reception + Banquet, Saturday 7-9:45This month, I read:
Spite House by Johnny ComptonThe Secret, Book, & Scone Society by Ellery AdamsOut There by Kate FolkAnimal Wife by Lara EhrlichThe Crane Husband by Kelly BarnhillThis is Where We Talk Things Out by Caitlin MarceauThe Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-moIn Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial by Mona CholletI’ve been putting myself through a feminist reading list I made up this summer, and I noticed on Audible that they had some Gloria Steinem essays, so I listened to “In Praise of Women’s Bodies,” which I greatly enjoyed. If you subscribe to Audible, it’s free with your membership so definitely give it a read!Please Make Me Pretty, I Don’t Want to Die: Poems by Tawanda MulaluForeverhaus by Kailey TedescoSylvia Plath: Drawings, edited by Frieda HughesWelcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure by Lewis Hanxoc, a graphic memoirThe Times I Knew I Was Gay by Eleanor Crewes, a graphic memoirThe Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox OstertagWhen I Arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll“9 Lies You Tell Yourself About Ghosthunting” by Aimee Picchi, Nightmare Magazine, Flash Fiction“Alternate Rooms” by Nwuguru Chidiebere Sullivan, Nightmare Magazine, Poetry“We Are Always Walking on Dead Things” by Emily Ruth Verona, Nightmare Magazine, Poetry“Three Symptoms of a Disaster” by Angela Liu, Nightmare Magazine, Poetry“Ritual” by Okwudili Nebeolisa, Nightmare Magazine, Poetry“Bitch Moon” by Sarah Grey, Nightmare Magazine, PoetryThere opening of this poem left me breathless: “Here’s a secret we small-town girls/don’t spill: we’ve all been gutted/once. We’ve bled out in backwater/soil, our bodies bare as teeth. We’ve/worn our entrails like halos.”
Clinical (2017), Soft and Quiet (2022), Clueless (1995–yep, I had never watched it until now!), and Dungeons and Dragons (2023)
I wanted to start watching The Dark, but I accidentally started playing In the Dark instead (it was also on my list) so I rolled with it and I’ve been enjoying the journey. I’m currently on episode 7 and I’ve cried a bunch so far and am just in love with Murphy’s character. It has a very Jessica Jones feel to it (I love unlikeable, sassy women), so I’m excited to see where this goes.
Not Dead Yet: I was nervous there for a second in the last episode, but things turned out the way I hoped they would, and I’m still rooting for that friends-to-lover scenario with Nell and Edward. Again, this was a super cute, laid-back show and I ended up really enjoying it. As of writing this, it hasn’t been canceled or renewed for season 2, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Beef: Dennis watched this show first and then told me it was a must-see, and because I’m always down for anything A24 puts out, it was an easy sell for me. I thought this show was smart and entertaining and I love a project that is just filled with unlikeable characters that you somehow still find yourself rooting for in odd ways? But the way it tackled happiness and mental health was just spot on. I love that we’re having these types of hard, uncomfortable conversations in our art now. More of that, please!
The Haunting of Hill House (rewatch): I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen this series now, but it never stops connecting with me and I always find myself crying at the end. I even had a dream that I was walking through Hill House shortly after watching it, and it made me realize how deep this story is in my bones. What a beautiful, tragic, mad place. I wonder how many times I’ve seen it in my dreams without realizing it.
Z: The Beginning of Everything (rewatch): It’s been a while since I’ve seen this and so I decided to jump back in when I was having an especially rough day. Zelda is a beautiful type of madness and rebellion to me. I keep telling myself that I need to make time for her novel Save Me the Waltz and I really need to make that a priority here soon. I also have the book that the show is based on that I’d love to get around to as well. So many books to read, such little time!
The Twilight Zone: This month sent me into a rather intense depressive spiral. I really struggled, so I needed a comfort show, which meant that it was time to pay a visit to the twilight zone. I checked out the following episodes, some I’d seen before, others I hadn’t.
“The Hitch-Hiker,” “Mirror Image,” “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street,” “Nightmare as a Child,” and “Eye of the Beholder.”
Podcasts:
Talking Scared Podcast, “Andrew F. Sullivan and The Cutest Mould in Fungus City”
Talking Scared Podcast, “Katrina Monroe & Birthing the Ultimate Body Horror”
Talking Scared Podcast, “Alice Slater & Bookish Murder Vibes”
The Witch Wave, “Andrea Stein of Moon Dust Press”
Mini Magic, A Witchcraft Podcast for Kids, “Witchy Welcome + Storytime”
She Wore Black Podcast, “Kelly Barnhill Talks Dragons, Fairy Tales, and Animal Spouses”
Books in the Freezer Podcast, “Middle-Grade Horror and Summer Scares Readalikes with Ally Malinenko”
Books in the Freezer Podcast, “Supernatural Horror with Jessica Leonard”
Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.
Best,
Stephanie
May 2, 2023
April '23 Madhouse Recap: Research, Poetry, and Celebrating Walpurgisnacht
Hello friends and fiends–
I started off the month by going to an estate sale where I got three candlesticks and a bell. I’m working on (slowly) transforming my first-floor bathroom into a forest witch aesthetic and these fit in perfectly (not to mention, will double as great altar and ritual tools, too!). I did some house cleaning and was generally feeling pretty good, but then I went to work and got in a car accident. I was a little sore for a few days and I’m missing the bumper on my Fiesta, but that should all get fixed and situated this month, and honestly, I’m just happy that things didn’t turn out a lot worse because…well, they probably should have. Someone was definitely watching out for me that day.
April is always the end of the semester for me (for undergrad), so there was a lot of running around, chasing students, and grading late work, extra credit, and final projects. I wrapped up my Women Write Horror class and was thrilled with how it turned out. The students went above and beyond what I asked of them and genuinely seemed to enjoy themselves and push their boundaries by doing extra work and reading stuff they might not have explored before. I’m still wrapping up three graduate classes now, but I’m making plans for summer residency (and doing some extra reading with my mentees) and honestly, I’m so looking forward to some writing time. Nothing makes me happier than holing up and disappearing into a manuscript, and if I can do that with a community of writers near me? Talk about a win! Plus, Lindy Ryan and I hate a date to watch Jennifer’s Body after we present our publishing lecture so yeah, lots to be excited about!
Around mid-month, I carved out some time to stop by Gypsy Parlor Tattoo shop and reunite with Michelle Joy, tattoo artist extraordinaire. She did an INSANE floral etching for me that covered my shoulder in these dark magic blackberry vines. It looks better than I ever could have imagined and the tattoo has such deep significance to me–something that I’ll share more with everyone a little down the line, but yes, it probably has something to do with my poetry collection coming out later this year!
Outside of the above, I bought quite a few books this month. I also picked up the May Nightworm Bundle and took advantage of White Stag Publishing’s spring clearing sale. I’m hoping to do a LOT of reading this summer as I have some ideas for new classes I want to create and essays I want to write. Speaking of, I have a hold list at the library that’s a mile long. I need to go pick those babies up soon…
And speaking of babies, Evie is thriving and living her best life. She had a bit of a cold this month, but she punched it in the face and moved on quickly from it. She has so many teeth (even the doctors were shocked, ha!), she’s started to walk around a lot more, and her book obsession rivals mine. We’ve been reading a lot and building everything we can get our hands on, and she and I are definitely looking forward to some nice weather so we can get outside, feel the grass on our feet, and play with the flowers. I’m hoping to get her to the planetarium a few times this summer as well as to Phipps (which she already loves), and we have some hiking trails mapped out and our picnic basket cleaned and ready to rock and roll! There might even be some swim lessons on the horizon!
I closed out the month by doing a Walpurgisnacht ritual by myself. I did some shadow work, collected and burned old flower and herb bouquets, wrote messages to the dead, wished on dandelions, rang bells, drank some tea, and took some ghost pipe to help me center myself and do some healing. I don’t have a lot of privacy where I live but I played some soft music while I sat by our fire pit and quietly celebrated. I’m hoping that we can move here in the next couple of years so I can really let my witch flag fly without holding back.
This month, I read:
God I Feel Modern Tonight: Poems from a Girl About Town by Catherine CohenCursed Bunny by Bora Chung (highly recommend)I taught her short story “The Head” this semester and the students loved it. There are so many layers to this story and it’s so powerful. Weird, of course, but it has incredible depth and discusses topics like bodily autonomy, miscarriage, and female trauma.Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder (reread with my students)This book continues to have such a strong grip on me and I’ve read it twice not in a little over a year’s time. If you’d like to check out my initial thoughts on the book, you can read my essay “On Becoming Nightbitch” via LitReactor.I recently taught Samanta Schweblin’s short story “Mouthful of Birds” in my Women Write Horror Class, so I thought it would be a good time to pick up her collection of the same name. Some favorites were: “"Headlights," "The Merman," “ On the Steppe,” and "Heads Against Concrete." I so deeply admire Schweblin's work and I can’t wait to pick up more. Fever Dream was my first taste of what she could do, and I’ve been going back ever since. If you haven’t read her work, I think this collection would be a great place to start to get a good sense of her writing.I’m still working my way through Spite House by Johnny Compton, Out There by Kate Folk, and Animal Wife by Lara Ehrlich, but I should have all three of those finished quite soon. Especially Spite House. I’ve been making up for lost time with it and I just have to know how it ends…A Gift for a Ghost, a graphic novel by Borja GonzalezTwig, a graphic novel by Skottie YoungTaproot, a graphic novel by Keezy YoungGarlic and the Witch, a graphic novel by Bree Paulsen“Delicate Webbing” by Beatrice Winifred Iker, Nightmare Magazine, flash fiction“The Dissection” by GeorgHeym, Weird Fiction Review“Fruit” by Alyza Taguilaso, Nightmare Magazine, poetry“Axolotl” by Julio Cortazar, short fiction“The Nature of Bees” by Priya Sharma, Weird Fiction Review
On the media front:
Bros (2022), I Came By (2022), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), The Visitor (2023), Nanny (2022), Honor Society (2022), Mae Martin: Sap (2023), Evil Dead Rise (2023), The Strays (2023), A Simple Favor (2018), Nope (2022).
Not Dead Yet: Still enjoying. I’m rooting for an enemies-to-lovers spin here and I’m excited to see how they wrap up the season this month!
Working Moms, Season 7: I love this show so deeply: it’s funny and honest, and it makes me really think about my life, my goals, and who I want to be (especially now that I’m a mom). This final season wrapped up everything perfectly and I was so happy and emotional at the end. If you haven’t jumped into this one yet, definitely add it to your watch list, especially if you’re a mom. All the applause.
The Mandalorian, Season 3: This season was a lot of fun and the last episode really had me excited about the universe in general. I especially enjoyed Bo-Katan’s arc this season, and I’m excited to see where that goes moving forward.
Ghost, Season 2: There are not enough words for how much I love this show. It’s definitely become a comfort watch for me, and it never fails to crack me up.
Waco: American Apolcaypse: I watched the Waco Survivor dramatization that was on Netflix during the pandemic and it broke me–truly. I don’t think I’ve openly wept like that too often in my life, so when this 3-part documentary came out, I knew I had to give it a go. There’s something about this entire incident that has such a hold on me, and I find myself constantly going back and forth about decisions, accountability, etc. I definitely want to do some reading about this to explore further, so if anyone has any books that you’d like to recommend as I continue down the rabbit hole, please reach out and let me know!
Swarm: This show was WILD. I’m still a bit in shock over it and in awe of some of the performances in it. If you haven’t made time for this yet, definitely do so. And go in without expectations and as little knowledge of it as possible.
Podcasts:
Talking Scared Podcast, Ai Jiang & Home is Where the Haunt Is
Talking Scared Podcast, Max Booth III & Stories With Teeth
Talking Scared Podcast, Kelly Link and Once Upon a Time in a Ghost Story
Talking Scared Podcast, Rachel Eve Moulton and the Belly Button of the Beast
She Wore Black Podcast, V. Castro Talkes La Llorona and The Haunting of Alejandra
She Wore Black Podcast, Hester Fox and The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
She Wore Black Podcast, History of American Seances and Spiritualists with Kim Yalor Blackmore
She Wore Black Podcast, Rachel Harrison Talks Female Friendships
She Wore Black Podcast, Exploring Erotic Horror, BDSM, and Haunted Dungeons with Stephanie Parent
Books in the Freezer Podcast, Motherhood Horror with Gemma Amor
Books in the Freezer Podcast, Twilight Zone Readalikes with Rachel Harrison
Faculty of Horror Podcast, Rule Breaker: Scream (1996)
This Ends at Prom, Scream 2 (1997) w/ Michael Kennedy
It’s Not Just in Your Head, “Academia and Exploitation”
It’s Not Just in Your Head, “Therapists React to W.A.P. by Cardi B”
Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.
Best,
Stephanie
April 1, 2023
March '23 Madhouse Recap: Rest, Relax, and Haunt
Hello friends and fiends–
March is always a reflective month for me. The whole crew–myself included–got sick mid-month and it was a nightmare. The house desperately needs to be aired out and cleansed so the energy can reset and I’m hoping to do a big spring clean here soon. That aside, I turned 34 on the 28th and have been doing a lot of evaluation and resting and planning as I think about what I want to do now that the semester is coming to an end and summer is faintly on the horizon. I was planning on starting down a new path this fall, but the graduate program I was accepted into had a modality change that doesn’t really align with my schedule, so for now, I’ve had to defer to spring so I can meditate on how I can make this happen, and if I really want to put myself through the stress of it.
Mostly though, I just want to write. I have so many stories and half-finished projects that need tending to so I’m planning on doing just that for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, everything else will align as the universe sees fit after that.
Dennis and I did manage to steal away for a long weekend this month, which was more needed than I realized. We stayed at this adorable bed and breakfast in Gettysburg (The Inn at White Oak) and it was the most charming place I’ve ever stayed before. The hosts were lovely, the scenery and lodging were truly incredible, and we were treated like royalty with fresh breakfast every day, coffee, a selection of teas, and homemade pastries and snacks available throughout the day. The owner even built us a fire in the pool house so we could swim in style at night.
We managed to do some hiking at Devil’s Den and then visited some other battlefield sights. We antiqued, did some shopping, sampled lots of cider and mead, and then one of the highlights of the trip was a candlelight dinner in the library of the Dobin House. I’m such a sucker for anything historical and I love nothing more than soft light, good company, and creating memories, so this was a great little birthday surprise for me, and one I won’t soon forget. Plus, the food was incredible (always a plus!)
We extended our trip a bit by heading to Rocky Gap State Park. We did some more hiking, some more relaxing, and okay, I did go to the casino for a bit but they had this Little Shop of Horrors machine, so what do you really expect from me? I really enjoyed the park though, and we’re making plans to visit again this summer with Evie to do some more exploring. There’s just nothing quite as soothing as spending time in a forest. I need to do more of it…and I intend to.
As we pick up speed this April, I’ll be finishing teaching three graduate courses and one undergraduate course, as well as submitting my final work for the psychology class I’m taking. I have some trips planned for the summer and then I’m signed up for StokerCon, so hopefully, there should be lots to look forward to.
In the meantime give this poem a read: “How to Break a Curse” and continue to do good things and be kind to each other.
On the writing/teaching front:
I know some people don't connect with craft books, so I wanted to write something that recommends books to inspire creativity (while still subtly teaching). As such, check out my article Craft Books for Writers Who Hate Craft Books via LitReactor.I was thrilled to be highlighted via @HorrorWriters for #WiHM. You can check out the interview here.I managed to hit some submission calls this month, which is wild because it’s been ages since I’ve disciplined myself enough to do that. Feeling quite proud, regardless of how things shake out.
This month, I read:
Comics and Graphic Novels–I Hate Fairyland Issue #5 by SkottieYoung Lovesick Issue #5 by Luana VecchioBlue Book Issue #1 by James TynionBetty the Final Girl #1, one-shot via Archie ComicsPop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors #1, one-shot via Archie ComicsFarmhand Vol 3 by Rob GuilloryLittle Vampires Vol 1 by Jeff LemireGender Queer: A Memoir by Maia KobabeSquad by Maggie Tokuda-HallGarlic and the Vampire by Bree PaulsenNovels & Collections–
Legends and Lattes by Travis BaldreeClown in a Cornfield by Adam CesareSisters by Daisy Johnson (reread)I’ve been reading Lesley Nneka Arimah’s short story collection What it Means When A Man Falls From the Sky. This month I read: “The Future Looks Good,” “War Stories,” “Wild,” and “Light.”I’ve been reading Bora Chung’s short story collection Cursed Bunny and really, really enjoying it. This month I read: “The Head,” “The Embodiment,” “Cursed Bunny,” “The Frozen Finger,” “Snare,” “Goodbye, my Love,” “Scars,” and “Home Sweet Home.”Individual Short Stories and Essays–
“Who Will Greet You at Home?” by Lesley Nneka Arimah via The New YorkerReading this short story made me pick up her short story collection immediately.“Aspic” by Tatyana Tolstaya via The New Yorker“Unnecessary Things” by Tatyana Tolstaya via The New Yorker“Acorn” by Danielle Dutton via The New Yorker“Where Are You?” by Joyce Carol Oates via The New Yorker“Skeleton Song” by Seanan McGuire via Tor.com“The Old Women Who Were Skinned” by Carmen Maria Macahdo“Vacation” by Carmen Maria Machado“A Cat, A Bride, A Servant” by Carmen Maria Machado“A Girl Defines Herself” by Ruth Joffre via Nightmare Magazine“Skitterdead” by Mel Kassel via Nightmare Magazine“Terms of Service” by Dominica Phetteplace via Nightmare Magazine“Birds in the Mouth” by Samanta Schweblin“Fostering Inclusivity: Sensitivity Reading and Content Warnings” by Lor Gislason via LitReactor“Why Horror Resonates with Austic Fans” by Lor Gislason via LitReactor“The Haunting: How to Conquer the Shame of Being a Writer” by Chuck Palahniuk via LitReactor“Supernatural Cleaning Methods” by Joyce Wadler via The New York Times“My Marriage Was Never the Same After That…” by Maggie Smith via The Cut
On the media front:
Nocebo (2022), Scream 6 (2023), Lars and the Real Girl (2007), I See You (2019)
The Outsider: I really enjoyed this and I’m deeply curious to read the book now. Great suspense and horrifying images. I don’t know that I should have watched this considering the subject matter but once I started it, I couldn’t stop.
You, Season 4, Part 2: This entire series is such a comfort watch for me, and I know that shouldn’t be the case but I can’t help it. I liked where this season ended up going, and it got me thinking about Dexter again. I 100% need to catch up on my reading here… I still haven’t read book #3 ye
Waco: American Apocalypse: I only watched the first episode, but WACO has a pretty strong hold on me for whatever reason, so I definitely plan to finish this soon.
The Mandalorian, Season 3: I'm all caught up and remain in love with this show. I also very much appreciate the direction they are going in with Bo-Katan.
Not Dead Yet: I'm not in love with this show, but it's a cute idea and something I like to watch here and there when I need to turn off my head for a bit. Fun fact: back when working in journalism was my career goal, I so desperately wanted to get my feet wet in the field by writing obituaries. I actually applied to do it once, but didn't get the position.
Podcasts:
Talking Scared Podcast, “Mariana Enriquez and This Cruelty is Justified”
Talking Scared Podcast, “Victor LaValle and the Weird, Weird West”
Talking Scared Podcast, “Matt Ruff and A Hostile Universe Here on Earth”
Talking Scared Podcast, “Jacqueline Holland & At Last! Vampires!”
Talking Scared Podcast, “Margaret Atwood & Hope in the Dystopia”
She Wore Black Podcast, “Alexis Henderson and House of Hunger”
She Wore Black Podcast, “Rachel Harrison and the Fangs of Female Rage”
She Wore Black Podcast, “Southern Gothic and The Spite House with Johnny Compton”
She Wore Black Podcast, “Simon St. James talks Ghosts, Gothic, and Romance”
Also as a reminder, if you enjoy and appreciate the work we do here in The Madhouse, you can show your support for the blog by "buying a coffee" (or two!) for our madwoman in residence: me! As always, I thank you for your time and support and I look forward to serving you another dose of all things unsettling and horrifying soon.
Best,
Stephanie
