Stephen Kozeniewski's Blog, page 34
February 2, 2018
Women in Horror Month #1: Suzanne Madron, Author of FOR SALE OR RENT
Hey everybody! Welcome to Women in Horror Month 9! Our inaugural post for this year's interview series is someone who I met at Scares That Care IV in 2017 when she gave a dramatic reading of Ralph Bieber's dramatic reading. I'm delighted to introduce to you a hugely prolific writer and fascinating person, Suzanne Madron! Let's meet her briefly and then jump right into the interview.
About Suzanne Madron:
Suzanne Madron was born in New York City and has lived up and down the east coast. Currently, she resides in a house built on a Civil War battlefield in the wilds of south-central Pennsylvania where she has been known to host some interesting Halloween parties.
She has authored several novels and stories under various names including Suzi M, James Glass, and Xircon.
You can find her on Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter.
Interview:
SK: How are you involved in the world of horror?
SM: I am a writer primarily, with background experience in film and art.
SK: Who or what terrifies you?
SM: Clowns, though I'm getting better about that.
SK: Are there unique challenges to being a woman in horror or do you feel like gender is irrelevant?
SM: There are definitely challenges, mostly the preconceived notion that women wouldn't know enough about "horror" to be able to successfully write horror. Meanwhile, we live in a society where women walk out the door with weaponized keyrings, ready for an attempted assault on a daily basis, knowing we're on our own to save ourselves should it arise - and statistics show us that it's not a matter of if but when it will happen.
SK: Who are your favorite female horror icons?
SM: Ann Radcliffe, Bette Davis, Sigourney Weaver, Lily Munster, Elvira, and Morticia Addams.
SK: What are you working on/promoting currently?
SM:
Working on:
I'm currently working on the fifth book in the IMMORTAL WAR Series as well as a short story for an anthology and the fourth book of the METATRON MYSTERIES (written as James Glass).
Promoting:
FOR SALE OR RENT, The IMMORTAL WAR series, APOCRYPHA OF THE APOCALYPSE, MIDDLETOWN APOCALYPSE 3, and SHADOWS OVER MAIN STREET 2.
SK: Why should folks check it out?
If you're in the market for some new reads: my stories run the gamut from literary speculative fiction to gives-you-nightmares horror (as was the case with my long short story FOR SALE OR RENT. Everyone who read it messaged me to either praise me or yell at me for scaring them to the point they couldn't sleep. My work here is done).
The IMMORTAL WAR series deals with a truly messed-up bizarre love quadrilateral between vampires, an angel, and a Titan. Yeah, I know, vampires, they're so undead. These ones are a bit different, though. They're ancient Greco-Roman deities.
APOCRYPHA OF THE APOCALYPSE is a bit of a sampler with some flash pieces and the novella "The Lazarus Stone" [Conspiracy Edit] included.
MIDDLETOWN APOCALYPSE 3 is a collection of a single zombie story told by different authors. My story "One Last Night on the Stigmata Tour" is sharing a TOC with the likes of Jaime Johnesee, Jay Wilburn, Eric Shelman, Rebecca Besser, and Chuck Buda, to name a few.
SHADOWS OVER MAIN STREET 2 contains my story "The Water Shed" and also features stories from Joe Lansdale, C.W. LaSart, Eden Royce, Damien Angelica Walters, and many more.
About FOR SALE OR RENT:
The house across the street seems to go on the market every few months, but this time nothing about the sale is normal, including the new owners. No sooner has the for sale sign come down and the neighborhood is thrown into a Lovecraftian nightmare and the only way to find out is to attend the house warming party.
January 31, 2018
Women in Horror Month 2018 Schedule
Hey everybody! I'm super stoked to announce this year's lineup of interviews for Women in Horror Month. Why do we need a WiHM? I talked about that over here.
But first, a quick word. When I was planning this year's schedule, I was looking back at the rosters for 2016 and 2017. And I said to myself, "You know what? This is such a wealth of riches, I am tapped. I have used up every contact, pulled in every favor, to have two years of truly top tier talent."
I was this close to tapping out in 2018. I've enjoyed presenting a fresh slate of interviews every year, and I pretty much thought I was done and would have to go back to the well this year. But I reached out to some people I didn't know very well, and they all came through. I'm very excited about this year's slate of interviewees, and I think you will be, too!
Suzi Madron - 2/2
Veronica Smith - 2/5
Jennifer Loring - 2/7
S.L. Perrine - 2/9
Pippa Bailey - 2/12
Kelly A. Evans - 2/14
Damien Angelica Walters - 2/16
Suzanne Robb - 2/19
Lisa Morton - 2/19 (will be posted on my group blog, Across the Board)
Claire C. Riley - 2/21
Christine Morgan - 2/23
Monica J. O'Rourke - 2/26
Shelly Rosamilia - 2/28
But first, a quick word. When I was planning this year's schedule, I was looking back at the rosters for 2016 and 2017. And I said to myself, "You know what? This is such a wealth of riches, I am tapped. I have used up every contact, pulled in every favor, to have two years of truly top tier talent."
I was this close to tapping out in 2018. I've enjoyed presenting a fresh slate of interviews every year, and I pretty much thought I was done and would have to go back to the well this year. But I reached out to some people I didn't know very well, and they all came through. I'm very excited about this year's slate of interviewees, and I think you will be, too!
Suzi Madron - 2/2
Veronica Smith - 2/5
Jennifer Loring - 2/7
S.L. Perrine - 2/9
Pippa Bailey - 2/12
Kelly A. Evans - 2/14
Damien Angelica Walters - 2/16
Suzanne Robb - 2/19
Lisa Morton - 2/19 (will be posted on my group blog, Across the Board)
Claire C. Riley - 2/21
Christine Morgan - 2/23
Monica J. O'Rourke - 2/26
Shelly Rosamilia - 2/28
January 29, 2018
Revisiting Women in Horror Month 2017
Hey everybody! Before we jump into our WiHM 9 interview slate, I thought it might be nice to take a look back at last year's incredible lineup. (And while you're at it, why not take a quick peek at 2016's as well?)
Last year we spoke to:
S.C. ParrisKayleigh Marie EdwardsSomer CanonC.V. HuntJaime JohneseeCrystal ConnorMary SanGiovanniAmber FallonNikki HowardKindra SowderLesley ConnerRose O'Keefe
Last year we spoke to:
S.C. ParrisKayleigh Marie EdwardsSomer CanonC.V. HuntJaime JohneseeCrystal ConnorMary SanGiovanniAmber FallonNikki HowardKindra SowderLesley ConnerRose O'Keefe
January 26, 2018
My Lunch with Jack Ketchum
The horror world lost a tremendous voice this week in Dallas Mayr, better known by one of his many pen names: Jack Ketchum.
Facebook and Twitter are alight with remembrances of Jack. (You'll forgive me, I hope, if I use his pseudonym throughout this post. I didn't know him well enough to pretend like he was "Dallas" to me.) All these recollections combine to paint a portrait of the kindly, beloved uncle of the horror genre; a titan of an author, but one who did not act like he was above everyone else. By all measures, he seems to have been an avuncular, giving, and jovial person. This was my experience with him as well.
I met Jack on only one occasion: World Horror Convention 2016 in Provo, Utah. I flew in early and met up with Brian Keene just a few hours before he was planning to interview Jack for his podcast. I strongly recommend you listen to that podcast if you haven't before. It's a fascinating character study, going over his time as a literary agent to Henry Miller and how, as a family friend, he helped to encourage Lady Gaga's pop career. In the background, whenever you hear ice cubes tinkling, that was me, trying to pour bourbon for Brian and Scotch for Jack (Dewar's, if memory serves) as quietly as possible, while failing by and large. Simply being a fly on the wall for that afternoon was enough to give me butterflies in my stomach.
Jack was Brian's mentor, and Brian is my mentor. Going farther back Robert Bloch wrote letters encouraging a young Dallas Mayr. And H.P. Lovecraft, of course, encouraged Bloch. It's a literary genealogy I can scarcely believe I'm part of, but one of many reasons why I was very glad to meet my spiritual grandpa (A term I suspect he would have hated, having a perpetually wry and youthful attitude towards the world.)
L to R: Brian Keene, myself, Jack Ketchum
The two men then invited me to lunch. We walked a few blocks from the hotel to a New York-style deli. It seemed like a serviceable place to get sandwiches in north-central Utah, but with Jack being from New York City I looked at him and jokingly said, "You must feel right at home." A sour look crossed his face and he just shook his head and said "No."
We all talked a bit as I tried not to be "that guy." I recall asking where he'd been when Kennedy was shot - probably we'd been discussing 9/11 for some reason and where we all were. I remember flinching inwardly, because it had seemed like a perfectly natural question as it left my mouth, but immediately felt like I was calling him old. If he was offended (or even noticed) he didn't show it, and told us his Kennedy assassination story. And now I really wish that I'd written a journal of that weekend, because that's all I can remember discussing. I recorded my more immediate feelings about the weekend on the blog here, but not a terrible amount about that lunch, which is a shame.
The next time I encountered Jack that weekend was at the Gross-Out Contest, and, yes, he was doing a reading. I went on to win that contest. (You can read, or, more appropriately, don't, my winning entry here.) In my valedictory speech I concluded with "I've waited all my life to be told I was a greater writer than Jack Ketchum, and tonight you've all made my dream come true." I cringed again about that later, but at the time I was very drunk, and in any case, it made Jack and the whole room laugh.
Brian told me later that Jack walked up to him after the contest, and in a tone that even in our brief acquaintanceship I could tell was pure, 100% uncut Ketchum, asked, referring to me, "He's one of yours, isn't he?"
Later, at a party in Brian's room, Jack was sitting, an unwavering smile on his face, drinking Scotch, wearing a scarf, and just generally being Jack. Thinking to myself that this was possibly a singular opportunity, but still wary about being "that guy" I asked Brian if it would be okay to get a picture with him and Jack.
"I thought you were going to be cool," Brian hissed. "I'm not going to keep inviting you around anymore if you keep doing this shit."
A block of ice dropped into my stomach, and for the third time I worried that I had really stuck my foot in it, and now Jack Ketchum was going to hate me forever, and disown me as his grand-whatever. But, of course, Brian was fucking with me, because of course he was fucking with me. And then we got the photo pictured above.
I know that's not much, scarcely more than a long anecdote, but that was my experience with Jack Ketchum, and in that brief time he left a lasting impression on me. As I've described him throughout, he was charming, kind, a little rascally, and perpetually a fascinating gentleman. But the greater impression he'll leave is, of course, on the horror world, which has now lost one of its most singular and revolutionary voices.
Facebook and Twitter are alight with remembrances of Jack. (You'll forgive me, I hope, if I use his pseudonym throughout this post. I didn't know him well enough to pretend like he was "Dallas" to me.) All these recollections combine to paint a portrait of the kindly, beloved uncle of the horror genre; a titan of an author, but one who did not act like he was above everyone else. By all measures, he seems to have been an avuncular, giving, and jovial person. This was my experience with him as well.
I met Jack on only one occasion: World Horror Convention 2016 in Provo, Utah. I flew in early and met up with Brian Keene just a few hours before he was planning to interview Jack for his podcast. I strongly recommend you listen to that podcast if you haven't before. It's a fascinating character study, going over his time as a literary agent to Henry Miller and how, as a family friend, he helped to encourage Lady Gaga's pop career. In the background, whenever you hear ice cubes tinkling, that was me, trying to pour bourbon for Brian and Scotch for Jack (Dewar's, if memory serves) as quietly as possible, while failing by and large. Simply being a fly on the wall for that afternoon was enough to give me butterflies in my stomach.
Jack was Brian's mentor, and Brian is my mentor. Going farther back Robert Bloch wrote letters encouraging a young Dallas Mayr. And H.P. Lovecraft, of course, encouraged Bloch. It's a literary genealogy I can scarcely believe I'm part of, but one of many reasons why I was very glad to meet my spiritual grandpa (A term I suspect he would have hated, having a perpetually wry and youthful attitude towards the world.)
L to R: Brian Keene, myself, Jack KetchumThe two men then invited me to lunch. We walked a few blocks from the hotel to a New York-style deli. It seemed like a serviceable place to get sandwiches in north-central Utah, but with Jack being from New York City I looked at him and jokingly said, "You must feel right at home." A sour look crossed his face and he just shook his head and said "No."
We all talked a bit as I tried not to be "that guy." I recall asking where he'd been when Kennedy was shot - probably we'd been discussing 9/11 for some reason and where we all were. I remember flinching inwardly, because it had seemed like a perfectly natural question as it left my mouth, but immediately felt like I was calling him old. If he was offended (or even noticed) he didn't show it, and told us his Kennedy assassination story. And now I really wish that I'd written a journal of that weekend, because that's all I can remember discussing. I recorded my more immediate feelings about the weekend on the blog here, but not a terrible amount about that lunch, which is a shame.
The next time I encountered Jack that weekend was at the Gross-Out Contest, and, yes, he was doing a reading. I went on to win that contest. (You can read, or, more appropriately, don't, my winning entry here.) In my valedictory speech I concluded with "I've waited all my life to be told I was a greater writer than Jack Ketchum, and tonight you've all made my dream come true." I cringed again about that later, but at the time I was very drunk, and in any case, it made Jack and the whole room laugh.
Brian told me later that Jack walked up to him after the contest, and in a tone that even in our brief acquaintanceship I could tell was pure, 100% uncut Ketchum, asked, referring to me, "He's one of yours, isn't he?"
Later, at a party in Brian's room, Jack was sitting, an unwavering smile on his face, drinking Scotch, wearing a scarf, and just generally being Jack. Thinking to myself that this was possibly a singular opportunity, but still wary about being "that guy" I asked Brian if it would be okay to get a picture with him and Jack.
"I thought you were going to be cool," Brian hissed. "I'm not going to keep inviting you around anymore if you keep doing this shit."
A block of ice dropped into my stomach, and for the third time I worried that I had really stuck my foot in it, and now Jack Ketchum was going to hate me forever, and disown me as his grand-whatever. But, of course, Brian was fucking with me, because of course he was fucking with me. And then we got the photo pictured above.
I know that's not much, scarcely more than a long anecdote, but that was my experience with Jack Ketchum, and in that brief time he left a lasting impression on me. As I've described him throughout, he was charming, kind, a little rascally, and perpetually a fascinating gentleman. But the greater impression he'll leave is, of course, on the horror world, which has now lost one of its most singular and revolutionary voices.
January 24, 2018
Women in Horror Month 9 FAQ
Hey everybody! October, a.k.a. "Horror Christmas" is, naturally, my favorite month of the year. But it's almost February, my second favorite month of the year.
And why is February my favorite month of the year? Because every year I get to showcase a bunch of great horror industry professionals. That's right, it's Women in Horror Month! The 9th year, in fact.
Starting February 2, and every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday thereafter (including a special bonus President's Day interview on Across the Board on the 19th) I'll be interviewing thirteen of the finest ladies working in the field. But first, let's look at some commonly asked questions.
Q: Why don't you interview women every other month of the year?
A: I do! Feel free to get in touch any old time if you're interested in being featured on the blog, regardless of gender.
Q: Isn't it dismissive and parochial for you to have a month focused on women, as though they don't normally count?
A: I'm of the mindset that affirmative action is required to combat pervasive institutional bigotry and misogyny. In other words, yes, that means favoring groups which have been historically discriminated against, such as women.
Q: No, but I mean isn't it dismissive and parochial for you to participate in this as a wealthy, white, cisgendered male?
A: Maybe. I've been very fortunate to be born who I was in the time period I was born in. And it is my sincere belief that it is the responsibility of those who have to share with those who don't. If I have a disproportionately strong platform just because of who I am, then you can be damn sure I'm going to use that platform to celebrate traditionally marginalized voices. I'd rather be accused of trying too hard than of sitting on my hands.
Q: Your answers make you sound like a PC-thug SJW.
A: If you're the type of person who genuinely thinks "social justice" is a bad thing, then I don't really give a shit what you think of me, WiHM, or anything, really.
Q: I have some further arguments against WiHM...
A: All right, let me stop you right there. I think overall WiHM is a respectful, well-meaning, positive celebration. If you happen to personally not want to participate, I'm not going to force you. Everyone involved has volunteered their time, and yes, I've invited people who have respectfully declined for some of the reasons we've discussed above. But if you've heard me admit that the event is a little hokey, maybe a little controversial, but overall a bit of harmless fun, and you're still arguing with me, then I think you may just be a knuckle-dragger or a troll.
January 22, 2018
Across the Board
Hey everybody!
I just got finished posting the mother of all blogposts over on my group blog Across the Board. And it was great. It was about writing. It could have been a "Making the Sausage" post here on Manuscripts Burn. It was also talking about something I've never done before: collaborating in a writers room.
It was so good, in fact, that I was halfway tempted to just copy and paste it here. And...technically I could have. Our rule at the group blog is that cross-posting is allowed. But I also didn't want to. For one thing, it felt cheap. It felt lazy. And I don't want to be lazy with Manuscripts Burn this year. I did enough of that last year and watched my stats tumble from "finally getting to be a tastemaker" all the way back to "damn, son, you started a blog?"
So, instead, I'm just going to write something brief encouraging you to go follow Across the Board if you haven't already. You do know how to follow on Blogger, right? Every blog has a widget with a series of pictures of all of that blog's followers. If you have a Google Plus account (you probably do, and if you use Gmail you definitely do) you can just click the "Follow" button to join the fun. (Or, to make it easier, you can click this link for ATB or here for Manuscripts Burn.)
If you click on the label Steve you can see all of my posts. But you really shouldn't just do that. We have an incredibly diverse cross-section of writers and readers and they all have great perspectives on all sorts of things. It's not like this blog, with me just yammering at you all the time.
(Oh, and BTW, one of the simultaneously freakiest and funniest horror stories I ever wrote is over on ATB here. See the kind of gems you might be missing out on?)
I just got finished posting the mother of all blogposts over on my group blog Across the Board. And it was great. It was about writing. It could have been a "Making the Sausage" post here on Manuscripts Burn. It was also talking about something I've never done before: collaborating in a writers room.
It was so good, in fact, that I was halfway tempted to just copy and paste it here. And...technically I could have. Our rule at the group blog is that cross-posting is allowed. But I also didn't want to. For one thing, it felt cheap. It felt lazy. And I don't want to be lazy with Manuscripts Burn this year. I did enough of that last year and watched my stats tumble from "finally getting to be a tastemaker" all the way back to "damn, son, you started a blog?"
So, instead, I'm just going to write something brief encouraging you to go follow Across the Board if you haven't already. You do know how to follow on Blogger, right? Every blog has a widget with a series of pictures of all of that blog's followers. If you have a Google Plus account (you probably do, and if you use Gmail you definitely do) you can just click the "Follow" button to join the fun. (Or, to make it easier, you can click this link for ATB or here for Manuscripts Burn.)
If you click on the label Steve you can see all of my posts. But you really shouldn't just do that. We have an incredibly diverse cross-section of writers and readers and they all have great perspectives on all sorts of things. It's not like this blog, with me just yammering at you all the time.
(Oh, and BTW, one of the simultaneously freakiest and funniest horror stories I ever wrote is over on ATB here. See the kind of gems you might be missing out on?)
January 19, 2018
Biggest Events of 2017
Maybe it's because 2017 was the first year I drew a profit at this writing endeavor, or maybe it was something else, but I feel a lot like I'm at a turning point in my career. So I thought it might be nice in early (er, mid-) January to stop and reflect on the year that was. So here's some of the big, some of the small, and some of the amazing stuff that happened to me in 2017:
14.) Attended Farpoint, Carlisle High School Sci-Fi Day, Scares That Care, Shore Leave, the Red Lion Street Fair, and Chessiecon
13.) Appeared on "The Horror Show With Brian Keene" for a round-table discussion on working for exposure
12.) Had my first short to appear in a magazine, "Tuesday's Dead" published in "Unnerving."
11.) Released audiobooks for BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS and THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO, my first self-published work.
10.) Had my short story "Deep into that Dark One Peering" accepted in CLICKERS FOREVER
9.) Released THE HEMATOPHAGES
8.) Appeared on "The Horror Show With Brian Keene" for an episode focused on THE HEMATOPHAGES, where Brian names it the best book of the year
7.) Completed my first collaboration, SLASHVIVOR! with Stevie Kopas, concluding my four-book deal with Sinister Grin Press.
6.) Had my short story "All Dolled Up" accepted in WHISPERS OF THE APOC.
5.) Got a blurb from Stephen Graham Jones for SLASHVIVOR!
4.) Had a review of THE HEMATOPHAGES appear in Analog.
3.) The release of CLICKERS FOREVER marks my first inclusion in a limited edition or a hardcover.
2.) Appeared on a panel at Chessiecon with legendary comic writer Scott Edelman.
1.) Had THE HEMATOPHAGES named the #4 book of the year by Bryan Smith
How about you? What were some of your biggest accomplishments and achievements in 2017? What are you hoping to get done this year?
14.) Attended Farpoint, Carlisle High School Sci-Fi Day, Scares That Care, Shore Leave, the Red Lion Street Fair, and Chessiecon
13.) Appeared on "The Horror Show With Brian Keene" for a round-table discussion on working for exposure
12.) Had my first short to appear in a magazine, "Tuesday's Dead" published in "Unnerving."
11.) Released audiobooks for BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS and THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO, my first self-published work.
10.) Had my short story "Deep into that Dark One Peering" accepted in CLICKERS FOREVER
9.) Released THE HEMATOPHAGES
8.) Appeared on "The Horror Show With Brian Keene" for an episode focused on THE HEMATOPHAGES, where Brian names it the best book of the year
7.) Completed my first collaboration, SLASHVIVOR! with Stevie Kopas, concluding my four-book deal with Sinister Grin Press.
6.) Had my short story "All Dolled Up" accepted in WHISPERS OF THE APOC.
5.) Got a blurb from Stephen Graham Jones for SLASHVIVOR!
4.) Had a review of THE HEMATOPHAGES appear in Analog.
3.) The release of CLICKERS FOREVER marks my first inclusion in a limited edition or a hardcover.
2.) Appeared on a panel at Chessiecon with legendary comic writer Scott Edelman.
1.) Had THE HEMATOPHAGES named the #4 book of the year by Bryan Smith
How about you? What were some of your biggest accomplishments and achievements in 2017? What are you hoping to get done this year?
January 17, 2018
The Quintessential WHISPERS OF THE APOC Post
WHISPERS OF THE APOC featuring my short "All Dolled Up" is now available in e-book and paperback formats:
Amazon
It's also got a page on Goodreads.
Here are the other places around the net where you can find info on WHISPERS OF THE APOC:
A call announcement on Writing Career
A call announcement on Dark MarketsA call announcement on Dale Cameron Lowery's siteA call announcement on Sandra Seamans's siteDavid Keener's bibliography
January 15, 2018
MLK Day Thoughts
It's hard to know what to say today. Dr. King had a way with words, a capacity for giving speeches which stands second to very few people in history. How many famous speeches can you name off the top of your head? I'm sure one of Dr. King's springs to mind.
I don't know if this skill came easily to him or not. Likely not. Likely it was a natural gift, tempered and honed over years and decades of hard work into a great tool - a tongue, as it were, mightier than the sword.
Last year I opted to say very little on the occasion of this remembrance. A sign of respect, as it were, thoughtfulness, and no small amount of upset. But to everything there is a season, and this year I've decided to honor Dr. King in a different way, a way he perhaps also would have approved of: by speaking. By putting my natural talent to some small use and not burying it.
Let me be blunt: today is the first Martin Luther King Day in Donald Trump's America. Let me be blunt again: these two things are antithetical. They represent two divergent currents in the tide of history.
On the one hand, we have what its critics refer to as "political correctness" and what the rest of us just refer to as common human decency. We have Dr. King's simple - and potent - exhortation to judge all men not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. This was a powerful idea not so long ago. The eighties and the nineties in particular were a time when the nation was grappling with the overt, unfettered, malicious racism of the past, and the only acceptable public behavior was to denounce it. And this is what those with hate in their hearts refer to as political correctness - the idea that people shouldn't slur each other, shouldn't denigrate each other, should attempt to be decent to each other.
And no, our problems were not fixed over night, still aren't fixed, in fact, but bigotry was a problem that everyone seemed to be actively acknowledging, if not necessarily grappling with. Which leads us to our second current of history: the movement of racism underground. No, racism didn't go away in the latter few decades of the 20th century. It was simply hidden away, plastered over, like a layer of paint over a rotting foundation. The foundation was never fixed, and the paint, eventually, would begin to peel.
Then there came Trump. The billionaire from Queens who painted himself as the salt of the earth. The man who lost the popular vote by nearly three million and yet, by what can only be described as a fluke (although it increasingly seems likely a con), won the presidency.
The man who denied being racist, despite calling Mexicans drug dealers and rapists, despite equivocating on neo-Nazis and calling them decent people, despite leading the "birther" movement to discredit the first black president, despite (as recently as this week) calling Africa and Haiti "shitholes" and saying we don't need any more Haitians in America.
Worse, though, than any of his personal actions and words, was the tempest Trump's election released. Immediately in its aftermath, the racists of old, who had gone underground, came crawling out of the woodwork, shouting "Welcome to Trump's America" at Muslims in the street. All manner of vulgar, racist behavior happened on election day, and in the months since, perhaps culminating with a neo-Nazi rally in Charlotte this summer. (At least we can all hope that was its culmination.)
I'm not going to waste anyone's time pretending the sudden explosion in hate crime and the election of the candidate neo-Nazis consider one of their own are unrelated. Doubtless, Republicans will feel the need to equivocate on this issue, and point out that while all racists supported Donald Trump, not all Trump supporters were therefore necessarily racist. Bully for you. Rhetorical ass-covering complete. I suppose if it makes you refrain from sending out a meme comparing Obama to a monkey for a solid twenty-four hours just to prove your point, I guess that's some kind of small victory. He and his supporters equivocate and attempt to thread the rhetorical needle on every individual case of mortifying racism ("Haiti's not a shithole because it's predominantly black, it just so happens to be a shithole anyway, unlike Norway, which is a nice country not because it's white, but, well, you get the picture," etc.) But at the end of the day, the pattern is blindingly obvious.
For the rest of us, living in reality, the equivocating is an insult to sense and decency. Trump is the functional reverse of Martin Luther King: a man who stands up and says, "It's okay to give in to your worst inner demons. It's okay to be racist. America was better when racism was enshrined in the legal system. Let's get back to those days."
So this feels like a dark day. A reversal of fortunes. A loss of decades and decades of hard work.
There's little recourse, I suppose, than to wait for the pendulum. Every revolution carries within it the seeds of its own destruction, and the Trump years represent a revolution of sorts. A hateful, ugly revolution against civility and decency, but a revolution nonetheless. Trump has already proven to be a miserable, laughable trainwreck, and the backlash against him has already been extreme. Perhaps we can hope that in the long run this miserable experiment in recidivism will end with the pendulum pointed even further in the direction of equality than it was before. Perhaps good people will see this, be reminded of what true ugliness is, and reject it. The arc of history is long, after all, and bends towards justice.
I don't know if this skill came easily to him or not. Likely not. Likely it was a natural gift, tempered and honed over years and decades of hard work into a great tool - a tongue, as it were, mightier than the sword.
Last year I opted to say very little on the occasion of this remembrance. A sign of respect, as it were, thoughtfulness, and no small amount of upset. But to everything there is a season, and this year I've decided to honor Dr. King in a different way, a way he perhaps also would have approved of: by speaking. By putting my natural talent to some small use and not burying it.
Let me be blunt: today is the first Martin Luther King Day in Donald Trump's America. Let me be blunt again: these two things are antithetical. They represent two divergent currents in the tide of history.
On the one hand, we have what its critics refer to as "political correctness" and what the rest of us just refer to as common human decency. We have Dr. King's simple - and potent - exhortation to judge all men not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. This was a powerful idea not so long ago. The eighties and the nineties in particular were a time when the nation was grappling with the overt, unfettered, malicious racism of the past, and the only acceptable public behavior was to denounce it. And this is what those with hate in their hearts refer to as political correctness - the idea that people shouldn't slur each other, shouldn't denigrate each other, should attempt to be decent to each other.
And no, our problems were not fixed over night, still aren't fixed, in fact, but bigotry was a problem that everyone seemed to be actively acknowledging, if not necessarily grappling with. Which leads us to our second current of history: the movement of racism underground. No, racism didn't go away in the latter few decades of the 20th century. It was simply hidden away, plastered over, like a layer of paint over a rotting foundation. The foundation was never fixed, and the paint, eventually, would begin to peel.
Then there came Trump. The billionaire from Queens who painted himself as the salt of the earth. The man who lost the popular vote by nearly three million and yet, by what can only be described as a fluke (although it increasingly seems likely a con), won the presidency.
The man who denied being racist, despite calling Mexicans drug dealers and rapists, despite equivocating on neo-Nazis and calling them decent people, despite leading the "birther" movement to discredit the first black president, despite (as recently as this week) calling Africa and Haiti "shitholes" and saying we don't need any more Haitians in America.
Worse, though, than any of his personal actions and words, was the tempest Trump's election released. Immediately in its aftermath, the racists of old, who had gone underground, came crawling out of the woodwork, shouting "Welcome to Trump's America" at Muslims in the street. All manner of vulgar, racist behavior happened on election day, and in the months since, perhaps culminating with a neo-Nazi rally in Charlotte this summer. (At least we can all hope that was its culmination.)
I'm not going to waste anyone's time pretending the sudden explosion in hate crime and the election of the candidate neo-Nazis consider one of their own are unrelated. Doubtless, Republicans will feel the need to equivocate on this issue, and point out that while all racists supported Donald Trump, not all Trump supporters were therefore necessarily racist. Bully for you. Rhetorical ass-covering complete. I suppose if it makes you refrain from sending out a meme comparing Obama to a monkey for a solid twenty-four hours just to prove your point, I guess that's some kind of small victory. He and his supporters equivocate and attempt to thread the rhetorical needle on every individual case of mortifying racism ("Haiti's not a shithole because it's predominantly black, it just so happens to be a shithole anyway, unlike Norway, which is a nice country not because it's white, but, well, you get the picture," etc.) But at the end of the day, the pattern is blindingly obvious.
For the rest of us, living in reality, the equivocating is an insult to sense and decency. Trump is the functional reverse of Martin Luther King: a man who stands up and says, "It's okay to give in to your worst inner demons. It's okay to be racist. America was better when racism was enshrined in the legal system. Let's get back to those days."
So this feels like a dark day. A reversal of fortunes. A loss of decades and decades of hard work.
There's little recourse, I suppose, than to wait for the pendulum. Every revolution carries within it the seeds of its own destruction, and the Trump years represent a revolution of sorts. A hateful, ugly revolution against civility and decency, but a revolution nonetheless. Trump has already proven to be a miserable, laughable trainwreck, and the backlash against him has already been extreme. Perhaps we can hope that in the long run this miserable experiment in recidivism will end with the pendulum pointed even further in the direction of equality than it was before. Perhaps good people will see this, be reminded of what true ugliness is, and reject it. The arc of history is long, after all, and bends towards justice.
January 12, 2018
2018 Appearances
Hey all!
Red entries are events that I attended in the past. I don't list any tentative events here - these are all confirmed. I have my own personal tentative list and as that changes I will update this list, so make sure to check back periodically for updates.
If you'd like me to make an appearance at a convention or other event you're organizing or attending, feel free to contact me and we'll discuss it. Most events in Baltimore or Philadelphia are a slam dunk for me to attend, but I'll consider travelling if invited.
Farpoint 25
Dates: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday February 9-11
Location:
Delta Hotel by Marriott
245 Shawan Road
Hunt Valley, MD 21031
Panels:
Friday 3:00 pm - Salon F - "How to Survive Your First SF/Media Con"
Friday 4:00 pm - Salon C - "Creating Immersive Worlds"
Friday 10:00 pm - Ball Room - Book Fair
Saturday 2:00 pm - Salon D - "Artists and the Never Ending Cycle of Social Media"
Saturday 2:00 pm - Salon C - "The Shifting Landscape of Publishing"
StokerCon 2018
Dates: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday March 1-4
Location:
Biltmore
11 Dorrance StProvidence, RI 02903
Panels:
Thursday 11:00 am - "Writing Horror in 2018: A Panel of Fresh Voices for your Collections"
The Horror Show with Brian Keene 24 Hour Marathon
Dates: Friday and Saturday May 11-12
Location:
TBD
Scares That Care Charity Weekend V
Dates: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday August 3-5
Location:
Double Tree by Hilton
50 Kingsmill Road
Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185.
Panels:
TBD
Red entries are events that I attended in the past. I don't list any tentative events here - these are all confirmed. I have my own personal tentative list and as that changes I will update this list, so make sure to check back periodically for updates.
If you'd like me to make an appearance at a convention or other event you're organizing or attending, feel free to contact me and we'll discuss it. Most events in Baltimore or Philadelphia are a slam dunk for me to attend, but I'll consider travelling if invited.
Farpoint 25
Dates: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday February 9-11
Location:
Delta Hotel by Marriott
245 Shawan Road
Hunt Valley, MD 21031
Panels:
Friday 3:00 pm - Salon F - "How to Survive Your First SF/Media Con"
Friday 4:00 pm - Salon C - "Creating Immersive Worlds"
Friday 10:00 pm - Ball Room - Book Fair
Saturday 2:00 pm - Salon D - "Artists and the Never Ending Cycle of Social Media"
Saturday 2:00 pm - Salon C - "The Shifting Landscape of Publishing"
StokerCon 2018
Dates: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday March 1-4
Location:
Biltmore
11 Dorrance StProvidence, RI 02903
Panels:
Thursday 11:00 am - "Writing Horror in 2018: A Panel of Fresh Voices for your Collections"
The Horror Show with Brian Keene 24 Hour Marathon
Dates: Friday and Saturday May 11-12
Location:
TBD
Scares That Care Charity Weekend V
Dates: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday August 3-5
Location:
Double Tree by Hilton
50 Kingsmill Road
Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185.
Panels:
TBD
