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The collected poetry, prose and artwork of Joseph A. West, mostly reprinted from his work in small press horror magazines. Heavily illustrated in his distinctive style.
277 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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About the author
Joseph A. West
49 books8 followersJoe West was born and raised in the seaside town of Saltcoats in Scotland. At 19 he became a police officer, but soon turned his love of writing into a career as a journalist, working for the Daily Mirror in London among others. In 1972 West was recruited as a reporter for the National Enquirer, and began working in the United States. Traveling the world in search of stories, West almost froze to death on an Alaska mountain, and a spider bite nearly killed him in the Amazon rainforest. 'I swelled up like a balloon and turned a real pretty violet color,' he recalls.
Now a full-time novelist, West and his wife Emily reside in sunny Lake Worth, Florida, where he enjoys tamer pursuits like canoeing the alligator-infested swamps of the Everglades. His daughter Alexandria attends a local college where she studies forensic technology. She will have absolutely nothing to do with canoes and alligators.
West researches the settings of his novels by exploring the terrain in person, usually with little more than a sleeping bag and a can of coffee.
Recently he and Emily celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at the Lodge in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, a gift from the students at Rio Rancho High School who use West's first novel as a textbook. They then spent a month in the mountains and deserts of New Mexico, often pitching their tent where the air is thin at 9,000 feet above the flat.
Now a full-time novelist, West and his wife Emily reside in sunny Lake Worth, Florida, where he enjoys tamer pursuits like canoeing the alligator-infested swamps of the Everglades. His daughter Alexandria attends a local college where she studies forensic technology. She will have absolutely nothing to do with canoes and alligators.
West researches the settings of his novels by exploring the terrain in person, usually with little more than a sleeping bag and a can of coffee.
Recently he and Emily celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary at the Lodge in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, a gift from the students at Rio Rancho High School who use West's first novel as a textbook. They then spent a month in the mountains and deserts of New Mexico, often pitching their tent where the air is thin at 9,000 feet above the flat.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 21, 2013
If you’ve been around the small-press horror magazine scene for a while, you may already be familiar with the work of Joseph A. West. His distinctive primitive art style, heavy on sloping foreheads, large noses and jutting jaws, has graced many a magazine. He also is a poet and filled spots with prose where needed.
‘Ol Uncle Joe is 91 as of this writing, and a collected volume of his work has finally been published by Witch Tower Press of Minneapolis. I happened to attend one of his readings at Dreamhaven Books (won’t get the chance again, I figured) and picked up the book there.
It’s arranged by category of work (with drawings throughout), Verse, Tales, Nonfiction, Random Musings and Illustrations. The strongest sections are the first and the last. Mr. West’s earthy and sometimes macabre sense of humor works best in his poems, and his art is what he’s most known for. The middle sections have generally good stuff, but there’s a lot of repetition as the same subjects and jokes come up several times.
Literary horror fans may be most interested in the accounts of H.P Lovecraft’s house, and a visit with August Derleth. I do wish there were more nonfiction pieces aoout Mr. West’s experiences as a small press artist. I bet there would be some juicy tales there!
I would primarily recommend this book to fans of small press horror who may have fond memories of Mr. West’s work, and those interested in the history of the field.
Visit my blog at http://www.skjam.com for reviews of other pop culture artifacts.
‘Ol Uncle Joe is 91 as of this writing, and a collected volume of his work has finally been published by Witch Tower Press of Minneapolis. I happened to attend one of his readings at Dreamhaven Books (won’t get the chance again, I figured) and picked up the book there.
It’s arranged by category of work (with drawings throughout), Verse, Tales, Nonfiction, Random Musings and Illustrations. The strongest sections are the first and the last. Mr. West’s earthy and sometimes macabre sense of humor works best in his poems, and his art is what he’s most known for. The middle sections have generally good stuff, but there’s a lot of repetition as the same subjects and jokes come up several times.
Literary horror fans may be most interested in the accounts of H.P Lovecraft’s house, and a visit with August Derleth. I do wish there were more nonfiction pieces aoout Mr. West’s experiences as a small press artist. I bet there would be some juicy tales there!
I would primarily recommend this book to fans of small press horror who may have fond memories of Mr. West’s work, and those interested in the history of the field.
Visit my blog at http://www.skjam.com for reviews of other pop culture artifacts.
Displaying 1 of 1 review