In November, “Monique Snyman”

Monique Snyman lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with an adorable Chihuahua that keeps her company and a bloodthirsty lawyer who keeps her sane. She is a full-time author, part-time editor and in-between reviewer of all things entertaining. Her short fiction has been published in a number of small press anthologies, the Charming Incantations Series published by Rainstorm Press, and she’s working hard on a couple of other novels in her spare time.

HWA: Where do you see the state of poetry in the horror genre today? Where do you see it going in the future?

MS: Poetry, in the whole, is rapidly declining due to the fact that readers no longer feel the need to buy collections of poetry. This, unfortunately, makes publishers uninterested in poetry.

The same goes for genre-specific poetry.

However, I personally feel that the golden age of horror poetry is still approaching. Edgar Allan Poe laid down the foundation for poets who enjoy dabbling in horror. We just need to start lying down more bricks, make people more interested in the beauty of dark poetry, and create architecturally sound poetry. It won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible.

HWA: As an Editor, what are you looking for?

MS: I don’t get to edit as much poetry as I’d like, but when I do, I enjoy seeing ambiguity. I’m also a fan of laments, which is not something I advertise often (people already think I’m weird – ha-ha!).

What I look for the most is relatability. There’s something beautiful about poetry that people can relate to, horror poetry included. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read some interesting poems revolving around monsters and fantastical beasts, but from a psychological point of view, readers can’t really relate to zombies. We all can, however, relate to the darkness within us.

HWA: Would you feel like sharing a poem or two? What are you working on now?

MS: I’m more of an author than a poet, but I do play around with poetry … sometimes. Unfortunately, my poetry is of the Vogon variety, so I think it’s unwise to go all willy-nilly and wave badly written poetry in other people’s faces.

Okay, fine, one poem. Just remember I warned you:

Please Refer to Addendum B

In the event of my sure death, I hereby do declare:

Foul play is afoot!

I know, I know it’s a dreadful affair,

Such a pity, I’ve hardly anything to loot.

For a possible list of suspects,

Please refer to Addendum B.

The motives for my demise are far too complex

To discuss, but how could I foresee?

Nevertheless, I would like to request

That my killer is found and tried,

To the one who manages, I hereby bequest

A little something I saved on the side.

It’s not much of a fortune, but this is my last plea,

To start your search, please refer to Addendum B.

Told you I’m rather crappy.

HWA: How vital do you find organizations like HWA to horror poetry? Is there anything you’d like to see HWA do to promote horror poetry?

MS: HWA is incredibly important to help young poets find their feet, just as they are important to help promote established poets in the horror community. As I’ve said earlier, I’m sure the golden age of horror poetry is still to come, and HWA is one of the builders for this upcoming golden age.

The HWA is quite good at promoting in general, but I think in order to gain a bigger interest one will have to branch out to other countries. Not everyone knows that poetry can be action packed, interesting, and filled with gore … Also, make kids fall in love with the genre while they’re young. It might not sit well with parents, but since when do poets play by the rules?

For more on Monique:
Blog: www.charmingincantations.com/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MoniqueSnyman.author
Twitter: @MoniqueSnyman
Instagram: @therealmoniquesnyman