NOTABLE WORKS
Disclaimer: An author and editor, I am not a mental health professional.
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Posts by Angela Yuriko Smith [ 248 ]
In Memoriam: Bruce Boston
Bruce Boston: an Appreciation
by Mary A. Turzillo
Bruce Boston
Bruce David Boston, emperor of the weird, the esoteric, the absurd. Once a year at least, my husband Geoffrey Landis and I would sit around the table in his and Marge Simon’s house in Ocala, drinking wine and eating cheesecake or dried fruit. The conversations were esoteric, comical, scandalous, divine. There were other meetings, although as years went by, Bruce became more retiring and skipped Conference on the Fantastic, where he’d been a Creative, and other conferences where he would have been lionized, and even StokerCon.
The Bloodless Birth of Blood & Spades: In the Words of Marge Simon
Being invited to Marge Simon’s Blood & Spades column in the monthly newsletter is, for many of us, a goal to aspire to. I’ve found many of the poets I love in her column and feel privileged to have been a guest once or twice. Here, in Marge’s own words, is how this dark poetry staple came about. This will also be my last poetry blog post. From here, Sumiko Saulson will be taking over the Dark Poetry Blog. We are in good hands. –aySmith
NOTABLE WORKS REVIEW: “Moira” by Jamie Flanagan
While mental illness is conventionally seen as emanating from the mind—the brain malfunctioning— and expressed through the body—physical responses such as insomnia or nausea, Jaimie Flanagan’s short story “Moira” identifies the true locus of mental illness—the soul—and names this state “soul-sick,” emphasizing how mental illness affects the very core of our being, our identity and sense of self. Review written by E.S. Magill.
Interview with Pete Kelly, Poet-in-residence for the Dracula Society
Pete Kelly is a poet and one time voice of the band Gothamistic. He has been a horror fan since birth, so he says. He works as a shipwright when not puddle watching. A Pushcart nominee for his poem “Walk in the woods,” published in Space and Time Spring #140 and an Elgin award nominee for his first collection, What Appears In The Dark. Find him on Instagram as splatz007.
THE INTERSECTION OF MENTAL HEALTH AND HORROR, Panel Report, StokerCon 2024, Saturday 1 June
By Lee Murray
Trigger Warning: This article addresses issues mental illness.
Trauma. Anxiety. Depression. Psychosis—the Venn diagram where horror and mental illness meet at times seems a perfect circle. This panel will examine the role that horror can play, both in its consumption and creation, in providing a relief from mental health stressors and the implications for writers. Moderated by Mark Matthews, with panellists Justin C. Key, L.E. (Lauren Elise) Daniels, Mo Moshaty, and Mercedes Yardley.
SELF-CARE FOR HORROR WRITERS, 2024 StokerCon Virtual Panel Report
By Lee Murray
Striking a sustainable work-life balance for the long-game in horror takes time and experience. Eric LaRocca, Christa Carmen, Ace Antonio-Hall (Nzondi), Pamela Jeffs, and EV Knight offer their insights in a panel moderated by L. E. Daniels on how to protect our bodies and minds as we navigate dark fiction.