NOTABLE WORKS
Disclaimer: An author and editor, I am not a mental health professional.
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Mental Health Initiative
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.
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.
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM GRIEF IN HORROR Panel Report, 2024 Virtual Stoker
By Lee Murray
Trigger Warning: This article addresses issues of grief, loss, and mental health.
Moderated with compassion by Mo Moshaty, an author-producer with experience working closely with death doulas, the panel commenced with a round-robin of introductions, including the panellists’ relevant work, and also their particular interest in the topic of grief horror.
VIRTUAL: FLIPPING THE LID ON MENTAL ILLNESS IN HORROR StokerCon 2024 Panel Report
By Lee Murray
Trigger Warning: This article addresses mental illness.
For this panel, held in the virtual space, I had the honour to be joined by panellists L.E. (Lauren Elise) Daniels, Lauren McMenemy, John Palisano, and Angela Yuriko Smith to discuss tools and techniques for addressing mental illness in horror, including fresh approaches for depictions that are authentic and affective.
Holistic Horrors: Poetry & Wellness
This month on Holistic Horrors we take a brief look at the role of poetry in promoting well-being and connectiveness. Numerous studies suggest that this is the case. For example, in their 2018 study examining the value of writing poetry as a “means to help people living with chronic pain to explore and express their narratives in their own unique way”, researchers Hovey, Khayat, and Feig concluded that “to write cathartic poetry means bringing into presence our inner reflective thinking, emotions, and self-empathy to help ourselves and others who suffer alongside us.”