Weird. Most dictionaries will include in its definitions of this word the phrase “suggesting something supernatural; uncanny.” H.P. Lovecraft, an imperfect human who strove to perfect his craft, referred to his work as “Weird Fiction” S.T. Joshi’s classic “The Weird Tale” (University of Texas Press 1990) states in the preface that the Weird Tale “does not exist as a genre but as a consequence of a world view.” The Weird Tale has been a stable of horror for many years. Ms. Dioses has emerged as a rising star in a subset of this body of work: Weird Poetry. …

Finding Your Inner Chupacabra

An Interview with Juan Manuel Perez, the Texas Chupacabra Poet

By

David E. Cowen. Author of The Madness of Empty Spaces (Weasel Press 2014) and The Seven Yards of Sorrow (Weasel Press September 2016); Editor HWA Horror Poetry Showcase Volumes III (2016) and IV (2017)

Juan Manuel Perez, a Mexican-American/Texas poet of indigenous descent (Purapecha/Otomi), is the author of Another Menudo Sunday (2007), O’ Dark Heaven: A Response To Suzette Haden Elgin’s Definition Of Horror (2009), WUI: Written Under The Influence Of Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. (2011), Live From La Pryor: The Poetry Of …

An Intimate interview with Marge Simon, Mary Turzillo and Weasel Press about their new book Satan’s Sweethearts.

by

David E. Cowen. Author of The Madness of Empty Spaces (Weasel Press 2014) and The Seven Yards of Sorrow (Weasel Press September 2016); Editor HWA Horror Poetry Showcase Volumes III (2016) and IV (2017)

Hurricane Harvey is now here in Houston a memory though the gifts it brought still blossom with the mold growing on so many walls. Now poor Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are in the process of having to pick up and dry off. If you …

An Interview with Poet/Author Peter Adam Salomon

by David E. Cowen, Author of The Madness of Empty Rooms and The Seven Yards of Sorrow

By the graces of the HWA (Lisa Morton asking nicely – what I’m supposed to say ‘no’ to her? I think not) and a plea from the prior guardian of this blog I am taking over the task of bringing this blog to the members of the Horror Writer’s Association on a regular monthly basis. Aha, you are likely saying to yourself, this blog entry is late. Yes it is. I reside in Houston and an …

A former news journalist, Angela Yuriko Smith retired to write fiction. Her prose and poetry have been widely published in both print and online publications. She has nearly 20 books which include dark and speculative fiction for YA and adults, books for children and two collections of poetry. Her first collection of poetry, In Favor of Pain, has been nominated for a 2017 Elgin Award. When not writing, she teaches creative writing at Northwest Florida State College.

HWA: What can you share about the inspiration and writing of In Favor Of Pain?

In Favor of Pain was an …

The Horror Writers Association is pleased to present the three featured poems from the 2017 HWA Poetry Showcase.

After four years, the HWA Poetry Showcase has become a vibrant, global poetry competition featuring the best poetry, and the best poets, of the membership of the Horror Writers Association.

This year was the second, and final, year of David E. Cowen being Editor for the Showcase. As such, I asked him to write an introduction to this HWA Poetry Page post about his experiences with the Showcase and dark/horror poetry:

Poetry is dead. Long live the poetry of the undead!

It …

Click here to go directly to the submission page.…

Congratulations to everyone nominated for the 2016 Bram Stoker Awards®!

Most especially, congratulations to the five nominated poetry collections for the 2016 Bram Stoker Awards®!!!!

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection:

Boston, Bruce and Manzetti, Alessandro – Sacrificial Nights (Kipple Officina Libraria)
Collings, Michael R. – Corona Obscura: Poems Dark and Elemental (self-published)
Gailey, Jeannine Hall – Field Guide to the End of the World: Poems (Moon City Press)
Simon, Marge. – Small Spirits (Midnight Town Media)
Wytovich, Stephanie M. – Brothel (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

To help celebrate and to promote these poets and to provide a larger …

Congratulations to everyone on the 2016 Bram Stoker Awards® Preliminary Ballot!

Most especially, congratulations to the poets on the 2016 Bram Stoker Awards® Preliminary Ballot!!!

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection:

• Betts, Matt – Underwater Fistfight (Raw Dog Screaming Press)
• Boston, Bruce and Manzetti, Alessandro – Sacrificial Nights (Kipple Officina Libraria)
• Collings, Michael R. – Corona Obscura: Poems Dark and Elemental (self-published)
• Cowen, David E. – The Seven Yards of Sorrow (Weasel Press)
• DiLouie, Craig and Moon, Jonathan – Children of God: Poems, Dreams, and Nightmares from the Family of God Cult (ZING Communications, Inc., Jonathan Moon.)
• Gailey, Jeannine

From Detroit, Michigan, Vincenzo Bilof has been called “The Metallica of Poetry” and “The Shakespeare of Gore.” With a body of work that includes gritty, apocalyptic horror (The Zombie Ascension Series), surrealist prose (The Horror Show), and visceral genre satire (Vampire Strippers from Saturn), Bilof’s fiction remains as divisive and controversial as it is original. He likes to think Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, and Charles Baudelaire would be proud of his work. More likely, Ed Wood would have been his biggest fan.

HWA: Where did the concept/inspiration for ‘Visions of a Tremulous Man’ originate?

VB: No matter how I answer …

This year has seen a number of excellent poetry collections released by HWA members. To help those wondering what to buy for gift giving, the HWA Poetry Page is please to share a handy shopping guide with you.

To start, 2016 saw the release of the third volume of the HWA Poetry Showcase. Edited by David E. Cowen (more on him later), the third volume is the first to be available as an electronic chapbook and also in paperback!

Volume I and Volume II also make great holiday gifts!!

David E. Cowen released The Seven Yards …