Know a Nominee, Part 25: Robert Payne Cabeen
Welcome back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Today’s latest update features Robert Payne Cabeen, nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection, for Fearworms: Selected Poems.
DM: Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work(s) for which you’ve been
nominated. What attracted you most to the project? If nominated in multiple categories, please touch briefly.
RC: The genesis of Fearworms was quite unexpected. Last year, I ran across Larry Santoro’s Tales to Terrify podcast and noticed that he occasionally included poetry readings in the show. I sent him Doctor Volmer, one of my long narrative poems, and he had Robert Neufeld narrate it–and eventually many more. I was blown away. It was like hearing them for the first time and it sparked my interest in poetry again–after a twenty-year hiatus. Then I discovered that Marge Simon and others had built a worldwide audience for horror poetry. So, with Marge’s inspiration and encouragement, I decided to assemble a collection of old and new poems.
DM: What was the most challenging part of bringing the concept(s) to fruition? The most rewarding aspect of the process?
RC: The biggest challenge was creating a full-color illustration for each poem–and ultimately the most rewarding aspect. I’d focused on my screenwriting so much that I hadn’t done any artwork for many years. It’s not like I was driving without a license. I have a master’s degree in painting and design from Otis, but I wasn’t sure I still had the beans for it. To my surprise, I had actually gotten better–not sure why.
DM: What do you think good horror/dark literature should achieve? How do you feel the work(s) for which you’ve been nominated work fits into (or help give shape to) that ideal?
RC: Like any creative endeavor, what’s considered good is totally subjective. I know what I like. I relish a festering feeling of dread that builds to a shocking, gory and terrifying conclusion. If there’s an ironic or unexpected twist at the end, all the better. Another essential element for me is humor. If done well, humor can amplify the horror exponentially. When I use humor, which is always, I avoid comic relief. Instead, I put the humor before the most horrific events. A sucker punch isn’t subtle, but it’s pretty effective.
DM: I’m curious about your writing and/or editing process. Is there a certain setting or set of circumstances that help to move things along? If you find yourself getting stuck, where and why?
RC: The old adage, “writing is rewriting,” certainly rings true for me. I bang out a first draft as quickly as possible, then rewrite it until someone pries it form my cold dead hands.
I’ve done a fair amount of story editing for other writers’ scripts. One producer said I was fearless when came to cutting scenes. I’ve killed more little darlings than a satanic cult leader–especially my own.
I really don’t tend to get stuck. I developed a little trick when I was writing advertising copy. I’d begin by typing anything–a nursery rhyme, song lyrics–gibberish. Before long, I’d be off and running. I guess it’s like priming a pump.
DM: As you probably know, many of our readers are writers and/or editors. What is the most valuable piece of advice you can share?
RC: Write for yourself–unless it’s work for hire–then take the money and run.
DM: If you’re attending WHC this year, what are you most looking forward to at this year’s event? If not attending, what do you think is the significance of recognitions like the Bram Stoker Awards?
RC: This will be my first World Horror Convention, and my first Bram Stoker Award nomination. Over the past year, I’ve made quite a few new friends on Facebook, and I look forward to meeting as many of them as possible–in the flesh. Then they’ll be meat friends–so to speak.
DM: What scares you most? Why? How (if at all) does that figure into your work or the projects you’re attracted to?
RC: Horror fans scare the shit outta me–just kidding. I’m oddly devoid of fears and phobias. That’s not to say I’ve never been afraid. I’ve experienced a couple of large earthquakes that were terrifying. I guess my fears are more situational than anticipatory.
When I was younger, I did have a fear of snakes, but that all changed when my kids got a pet garter snake. He’d rear up in his tank and beg me to pick him up. I turned into a real snake handler. Now I have a preference for reptile pets. We still have a nineteen-year-old gecko named Spike. “He’s old and his skin in cold.”
DM: What are you reading for pleasure lately? Can you point us to new authors or works we ought to know about?
RC: All my reading of late has been confined to the Bram Stoker Awards recommendations. I read till my eyes bled. What an amazing roster of horror writers. I would recommend that any fan of the genre look no further than the current nominees for cutting-edge horror fiction. When it comes to horror poetry, my fellow nominees are stellar. A big shout-out to Marge Simon, Stephanie Wytovich, Alessandro Manzetti, Corrine De Winter, and Tom Piccirilli.
About Robert Payne Cabeen
Robert Payne Cabeen is a screenwriter, artist, and purveyor of narrative horror poetry. His screenwriting credits include Heavy Metal 2000, for Columbia TriStar, Sony Pictures, A Monkey’s Tale, and Walking with Buddha.
As creative director for Streamline Pictures, Robert helped anime pioneer Carl Macek bring Japanese animated features, like Akira and dozens of other classics, to a western audience.
Cabeen received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Otis Art Institute, with a dual major in painting and design. Since then, he has combined his interests in the visual arts with screenwriting and story editing for a broad range of entertainment companies including Warner Brothers, Columbia/TriStar, Disney, Sony and Universal.
For more about FEARWORMS, visit: fearworms.com or robertpaynecabeen.com
