So, I'm speaking on a panel about Paranormal Romance. I'm not sure if I'm more surprised about the engagement itself, or the subject.
Last month's New England Horror Writers newsletter, (the one that has me on the front page) had a note that Colgate bookstore in Hamilton, NY was looking for someone to participate in a panel, tentatively called ""Fangs, Fur and Fey: Perspectives on Paranormal Fiction." They wanted someone who was more of the horror bent than romance. They were having some difficulty getting a horror writer, although the romance folks volunteered quickly.
What's up with that? Horror writers often complain that they aren't getting the exposure we deserve, so why wouldn't they want to get on a panel like this? Is there an undercurrent of elitism in horror?
Their loss is my gain. I sold myself as someone who has read into the roots of paranormal romance, having read Anne Rice, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Laurel K. Hamilton, Nancy Collins, and watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer religiously. I've also read some of Leonard Wolf's literary criticism of horror, so I've got a bit of the analysis to back me up.
So if you want to see me talking horror and romance, I'll be at
the Colgate Bookstore
3 Utica Street, Hamilton, NY. 13346
Saturday, November 7th. 2 PM
Gods willing, and with a bit of preparation, I won't make an ass of myself.
I highly recommend you read twilight before participating. You KNOW its going to come up, and you should be versed so you can point out its glaring stupidity...and how nakedly it caters to the female id. I was discussing it with a friend of mine last night, and she whole heartedly agreed.
ReplyDeleteThis is Heather (from the Colgate Bookstore) and I will try to make sure Twilight doesn't come up too much. For the record, I loved Twilight, but there's so much more out there, and I feel (as a bookseller) obligated to let readers know. And to have a conversation about the taming of the monster genre in general. I am glad to have my "female id" catered to with paranormal romance, but my female id also craves a certain amount of visceral terror that has nothing to do with sex or romance and everythingto do with severed zombie heads rolling beneath the power of my mighty chainsaw or katana. Or the more subtle (but no less frightening) horror of "the thing with the endless piebald side" a la Stephen King. (Lisey's Story is what I consider to be the quintessential paranormal romance.)
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm rambling. At any rate, John, we're looking forward to having you on the panel and don't forget, as much as I'm behind the paranormal romance authors, my chainsaw and I also have your back.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteEidolon is generally a lot less condescending than he sounds.
Although now that we come to the taming of monsters, I wonder how I can work the civilizing of Enkidu into this...
I agree with Eidolon about some of the glaring stupidities of Twilight. But I still loved it. Sigh.
ReplyDelete