Yesterday was Day 1 of #HalloweenHangover at the Libbie Place Barnes & Noble in Richmond. It’s a new event, featuring authors from far and wide, including many from the Commonwealth. I didn’t know what to expect, as I’ve never been to anything quite like this at a bookstore before, but it was essentially a horror book festival. I talked to a few people for the first time, hung out with old friends, and bought a few books…
The event’s a two-day affair, so swing by and check it out if you’re in the area. And while you’re there, check out the horror section! It’s been a minute since I visited this location, and they’ve got a very nicely curated set of books. Here’s an endcap featuring Richmond’s own Valancourt Books:
Here in the ol’ unhallowed laboratory concealed in the basement of the collapsing castle, it’s always spooky season, so it’s typically a slight shock to look up from my labors and notice the rest of the world taking notice. I do, however, love all things Halloween, so here on the cusp of October Country, I’m getting ready for slightly more horroring than usual…
Make with the candy dish!
This week marked the return of Fountain Bookstore‘s JABBIES (“Judge a Book by Its Spine”) series, visits to Richmond by publishing professionals to talk about their work, authors, and forthcoming books. I’ve been to a few before and really enjoyed them, but this one was truly up my alley:
The Big 5 Names in Horror
I got a lot out of the event, learning bits and bobs about the industry that I truly hadn’t heard elsewhere. The discussion of comp titles at various stages was welcome, and I particularly appreciated hearing Kelly Lonesome talk about her vision for Nightfire. I’ve seen similar-ish panels before, particularly given the ongoing work I do with the Cabell First Novelist Award wearing my humanities librarian hat, but something about the combination of editors, sales force, and bookseller really gelled for me. And, of course, I bought a couple books…
Unhallowed Reading
I read Nothing but Blackened Teeth a couple months ago, and it’s really stuck with me for its combination of motifs from different horror traditions. Plus it has by far the best ekphrasis I’ve read anywhere in a long time. I got halfway through Devil House in audio this summer and had to return it to the library, and I thought it was really good, so here we are.
As for my own literary efforts, they proceed apace. I didn’t reckon just how much it would strain my patience to shift gears to novels. Right now I’m forging through yet another draft of what I sometimes jokingly call UNTITLED FUTURE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND PULITZER PRIZE WINNER. Which would be a Hell of a trick for a short (~70K?) novel that rides the line between literary fantasy and horror, but stranger things have happened.
What’s next? If all goes as planned, querying on UNTITLED FUTURE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND PULITZER PRIZE WINNER by year’s end, and switching (back) to UNTITLED NOVEL OF ARCANE AND ELDRITCH HORROR (~150K? ~300K?). I traveled to do some on-site research for it last week, and I plan to take another research trip this spring, as I’ll have a better shot at getting inside some buildings and soaking up the vibe.
Do you read fantasy, science fiction, horror, or related genres? Do you know where you’ll be on the evening of July 28, 2021? Come check out an online panel discussion put on by James River Writers about The Future of Speculative Fiction. Hear from speakers M.K. England, Stephanie Toliver, and Nghi Vo about what’s in store for fiction that shows us alternate worlds. I’ll be moderating this exploration of what’s new, what’s back, and what’s next.
Are you surviving quarantine? Are you over sourdough and jigsaw puzzles? Climbing the walls? Then tune in Saturday night, June 20, 8:00 p.m. Eastern, for a virtual reading: Noir at the Bar Richmond. Come for the escape from shelter-in-place orders, stay for the noir, crime, and horror readings!Who’s reading?
S. A. Cosby
Meriah Crawford
J. T. Glover
Ward Howarth
Hugh Lessig
Marietta Miles
Shawn Reilly Simmons
Phillip Thompson
LynDee Walker
D. Alexander Ward
For any RVA-ns, or Richmond-adjacent folks, this Sunday (February 18th) I’ll be participating in a group reading with a bunch of local authors. It’s going to be noir and broken hearts, and it starts at 7:00 p.m. at McCormack’s Irish Pub.
J. T. Glover 