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June 2008 Hypericon (Nashville, Tennessee)
Deena and I had a great time at the Hypericon convention for sci/fi, horror, and fantasy folk. She had a couple panels in the art show, and we got to have dinner with the legendary Joe Lansdale. In this picture, I'm wondering if Matt Wallace has a third hand in the middle of his stomach that he's not telling me about. Go to Deena's photo gallery to see the rest of the pictures. May 2007 Presentation to Young Writers of Western Loudoun
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During Memorial Day weekend, I spent a fun couple of hours talking to a talented bunch of young authors up in Northern Virginia. These 9th graders are truly dedicated to their craft to come out on a Saturday morning to hear me yak about writing. This was also my first time teaching others in a classroom setting about craft. I hope I'll have more opportunities like it in the future. |
Author Caleb Grimes and I wonder what we're going to have for lunch. I was the featured guest of the Recreation & Parks Department of Staunton, Virginia, at an author luncheon series called "Simple Socials". More pictures from the event and info about the series can be found at this link. |
Um, will someone tell me what I thought I was doing in this photo from the Context convention in Columbus, OH? Seriously, I have no idea. It must have been obscene, judging by the expression on Deena's face. More photos and interesting blog entries can be read courtesy of Deena Warner and Matt Wallace. |
When I wasn't screwing around at the Book 'Em fair in Waynesboro, Virginia, I was teaming with folks like Elizabeth Massie, Stephen Mark Rainey, and Elizabeth Blue to sell books for the Waynesboro Police Department. |
The multi-author signing on October 28 at the Borders Express in White Marsh Mall, Maryland, was a big success. Here I am with my publisher John Edward Lawson and fellow Raw Dog author Ronald Damien Malfi. More pictures on the Raw Dog Screaming Press website and Deena Warner's website. |
September 2006 Eyes Everywhere Publicity Tour |
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This has been an active and successful season promoting my new book. Click here to see some photos from the September 15 signing in my hometown. |
The kids at Marvin Ward Elementary School in Winston-Salem, NC, listened patiently as I extolled the virtues of the horror genre. First graders were treated to readings of Dr. Seuss and Chris Van Allsburg. |
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This year’s Horrorfind convention was a great success. With the assistance of co-hosts Raw Dog Screaming Press, Deena Warner and the gals of Really Scary, the eight-hour Eyes Everywhere launch party seemed to attract all the con-goers. Click here and here to see some picture galleries.
There's been such great response to last year's column about my new home of Staunton, Virginia that I sent some special correspondents out to explore the former Western Lunatic Asylum a/k/a Western State Hospital (abandoned) and the DeJarnette Center, a former children's asylum (also abandoned). Also see Will Ludwigsen's gallery of Staunton insane asylums.
Although these pictures don't show the inside of Western State, the local Staunton News Leader posted a gallery at this link. You can also read about Western State's 19th-century history in a book by Alice Wood.
DeJarnette and Western State are only spoken of in hushed tones here in Staunton, mainly because Western State's superintendant, Joseph S. DeJarnette, was a public advocate of eugenics and forced sterilizations of the insane. Thanks to the efforts of idiots like him, Virginia's eugenics law was upheld in the U.S. Supreme Court and strongly influenced the development of Nazi Germany's law about sterlization. You can read DeJarnette's ode to eugenics, "Mendel's Law," at this link. ("Oh, you wise men take up the burden, / And make this you [sic] loudest creed, / Sterilize the misfits promptly- / All not fit to breed!") A good writeup about Dr. DeJarnette and Virginia's eugenics movement is at this link.
Understandably, the City of Staunton is anxious to proceed with plans to pave over the DeJarnette Center with a shopping mall and parking lot, while continuing with plans to renovate the former Western State campus into condominiums and businesses that preserve the old architecture. What I find ironic in all this is that, to my knowledge, Dr. DeJarnette worked at the former Western State campus and not in the mouldering ruins bearing his infamous name.
After hearing my presentation on horror literature, Chris Rhoades, his girlfriend Katie, and I mugged for the camera as we pondered the impossibility of ever finding a more beautiful door to pose in front of. Ah, the splendor of it, the silent majesty and solemnity—a testament to our great photographic prowess—the way it symbolizes our final passage to the great beyond, the … the … hey, do you smell something? Chris also gave me a copy of his very kind term paper about me, which you can read here.
Some men's wives are witches, and some men's wives only dress like them. Here's my lovely wife, Deena, set up to spellbind convention-goers with cards and prints.
After posting a thumbs-up book review of Death Sentences, ReallyScary.com's Valarie Thorpe and Diane Giles take one more peek at the book before heading up to the crowded launch party I hosted at the Horrorfind convention. To see all the convention photos, click here.
David Morrell, the author of First Blood (the basis of Rambo) kindly "endorses" my reading at the World Horror Convention. My wife, Deena, is on the left. For the complete photo gallery, click here.
The fourth annual Horrorfind Weekend was a total blast. Among other people, Deena and I were privileged to meet the legendary film director George Romero (seen in this picture). A gallery of all our pictures are at this link.
Here I am, on behalf of Brian Keene, accepting the Bram Stoker Award for First Novel for his novel The Rising. Click here to see additional photos.
(Back row L-R) Brian Keene, Steven Spruill, Douglas E. Winter, F. Paul Wilson, me, Mary SanGiovanni. (Middle row) J. F. Gonzalez, L. Marie Wood, Elizabeth Massie, A. B. Wallace. (Front) Trish Nyhus of Burke Used Books. More pictures at Deena Warner's site. Also see the Fairfax County Ch. 21 TV spot.
 This must be the only documented instance of Adam Golaski (New Genre) not wearing a tie. I'm sure he wishes he had a gun in that hand now that he's seen this picture. |
 Winners of the Twilight Tales Flash Fiction Contest: Adam Pepper (2nd), Matthew Warner (1st) and Steve Verge (3rd). I also placed 2nd in the annual Gross-Out Contest. |
This picture doesn't show it, but I actually smiled a couple times while extolling the virtues of the horror genre to librarians at the annual literature conference of the Associated School Librarians of Fairfax County.
 Deena Warner |
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(Front row:) Mindy Carter, mother Pat Warner,
grandmother Hazel Burnworth
(Back row:) wife Deena Warner, brother Ben Warner, me
The Linebergers (l-r:) Dorian, Meg, Rob, Ricky,
Kathy, Jim, and Deena & me
Moody, a.k.a. Cathulhu
Leonard Garment, former counsel to President Richard Nixon
