tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57587793138545015282024-03-29T05:40:41.418-04:00Drew RowsomeA writer, musician,
editor and pop culture enthusiast.
Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.comBlogger2086125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-61646595744498001702024-03-26T04:30:00.000-04:002024-03-26T04:30:14.673-04:00White Muscle Daddy: horror and hormones collide<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpza5EaLCuzt7XrjkxlpweoxKpkWjiCxv1MBc8GgukAtQqI22YkC9HlVh8wcGxIXG_wSakhrjwTwRB_z1DEv9Tk1YOW0v8aWe2rm-HSetn9wgrk8LmUo8j3nfqc0nfyQeeIbvLex6LeENKKaKZg2TLXBvB8v5iOLgIYd82g4IdUJnuLHgtiCAls5RAEcv/s900/WMD_Jaime%20Lujan_lighting%20design%20Alia%20Stephen,%20costume%20design%20Cat%20Calica,%20set%20design%20Echo%20Zhou,%20projection%20design%20Nicole%20Eun-Ju%20Bell_photo%20by%20Jeremy%20Mimnagh.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpza5EaLCuzt7XrjkxlpweoxKpkWjiCxv1MBc8GgukAtQqI22YkC9HlVh8wcGxIXG_wSakhrjwTwRB_z1DEv9Tk1YOW0v8aWe2rm-HSetn9wgrk8LmUo8j3nfqc0nfyQeeIbvLex6LeENKKaKZg2TLXBvB8v5iOLgIYd82g4IdUJnuLHgtiCAls5RAEcv/w400-h320/WMD_Jaime%20Lujan_lighting%20design%20Alia%20Stephen,%20costume%20design%20Cat%20Calica,%20set%20design%20Echo%20Zhou,%20projection%20design%20Nicole%20Eun-Ju%20Bell_photo%20by%20Jeremy%20Mimnagh.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>Being young and hot forever is what every queer person wants</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Danger is part of our sexual experience</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>White Muscle Daddy</i> begins with horror film titles projected on a large screen across the back of the stage. The blood red font is instantly, deliciously, recognizable as the one that introduced the Hammer Horror classics. Nostalgia, a frisson of fear, and a dose of camp. The film itself is a hilarious take off on any slasher film, but with a queer twist. And the final girl about to be stalked, the irrepressible Augusto Bitter (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/true-dating-stories-and-fabulous-show.html" target="_blank">True Dating Stories</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/chicho-beauty-of-augusto-bitter.html" target="_blank">Chico</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/iphigenia-and-furies-on-taurian-land.html" target="_blank">Iphigenia and the Furies</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-monument-trying-to-confront.html" target="_blank">The Monument</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/01/lear-shakespeares-tragedy-gets.html" target="_blank">Lear</a></i>), is reading David Demchuk's queer horror classic <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/red-x-david-demchuks-novel-is-multi.html" target="_blank">Red X</a></i> when that first ominous phone call comes through. As the horror and comedy build to a Hitchcockian climax, playwright Raf Antonio and co-directors Antonio and Tricia Hagoriles start to play with the fourth wall and reality. Film and theatre merge, contradict and blend with pre-filmed segments and live filmed segments often taking the place of onstage action. Stylistically and thematically ambitious, <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> is always visually inventive and once some of the technical and timing issues are ironed out, should become the thrill ride it aims to be.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHdHijYR4oiDsdnOp5zs4Swcgnnk2pcU5f6JoyPMQvB8jhyP90acaa5Z9Ou-pNKvLAzypdWSMtFbc-1DOxecjvYbW1r-aQCEdcQBqqFvpn5VHjRuHXTjujYg6X4v9gFZmOIHmw-m02bpCufp1ghvPVHTqfQydNkW_bmVy4g5MFRV3EdN7fbUExmu4w3Am/s900/WMD_Frankie%20Bayley%20+%20Jaime%20Lujan_lighting%20design%20Alia%20Stephen,%20costume%20design%20Cat%20Calica_photo%20by%20Jeremy%20Mimnagh.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHdHijYR4oiDsdnOp5zs4Swcgnnk2pcU5f6JoyPMQvB8jhyP90acaa5Z9Ou-pNKvLAzypdWSMtFbc-1DOxecjvYbW1r-aQCEdcQBqqFvpn5VHjRuHXTjujYg6X4v9gFZmOIHmw-m02bpCufp1ghvPVHTqfQydNkW_bmVy4g5MFRV3EdN7fbUExmu4w3Am/w320-h400/WMD_Frankie%20Bayley%20+%20Jaime%20Lujan_lighting%20design%20Alia%20Stephen,%20costume%20design%20Cat%20Calica_photo%20by%20Jeremy%20Mimnagh.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our central queer couple, Frankie Bayley as Gustavo and Jaime Lujan as Jeremy, are the norm, the Brad and Janet, that are about to be disrupted. Jeremy gets a job at a gym/spa that introduces him to the excessively buff and mysterious Eugene, Ray Jacildo (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/11/kink-observed-observed.html" target="_blank">Kink Observed</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/whos-afraid-of-titus-sky-gilbert-turns.html" target="_blank">Who's Afraid of Titus?</a></i>). Lujan is immediately smitten and envious. Meanwhile the filmmaker responsible for the opening horror film footage, Chel Carmichael as Lucy, is about to premiere a documentary on Gustavo's trans journey. Jeremy works the night shift, taking over for Shaquille Pottinger (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-pansy-craze-history-homosexuality.html" target="_blank">The Pansy Craze</a></i>) whose career as a drag queen has taken off. They will all intersect on one fateful night. About halfway through, <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> takes a slight turn and becomes the horror narrative promised. It is fun and mildly suspenseful, with the subtext of capitalism and gender roles as the real monsters treated as ur-text. Unfortunately the combination of film and theatre, ties the proceedings to a specific pace and that pace is just too slow. Just as events get bloody and juicy, <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> threatens to grind to a halt.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then, intentionally or not, <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> veers into camp. Jeremy becomes the diva he was meant to be and shouts "I'm not unfuckable" in full Naomi Malone gutter style. All of a sudden the stilted exposition dialogue makes sense and the actors dial up their performances past naturalism so that <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> becomes a lot more fun. However it doesn't become any less thematically confusing. In a world where genderqueer, multi-racial lives are taken as the norm, as they should be, the insistence on gym bodies and masculinity doesn't seem as oppressive as they are in life. And Jacildo, who is playing a villain, is so charming and so overtly sensual in his chilly Steve Reeves drag, that it throws the balance off. There are crucial segments where Jacildo, and then Lujan, talk about the hierarchy amongst the undead and how they don't belong, but as a plot point it begs to be explored. There are other examples of ideas that launch but never take flight, the projections include social media bursts that underline a subtext about the disconnection the characters feel and which leads to their downfalls. A bit with toys puppeted and filmed to create a car chase is striking, reminiscent of Simon Phillip's <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2017/09/north-by-northwest-giddy-delirious.html" target="_blank">North by Northwest</a></i>, where form and function, theatre and film, reality and theatre, merge. If only there had been more of the same.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBcNFPa2f1gkaFyDXlqh8Z3bHqMcRi_cMuUT9ERQiJwN2HdJ6vpkt6KRtrCGtukj78g7bbqP78PMQjK0zUY6N_DWX5lW6zbYcmrzoeylOiSDPGMUh2NLKFcy4vYj92Rs6XV3X05sF2IWRx8Hgl7FiiZe9e05EG5u4ghSVWuYXNBNt1q9quRDIZGY3fqzV/s900/WMD_Ray%20Jacildo%20+%20Shaquille%20Pottinger_lighting%20design%20Alia%20Stephen,%20costume%20design%20Cat%20Calica,%20set%20design%20Echo%20Zhou,%20projection%20design%20Nicole%20Eun-Ju%20Bell_photo%20by%20Jeremy%20Mimnagh.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBcNFPa2f1gkaFyDXlqh8Z3bHqMcRi_cMuUT9ERQiJwN2HdJ6vpkt6KRtrCGtukj78g7bbqP78PMQjK0zUY6N_DWX5lW6zbYcmrzoeylOiSDPGMUh2NLKFcy4vYj92Rs6XV3X05sF2IWRx8Hgl7FiiZe9e05EG5u4ghSVWuYXNBNt1q9quRDIZGY3fqzV/w400-h320/WMD_Ray%20Jacildo%20+%20Shaquille%20Pottinger_lighting%20design%20Alia%20Stephen,%20costume%20design%20Cat%20Calica,%20set%20design%20Echo%20Zhou,%20projection%20design%20Nicole%20Eun-Ju%20Bell_photo%20by%20Jeremy%20Mimnagh.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The queer/vampire connection has been made many times and will undoubtedly be made many more. Antonio's twist, adding the racial and non-binary elements, works well and doesn't get in the way of the thrill ride aspect of a horror narrative. And the queer elements allow for the camp to flourish, almost compensating for the minimal gore and glossed over sexuality. Bayley has a wonderful, excruciatingly painful, attempted seduction scene that will resonate with anyone, queer or not. To be blissfully, bravely yourself and rejected for a stereotype is a horror everyone has experienced, even those who succeed at mimicking or being stereotypes. And <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> does make one take stock of one's sensitivities or lack thereof. One understands completely why Jeremy is drawn to Eugene showering, the lingering shot of his backside makes that eloquently clear. We're all shallow darling. And one understands exactly how the shower curtain echoes the Batesian fate of Bitter. It might be too much to expect a thrill ride and a coherent thesis—genre, like gender, has always been messy—but <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> comes close. The technology and the structure are impressive, but in true queer style, it is the camp that gets us across the finish line.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNX0hyphenhyphensNfaeTWDwGbZosMqOYNMu55Klo6YLGkXYZsiyV_Z2-io2E0JUVgwccy06zANjbC5ShgVbwMIpMM_DsObAvFgao7kzfOrXgEv7lEQ5HdrFh19OgElXUdk2LprcpmNgtORX_sLZrPzDB-aUTqvzc8AQ0ZbqP55j2E4025jdEMuEXhDsCsdR-gRRXZs/s900/zwhite%20muscle%20daddy%20banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="900" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNX0hyphenhyphensNfaeTWDwGbZosMqOYNMu55Klo6YLGkXYZsiyV_Z2-io2E0JUVgwccy06zANjbC5ShgVbwMIpMM_DsObAvFgao7kzfOrXgEv7lEQ5HdrFh19OgElXUdk2LprcpmNgtORX_sLZrPzDB-aUTqvzc8AQ0ZbqP55j2E4025jdEMuEXhDsCsdR-gRRXZs/w400-h173/zwhite%20muscle%20daddy%20banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>Photos by Jeremy Mimnagh</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />White Muscle Daddy <i>continues until Sunday, March 31 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. buddiesinbadtimes.com</i></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-10394014558528513992024-03-25T07:36:00.003-04:002024-03-26T07:33:10.092-04:00The Gay AF Comedy Tour: spreading queer joy across this great land<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgTWo2kwchNHUal1WCJGzI-LQFKZ1rwgJEfRLnSWNYr1goboPTjJQbblSDxaqgc043MilF41kHf-8c73FdOAuQ0aQkP35KmxUO3-iL-iTPJGQ6mZMGIFPYb9mLh8E8AFFkmHvoARjrimFMkeY2LwQnNa7cDCANBjomETEt0OtAJ-qKz1jk2wVdgOyD8KF/s900/04%20The%20Gay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour%20-%20host%20Robert%20Watson%20and%20headliner%20Al%20Val.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgTWo2kwchNHUal1WCJGzI-LQFKZ1rwgJEfRLnSWNYr1goboPTjJQbblSDxaqgc043MilF41kHf-8c73FdOAuQ0aQkP35KmxUO3-iL-iTPJGQ6mZMGIFPYb9mLh8E8AFFkmHvoARjrimFMkeY2LwQnNa7cDCANBjomETEt0OtAJ-qKz1jk2wVdgOyD8KF/w400-h266/04%20The%20Gay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour%20-%20host%20Robert%20Watson%20and%20headliner%20Al%20Val.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This land is your land,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">This land is my land,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">From Bonavista </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">To Vancouver Island,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">From the Arctic Circle, </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">To the Great Lake waters, </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">This land was made for you and me</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Did you hear the one about the two queers who set off across Canada on a Gay AF Comedy Tour? Best they tell it in their own words with their own punchlines.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Drew Rowsome</b>: <span style="color: #2b00fe;">The show is billed as The Gay AF Comedy Tour with Al Val as headliner and Robert Watson as host. Are there more acts joining at the different stops or are the two of you already too much “queer joy” to handle? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: We’ve got amazing local comedians at each stop on the tour. I’m super excited to be sharing the Gay AF stage with queer comedians from all over Canada. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: I am <i>shocked</i> you would suggest such a thing - you can <i>never</i> have too much queer joy! On every leg of our tour we will be joined by local LGBT+ acts that will delight, dazzle, and bring the house down. Not only will audiences leave feeling full of joy but between Rob, myself, and the talented guests we’re featuring on the road, every single audience will also leave still wanting more. And for the audience members who find themselves not fully joyful at the end of each show we will be offering free puppies! ( That offer is definitely not at all valid. Are you nuts? How would we budget for that?) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBq6hUu7cf-Szs-HEjtrLq-wh8I4Yibp3xh4XxVXLYqlxep8wOiBQhs5EOC-YqiDuBU1bRecWzID_b8EAdKdW7RLLH9GoKQQEo2bViIIV9RUYPgxhrneTdp6DZDu350zD3AfzCEDLySngovgyQwcVwvTdyknfHHdxBHp7FcZDkRGByL1i55ua79ZekqTg/s900/03%20The%20Gay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour%20-Headliner%20Al%20Val.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBq6hUu7cf-Szs-HEjtrLq-wh8I4Yibp3xh4XxVXLYqlxep8wOiBQhs5EOC-YqiDuBU1bRecWzID_b8EAdKdW7RLLH9GoKQQEo2bViIIV9RUYPgxhrneTdp6DZDu350zD3AfzCEDLySngovgyQwcVwvTdyknfHHdxBHp7FcZDkRGByL1i55ua79ZekqTg/w266-h400/03%20The%20Gay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour%20-Headliner%20Al%20Val.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">With the demise of the Just For Laughs festival, Celine Dion is arguably all that is left of Canadian culture. Does this put more pressure on you to deliver laughs? To become superstars?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: We are certainly delivering 'show' with this tour, and I’ve even got a parody song or two up my sleeve that will be sure to fill that Celine Dion gap in all of our hearts. Are we feeling superstar pressure? I don’t think so, our delulu is big enough that we’ll likely be manifesting superstar chaos wherever we go.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: Just For Laughs may have been canceled this year but in the immortal words of Celine herself, its “heart will go on and on,” and I intend to embody the very essence of what Just For Laughs represents. In fact, I promise right here right now that my closing number each night will involve my putting on a red-horned, green Just For Laughs goblin suit and screaming “Mommy! It's over!” at the end of each show - not only to maintain a level of familiarity and culture, but also to work out some parental psychological issues I’ve been confronting lately.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Victoria and Vancouver are cultural hubs as are Toronto and Montreal, what are you expecting in Calgary and Edmonton?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: I think Alberta audiences are always looking for unique experiences, and our LGBTQ+ community out there could use a moral boost with everything that their provincial government is up to. We’re going to give them a big old dose of Queer Joy that they’re just going to go gaga for. Even the married guys on Grindr are gonna love us.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_q8XnohX0WKRYTs6HpDwXUwv7Qi5UHkHj6N4wEr4IGdqwQEvBI3tbPPhJYsM6P-Q_Knb2GohQ3BSw1_3NHLo-tYbouN2eDSbBkCDva9PDQhABK5iVrYgB-5g9jYqjOvDDQscqzv-7JO9G8sHTuVEkmP2E-KbHU3pdEGCkz-eBle0NoJ42zmSmzeYnCOD/s900/02%20Al%20Val%20-%20headliner%20for%20The%20Gay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_q8XnohX0WKRYTs6HpDwXUwv7Qi5UHkHj6N4wEr4IGdqwQEvBI3tbPPhJYsM6P-Q_Knb2GohQ3BSw1_3NHLo-tYbouN2eDSbBkCDva9PDQhABK5iVrYgB-5g9jYqjOvDDQscqzv-7JO9G8sHTuVEkmP2E-KbHU3pdEGCkz-eBle0NoJ42zmSmzeYnCOD/w400-h266/02%20Al%20Val%20-%20headliner%20for%20The%20Gay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: Other than Grindr being full of closeted married men? In Edmonton we’re going to dig up dinosaur bones, and in Calgary we’re going to have a screaming match with the locals about what gender the dinosaur was.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What do you have against Halifax, St John’s, Moose Jaw and Sarnia?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: Nothing against them except budgets constraints! We certainly hope that this tour is the start of something that can grow and visit every region of the country!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: Not enough closeted married men on Grindr.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What Canadian city would you most like to perform in and why?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: I’m looking forward to visiting my hometown of Victoria with the show, it’s always a surreal experience to see someone you knew in elementary school in the audience. And Montreal needs laughs more than ever with the whole Just For Laughs debacle, Gay AF was there last July and I know they’re thirsty to have us back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTQQGvHdr7Flv95kxyG2c_s1XeHjVwf9oJyYRI8cdGSNMEP2ZferqsquiS2uZbq5fCRLjqTeskMsuq4PVAhYxs-Bv9TiCVWce-hxDHLmKiv2ofPiDpo8-L7i6bmwMjZMsbkMJQlZ9VhcLBYBsN_l7cM5EgOcZp3he6CoGTrechhd3rg2UvPUeWjLR8BL_/s900/Robert%20Watson.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTQQGvHdr7Flv95kxyG2c_s1XeHjVwf9oJyYRI8cdGSNMEP2ZferqsquiS2uZbq5fCRLjqTeskMsuq4PVAhYxs-Bv9TiCVWce-hxDHLmKiv2ofPiDpo8-L7i6bmwMjZMsbkMJQlZ9VhcLBYBsN_l7cM5EgOcZp3he6CoGTrechhd3rg2UvPUeWjLR8BL_/w400-h400/Robert%20Watson.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: I’ve performed in Iqaluit, so I can confidently say I’ve been everywhere that really counts. However, I would really love to perform anywhere in PEI! I hear if you bomb hard enough the audience throws potatoes at you.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Do you have to fine tune your one-liners and routines to the different cities?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: Queer comedy is universal so I think everyone that attends will be in on the jokes, but of course I’ve got a few gems that will be just for each city that we stop in.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: Yes and no . . . If your material is highly referential then it helps to talk to some locals before the show and make sure you’re not sending jokes flying over everyone’s heads. Fortunately enough, not only is my material very personal and therefore fairly universally relatable, but I’m also the type to get distracted by the slightest things while I’m performing. My favourite thing to do onstage is physically interact with anything I can get my hands on; I’ve made audience members set up a picnic table I found backstage while I critiqued their form, and one show I gave a guy a massive, heady wooden stump I found. He proudly sat with it in his lap the entire show! Not sure if he took it home but I like to think he carries it everywhere he goes in his heart. But yes, I do like speaking off the cuff about what I noticed or encountered while I was in somebody’s city! I guess what I’m saying is that no matter what city I’m in, you can expect from ol’ Al Val a certain brand of chaos to inimitably happen that night. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Do you have to fine tune the wattage of your queerness to the different cities?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: No way! In fact if we feel it’s needed we will amp up the queerness wherever it’s required.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia0K9vz0tEs4SVjsE_jC6NWS5qztLmEExk6569rg4JMsbJSuZlJURY22ho1P2dlPRYcKul4lECsGk7KKiSiPVyj5Sf9eGd9wQAUAwndMToZt46n5bsk7v36rukdgc2ky8vlP1L_YYlIBsMpbG5Es4YNTNrgSN-FlKZov9cSMrswkXpBxxMVIINtYX78z7/s900/01%20The%20Gay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour%20-Headliner%20Al%20Val.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiia0K9vz0tEs4SVjsE_jC6NWS5qztLmEExk6569rg4JMsbJSuZlJURY22ho1P2dlPRYcKul4lECsGk7KKiSiPVyj5Sf9eGd9wQAUAwndMToZt46n5bsk7v36rukdgc2ky8vlP1L_YYlIBsMpbG5Es4YNTNrgSN-FlKZov9cSMrswkXpBxxMVIINtYX78z7/w320-h400/01%20The%20Gay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour%20-Headliner%20Al%20Val.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: To be honest I’ve never been to Victoria and I haven’t been to Alberta since before I came out and transitioned, but that’s not going to stop me from being who I am. I couldn’t “tone” myself down even if I tried. I am who I am and if people have a problem with that it is merely a projection of something they are responsible for coping with. YOLO baby, I’m gonna be my damn self anywhere!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">How do you handle breaking groupie hearts in far-flung Canadian locales? Is it harder to dump a groupie or silence a heckler? Which prepared quip/speech have you used the most?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: Most hecklers are just enjoying themselves and pretty easy to handle so no worries there. As for the groupies who may want to handle me, I will be using my wedding ring as my groupie deflector, like Wonder Woman does with her bracelets. "Pew pew! We'll see if that works.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: Unless I have to manage the emotional well-being of a heckler for five months afterwards, it is always harder to dump a groupie. You can snare a heckler in your trap and eat it up like a lobster, but a groupie experience can linger like crabs. No no no no, truly I’m a softie so it would hypothetically be difficult making a clean break with a groupie, but if I had to, I would probably describe to them this gaping hole in my soul that seeks fulfillment constantly, and that the best way I know to fill this hole is by sharing it with as many people as I can from city to city across the country.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What are you anticipating will be the most glamorous aspect of being on the road?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: I got a good deal on a Best Western motel in Edmonton, so I am giddy with anticipation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgrBy-h06ydVn4p7n4eBK3IaQCt0LV0MvJ0HNqD_ysvjyHzm4a39K8m2e8eEkvX-UWaWh7GWonCPq7xvVPQxXnMXunzJM91DQhu-jFTvKNRz3ZyrG8bK2aPcZI8ZVX3YFPGmz0Qa97Z-_1GklynzVEHADUcPn67H3cb0RgEEasYlL3C9TiZMWkFerRM2F/s900/Robert%20Watson%2003.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwgrBy-h06ydVn4p7n4eBK3IaQCt0LV0MvJ0HNqD_ysvjyHzm4a39K8m2e8eEkvX-UWaWh7GWonCPq7xvVPQxXnMXunzJM91DQhu-jFTvKNRz3ZyrG8bK2aPcZI8ZVX3YFPGmz0Qa97Z-_1GklynzVEHADUcPn67H3cb0RgEEasYlL3C9TiZMWkFerRM2F/w400-h400/Robert%20Watson%2003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: The most glamorous aspect of being on the road is truly the 'all eyes on me' experience of being onstage. Performing is such a rush and a massive joy, and I’d be lying by omission if I didn’t reference that intoxicating feeling of having an entire room eating out of the palm of my hand. The second-most glamorous aspect of being on the road is getting my opening act to carry around my heavy merch suitcase for me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The most disgusting?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: I got a good deal on a Best Western motel in Edmonton, so I am terrified with anticipation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: Depending how many whiskey shots were bought for me and how much late night double cheese pizza I ate the night before, the departing flight the day after a gig could become a problem for everyone on board. My poor gastrointestinal system is something I don’t spare a lot of consideration for until I’m trapped in a metal tube 35,000 feet in the air with a hundred strangers. With a twenty-sixer of Canadian Club and a killogram of mozzarella lurching through my guts.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Who gets the top bunk on the tour bus? How was that decision reached?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: Oh the luxury of having a tour bus! We actually haven’t discussed who the top is. I guess we'll find out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5cNX70GozfqmFU_DOfuYPt_3I5Kd1hyphenhyphenfsiUYNNbqmhmfbP1O4SrJLRVfHh9zfif-RDRQ1NjjYNdztZxf6ZvHe7Y7SpSbADSQIbCh2mvmSvsaTmRVBnE9gEU2add5nRFvxVhxkUIGC5A472_W6KcW6n_k4HbU4vknwrJs75nclDKMLGaPES3F1IVmwqzJ/s900/05%20The%20Gay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour%20-%20host%20Robert%20Watson%20and%20headliner%20Al%20Val.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5cNX70GozfqmFU_DOfuYPt_3I5Kd1hyphenhyphenfsiUYNNbqmhmfbP1O4SrJLRVfHh9zfif-RDRQ1NjjYNdztZxf6ZvHe7Y7SpSbADSQIbCh2mvmSvsaTmRVBnE9gEU2add5nRFvxVhxkUIGC5A472_W6KcW6n_k4HbU4vknwrJs75nclDKMLGaPES3F1IVmwqzJ/w400-h266/05%20The%20Gay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour%20-%20host%20Robert%20Watson%20and%20headliner%20Al%20Val.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: Well Robert is married, so naturally he and his husband get the bunk bed and I will sleep on the floor where I belong.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Who will be lugging the largest wardrobe and the most make-up?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: Oh me for sure. A bunch of stuff I probably won’t even use, but I was in scouts as a kid so I’m always prepared. Let's start some fires and tie some knots!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: In all seriousness that’ll be Rob for sure! I’m a minimalist, basic bitch who can do no better than a smokey eye, so that’s all the makeup I’ll be bringing with me.
As for wardrobe, I’m a veteran road comic so I do the classic road dog trick of strategically squirreling away underpants in hiding places at every major city in Canada. Saves me luggage space, and sometimes I find that my panties have been made into a cute nest for a family of possums when I’ve returned to retrieve them. Everybody wins.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Your Toronto stop will be at Glad Day Bookshop. What is your second most eagerly anticipated venue on the tour and why?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6E1g93AybWLeJl93TdqIVsUlQDcwyAnFC5RP3xAW5SAi3U3iu691V95BP0ath6dmrDe9RmDSflXsdP_4BOV22NS4fpefNL-pVIAWBuk-uAAD77mKtp9noqUlH4A14L3W2uiFf_RscLAI3RInA7ehuW85qCzvw_7rfzfyKpSe5m-VTpAr2Jx1gw_LqjgEA/s1080/zGay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour%20poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6E1g93AybWLeJl93TdqIVsUlQDcwyAnFC5RP3xAW5SAi3U3iu691V95BP0ath6dmrDe9RmDSflXsdP_4BOV22NS4fpefNL-pVIAWBuk-uAAD77mKtp9noqUlH4A14L3W2uiFf_RscLAI3RInA7ehuW85qCzvw_7rfzfyKpSe5m-VTpAr2Jx1gw_LqjgEA/w400-h400/zGay%20AF%20Comedy%20Tour%20poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: Hometown Victoria is at the top of my mind, but I’m excited to meet everyone in all the cities we’re coming to.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b><i>:</i> It’s hard to say. I’ve honestly heard nothing but positive things about hecklers in Victoria. I recently did Chill X Studios for Just For Laughs Vancouver and it’s such a hip, fun spot. And I really can’t wait to see what’s in store in Edmonton and Calgary; I don’t want to be presumptuous but I think a boldly queer-themed comedy show might be a refreshing experience for the locals. But I’d have to say I’m most excited for Montreal, because with a suggestive venue name like 'Wiggle Room' I’m expecting an exceptional amount of intimate physical contact.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The tour begins in Victoria and climaxes in Montreal, which is also the plot of many a classic Canadian novel. What heartwarming ambition do you hope to fulfil as you travel across this great country?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Robert Watson</b>: I guess I need to catch up on my reading. I’ve really become attached to this idea of spreading queer joy with Gay AF Comedy, I hope we warm hearts and elicit big gay laughs wherever we go!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VMLbw16ySsaGG0wZ-LFsYHrXmP5PqA2IYUhsnwhleoH374BHqZeOVY6DKI1ZLvqva5rEoXHYWowrxKaadJs6O9hH9D-_gH_kxQqWuRRlTT_L-VbIkB51sb4M5eoDHa630wSkAbB05Vp8qVnruNBnGRrO_Wum8-ysMK9EOlq5rqhBOjdaqZYIDprTRXb6/s2000/z%20Gay%20AF%20Banner.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="2000" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VMLbw16ySsaGG0wZ-LFsYHrXmP5PqA2IYUhsnwhleoH374BHqZeOVY6DKI1ZLvqva5rEoXHYWowrxKaadJs6O9hH9D-_gH_kxQqWuRRlTT_L-VbIkB51sb4M5eoDHa630wSkAbB05Vp8qVnruNBnGRrO_Wum8-ysMK9EOlq5rqhBOjdaqZYIDprTRXb6/w400-h159/z%20Gay%20AF%20Banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Al Val</b>: I hope to check off some long-awaited bucket list items on this tour.
I want to be devoured by a bear in BC, impaled by a bull in Alberta, and have a menage-a-trois with a pair of couche-tard managers in Quebec.
But to end on a more serious note—which is a <i>massive</i> faux-pas in comedy—this is my first cross-Canada tour since I transitioned, and I anticipate that there will be something unforgettable about doing what I’ve always dreamed of doing as a kid. This time as my truly liberated self I’m going to absorb and cherish every moment of this experience, and express my gratitude in every chaotic, over-the-top performance I give. There aren’t enough stumps in the world I could donate to fully express the gratitude I feel to be doing this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kQAfUJQkFZZpZiSyLADrBO04StzjDTFQxyP1T8REqtbqtzunULz1MXLIiblq1nGcOqYpfYTTLb-lsaG4x7HEe-oOURWoZWhSxA4TGPRuxeMchBVCt6yvWlxrCVqEb6zfO8O1PHCnIJV_UrXnczmjaLg1YQ0Cn7K9UC84r7F_zruwirjvaoB3gaaygtwX/s900/Robert%20Watson%2002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kQAfUJQkFZZpZiSyLADrBO04StzjDTFQxyP1T8REqtbqtzunULz1MXLIiblq1nGcOqYpfYTTLb-lsaG4x7HEe-oOURWoZWhSxA4TGPRuxeMchBVCt6yvWlxrCVqEb6zfO8O1PHCnIJV_UrXnczmjaLg1YQ0Cn7K9UC84r7F_zruwirjvaoB3gaaygtwX/w400-h400/Robert%20Watson%2002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The Gay AF Comedy Tour <i>begins Thursday, April 4 in Victoria at Hecklers Bar & Grill, 123 Gorge Rd E with stops in Vancouver on Saturday, April 6 at Chill X Studio, 2270 Manitoba St; Edmonton on Thursday, April 11 at The Grindstone Comedy Theatre and Bistro, 10019 81 Ave NW; Calgary on Sunday, April 14 at Dickens, 1000 9 Ave SW, Toronto on Thursday, April 18 at Glad Day Bookshop, 499 Church St, and Montreal on Sunday, April 21 at The Wiggle Room, 3874 St Laurent Blvd. <a href="http://linktr.ee/gayafcomedytour">linktr.ee/gayafcomedytour</a></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">As I was walking, </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">That ribbon of highway,</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I saw above me </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">That endless skyway, </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I saw below me </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">That golden valley. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">This land was made for you and me. </span></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-34043761887413361952024-03-24T04:31:00.001-04:002024-03-26T05:09:41.694-04:00Ray Jacildo on becoming a White Muscle Daddy<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkxWCwUsyZ9H5p4LMRxyAKVE6T7N86lZUmp_YUbPkRy_kI5_tVvVubWpSUXWoPrsBzU2mBfseX8mSreMhs933UeXYD1nP0LDSIJMk1zCNm3TytphX7MebqtYqUo-u4h9G_3Vnp8Bu6nLXsD3o73A0BNfmPPazmA-2Mx808ObG7Wb6f-Zki1ZjCNlz30UE/s759/trailer%20still.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="663" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkxWCwUsyZ9H5p4LMRxyAKVE6T7N86lZUmp_YUbPkRy_kI5_tVvVubWpSUXWoPrsBzU2mBfseX8mSreMhs933UeXYD1nP0LDSIJMk1zCNm3TytphX7MebqtYqUo-u4h9G_3Vnp8Bu6nLXsD3o73A0BNfmPPazmA-2Mx808ObG7Wb6f-Zki1ZjCNlz30UE/w350-h400/trailer%20still.jpg" width="350" /></a></div>Ray Jacildo is the sexual come-on at the center of the marketing for <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> as he writhes and poses, muscles flexing through the smoke, in the trailer. The play itself is billed as an experiment in horror on stage using filmic elements. And promises to be as much about gender as it is an exploration of the horror genre. All the elements, and Jacildo, are intriguing and somewhat mysterious. But when he agreed to answer a few questions to promote <i>White Muscle Daddy</i>, Jacildo subverted any expectations, being thoughtful, politically astute, and as intellectually sexy as his physique while maintaining that mystery.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Drew Rowsome</b>: <span style="color: #2b00fe;">How did you come to join the production?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Ray Jacildo</b>: I was performing in a show in Saskatchewan and had actually only auditioned over Zoom. The character was originally a white-passing Spaniard and I remember saying, "I’m sure I have Spanish blood in me due to Spain colonizing the Philippines for over 300 years, but I’m definitely Filipino. And not white-passing." They said they would change the role if I was the right fit, and here I am.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">From the trailer, your social media thirst traps and the previous roles I’ve seen you in (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/11/kink-observed-observed.html" target="_blank">Kink Observed</a>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/whos-afraid-of-titus-sky-gilbert-turns.html" target="_blank">Who’s Afraid of Titus?</a></i>) it’s obvious that you are no stranger to the gym or building a classical gay male body. If <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> is partially a critique of trying to achieve those standards, how do you fit your physicality into that beyond the necessity for the role? Is it a necessity for your career? Is it a necessity for your sex life?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bCPFKET_7_l_niiYEseOvUcwpDrcwm7y6zu0OVbLSKyylBzDqvBPddlGiI2fFtCfkeva-Vi3-TvzCuYYvv8Jlmeydto8IuSiK398IIx_YcX5Yb8Rxb42ew722Xxrsb08JtQy-YkQ0bYdwJRpIos85YFoXzwVzTHbwB1_zqGDWXlQ2Ud8UkTGwLcxCnSN/s719/WMD%20Ray%20Jacildo%20tc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="719" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bCPFKET_7_l_niiYEseOvUcwpDrcwm7y6zu0OVbLSKyylBzDqvBPddlGiI2fFtCfkeva-Vi3-TvzCuYYvv8Jlmeydto8IuSiK398IIx_YcX5Yb8Rxb42ew722Xxrsb08JtQy-YkQ0bYdwJRpIos85YFoXzwVzTHbwB1_zqGDWXlQ2Ud8UkTGwLcxCnSN/w400-h371/WMD%20Ray%20Jacildo%20tc.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Ray Jacildo</b>: I don’t believe the show to be a critique against the 'ideal' gay male body. I believe it to be a warning of aspiring to that ideal, and the damage we can do to ourselves in pursuit of and in comparison to it. On the other side of this coin, for those who do not or cannot have this body type, they are still forced into these boxes, dealing with fatphobia and femmephobia. I have been physically preparing for the role for over a year, and even have a body building coach helping me. From my personal perspective, the grass isn’t necessarily always greener on the other side. Prior to the play, I began seriously going to the gym for myself. I had entered a new decade of my life and wanted to feel good and strong in my body. As an Asian male, the opportunities for me in our industry are almost always related to asexual or nerdy characters, doctors, or techies. As I began physically changing, it became apparent to me that I had the opportunity to redefine the image of what I bring on stage/screen. My artistic perspective deals a lot with breaking stereotypes. To represent characters that I had rarely seen in my youth. Now I find it a necessity for my work.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbwdE6R_vHlxR-hfptXUJLeX6VJqJStGHwfWP3R2VByMr-8qPdZE8j9TQPgPlf2XOU-XxiZx3K_b8d2Jm9BwJpuVpVawfHvyB9wV1re7-uRfGhjwqthQZWXJkruS7nMoImZrSVYS_vY5l_lOvj2Zzx6uSGPu_eTxCZeAQt6Z4gj8A874r1zEpAaWTQbly/s900/trailer%20still%2006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="900" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbwdE6R_vHlxR-hfptXUJLeX6VJqJStGHwfWP3R2VByMr-8qPdZE8j9TQPgPlf2XOU-XxiZx3K_b8d2Jm9BwJpuVpVawfHvyB9wV1re7-uRfGhjwqthQZWXJkruS7nMoImZrSVYS_vY5l_lOvj2Zzx6uSGPu_eTxCZeAQt6Z4gj8A874r1zEpAaWTQbly/w400-h235/trailer%20still%2006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Did working on <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> alter your perception of the above question? Will it alter an audience’s perception?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Ray Jacildo</b>: It absolutely did. Working on the show really put into focus the severity of objectification this section of gay men go through on a daily basis. Growing up as a heavier Asian man, I developed the mentality of slinking into the background, being invisible and undesired. “No fats, no fems, no Asians” was a term constantly repeated in my youth. My physical change, and the objectification in the show has thrust me into the opposite end. It can be a lot to deal with because our community bases so much on our looks. I don’t know if it will change the audience’s perception, but it will definitely raise questions about perpetuating these ideals. It made me realize that this ‘worship’ of a muscular ideal is a two-way street. It takes the objectifier and the objectified. Most of the time it can be flattering to be wanted, but for me, it is all about consent.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XcOtVxNOR6wN6oTiJ3g1mMbzPl2JB_k5TXlNCmi-9GOrwEDP2aM5yOm0lI-CgfpS5UL7UumxznxumNNclcJZEk0jskF1OdTixL9dsMdYQRl1PvTbodKZg28sbxmnOfyhvYsEmMTQ9O9vHyVkqZhQDWyiWaNhq775NEYncN4TDClBujnsS60AhuTpqkNE/s832/trailer%20still%2004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="832" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XcOtVxNOR6wN6oTiJ3g1mMbzPl2JB_k5TXlNCmi-9GOrwEDP2aM5yOm0lI-CgfpS5UL7UumxznxumNNclcJZEk0jskF1OdTixL9dsMdYQRl1PvTbodKZg28sbxmnOfyhvYsEmMTQ9O9vHyVkqZhQDWyiWaNhq775NEYncN4TDClBujnsS60AhuTpqkNE/w400-h350/trailer%20still%2004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">How does it feel to be a deliberate object of desire as part of the marketing for <i>White Muscle Daddy</i>?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Ray Jacildo</b>: On social media, there’s a lovely separation between the audience and myself. It’s really flattering to get all the positive comments. Eugene is so different from who Ray is, so when people come up to me in person, I get a little flustered.
The iron grip that the "white" from <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> standards of beauty has held on the culture and particularly gay culture is slowly being chipped away.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">In <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/11/kink-observed-observed.html" target="_blank">Kink Observed</a></i> you had a very brave, insightful and disturbing monologue about race play. At what point does fetishization become mainstream attraction? At what point will white muscle daddies be recognized as a fetish rather than a standard or goal?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuuj9ra_NtDfbPu3eb_dM2gTXbTbPVqYfNi1U79BRcTW7yn9HcNlixBJSL2oxk6PMViwWGdqLepGt5u3KtDpmHcBQ0KMGz29vqYyzComeN0TjQAzgANR3NUKeDdojJ9wST5dszBIi1_X2cKQ_-xBRpQTvlim2S6PpGVhiVouyzjDy9hyBhdt1_bjtB3K4/s825/trailer%20still%2002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="825" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuuj9ra_NtDfbPu3eb_dM2gTXbTbPVqYfNi1U79BRcTW7yn9HcNlixBJSL2oxk6PMViwWGdqLepGt5u3KtDpmHcBQ0KMGz29vqYyzComeN0TjQAzgANR3NUKeDdojJ9wST5dszBIi1_X2cKQ_-xBRpQTvlim2S6PpGVhiVouyzjDy9hyBhdt1_bjtB3K4/w400-h364/trailer%20still%2002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Ray Jacildo</b>: Fetishization comes from the idea that a single quality becomes the primary source of sexual pleasure. That sexual acts with a person with muscles, supersede the person. I’ve been on the receiving end of being an Asian fetish. It is not a good feeling. And I believe our community’s attraction with muscles fall into that category. But to fetishize is also to objectify - to no longer see someone as a multi-layered person but rather an object with a use or singular quality, like a coffee cup. If you think about the West, and a white colonial view of ‘what is attractive?’ it is difficult to simply take the majority, the overarching power structure and reduce it to a fetish. Fetish leans into the non-traditional. Countries that don’t have a white majority would be different. As I spoke about in <i>Kink Observed</i>, sex and power are inextricably linked. So when you start to bring our society into it, it becomes a whole lot more complicated.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Queer horror is having a moment which places <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> in the right place at the right time. Writer/director Raf Antonio has talked a lot about his connection with the genre, where does his enthusiasm and interests intersect with yours? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHvAGhRH9kPz1HCJlGRhz_nRyv3aNKeG3FHJnmFxPxp11cAybuv4IZolWxt-Jg3kIVMzhY3nC9AW0fYCixa4M1xpnJFYKS4VlzVjGazDP3PV579jtJg1BGUhAgqylRzvLCc4NkUidOBTdrAjKHx-CRcVUIhukGA4UGI-puymz8yYCtni93k7b-jMzUrGJ/s767/trailer%20still%2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="721" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHvAGhRH9kPz1HCJlGRhz_nRyv3aNKeG3FHJnmFxPxp11cAybuv4IZolWxt-Jg3kIVMzhY3nC9AW0fYCixa4M1xpnJFYKS4VlzVjGazDP3PV579jtJg1BGUhAgqylRzvLCc4NkUidOBTdrAjKHx-CRcVUIhukGA4UGI-puymz8yYCtni93k7b-jMzUrGJ/w376-h400/trailer%20still%2007.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ray Jacildo</b>: My artistic voice is one that represents several underrepresented intersections and so queer storytelling is an important part of my personal artistic mandate. That being said, prior to the show, I hadn’t watched horror movies since the early 2000s. I get very into all the movies I watch so I’d always steered away. I get totally scared. This show has pushed me to delve deep into the horror genre, which has such a rich history of queer work. It’s amazing. I’m still terrified of each one I watch though.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What has been your favourite part of the process of putting <i>White Muscle Daddy</i> together?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Ray Jacildo</b>: My favourite part is delving into the character of the muscle gay but from a Filipino lens. Someone who is still very much influenced by colonialism and power structures that have been put in place in the west. Who is very much hurt by it, and still seeks to be part of it. I loved creating Eugene physically and emotionally.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWoWJIlPWXiQWlc_jb0Wxu4xXcl8SQV7Y2FE6eznyWn639bsjC2DL0R5xhWJNGPcPd0B_AYxBbSDC0eCmK5PVmAJhKvz07K2I-NuhCwDmffUGS80NV7OTIOjcGxVPr9PgowN_3FF8o0-5SkyqyMnIQdv6M6eAYaB8FdfP9Q-J87PyRtVwwtHHTLYfT_z5/s900/trailer%20still%2003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="900" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWoWJIlPWXiQWlc_jb0Wxu4xXcl8SQV7Y2FE6eznyWn639bsjC2DL0R5xhWJNGPcPd0B_AYxBbSDC0eCmK5PVmAJhKvz07K2I-NuhCwDmffUGS80NV7OTIOjcGxVPr9PgowN_3FF8o0-5SkyqyMnIQdv6M6eAYaB8FdfP9Q-J87PyRtVwwtHHTLYfT_z5/w400-h326/trailer%20still%2003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>Photos by Hofworks</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />White Muscle Daddy <i>continues until Sunday, March 31 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. buddiesinbadtimes.com</i></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-23302432932103255362024-03-20T06:20:00.003-04:002024-03-20T06:22:08.384-04:00Something Wicked Something Dark: french fries, sea air, murder and horror<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4KLit7TspJ1yxpxCeuk5TEdl7t0z91e2YrP9FOTOgKQSdu3_uWFD_xTUQZOo6hqqkQe5KzxKIcrNw_aXDt3ItBNzyVhU0JPs9CQtA1NSE_kEnvfxcjVIHhdVt2s6K8wAvp7HW1nqJt5XavE3FH3rYE5YwFdhZppjid5plhN3Vk11Y_sj2iAnJrY7G0YST" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="251" data-original-width="500" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4KLit7TspJ1yxpxCeuk5TEdl7t0z91e2YrP9FOTOgKQSdu3_uWFD_xTUQZOo6hqqkQe5KzxKIcrNw_aXDt3ItBNzyVhU0JPs9CQtA1NSE_kEnvfxcjVIHhdVt2s6K8wAvp7HW1nqJt5XavE3FH3rYE5YwFdhZppjid5plhN3Vk11Y_sj2iAnJrY7G0YST=w400-h201" width="400" /></a></div>While industriously working away on another project, I realized that, while being reasonably well read, I was not well versed in the horror genre. I have developed a taste for Stephen King (reviews of</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/stephen-kings-revival.html" target="_blank">Revival</a>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/09/needful-things-stephen-king-at-his-best.html" target="_blank">Needful Things</a><i>, </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" target="_blank">Joyland</a><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"> </a><i>and</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/06/stephen-king-drives-mr-mercedes-full.html" target="_blank">Mr Mercedes</a> <i>have boosted the readership of this blog immensely, especially after Mr King himself expressed his pleasure with the </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/10/sequel-to-shining-shines.html" target="_blank">Dr Sleep</a><i> review and his amusement at my short story</i> "<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2004/01/in-stephen-kings-motel-room.html" target="_blank"><i>In Stephen King's Motel Room</i></a>"<i>) and that led to </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/lost-boy-lost-girl-and-horror-of-bram.html" target="_blank"><i>Peter Straub</i></a><i>. </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/11/genres-collide-in-creepy-gothic-glory.html" target="_blank"><i>Michael Rowe</i></a><i> I was already well acquainted with. How to immerse myself in the best of the canon? As usual I was both practical and impulsive: I googled "the best," "the scariest," and "the most terrifying" horror novels and cross-referenced. I had already read a surprising number but that only meant my to-research list was going to tend towards the less mainstream and popular, which was fine by me. And so I began.</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTF2Fs3c7wHJicIrXgVZBjnEzP4RmA08AHpm25UvJHJQNjXxghWD3M-qBRjxM9-EbTzPJIHFNfHI68av0TcZzMOvQW6-XAv5kKX8c_I-21bpLjbNQH8P6Hg1CygK3HQb65_UksmEpHMVhy6YdGGGxQeJ2w9aJ1bBQsooz8oTzWdAXMwq9E2bN8essqsCpT" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="900" data-original-width="562" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTF2Fs3c7wHJicIrXgVZBjnEzP4RmA08AHpm25UvJHJQNjXxghWD3M-qBRjxM9-EbTzPJIHFNfHI68av0TcZzMOvQW6-XAv5kKX8c_I-21bpLjbNQH8P6Hg1CygK3HQb65_UksmEpHMVhy6YdGGGxQeJ2w9aJ1bBQsooz8oTzWdAXMwq9E2bN8essqsCpT=w250-h400" width="250" /></a></div><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Having been so impressed with Jamie Stewart's <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/montagues-carnival-of-delights-and.html" target="_blank">Montague's Carnival of Delights and Terror</a></i>, I took advantage of a Halloween promo to grab a collection of short stories titled <i>Something Wicked Something Dark</i>. The cover's grinning jack o' lanterns in the foreground, backed up by a Ferris wheel and a lighthouse in the murky background, sold the collection as did the blurb</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">To tourists, Arabella is just another Irish seaside town, busy in summer, dead in winter. Those that live there know different, those that live there know . . . .Arabella is different.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2017/09/it-stephen-kings-masterpiece-of-novel.html" target="_blank">Derry</a>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2014/09/needful-things-stephen-king-at-his-best.html" target="_blank">Castle Rock</a>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/hex.html" target="_blank">Black Spring</a>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/montagues-carnival-of-delights-and.html" target="_blank">Marybell</a> and <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/goblin-small-town-full-of-wonder-and.html" target="_blank">Goblin</a> are all small towns that are 'different' and, while to be avoided in real life, are incredible places to visit literarily. I hoped that Arabella would be the same. While the Arabella tourist board is slightly deceptive, Jamie Stewart is an excellent tour guide.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>Something Wicked Something Dark</i> starts strongly with "No Strings," a story that I had read and admired previously in the 'carnival horror' anthology <i>Welcome to the Funhouse</i>. Killer puppet dolls terrorizing social media influencers is a recipe for fun, and the carnival wraparound adds even more cotton candy arsenic flavour. And though the detail didn't register the first time I read "No Strings," the seaside element salted the mystery of the dolls' origin. The second story, "The Lodger," is specifically set in Arabella but is not dependent on the location. It is a sweet romantic pas de deux between a middle-aged woman running a B&B and a possible serial killer guest. The intertwining of suspense and sexual tension is tasty making the final twist more of a denouement, a very satisfying one, than a shock. "Fish & Chips" grounds us in Arabella and provides a poisonous thread that binds some of the stories together in locale. And provides the line that describes small towns everywhere</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZtDVqS_Cr7lDXrFztgzdyFkjux6yLD7ZZBGAgyV1SoTN3ifPq7kvqNXBcpHbuKVkWPH1da1nC5jVDqh4baAn9POhvQvU7KI4f0DBGQ40y2Cmt7GoOYrR1A80VRj9jzfFwSaV90kmRWlOykk7Vrz--uKpbDltCi1gK3JuuzCUf72x-JZAVIRUhD91uh5oZ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="214" data-original-width="220" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZtDVqS_Cr7lDXrFztgzdyFkjux6yLD7ZZBGAgyV1SoTN3ifPq7kvqNXBcpHbuKVkWPH1da1nC5jVDqh4baAn9POhvQvU7KI4f0DBGQ40y2Cmt7GoOYrR1A80VRj9jzfFwSaV90kmRWlOykk7Vrz--uKpbDltCi1gK3JuuzCUf72x-JZAVIRUhD91uh5oZ=w400-h389" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"Is that what you do here? Cover up everything horrible that can't be talked about in case it ruins the pretty picture you have in your head of this place?"</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The emotional centerpiece of the <i>Something Wicked Something Dark</i> is "The Craig Stevenson Fan Club," a tale which, despite the abundance of gore, is more evocative and melancholy than horrific. Ghosts of children on Halloween night have the potential to be maudlin, but Stewart handles it well and doesn't stint on the realism while also not pushing into splatterpunk. He also unfortunately begins to insert inorganic links like "the police put it down to being another in a long line of bizarre incidents that had happened in Arabella, the town being a lightning rod for strangeness." </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I much prefer to be shown than to be told and if Stewart had stuck to the linking motifs of french fries, sea air and murder, Arabella would have attained a mysterious glow of eeriness. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzLEQLdvy_JlPRsmVY6SvIhq9lg-5yzHx5vSxF-uYp3hQpbt4jEQkdbd7629aQUvUFFM32AzHPbUBX-1qiPGzaq5dcE56B5oX880JAv6FWkE7kSOXK6mLx__CM3llE414LAozvMRX0x2_Wz-Zd7pyq3Lu8yVC4broMAnXxrKSG8BgOtDvnCzDidBW1fs33" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="260" data-original-width="500" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzLEQLdvy_JlPRsmVY6SvIhq9lg-5yzHx5vSxF-uYp3hQpbt4jEQkdbd7629aQUvUFFM32AzHPbUBX-1qiPGzaq5dcE56B5oX880JAv6FWkE7kSOXK6mLx__CM3llE414LAozvMRX0x2_Wz-Zd7pyq3Lu8yVC4broMAnXxrKSG8BgOtDvnCzDidBW1fs33=w400-h208" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Especially because the flow is then broken abruptly. Stewart inserts an "interruption" which informs us that the next story has nothing to do with Arabella. It is a bit confusing, almost a quizzical letter from a writer to his fans. And the story that follows, "Livestream," suffers from it when any of the characters could just have been born in Arabella and kept the them consistent. The story itself, the third involving an influencer or vlogger revealing an unexamined theme of the unknown terrors of the worldwide web vs the known terrors of small town life, is just fine though, as Stewart tells us, it begs to be a longer, larger piece. A fusion of <i>Jurassic Park</i> and Edgar Rice Burroughs with the addition of lesbianism. There is a study to be made of why straight horror writers so frequently add lesbians as decoration and to signify sexual hipness. Especially as Stewart later struggles to avoid the gay subtexts in "Vinyl Blues" and "Mr Nostalgia Becomes Mr Hollywood." </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFl_izESwnWvB_Kxh2kkxmPgch9mRTkWgh53taL_L_o0EgEVZZMuFOoo-gX3WN53egOGFTfdkVYX63BZz95Bg2yy9DbP-d7VaUswEC3uUd-YWheSongA884fkjtmmfAKgurmgNuZ0DVMOFelifWbC2FScGDdv2FBjVRxhy9YcQB2CZZAFH3DFs856wzoDS" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="253" data-original-width="450" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFl_izESwnWvB_Kxh2kkxmPgch9mRTkWgh53taL_L_o0EgEVZZMuFOoo-gX3WN53egOGFTfdkVYX63BZz95Bg2yy9DbP-d7VaUswEC3uUd-YWheSongA884fkjtmmfAKgurmgNuZ0DVMOFelifWbC2FScGDdv2FBjVRxhy9YcQB2CZZAFH3DFs856wzoDS=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">"The Ice Cream Man" is nostalgia horror and easily digestible despite more Arabella as a weird place plugs. It all climaxes with "The Corpse Thief" which has all the ingredients including a mortuary where the dead don't stay immobile, but feels like it too is an introductory chapter for something larger. The two bickering cops in "The Corpse Thief" allude to some dark secret, a horrible murderous conspiracy, in the town but we never get to find out what it is. Or if it is the same one that has been trumpeted previously. So while most of the individual stories are strong and compelling, the overall structure is puzzling. <i>Something Wicked Something Dark</i> is well worth delving into, but with a bit more finesse and a substantive edit to stitch it together, it would have been brilliant.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPQFeHIXJmp9Sl74e81_Hj5SPfx5KG-MjCQPn35IY_2ZILNcimstpW87sj6zAtG5T5EpnbxcxRLR5dw3EP7Ihhl3s3c8inlQBmzcQP4Z0J54Gmnn2sw-kKpspUkeVVDgRWmQgE5z1fddQh-0TO8E62jvNH6IvwqwZ0Y5VtyAJOXG343WlcqjMiSoS1mnJ1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPQFeHIXJmp9Sl74e81_Hj5SPfx5KG-MjCQPn35IY_2ZILNcimstpW87sj6zAtG5T5EpnbxcxRLR5dw3EP7Ihhl3s3c8inlQBmzcQP4Z0J54Gmnn2sw-kKpspUkeVVDgRWmQgE5z1fddQh-0TO8E62jvNH6IvwqwZ0Y5VtyAJOXG343WlcqjMiSoS1mnJ1=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>The series</b>:<br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/horror-in-personal-context-i-novels-and.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror I</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/influential-horror-ii-novels-and-few.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror II</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/01/funland-under-boardwalk-lurks-heavily.html" target="_blank"><i>Funland</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/chuck-palahniuks-haunted-is-indeed.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted</i> by Chuck Palahniuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/03/banquet-for-damned-two-unrequited.html" target="_blank"><i>Banquet for the Damned</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/the-house-that-dripped-gore-doesnt-draw.html" target="_blank"><i>The House That Dripped Gore</i> by Dan West</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/twilight-eyes-dean-koontzs-carnies-vs.html" target="_blank"><i>Twilight Eyes</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/john-dies-at-end-is-more-humour-than.html" target="_blank"><i>John Dies at the End</i> by David Wong</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/hell-house-gory-gothic-tale-of-sexual.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell House</i> by Richard Matheson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/the-scarlet-gospels-clive-barker-kills.html" target="_blank"><i>The Scarlet Gospels</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-hellbound-heart-clive-barker-mixes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hellbound Heart</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/night-creatures-vampire-in-80s-bathhouse.html" target="_blank"><i>Night Creatures</i> by Jeremy Jordan King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-girl-next-door.html" target="_blank"><i>The Girl Next Door</i> by Jack Ketchum</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/07/red-rain-r-l-stine-for-adults.html" target="_blank"><i>Red Rain</i> by R L Stine</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-troop.html" target="_blank"><i>The Troop</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/pages-torn-from-travel-journal-edward.html" target="_blank"><i>Pages Torn From a Travel Journal</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-funhouse-book.html" target="_blank"><i>The Funhouse</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/scared-stiff-tales-of-sex-and-death.html" target="_blank"><i>Scared Stiff </i>by Ramsey Campbell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/a-choir-of-ill-children.html" target="_blank"><i>A Choir of Ill Children</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/flesh-gothic-edward-lee-ratchets-sex.html" target="_blank"><i>Flesh Gothic</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/slade-house-david-mitchell-goes-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>Slade House</i> by David Mitchell</a><br />
<div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/the-bazaar-of-bad-dreams-body-weakens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bazaar of Bad Dreams</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1jc2KFL8hcuE3uDYnRy-jOATGiHOKIwbG55BOiIf8FrIpGTi3DOeaF_NeNkDp7cSJcAPpF7WLkSEnSaKZLtc_zox83kQ3WCnC3VJWsI3LxWYeEz252kJHFtyWb6yNSv4AUPKnhCquv17TPwjNyVxM2vWfGLlMIv2QyHOQ4-KHf6Aq1W6TWM7rzWMTiRjv" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="224" data-original-width="464" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1jc2KFL8hcuE3uDYnRy-jOATGiHOKIwbG55BOiIf8FrIpGTi3DOeaF_NeNkDp7cSJcAPpF7WLkSEnSaKZLtc_zox83kQ3WCnC3VJWsI3LxWYeEz252kJHFtyWb6yNSv4AUPKnhCquv17TPwjNyVxM2vWfGLlMIv2QyHOQ4-KHf6Aq1W6TWM7rzWMTiRjv=w400-h193" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/horrorstor-retail-is-hell-and-lust-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Horrorstör </i>by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/trigger-warning-warning-neil-gaimans.html" target="_blank"><i>Trigger Warning</i> by Neil Gaiman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/the-gunslinger-dark-tower-i-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gunslinger</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/the-summer-is-ended-and-we-are-not-yet.html" target="_blank"><i>The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved </i>by Joey Comeau</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/haunted-tales-of-grotesque-joyce-carol.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque</i> by Joyce Carol Oates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/04/the-dark-tower-ii-drawing-of-three-dark.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drawing of the Three</i> & <i>The Wastelands</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/05/goldenland-past-dark-chandler-klang.html" target="_blank"><i>Goldenland Past Dark</i> by Chandler Klang Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/the-fireman-joe-hill-writes-epic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Fireman</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/end-of-watch-stephen-king-on-horrors-of.html" target="_blank"><i>End of Watch</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAM2tKb-oiu5kE4AnXMstc2an5e4b5g24J_CgcaCqwIuXMvTgZUGveYNLzVt1BFPfToQqn6PhElxtbppjYLTqnENGPafLr49owla9mQNM9PHr3mzpcx-KgAboAD6FGPFvVbVuFuMBKOz0X2i2jtjeU59SeEhtzMKHSzVR9Id6lPNKc8e7oOfEVfDhjY70l" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="409" data-original-width="615" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAM2tKb-oiu5kE4AnXMstc2an5e4b5g24J_CgcaCqwIuXMvTgZUGveYNLzVt1BFPfToQqn6PhElxtbppjYLTqnENGPafLr49owla9mQNM9PHr3mzpcx-KgAboAD6FGPFvVbVuFuMBKOz0X2i2jtjeU59SeEhtzMKHSzVR9Id6lPNKc8e7oOfEVfDhjY70l=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/a-head-full-of-ghosts-paul-tremblay.html" target="_blank"><i>A Head Full of Ghosts</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/the-elementals-camp-comedy-horror-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elementals</i> by Michael McDowell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/nos4a2-have-yourself-scary-little.html" target="_blank"><i>NOS4A2</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-iv-wizard-and-glass.html" target="_blank"><i>Wizard and Glass</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-v-wolves-of-calla.html" target="_blank"><i>Wolves of the Calla</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-vi-song-of-susannah.html" target="_blank"><i>Song of Susannah</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/the-dark-tower-vii-dark-tower-climactic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dark Tower</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/circus-of-damned-meeting-laurell-k.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus of the Damned</i> by Laurell K Hamilton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/tell-my-sorrows-to-stones-christopher.html" target="_blank"><i>Tell My Sorrows to the Stones</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/10/dark-carnival-haunted-circus-kills-just.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Carnival</i> by James A Moore</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/clown-in-moonlight-alienation-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Clown in the Moonlight</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/father-gaetanos-puppet-catechism-tasty.html" target="_blank"><i>Father Gaetano's Puppet Catechism</i> by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/snowblind-christopher-golden-gives.html" target="_blank"><i>Snowblind</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/01/little-heaven.html" target="_blank"><i>Little Heaven</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/02/the-acolyte-nick-cutters-gory-dystopian.html" target="_blank"><i>The Acolyte</i> by Nick Cutter</a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-7D7nom5vQxLrO-PpmeSIHexSNSJ2mKTqQvD_PyFddR5l8SuOLWcmcWbr4l7sUsolxNDthDBpcXC9E3SoSZbnl5eERmA3RYFRQ9C21hCzxe779bzhy3wZNGn639vsqK2Lr8Pl251QiAfmO_uHSofTjzfgZa0lgDtd66C-v3EipOID-fEL_bZnmRegSbGy" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="231" data-original-width="480" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-7D7nom5vQxLrO-PpmeSIHexSNSJ2mKTqQvD_PyFddR5l8SuOLWcmcWbr4l7sUsolxNDthDBpcXC9E3SoSZbnl5eERmA3RYFRQ9C21hCzxe779bzhy3wZNGn639vsqK2Lr8Pl251QiAfmO_uHSofTjzfgZa0lgDtd66C-v3EipOID-fEL_bZnmRegSbGy=w400-h193" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/06/gwendys-button-box-stephen-king-gets.html" target="_blank"><i>Gwendy's Button Box</i> by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-traveling-vampire-show-richard.html" target="_blank"><i>The Traveling Vampire Show</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/philip-fracassi-altar-and-sacculina-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Altar</i> and <i>Sacculina</i> by Philip Fracassi</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Children</i> by Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>Odd Adventures with Your Other Father</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/it-stephen-kings-masterpiece-of-novel.html" target="_blank"><i>It</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>Life in a Haunted House</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dungeon of Count Verlock</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Lake Monster</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-bone-mother-david-demchuk-creates.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bone Mother</i> by David Demchuk</a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_eCOaRt-qKe8Po5aDLPWuo-EXBeJtkPgYbweKhD3VSHC6TUoGA8STt_rFqqWRdYXG3tNe6afEyIpMqfmcqL8lFh-LILWHyvB8AL0lmJxfgHto3KeLdgFiTLbF5a92FNVnVg3AqUrWkpeafj2bwxskNJedh6vsoi5DdW2gFFsSP0n6vi_Q3j9PY3qWUMxW" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_eCOaRt-qKe8Po5aDLPWuo-EXBeJtkPgYbweKhD3VSHC6TUoGA8STt_rFqqWRdYXG3tNe6afEyIpMqfmcqL8lFh-LILWHyvB8AL0lmJxfgHto3KeLdgFiTLbF5a92FNVnVg3AqUrWkpeafj2bwxskNJedh6vsoi5DdW2gFFsSP0n6vi_Q3j9PY3qWUMxW=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/sleeping-beauties-stephen-and-own-king.html" target="_blank"><i>Sleeping Beauties</i> by Stephen King and Owen King</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-only-child-andrew-pyper-pens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Child</i> by Andrew Pyper</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampire's Kiss</i> by Sonny Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Gay Vampire</i> by Davy S</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/remember-why-you-fear-me.html" target="_blank"><i>Remember Why You Fear Me</i> by Robert Shearman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/october-michael-rowe-pens-classic-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>October </i>by Michael Rowe</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/strange-weather-joe-hills-quartet-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Strange Weather</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-house-edward-lee.html" target="_blank"><i>The House</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/01/lovecraft-country-matt-ruffs-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Lovecraft Country</i> by Matt Ruff</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/fat-vampire-prolific-johnny-b-truant.html" target="_blank"><i>Fat Vampire</i> by Johnny B Truant</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/chords-for-dead-two-men-one-love-ghost.html" target="_blank"><i>Chords for the Dead</i> by Sarah Luddington</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolores Claiborne</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Thinner</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/03/the-ballad-of-black-tom-victor-lavalles.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ballad of Black Tom</i> by Victor LaValle</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/dr-potters-medicine-show.html" target="_blank"><i>Dr Potter's Medicine Show</i> by Eric Scott Fischl</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/the-door-keepers-graham-masterton-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Doorkeepers</i> by Graham Masterton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/floppy-shoes-apocalypse-introduction-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Floppy Shoes Apocalypse</i> edited by John Ledger</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/ghostwritten.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostwritten</i> by David Mitchell</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/the-pilo-family-circus.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pilo Family Circus</i> by Will Elliott</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/house-of-large-sizes-voodoo-sex-and.html" target="_blank"><i>House of Large Sizes</i> by Ian Graham Leask</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-outsider-stephen-king.html" target="_blank"><i>The Outsider</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Tilt</i> by Neal Shusterman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>A Nightmare on Clown Street</i> by R L Stine</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFKRHG_N95YTyGp6luNUngwh8Y2d_v7IF29mczyA5b4SyoK2SbhDgATfalv2AsFWmisZclonwSlaKpuFCP7HJGztFTTwHLKwXc_FV4ktqbnSy1ESb5d875mb0N8jDhSGGt3d0iyJXPdWFtbjldGG_dUaqYuqNMipFqifl9tWqL2Q2EPIBpMB9BMfqStK2V" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFKRHG_N95YTyGp6luNUngwh8Y2d_v7IF29mczyA5b4SyoK2SbhDgATfalv2AsFWmisZclonwSlaKpuFCP7HJGztFTTwHLKwXc_FV4ktqbnSy1ESb5d875mb0N8jDhSGGt3d0iyJXPdWFtbjldGG_dUaqYuqNMipFqifl9tWqL2Q2EPIBpMB9BMfqStK2V=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-hollow-man-dan-simmons-on-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hollow Man</i> by Dan Simmons</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/ushers-passing-riffing-on-poe-to-turn.html" target="_blank"><i>Usher's Passing</i> by Robert R McCammon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/dolly-ghost-story-creepy-literary.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolly</i> by Susan Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/nightwing-killer-vampire-bats-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightwing</i> by Martin Cruz Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/wildwood-bizarro-beach-read-of-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Wildwood</i> by John Farris</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/hex.html" target="_blank"><i>HEX</i> by Thomas Olde Heuvelt</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/coulrophobia-sparklez-clowns-for-chaos.html" target="_blank"><i>Coulrophobia</i> by Tim Miller</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-cabin-at-end-of-world-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cabin at the End of the World</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-loney-creepy-moody-gothic-chiller.html" target="_blank"><i>The Loney</i> by Andrew Michael Hurley</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-saturday-night-ghost-club-craig.html" target="_blank"><i>The Saturday Night Ghost Club</i> by Craig Davidson</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-legacyjohn-coyne-pens-fun.html" target="_blank"><i>The Legacy</i> by John Coyne</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-house-of-small-shadows-adam-nevills.html" target="_blank"><i>The House of Small Shadows</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-mailman-neither-rain-nor-snow-nor.html" target="_blank"><i>The Mailman</i> by Bentley Little</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/disappearance-at-devils-rock-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>Disappearance at Devil's Rock</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-cartoonist-conceptual-coincidence.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cartoonist</i> by Sean Costello</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-vampire-de-sade-wonderful-premise.html" target="_blank"><i>The Vampire de Sade</i> by Mary Ann Mitchell</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-infinite-douglas-clegg.html" target="_blank"><i>The Infinite</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/dark-rainbow-queer-erotic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Rainbow: Queer Erotic Horror</i> edited by Andrew Robertson</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-halloween-man-bit-of-trick-but.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Man</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/elevation-stephen-king-fable-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Elevation</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>For Fear of the Night</i> by Charles L Grant</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>Grimscribe</i> by Thomas Ligotti</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/fantasticland-horror-is-human.html" target="_blank"><i>Fantasticland</i> by Mike Bockoven</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqNCgKdBpCt7Jyl1d42MxmMnw4R4La9_VOBczZKDsq-A4tqWxb3XhGjT9SwX6ToxNO4R887ttSDmYQNg0ICq5exX754emPZFzMTyR4OapHvJBqsscMTHGoADy6H-eoX-ruZg5idpMQMYi4afyEROrdt7WbTGgwSYytHKQ9leebjK14qhGEHk7w4OKbaSFc" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="166" data-original-width="297" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqNCgKdBpCt7Jyl1d42MxmMnw4R4La9_VOBczZKDsq-A4tqWxb3XhGjT9SwX6ToxNO4R887ttSDmYQNg0ICq5exX754emPZFzMTyR4OapHvJBqsscMTHGoADy6H-eoX-ruZg5idpMQMYi4afyEROrdt7WbTGgwSYytHKQ9leebjK14qhGEHk7w4OKbaSFc=w400-h224" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/carter-lovecraft-commercialization-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Carter & Lovecraft</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-night-of-moonbow.html" target="_blank"><i>The Night of the Moonbow</i> by Thomas Tryon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/witching-hour-theatre-nostalgia-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>Witching Hour Theatre</i> by Johnathan Janz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Nobody Was Here</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Hoppers</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/terror-by-moonlight-critter-catchers.html" target="_blank"><i>Terror by Moonlight (Critter Catchers Book 1)</i> by Hank Edwards</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightmare House</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Mischief</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-kills-issac-thornes-collected.html" target="_blank"><i>Road Kills</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-passage-epic-absorbing-chronicle-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Passage</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The Twelve</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The City of Mirrors</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/house-beneath-bridge-vivid-and-vicious.html" target="_blank"><i>House Beneath the Bridge</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-gordon-place-isaac-thorne-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gordon Place</i> by Isaac Thorne</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwK2zfeAf7WzgBB_H0YqHJh5Tydt7yUK-if_pWJ6N5ztnqlzdPLH02rdjzgpEZk_nXd-ugOVU6cGTOJvqXDj2QLLI5NIAZ4kH85YKlnY3ftxyUyfITI7aIhVk9f8Iw_z76b7W5IXngj1FZ0-wDt5yulho9D_xFtXb2UBSO6SDTgbfzLQiSQ-Kw3oEdZb7W" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="900" data-original-width="597" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwK2zfeAf7WzgBB_H0YqHJh5Tydt7yUK-if_pWJ6N5ztnqlzdPLH02rdjzgpEZk_nXd-ugOVU6cGTOJvqXDj2QLLI5NIAZ4kH85YKlnY3ftxyUyfITI7aIhVk9f8Iw_z76b7W5IXngj1FZ0-wDt5yulho9D_xFtXb2UBSO6SDTgbfzLQiSQ-Kw3oEdZb7W=w265-h400" width="265" /></a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/johannes-cabal-necromancer.html" target="_blank"><i>Johannes Cabal the Necromancer</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/hellfire.html" target="_blank"><i>Hellfire</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/circus-tarot-cards-and-clowns-will.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus Tarot</i> by Charles W Jones</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/colony-of-lost-derik-cavignanos.html" target="_blank"><i>Colony of the Lost</i> by Derik Cavignano</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/while-industriously-working-away-on.html" target="_blank"><i>Second Child</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-darkness-david-b-silvas-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Darkness</i> by David B Silva</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-demons-possession-loose-morals.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Demons</i> by Mason Burgess</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/drag-thing-more-camp-than-horror-or.html" target="_blank"><i>Drag Thing</i> by Victor J Banis</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/bubba-ho-tep-elderly-elvis-soul-sucking.html" target="_blank"><i>Bubba Ho-Tep</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/dark-ride-iain-rob-wright-delivers.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Ride</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/see-them-dance-cranch-clown-and-zirkus.html" target="_blank"><i>See Them Dance</i> by Freder</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-drive-in-b-movie-with-blood-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drive-in</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-nest-and-roaches-shall-inherit-earth.html" target="_blank"><i>The Nest</i> by Gregory A Douglas</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/coyote-songs-gabino-iglesias-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>Coyote Songs</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/boys-life-revisiting-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>Boy's Life</i> by Robert R McCammon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/growing-things-and-other-stories-book.html" target="_blank"><i>Growing Things and Other Stories</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-freakshow-bryan-smiths-extreme.html" target="_blank"><i>The Freakshow</i> by Bryan Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/clownflesh-horror-author-tim-curran.html" target="_blank"><i>Clownflesh</i> by Tim Curran</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-manhattan-hunt-club.html" target="_blank"><i>The Manhattan Hunt Club</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/craven-manor-dary-coates-gothic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Craven Manor</i> by Darcy Coates</a><br />
<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-institute-stephen-kings-conspiracy.html" target="_blank">The Institute by Stephen King</a></i><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-dollmakers-daughters-where.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dollmaker's Daughters</i> by Abigail Padgett</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/carnival-of-fear-jg-fahertys-explosion.html" target="_blank"><i>Carnival of Fear</i> by JG Faherty</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/final-girls.html" target="_blank"><i>Final Girls</i> by Riley Sager</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhshqIhjwH6akQ_w5ky1kelbzscTo2lWx5Psu-2VxQZ6-DN-Hj6kGbj5wWI1xu6GCQ9bGXE3MN2iFYCKt7vgcEqyfM8HfzNl84jGeq3vmgSqY6LfcZCJgjVa-86fEA5-AMhWYTB7tQV5Znw1n5R-HoG1ckYn0DSAQ6CLG82GW4PsOHlOGiZNl_EldiYdcBZ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="500" data-original-width="241" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhshqIhjwH6akQ_w5ky1kelbzscTo2lWx5Psu-2VxQZ6-DN-Hj6kGbj5wWI1xu6GCQ9bGXE3MN2iFYCKt7vgcEqyfM8HfzNl84jGeq3vmgSqY6LfcZCJgjVa-86fEA5-AMhWYTB7tQV5Znw1n5R-HoG1ckYn0DSAQ6CLG82GW4PsOHlOGiZNl_EldiYdcBZ=w193-h400" width="193" /></a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/ninth-house-leigh-bardugo-conjures-up.html" target="_blank"><i>Ninth House</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/angel-of-abyss-ed-kurtzs-noir-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Angel of the Abyss</i> by Ed Kurtz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-naughty-boy-for-krampus-or-two.html" target="_blank"><i>A Naughty Boy for Krampus or Two</i> by Quinn D'Angelo</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/ghoul-brian-keenes-despair-over.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghoul</i> by Brian Keene</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/queen-of-blood-bryan-smith-catalogues.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Blood</i> by Bryan Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/neverland-childhood-ends-in-dilapidated.html" target="_blank"><i>Neverland</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/noon-spell-something-evil-shines-under.html" target="_blank"><i>Noon Spell</i> by J N Williamson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/salvage-duncan-ralstons-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Salvage</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-necronomnomnomicon-cookbook-of-dead.html" target="_blank"><i>The Necronomnomnomicon: Cookbook of the Dead</i> by Felix Galvan</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/phantom-rage-big-horror-in-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Phantom Rage</i> by William Blackwell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-haunted-forest-tour-copious-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>The Haunted Forest Tour</i> by James A Moore and Jeff Strand</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/ghostland-duncan-ralstons-killer-thrill.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostland</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-auctioneer-prescient-or-tragically.html" target="_blank"><i>The Auctioneer</i> by Joan Samson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/full-throttle-cohesive-coming-of-age.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Throttle</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-window-when-man-in-mirror-is-pair.html" target="_blank"><i>The Window</i> by Glenn Rolfe</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/island-of-dolls-murders-observed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>Island of the Dolls</i> by Jeremy Bates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-southern-book-clubs-guide-to.html" target="_blank"><i>The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires</i> by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-boys-on-mountain-intoxicating.html" target="_blank"><i>The Boys on the Mountain</i> by John Inman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/if-it-bleeds-four-novellas-from-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>If It Bleeds</i> by Stephen King</a><br /><a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/07/survivor-song-horror-so-real-it-hurts.html" target="_blank"><i>Survivor Song</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br /><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/09/combustion-fiery-erotic-gay-horror-from.html" target="_blank"><i>Combustion</i> by Daniel W Kelly</a><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/01/afterlife-dead-and-digital-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Afterlife</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/01/rise-of-thing-down-below-returning-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Rise of the Thing Down Below</i> by Daniel W Kelly</a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPjEUmo9DzXRY4ijjgFUNjUkYIaVHR2nv-fA--qVX0BuHq74AfLLQjbaiTnBphZ_JoQ1sgBfpPMY50l0lEjnYMB-okiMvhFM8BfxoEqLlBfe0W60n5x29mEX3SXHRQKflqzZm6ePgJ5sUM3vxeWOAuGC1OkQxNj1hgbxSrO5Km88YizQNAE31m6X_08UVU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPjEUmo9DzXRY4ijjgFUNjUkYIaVHR2nv-fA--qVX0BuHq74AfLLQjbaiTnBphZ_JoQ1sgBfpPMY50l0lEjnYMB-okiMvhFM8BfxoEqLlBfe0W60n5x29mEX3SXHRQKflqzZm6ePgJ5sUM3vxeWOAuGC1OkQxNj1hgbxSrO5Km88YizQNAE31m6X_08UVU=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/05/tenebrion-rejuvenating-blast-of-sheer.html" target="_blank"><i>Tenebrion</i> by James H Longmore</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/05/342-abercorn-renovating-and-living-in.html" target="_blank"><i>342 Abercorn</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/06/shockadelica-how-well-do-you-know-your.html" target="_blank"><i>Shockadelica</i> by Jon O'Bergh</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/06/bacchanal-carnival-of-horror-from-inside.html" target="_blank"><i>Bacchanal</i> by Veronica G Henry</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/07/scream-ride-thrills-and-chills-on-every.html" target="_blank"><i>Scream Ride</i> by D I Russell</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/08/catmagic-witches-mad-scientists.html" target="_blank"><i>Catmagic</i> by Whitley Strieber</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elvis Room</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Good Indian</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>Zombie Bake-Off</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/red-x-david-demchuks-novel-is-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Red X</i> by David Demchuk</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/feral-creatures-can-feral-werewolf-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Feral Creatures </i>by Tommy Ousslander</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/12/infinite-third-volume-of-ghostland.html" target="_blank"><i>Infinite</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>2B</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>A Laymon Kind of Night</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>Van People</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>Asylum</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells </a></div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/plain-bad-heroines-emily-m-danforth.html" target="_blank"><i>Plain Bad Heroines</i> by Emily M Danforth</a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdzJ6K1zYthM_FOak6ChXhKsoYXqZ59zBZIT7IJbgMBjS81osRbHMXi0sYJD_72mNXTvha2npbpvfr7NGAKlPrUhqc4rMO_OhSYArrzeGwDqRZiPhw7he41usufHZW0TbOgnNgDuutju8UPsfHXL4_yubeiFZbxYJfCHQhUUUdN7E77t02sy7R3HWo7pYd" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="259" data-original-width="450" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdzJ6K1zYthM_FOak6ChXhKsoYXqZ59zBZIT7IJbgMBjS81osRbHMXi0sYJD_72mNXTvha2npbpvfr7NGAKlPrUhqc4rMO_OhSYArrzeGwDqRZiPhw7he41usufHZW0TbOgnNgDuutju8UPsfHXL4_yubeiFZbxYJfCHQhUUUdN7E77t02sy7R3HWo7pYd=w400-h230" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-wakening-jg-faherty-explores.html" target="_blank"><i>The Wakening</i> by JG Faherty</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-night-in-lonesome-october-dog.html" target="_blank"><i>A Night in the Lonesome October</i> by Roger Zelazny and Gahan Wilson</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-ii.html" target="_blank"><i>Tales From the Typewriter</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-ii.html" target="_blank"><i>When it Rains</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/incarnate-innocence-vs-very-haunted.html" target="_blank"><i>Incarnate</i> by Steve Stred</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/scary-stories-to-tell-in-dark-worms.html" target="_blank"><i>Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark</i> by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/gross-out-woom-splatterfest-attendees.html" target="_blank"><i>Woom</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/gross-out-woom-splatterfest-attendees.html" target="_blank"><i>Gross Out</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/05/lot-lizards-ray-garons-pulpy.html" target="_blank"><i>Lot Lizards</i> by Ray Garton</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/06/straight-chuck-tingle-tingles-with-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>Straight</i> by Chuck Tingle</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-inhuman-condition-cleansed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>The Inhuman Condition</i> by Clive Barker</a></div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/queen-of-teeth-body-horror-vagina.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Teeth</i> by Hailey Piper</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/welcome-to-smileyland-and-sister.html" target="_blank"><i>Welcome to Smileyland</i> by Spencer Hamilton</a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYJgh3fF9n5RNAlXSLNs_tNukPsnYhNu_EzrcNgHeHYgA_pwzbxVvAerpTpC_j9eMDWLj9WpWTHopf6dvRfkYGRmCarANTJaz49oYs40veeAwBrF814YxkeRI5tSh6Ci5jPPEK8acw7jXO9X4nRX5I7BFk6Gqn7Pl5HxSNXO-if2RHP5D5WmX28yYj7SQs" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYJgh3fF9n5RNAlXSLNs_tNukPsnYhNu_EzrcNgHeHYgA_pwzbxVvAerpTpC_j9eMDWLj9WpWTHopf6dvRfkYGRmCarANTJaz49oYs40veeAwBrF814YxkeRI5tSh6Ci5jPPEK8acw7jXO9X4nRX5I7BFk6Gqn7Pl5HxSNXO-if2RHP5D5WmX28yYj7SQs=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/welcome-to-smileyland-and-sister.html" target="_blank"><i>Sister Funtime</i> by Spencer Hamilton</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/hell-spring-isaac-thorne-unleashes-soul.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell Spring</i> by Isaac Thorne</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/twentieth-anniversary-screening-even.html"><i>Twentieth Anniversary Screening</i> by Jeff Strand</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-devil-takes-you-home-black-magic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Devil Takes You Home</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-pallbearers-club-terrifying.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pallbearers Club</i> by Paul Tremblay</a> </div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-right-hand-of-evil-john-saul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Right Hand of Evil</i> by John Saul</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/montagues-carnival-of-delights-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Montague's Carnival of Delights and Terror</i> by Jamie Stewart</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/they-thirst-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>They Thirs</i>t by Robert R McCammon</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/fairy-tale-stephen-king-and-theres-no.html" target="_blank"><i>Fairy Tale</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/queer-little-nightmares-anthology-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Queer Little Nightmares</i> edited by David Ly & Daniel Zomparelli</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/11/dearly-departed-sephera-giron-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Dearly Departed</i> by Sephera Giron & Andrew Robertson</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-sleeping-car-porter-underside-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Sleeping Car Porter</i> by Suzette Mayr</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/lucid-when-dreams-become-nightmare.html" target="_blank"><i>Lucid</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/goblin-small-town-full-of-wonder-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Goblin</i> by Josh Malerman</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/horror-show-b-movies-become-real-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Horror Show</i> by Greg Kihn</a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSGXFCt0gr6zEtVJ1_ceYo0FLSicJVyUuG0n8r00fa9Px7KjlVAFbQ45Dvjc13knccAYpLaDLxzsTbTKNkwHVX5uBo6fDaG4UwERStb_xD0QMnwV6Fh8PgMApR0euu1Pf4OgxBEuwG6dqU-sFzpWhCJG3UfyKHUvKMlDA3zNdaz800o4YpMkTRQ0fNobHp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="264" data-original-width="500" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSGXFCt0gr6zEtVJ1_ceYo0FLSicJVyUuG0n8r00fa9Px7KjlVAFbQ45Dvjc13knccAYpLaDLxzsTbTKNkwHVX5uBo6fDaG4UwERStb_xD0QMnwV6Fh8PgMApR0euu1Pf4OgxBEuwG6dqU-sFzpWhCJG3UfyKHUvKMlDA3zNdaz800o4YpMkTRQ0fNobHp=w400-h211" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/haunted-attractions-with-your-other.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted Attractions with Your Other Father</i> by Norman Prentiss</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-ghost-that-ate-us-tragic-true-story.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ghost That Ate Us</i> by Daniel Kraus</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-exorcists-house.html" target="_blank"><i>The Exorcist's House</i> by Nick Roberts</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/a-ghost-of-chance-horror-slash-mystery.html" target="_blank"><i>A Ghost of a Chance</i> by Josh Lanyon</a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/03/autumn-gothic-deadpan-extreme-violence.html" target="_blank"><i>Autumn Gothic</i> by Brian Bowyer</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/04/hell-bent-alex-stern-goes-to-hell-few.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell Bent</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/05/septic-novella-of-suspense-trapped-in.html" target="_blank"><i>Septic</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/05/house-of-illusions-at-first-children.html" target="_blank"><i>House of Illusions</i> by Ruby Jean Jensen</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/gothic-dangers-of-horror-writing-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Gothic</i> by Philip Fracassi</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/blood-kiss.html" target="_blank"><i>Blood Kiss</i> by J Daniel Stone</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-rising-tropes-invented-as-they-rise.html" target="_blank"><i>The Rising</i> by Brian Keene</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/suburban-gothic-inner-lives-of-meat-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Suburban Gothic</i> by Brian Keene and Bryan Smith</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/wedding-day-massacre-disgusting-gore.html"><i>Wedding Day Massacre</i> by Aron Beauregard</a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkkN1wGO5pEXkQ00iBfAjXhy9l1J4CewF9Vu7VqliE5SShGWcPK29-yOLXM0JcbHrhRptI5ri0Ow13nim7Mss-LkavFKw12TqqnD0lC8miE9sZzxVZjNOdZlrzgbA3FCBSsEI2xzNihvNLwXeSYIj9YbMf9Lg0Ac0jHQ9jvOipIcMWWiqAMhK29jJcdXh_" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="398" data-original-width="500" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkkN1wGO5pEXkQ00iBfAjXhy9l1J4CewF9Vu7VqliE5SShGWcPK29-yOLXM0JcbHrhRptI5ri0Ow13nim7Mss-LkavFKw12TqqnD0lC8miE9sZzxVZjNOdZlrzgbA3FCBSsEI2xzNihvNLwXeSYIj9YbMf9Lg0Ac0jHQ9jvOipIcMWWiqAMhK29jJcdXh_=w400-h318" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/08/anais-nin-at-grand-guignol-creating-art.html" target="_blank"><i>Anais Nin at the Grand Guignol</i> by Robert Levy</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/mexican-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>Mexican Gothic</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/holly-stephen-king-and-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Holly</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/all-hollows-supernatural-slashers.html" target="_blank"><i>All Hollows</i> by Christopher Golden</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/vampires-anonymous-gay-will-forever-be.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampires Anonymous</i> by Jeffrey N McMahan</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/daubed-in-darkness-when-arty-throuple.html" target="_blank"><i>Daubed in Darkness</i> by J Daniel Stone</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/haunted-places-and-other-stories-ghosts.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted Places and Other Stories</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-only-safe-place-left-is-dark-lean.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark</i> by Warren Wagner</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-handyman-method-horrors-of-nuclear.html" target="_blank"><i>The Handyman Method</i> by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/old-too-soon-innocence-lost-in-sea-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Old Too Soon</i> by Brian Bowyer</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-daughter-of-doctor-moreau-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/furnace-real-evil-wears-tailored-pink.html" target="_blank"><i>Furnace</i> by Muriel Gray</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/progeny-of-adder-hard-bitten-detective.html" target="_blank"><i>Progeny of the Adder</i> by Leslie H Whitten</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/03/something-wicked-something-dark-french.html" target="_blank"><i>Something Wicked Something Dark</i> by Jamie Stewart</a></div></div>
Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-5980630602465955512024-03-15T03:26:00.000-04:002024-03-15T03:26:28.294-04:00No One's Special at the Hot Dog Cart: delicious de-escalation<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghb1NjH5DRQ67FHkDvH1E4M2Wr0_BApykkYCjA0hvPb3BQyo0quIEu2y3oRHLJ24yqPltvY90EDNYzyfkpt1-2TqID3M0ba_QtPOqp-fAY26RwTKM439XAbjgI2Xej3Gg0bSjzS0YNqmyHka1MjTkxElstDRwgUlxxQrKmJc8BtKZMfkaeDCU5Wsvwrg1Y" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghb1NjH5DRQ67FHkDvH1E4M2Wr0_BApykkYCjA0hvPb3BQyo0quIEu2y3oRHLJ24yqPltvY90EDNYzyfkpt1-2TqID3M0ba_QtPOqp-fAY26RwTKM439XAbjgI2Xej3Gg0bSjzS0YNqmyHka1MjTkxElstDRwgUlxxQrKmJc8BtKZMfkaeDCU5Wsvwrg1Y=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div>"Like so many queer and trans youth, I was very troubled and left home," says Charlie Petch of the genesis of <i>No One's Special at the Hot Dog Cart</i>. "I tried to get hired for other jobs, but being a high school dropout who paid rent really works against the hopes for legal employment. I actually went from handing out flyers, to selling flowers on street corners. Then Mansour saw me school a street preacher who was trying to steal my customers, and he offered me the hot dog vending job. It was hourly and I was desperate. But truly, I liked being a street worker. The action, the danger, all fed my ADD. In looking back. I didn’t grow up with queer education in schools or even proper diagnosing for how distracted I always was, so this is also a story about how important it is to speak about mental health, as well as gender and sexuality."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhApxna2tRP6HHdBnqglXwCZnaQhjzUuvjt8neB1sKH_3sQPz6kMvHo4mzDPQs34UKB6vFyxDv8_E3Jtx8vbAKwN-VWPPBEZ3S_Hkf0Fa532v9FNEbse1Q0zKKkUKZ_xCN_SGyn1f056WqCCXpCsBRxstp6jBxs-MTys1uSrbf8kUst95liX5CSKfmVLZHZ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="900" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhApxna2tRP6HHdBnqglXwCZnaQhjzUuvjt8neB1sKH_3sQPz6kMvHo4mzDPQs34UKB6vFyxDv8_E3Jtx8vbAKwN-VWPPBEZ3S_Hkf0Fa532v9FNEbse1Q0zKKkUKZ_xCN_SGyn1f056WqCCXpCsBRxstp6jBxs-MTys1uSrbf8kUst95liX5CSKfmVLZHZ=w267-h400" width="267" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Petch learned a lot working the hot dog cart circuit and that information is to be shared, theatrically and through workshops. "<i>No One’s Special at the Hot Dog Cart</i> is a full theatrical show filled with story, music and poetry and some beautiful staging elements from lighting designer Steph Raposo, set design by Joel Richardson and the wonderful direction of Autumn Smith," says Petch distinguishing the show from his workshops. "It’s a theatre show that just so happens to demonstrate five de-escalation techniques. While you would learn some skills from the show, taking more time with them and going through more discussion and demonstration is what makes the workshop more effective for honing these." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Petch explains further, "It's really in using phrases that don’t blame people for the emotions they are having. Phrases like 'That sounds stressful' land differently than 'Calm down,' or even expecting that they should have a different response. I don’t think anyone can create empathy in another person, but we can reflect and think, 'If my worst moment happens in public, how would I like to be treated?' I actually have helpful phrases for de-escalation technique written out on the wallet cards I distribute after the show, so it’s easy to access them when in a panicked moment. It also has the steps as well as a QR code that would take the person to different non-police related services that may be helpful."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnOH1oFyz7glDmqNmaf6-5KwB6p86TqTpWGtBQ9-zfjwMok3zxFDExR2u3XPLa4xJ6ebTI7wGVzUPGwTDcO_wByCP1g4UG6uibbihc3KIYqnK8DIKx-OShd_8RVUfvPloiaBB9NR21dP0bg9dOixXgSTJYvit1ZPG4ekGI0GrBubDYWcFxmtka0b-iwbn-" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnOH1oFyz7glDmqNmaf6-5KwB6p86TqTpWGtBQ9-zfjwMok3zxFDExR2u3XPLa4xJ6ebTI7wGVzUPGwTDcO_wByCP1g4UG6uibbihc3KIYqnK8DIKx-OShd_8RVUfvPloiaBB9NR21dP0bg9dOixXgSTJYvit1ZPG4ekGI0GrBubDYWcFxmtka0b-iwbn-=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Petch notes that "Queer people are often excellent de-escalators. So many of us grew up with bullies, and homes where there is little safety. I don’t believe de-escalation is an evolution, rather it’s emergency health care and is different, but very much a sibling to self-defence. It’s more geared at managing emotions, for both the person who is escalated and the person who is attempting to de-escalate. It’s really asking people to get used to managing their responses to perceived danger. De-escalation asks us to really consider both the person who needs de-escalating as well as being able to do this for ourselves in stressful moments. I really want to help people move through the city with respect and compassion towards those in mental crisis. It is a form of acute health care to witness someone in crisis and help them bring their adrenaline and heart rate down. I want people to have more tools than accessing a police response when they are having fear."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPKCk2-pherQT9k9dsHuh51gyWFc6afhGOCAFlo2rAiOc2yNyS1Ozamt8medD1ULj1G8WleqWFViq_dV0ezcOW7PqOnel-d-Yj3cEitb2ubLdCLyoiYXsBynaK2KTdhorhaTxCpIgyhFs5uK4BDfwApmdThFjBQYBwlqIrBZU3e2TaBnyDT-qUvLbPpj-6" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPKCk2-pherQT9k9dsHuh51gyWFc6afhGOCAFlo2rAiOc2yNyS1Ozamt8medD1ULj1G8WleqWFViq_dV0ezcOW7PqOnel-d-Yj3cEitb2ubLdCLyoiYXsBynaK2KTdhorhaTxCpIgyhFs5uK4BDfwApmdThFjBQYBwlqIrBZU3e2TaBnyDT-qUvLbPpj-6=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Petch is, as well as a renowned spoken word artist, musician and theatre maker, a poet. Reviews of his published work tend to focus on his "quirky sense of humour." Petch wears that with pride. "We all need levity. There’s the term 'gallows humour' that is often attributed to those who work in health care. We witness so much tragedy and finding a balance with humour is needed. I am a funny person so it’s pretty available to me, which is such a gift as it helps me not hold too tightly to tragedy. Humour is a coping mechanism, so I have it in my work. I find it actually opens up people in ways just staying in tragedy would never access. It’s so much easier to land a message when someone has had a moment to laugh and have that little escape of their own feelings. There’s also a huge difference in laughing at, and laughing with. So much of my humour comes from trying to deal with systems that don’t reflect the realities of being queer and trans. I don’t poke fun at the marginalized, rather laugh with them in how they are forced to adapt and accept."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-ow998gDHdASxQ_XRi6J2Cj08WtTJtu3pmHDicVV028yfY9Aom7aKM1BFdxnzq6yptA7BJ-eEe2A1_W9UpN1InCwZLQ_NOoZ6AqlgN06e01TDZSjLspnsSNh5DmQbS3tIojeT3fPhaoJSpqMp2R-LlU__BpB_btNfpeX3E6ZiNHcDFWtVG16fYADU6Qa8" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-ow998gDHdASxQ_XRi6J2Cj08WtTJtu3pmHDicVV028yfY9Aom7aKM1BFdxnzq6yptA7BJ-eEe2A1_W9UpN1InCwZLQ_NOoZ6AqlgN06e01TDZSjLspnsSNh5DmQbS3tIojeT3fPhaoJSpqMp2R-LlU__BpB_btNfpeX3E6ZiNHcDFWtVG16fYADU6Qa8=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">An example of that humour is a line Petch uses in press releases “A poet so good at drag they had everyone convinced that they were a woman for the first forty years of their life.” Beyond being a one-liner, Petch has thoughts. "When I used to try to be femme, I was always calling it drag as a joke. I grew up in a time where there was no access to 2SLGBTQPIA+ information, or even LGBT, information. When I did finally let the little boy I was grow up, I really reflected on how often I was 'in drag' onstage playing male roles, but how I only felt I had drag on when it was a dress or femme makeup. For so many of us, drag can be a door that opens and we see who we truly are the more we get into drag. I always felt more comfortable in male roles, and appearing male. Drag is such a wonderful vehicle to our true gender(s). When I was writing and now with the help of Autumn Smith’s direction, I really am seeing how much impact being closeted had on me. I don’t think I would have been a hot dog vendor or even have left home if I'd had access to trans health and education. I remember being six years old and almost throwing up when a crossing guard kept asking me if I was a 'boy or a girl.' I felt anything I said would be a lie and I truly didn’t know what that meant, and just carried that question until 2015 when so many of us heard who we are for the first time."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrGnJ0CC4e_h0YTmzcDETWUUeuJA05J3lDDzBppKRUKHhlk6DVw4_8sADMUZJ9oPbniTzo-su4C-Vu5CfebWAw-GjIDvAwunuCRzB4JveEFZgQJggxLYT5xI-nT6XaRu2zaTHm_q9vlQKYaYlZ_wwbIQ3ZbKT0k1R9Yl6ISEFD1gzR4t0HoUqc5V4-zsUB" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrGnJ0CC4e_h0YTmzcDETWUUeuJA05J3lDDzBppKRUKHhlk6DVw4_8sADMUZJ9oPbniTzo-su4C-Vu5CfebWAw-GjIDvAwunuCRzB4JveEFZgQJggxLYT5xI-nT6XaRu2zaTHm_q9vlQKYaYlZ_wwbIQ3ZbKT0k1R9Yl6ISEFD1gzR4t0HoUqc5V4-zsUB=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Petch is unconcerned about whether he/him or they/them pronouns are used, he defines himself as "transmasculine," a term they is happy to explain. "Once I allowed myself to start coming out, I really shifted and almost overnight I started to really feel almost hurt when people said 'she.' I started my journey as a genderqueer person for the first year of coming out, and once I read what 'transmasculine' was, it was like my whole life suddenly was clear. I am a masculine person who doesn’t absolutely feel like a man. Transmasculine is who I have always been. I also feel like I am non binary and, as a 40 year old person who grew up only hearing about the AIDS crisis instead of how gay people are normal, I was afraid to really come out because it felt like something for the youth. But once I couldn’t hear 'she' without pain, I knew there was no going back and I really had to break out of all the rhetoric that would keep me from being able to feel comfortable in my body after having to cope for decades."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin7Ark62esyrSsZNLWc8xqHd5r9JTx4Z4NcelFxMcuNxR1ch7q-_fO972ypE7qsAiWUav5OgTIie1topIrNSwT9d-OKEI09yT2Qf-x9th3NjGh0UtYMmyAhLlZrPQ1qmP3yrKTTChx-3eGwYES4eNpjjvYjAFDFSebUBBKmIqrwYjf3ICPXskuYR_Df8dD" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin7Ark62esyrSsZNLWc8xqHd5r9JTx4Z4NcelFxMcuNxR1ch7q-_fO972ypE7qsAiWUav5OgTIie1topIrNSwT9d-OKEI09yT2Qf-x9th3NjGh0UtYMmyAhLlZrPQ1qmP3yrKTTChx-3eGwYES4eNpjjvYjAFDFSebUBBKmIqrwYjf3ICPXskuYR_Df8dD=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While the hot dog cart job was a job, it did result in <i>No One's Special at the Hot Dog Cart</i> and Petch's workshops. "It’s actually very nostalgic," Petch says of those days. "I really love the smell of it and I honestly thought my job would put me off of hot dogs, but they are dang perfect. If you really want to think about the body and the long-term effects of ingesting grade D beef, you should probably avoid it altogether. But I have a lot of affection for meat practices that use every part of the animal, food should not be wasted. I just had one from a vendor at Dundas and Yonge last month. They are delicious." And Petch has one more bit of advice. "Tip your vendors!" </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Photos by Nika Belianina</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhch426GHPSdAoqVAAHcQGzgn_oZPITtTbghjUnpPsqt-8mz7n3zJOlw8oX23E5c1v2217J6g4FLIGNjaRf4ObNREnHxGnAW01CzR3e-J7mgyMshHC2HMhHqfmlD0AWbxab0GMIqOQeZ7RqXjKTIWGgFJaVzkA_w5EM2ljBpFU6pilwyh6ZEiedhOvkjJXN" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="900" data-original-width="582" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhch426GHPSdAoqVAAHcQGzgn_oZPITtTbghjUnpPsqt-8mz7n3zJOlw8oX23E5c1v2217J6g4FLIGNjaRf4ObNREnHxGnAW01CzR3e-J7mgyMshHC2HMhHqfmlD0AWbxab0GMIqOQeZ7RqXjKTIWGgFJaVzkA_w5EM2ljBpFU6pilwyh6ZEiedhOvkjJXN=w413-h640" width="413" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">No One's Special at the Hot Dog Cart<i> continues until Saturday, March 23 at Theatre Passe-Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave. passemuraille.ca</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-58454475679034029582024-03-04T02:37:00.001-05:002024-03-06T04:08:32.516-05:00Epidermis Circus: control, comedy and getting all puppet porno<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LnebZD-1FCACkj5dvdfHlKQMpQUQckGqtsIJJOEHWaRsypW7I5z_o8ItIY_355xxb_EvglzEJQjmU4OlIrfKa17_B-FTUwKj01YH2eFrvEAUGztgC32gjHdKzl2DDxDtWQ0CHLGBW61EuYsnPCIsCwrUNB0ecc8oItkh4GtRIR98CizlB7vCpdg8zFtc/s900/hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="900" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LnebZD-1FCACkj5dvdfHlKQMpQUQckGqtsIJJOEHWaRsypW7I5z_o8ItIY_355xxb_EvglzEJQjmU4OlIrfKa17_B-FTUwKj01YH2eFrvEAUGztgC32gjHdKzl2DDxDtWQ0CHLGBW61EuYsnPCIsCwrUNB0ecc8oItkh4GtRIR98CizlB7vCpdg8zFtc/w400-h315/hand.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When Baby Tyler develops octopi appendages and soars gracefully through the dark blue depths, pockets of the audience burst into laughter. Another pocket bursts into spontaneous applause. Yet another burst into tears. But we all react on a gut emotional level to stunning but incongruous imagery that made narrative or logical sense in only the most surreal manner. Because we are talking about puppetry—and Baby Tyler is a doll head—there is the temptation to suggest that <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/epidermis-circus-spicy-puppets-drag.html" target="_blank">Ingrid Hansen</a> has tapped into some long forgotten or suppressed childish innocence. The primitive plaintive part of our brains that is charmed by balloons, patterns of glitter and colour, clown pratfalls. Except <i>Epidermis Circus</i> is not a show for children. During a deconstruction of the classic "Here is the Church" hand game, Hansen ponders, "Why does it always get all porno with me?" Her conclusion, as we squirm in our chairs, tantalizingly titillated by her writhing frotting digits, is that "I tell simple jokes for simple folks who are horny."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMrrgIDPLgShheEyoSlHCLGfOKNLGuXePm_ysF2ejqQ-Hdn0_Vn9srJrhfYIF2aqBR3aCy4S7bhYEk8zi05dPQrvTfSP4JcECANy8mp7BbV1haTm-M0V2jTVJYOgueQJddVyFDKsKtM1GL96J2EKdJDXzBoRSzQVn3cy8A8Q41jdS_hATDfcDMmdmL4Lv/s779/EpidermisCircus%20bySNAFU%20photobyIngridHansen%20BABY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="779" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMrrgIDPLgShheEyoSlHCLGfOKNLGuXePm_ysF2ejqQ-Hdn0_Vn9srJrhfYIF2aqBR3aCy4S7bhYEk8zi05dPQrvTfSP4JcECANy8mp7BbV1haTm-M0V2jTVJYOgueQJddVyFDKsKtM1GL96J2EKdJDXzBoRSzQVn3cy8A8Q41jdS_hATDfcDMmdmL4Lv/w400-h363/EpidermisCircus%20bySNAFU%20photobyIngridHansen%20BABY.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That's as good a description as any for <i>Epidermis Circus</i>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There is no point in trying to recount the acts in the "cabaret" that is <i>Epidermis Circus</i>. They are all dependent on that alchemy between the visual, the sonic, and the hypnotic dream state that Hansen lures us into. She is a presence of quicksilver moods. Entering clad in fabulous and elaborate couture courtesy of Jimbo the Drag Clown, she revels in the glamour with all the au courant haughtiness of a steam punk Norma Desmond. Yet she is visibly giggling at the absurdity it of it all. Playing both at once without denying the power of either. An aw shucks beauty queen on a comedic red carpet. It is a duality that Hansen maintains, the charming girl next door who just happens to be insanely talented and smart. And who, with a look, lets you know that if she is not obeyed, she could easily shiv you in the nearest alley. Exactly the quality one desires in a puppet master.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAAlQX7nlaKnUT3eAGHlOgbuM0EgOm6Vg0hDwTaS4axgRwmxQjiMykC-1_3nTLvK-97X-3D43oMNfMTQ88t6OJlmq0wsW9TZmysncaioZOJ66ZkbdRlN9DcFd5Ou_ztdHL31IiBSohhMx1LcW623v8Pm3ErayXzOURRHo08ZNRiwezDuiWLhJ_nbqu87_/s900/SNAFUsEpidermisCircus%20PhotobyIngridHansen-FACEMIRROR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="900" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAAlQX7nlaKnUT3eAGHlOgbuM0EgOm6Vg0hDwTaS4axgRwmxQjiMykC-1_3nTLvK-97X-3D43oMNfMTQ88t6OJlmq0wsW9TZmysncaioZOJ66ZkbdRlN9DcFd5Ou_ztdHL31IiBSohhMx1LcW623v8Pm3ErayXzOURRHo08ZNRiwezDuiWLhJ_nbqu87_/w400-h226/SNAFUsEpidermisCircus%20PhotobyIngridHansen-FACEMIRROR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Epidermis Circus</i> does have a cabaret-like structure, a variety show from the twilight zone. Hosted by bitter faded vaudevillian Florence McFingernails, the format quickly degenerates into whatever manic magical puppetry Hansen and director Britt Small have conjured. Baby Tyler makes appearances as varied as a burlesque bubble bath to a picnic with shark rides. Two audience volunteers become the physical stage for Hansen's undergarments to perform a love at first sight saga of lust, betrayal and death. A simple mirror fragments Hansen's face into a kaleidoscope of creations and emotions, again evoking hilarity and sinister awe. Through it all we see Hansen at work. The characters that appear so lifelike are products of her superhuman dexterity and timing that can't afford to be anything but exact. She breaks the fourth, or maybe the fifth, wall with a series of jokes about pockets and fingering, before looming over a barren but green landscape and literally vomiting an entire world into existence.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZokB0LBZWjnJNmJi-wgKbEZdqqkd9JXskoxGpPNrYvgF-fPXAOKRB-i5Oxp3qs1dAlWgSenZdryUe1xwYPAzJv21Dc4ppJKsDfk9DzRwM-0OxFqJeQaUqyNJKEth2Zz6kU2Zv2lViMYkq_VdXJZ3be4tRmMY9AcE70gREeGdViLBG8axKoNikHpU8aB9/s900/Epidermis%20Circus%20by%20SNAFU%20photo%20by%20Jam%20HamidiA7R01445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="900" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZokB0LBZWjnJNmJi-wgKbEZdqqkd9JXskoxGpPNrYvgF-fPXAOKRB-i5Oxp3qs1dAlWgSenZdryUe1xwYPAzJv21Dc4ppJKsDfk9DzRwM-0OxFqJeQaUqyNJKEth2Zz6kU2Zv2lViMYkq_VdXJZ3be4tRmMY9AcE70gREeGdViLBG8axKoNikHpU8aB9/w400-h206/Epidermis%20Circus%20by%20SNAFU%20photo%20by%20Jam%20HamidiA7R01445.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Yes, Hansen is a god. A creator and a destroyer. At the beginning of <i>Epidermis Circus</i> she reminds us that we are all "bags of meat," a phrase we all gleefully chant at her urging at a later point. The inanimate becomes animate, lifelike, due to Hansen's manipulations and artistry. And we bags of meat are manipulated as well, seduced into her off kilter world where nothing is what it seems and is all the better for it. I don't think that Hansen is creating a conscious meditation on control, using her body and imagination as a canvas. I think she is striving to entertain by unleashing the weirdness that lurks in all our brains and turning what if and pretend into reality. Exercising a distilled circus worth of control to let the mind explode out of control. So we can react with an uninhibited lack of control. <i>Epidermis Circus</i> is utterly unique, utterly charming, uproariously funny and shockingly moving in a very visceral strange way. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF7yljBugo0nfYBSOptjEpR-oGHS_ektQu17_oqCONUkHegDbDRf4Im2BNiUBW0rM2_zgPpNNC7N828Prm53gw1lLFlsByhmi6rrJ-86FgKmNGqi62vuJrxoulNgIJ_Q1birHJwY2MdgxZCTyNfGNpL7gnN1OU7FHFzf4fik3HEMF1lIxzEgVcWKx1aii/s900/zepidermis%20circus%20banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="900" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF7yljBugo0nfYBSOptjEpR-oGHS_ektQu17_oqCONUkHegDbDRf4Im2BNiUBW0rM2_zgPpNNC7N828Prm53gw1lLFlsByhmi6rrJ-86FgKmNGqi62vuJrxoulNgIJ_Q1birHJwY2MdgxZCTyNfGNpL7gnN1OU7FHFzf4fik3HEMF1lIxzEgVcWKx1aii/w400-h161/zepidermis%20circus%20banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And no matter what Florence McFingernails says, Baby Tyler is a major talent.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>Photos by Helene Cyr, Jam Hamid and Ingrid Hansen</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Epidermis Circus<i> is on Tuesday, March 12 at Maja Prentice Theatre, 3650 Dixie Road, Mississauga. snafudance.com</i></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-63926976724222194302024-02-28T06:32:00.002-05:002024-02-28T06:32:41.746-05:00The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island - some good may come of this after all<div style="text-align: left;"><span><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLtqs298mwwoBrIvE6KifQ2rhcgxI2FzbzLTXckoOLEHPTekM0AM9PANJggD12OtQwOiqj83exptPHypfFwRVLkQ5LyaSn10DxU9JfdgTNE07A6M2xdoTLh0jbODnDkET4z0mWmP6cSQZG7nVko66XOKO5ts9SQ2pf2x8JNiAxE7GcwsVxn4vm_LamnOH/s900/02.%20We%20are%20Made%20of%20Stardust(27x36_)_2022_Full%20Res%20JPEG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLtqs298mwwoBrIvE6KifQ2rhcgxI2FzbzLTXckoOLEHPTekM0AM9PANJggD12OtQwOiqj83exptPHypfFwRVLkQ5LyaSn10DxU9JfdgTNE07A6M2xdoTLh0jbODnDkET4z0mWmP6cSQZG7nVko66XOKO5ts9SQ2pf2x8JNiAxE7GcwsVxn4vm_LamnOH/w400-h300/02.%20We%20are%20Made%20of%20Stardust(27x36_)_2022_Full%20Res%20JPEG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Volume One</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Let me start at the beginning. Miss Chief Eagle Testickle</span> <span style="color: red;"><i>nitisiyihkason ekwa ohci niya acahkosihk</i></span>, <span style="color: #2b00fe;">my name is Miss Chief Eagle Testickle and I come from the stars. I will tell you an</span> <span style="color: red;"><i>atayohkanis</i></span>, <span style="color: #2b00fe;">a little sacred story. It is the story of this land. It is my story, and the story of my people. But it is also your story, for we are all relatives. It is the story of where we have come from. And perhaps where we are going, although that part is up to you. It is not our way to tell you how to behave, yet we may show you the way. Though perhaps it's better for you to listen to what I say, not to what I do, and some good may come of this after all.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle</i> is far from a "little sacred story." Beginning before life as we understand it, before the universe itself existed, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle's story traverses millions of years up to July 1, 1867, the date of confederation, of what is known historically as the birth of Canada. That is <i>Volume One</i>. The eagerly awaited <i>Volume Two</i> will only have to cover 156 years, but considering Testickle's <i>joie de vivre</i> and raucous activism, there will be more than enough material for volumes beyond. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3U8O9Ooho3j-rc0s9DKCvMovwIe-lkFuvFfFQFVDbbdBBUQiTa_2WksB3JlRkm57k5fsLkbZZoYlFemScclcN4BMy9ahzQUmKhKL_er78vSbEeIn6Kv76HFXBtysJW-JHUfYGljySqnzu3zb4HZSBSOQZ6xxozg1Sowwt3907xy0sw-68vMI2oyzHmO5/s900/19.%20Trappers%20of%20Men_2006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="900" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3U8O9Ooho3j-rc0s9DKCvMovwIe-lkFuvFfFQFVDbbdBBUQiTa_2WksB3JlRkm57k5fsLkbZZoYlFemScclcN4BMy9ahzQUmKhKL_er78vSbEeIn6Kv76HFXBtysJW-JHUfYGljySqnzu3zb4HZSBSOQZ6xxozg1Sowwt3907xy0sw-68vMI2oyzHmO5/w400-h234/19.%20Trappers%20of%20Men_2006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What Kent Monkman (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-rise-and-fall-of-civilization-kent.html" target="_blank">The Rise and Fall of Civilization</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2013/10/two-two-spirited-treats.html" target="_blank">Miss Chief: Justice of the Peace</a></i>) and Gisele Gordon have done in creating <i>The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle</i> is nothing short of an actual history of North America. The deviation from standard history texts can be found on the cover where the words "North America" are red pen crossed out and replaced with "Turtle Island." This time the history is not being narrated by the colonizers or the conquerors. It is being told by a resistor, a survivor. All the Canadian history we were taught of the fur trade and the fathers of confederation is here, it is just viewed through the lens of the Indigenous people and the land itself, through the eyes of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle. While Testickle's recounting is far more entertaining and ribald than any of the texts I remember, it is also far more tragic and horrifying. The near extinction of the beaver, bison and Indigenous people is not a side effect of becoming civilized, it is destruction on a mythical and personal level. Testickle writes that</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-m_HUtdxeOW4FsHl_DvBnmWkdpXnJHqYoXtOZkWcQktoBF14uemTTMayvXr0szQVULVXJTBpiQNzOdvG8W40QENzHV8-dA0U-jhDMDyvjQsnTu0kN2YQ8EwGdDEehbASMqyTnE3cs0-f9nRNCb3_y3yjCX91oeU8CvLd0aDVEKd21yLnbfFUqx8nZQFM6/s900/34.%20My%20Treaty%20is%20With%20the%20Crown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="900" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-m_HUtdxeOW4FsHl_DvBnmWkdpXnJHqYoXtOZkWcQktoBF14uemTTMayvXr0szQVULVXJTBpiQNzOdvG8W40QENzHV8-dA0U-jhDMDyvjQsnTu0kN2YQ8EwGdDEehbASMqyTnE3cs0-f9nRNCb3_y3yjCX91oeU8CvLd0aDVEKd21yLnbfFUqx8nZQFM6/w400-h250/34.%20My%20Treaty%20is%20With%20the%20Crown.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Once more I spoke eloquently and forcefully about the agreements and understandings between our people and the settler, and their need to respect our relationship to the land and its laws, but they merely nodded and made a show of listening. When they wrote their paper for Confederation, they mentioned us only once in their British North America Act, in a line that that the new Canadian government would have control over our affairs . . . Not one of these nations—or the Metis, with whom we shared the lands—was being consulted or considered in this transaction.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is a recurrent theme throughout <i>Memoirs</i>, as Testickle struggles to express the importance of living with the land instead of pillaging it. The importance of mutual respect not only between different tribes of humans, but between all living creatures. Testickle is further befuddled by the settlers' sexual shame and inhibitions. There are hilarious and heartbreaking passages where Testickle is forced to seduce men who have been taught that their urges are unnatural or wrong. The liberation of a nation, one <i><span style="color: red;">misicimasowin</span></i> at a time. Testickle is uninhibited, ribald and believes sex is therapy, salvation and just a whole lot of fun. I just stumbled over choosing a pronoun to refer to Miss Chief Eagle Testicle. The drag presents as female but references to lusty erections pop up with a gleeful frequency. Testickle has carnal congress across genders, races and even species. I will use "they" though I wish there were a pronoun befitting the exultant exuberance of a pansexual two-spirited creature of such magnificence.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqDh0K6YnFj9rfw_Oi6YRMj3WPRlGLgsHKheGWW0Vf6eMOq7qxjaecpI0Y5beqXDViKDBYfxsNgltPa3DftufnRcORmN22ThqERPOoF9t3C5o9Mcu57tXDNXpkeQiyAM7JPcdAjg3lWbf08ZpGeIdsf3A7uta83RQ4Vqo3HpTKWT5yiecR-kmKd7uTTZp/s900/09.%20Poundmaker%20Intercedes_2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="900" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqDh0K6YnFj9rfw_Oi6YRMj3WPRlGLgsHKheGWW0Vf6eMOq7qxjaecpI0Y5beqXDViKDBYfxsNgltPa3DftufnRcORmN22ThqERPOoF9t3C5o9Mcu57tXDNXpkeQiyAM7JPcdAjg3lWbf08ZpGeIdsf3A7uta83RQ4Vqo3HpTKWT5yiecR-kmKd7uTTZp/w400-h254/09.%20Poundmaker%20Intercedes_2018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Volume Two</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If Volume One is a joyride through a horrific history, Volume Two of <i>The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island</i>, leans into the horror. It can't help but do so. Beginning with Confederation and the beginning of the reservation system, Volume Two continues through the residential school era before taking an unblinking and heartbreaking look at the results of attempting to destroy a culture by destroying its children. Because Testickle has been such a plucky and optimistic narrator and protagonist, the memoirs grow painful to read as their spirit is almost broken. For a good chunk of Volume Two, Testickle is too weak to maintain a human form and to protect their people. As Testickle is frequently reminded by <span style="color: red;">Wisahklecahk</span>, a trickster spirit who farts with abandon and is literally earth-shaking sex, they are not to get too attached to these people, they cannot interfere.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8VWBaSAGsGng-1bJCXYVk0Oir_VE8pVD1Owz4r6wkPwwy9Kchq4S6IW6ywyeGZ6QHD232dB5fHF-UJqnW0gLTtSA3nJIE2ZMk1c8xR_ZVdSBCS1dSvOYoTnBkhGeqrVzOUEgaojLzbcBuF78ySu2KFZ9s_GNYFKpRRywfVJIMMz-2hvHVe_BV037S2WW/s900/04.%20Iron%20Horse_2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="900" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8VWBaSAGsGng-1bJCXYVk0Oir_VE8pVD1Owz4r6wkPwwy9Kchq4S6IW6ywyeGZ6QHD232dB5fHF-UJqnW0gLTtSA3nJIE2ZMk1c8xR_ZVdSBCS1dSvOYoTnBkhGeqrVzOUEgaojLzbcBuF78ySu2KFZ9s_GNYFKpRRywfVJIMMz-2hvHVe_BV037S2WW/w400-h268/04.%20Iron%20Horse_2015.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Miss Chief Eagle Testickle does interfere and the results are dire. It is here that Volume Two becomes less history, it is almost contemporary so we know (though we've often denied or avoided) exactly what is happening. The results of the residential schools and the reservation system filter down through the decades, chronicled by a family Testickle has befriended and been adopted into, and it is extremely painful reading. It should also be noted that these memoirs are also art books, packed with Kent Monkman's paintings that similarly rewrite, with a great deal of humour and anguish, a surreal and realistic history of Canada's Indigenous people. (As a side note it is a wonder how McClelland & Stewart were able to reproduce such shimmering scathing art so well for the mere price of a memoir, its as if <i>Spare</i> had come with a bonus Rembrandt from the family collection.) Volume One's paintings are more tongue-in-cheek cheeky but Volume Two gets darker and intriguingly Monkman experiments with cubism. Whether it is a comment on industrialization, colonization by European culture, or a dig at Picasso's brutal machismo, is a topic for discussion. What is evident is that the effect is shocking and harsh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b3p253zaVyCYGElTJK5BklhB9PfYRWQ1F5I0l4YKvTsaZfap4miOSV9JXVkotBMPQy0TXGoJ3W4VYVO70cOpyJu-VWLXphnLgLrSO7PHDDrRshtR6nfmi08vjF0R0FeB07tUHyU5LIB4qcqQd-rFun3iSOsGUhi3H6IWoav3-uvHHt4dEcE5W_3lIOo0/s900/14.%20Study%20for%20The%20Sparrow_2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="744" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-b3p253zaVyCYGElTJK5BklhB9PfYRWQ1F5I0l4YKvTsaZfap4miOSV9JXVkotBMPQy0TXGoJ3W4VYVO70cOpyJu-VWLXphnLgLrSO7PHDDrRshtR6nfmi08vjF0R0FeB07tUHyU5LIB4qcqQd-rFun3iSOsGUhi3H6IWoav3-uvHHt4dEcE5W_3lIOo0/w331-h400/14.%20Study%20for%20The%20Sparrow_2021.jpg" width="331" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It pains me to admit that at this point in my reading, I bogged down. The grief and pain was so palpable, and I was so culpable, that it hurt to read. Monkman puts a brave face on the prose and Miss Chief Eagle Testickle is resolute but as the culture is drained and devastated, so are the memoirs. Fortunately that only lasts through several chapters: "The Iron Horse Brought Destruction" through "When They Took Our Children" and "They Continue to Take Our Children" to "The Damage Was Passed Down for Generations." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Testickle, in despair and still unable to sustain a human form, sinks into the earth and, as their people believe, takes strength by becoming one with the universe. From there it only takes a restorative romp with a sensual sasquatch and communion with the Buffalo Spirit, and a show of solidarity and strength from their chosen family, to allow Testickle to instigate an extraordinary cathartic finale.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Nothing is forgiven and no-one is saved, but hope is restored. The ending is cinematic enough, powerful enough, that it brought tears to my eyes. It is helped immeasurably by an astonishing series of portraits, full figurative stylings returned, that express the pride that pulsates through the pages. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDCWMtYJj80U5fSZCRwveVzaNsMG8lEjNseDTD6vKxsVgNrgpBvfcTbZW_W9Kp3tkSR1n2OV88UYKBsDuWMAEsGhA3UTqvb3SmGOKMkM7L7OSot5j0QYyelWhTEdmNJ2g31C8Zmi57uUFkHPHveI844A-xtyAWYfNtpTOOVWod0CfEe-Oyc_NdMy_H8GW/s900/27.%20The%20Chase_2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDCWMtYJj80U5fSZCRwveVzaNsMG8lEjNseDTD6vKxsVgNrgpBvfcTbZW_W9Kp3tkSR1n2OV88UYKBsDuWMAEsGhA3UTqvb3SmGOKMkM7L7OSot5j0QYyelWhTEdmNJ2g31C8Zmi57uUFkHPHveI844A-xtyAWYfNtpTOOVWod0CfEe-Oyc_NdMy_H8GW/w400-h266/27.%20The%20Chase_2014.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the most evocative paintings, of many that cry out for further delectation, is titled "Our peoples had held onto who we were despite all that was designed to erase us." And that is Miss Chief Eagle Testickle's message, they will not be erased. Testickle is a hilarious, furious, deceitful, magical, endlessly alluring character who winds up being an inspiration. As Miss Chief Eagle Testickle writes</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">It is the story of this land. It is my story, and the story of my people. But it is also your story, for we are all relatives. It is the story of where we have come from. And perhaps where we are going, although that part is up to you. It is not our way to tell you how to behave, yet we may show you the way. Though perhaps it's better for you to listen to what I say, not to what I do, and some good may come of this after all.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>Art by Kent Monkman</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i><i>kentmonkman.com, penguinrandomhouse.ca</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_rCF72t81C4j36qya5FlfHi6nQ_YRVhwpvqOurOxwnx4ZLoRYEZseyZQTLO7uCz3R6mL0sIoiNXcmmcVnkStjJwIGQC-0_UAuZ7XVgmzbxK362v7eHpd3oxO_SQx8lIl2MruUxvPde6Y__sSN0HL5_IeWIn2YqOC02KuySpD3wixBwo4llkPyxlyV39T/s1163/The%20Memoirs%20of%20Miss%20Chief%20Eagle%20Testicle%20covers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1163" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_rCF72t81C4j36qya5FlfHi6nQ_YRVhwpvqOurOxwnx4ZLoRYEZseyZQTLO7uCz3R6mL0sIoiNXcmmcVnkStjJwIGQC-0_UAuZ7XVgmzbxK362v7eHpd3oxO_SQx8lIl2MruUxvPde6Y__sSN0HL5_IeWIn2YqOC02KuySpD3wixBwo4llkPyxlyV39T/w640-h480/The%20Memoirs%20of%20Miss%20Chief%20Eagle%20Testicle%20covers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-38514846389458939172024-02-27T04:23:00.003-05:002024-02-27T04:27:10.946-05:00Richard II and Casey and Diana: theatrical glory on the tube, Stratfest@Home<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhojcZRklcauGxOUkvXVmGkRU6Lif-ssJn1zrO4izSGOaVJrEMgOhse69A3bsO3M-Dv_U5OxIZr8ZAYMVoVhBBsYihWhBfuxodMK8qarUF1HB_xNQXd0gwG-26azBgA6RzpnDbrCc2Q0C2Ixi7t8tfM-Wq0c1s1EPfco8hBiRTGH9wpHsPLHv_Nj5akjBKR/s900/Richard%20II%20head.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="900" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhojcZRklcauGxOUkvXVmGkRU6Lif-ssJn1zrO4izSGOaVJrEMgOhse69A3bsO3M-Dv_U5OxIZr8ZAYMVoVhBBsYihWhBfuxodMK8qarUF1HB_xNQXd0gwG-26azBgA6RzpnDbrCc2Q0C2Ixi7t8tfM-Wq0c1s1EPfco8hBiRTGH9wpHsPLHv_Nj5akjBKR/w400-h226/Richard%20II%20head.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It's only February and I've already been avidly perusing the upcoming productions at this summer's Stratford Festival. Thoughts on those exciting events will be posted as I experience them, as have my ruminations and enthusiastic shout-outs to previous productions. I already have hotel reservations to indulge in a few days and nights of theatrical glory. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When the anticipation got to be too much, I took the festival's publicity department up on their offer and sampled their streaming service Stratfest@Home (<a href="https://stratford.vhx.tv/">stratford.vhx.tv</a>). Specifically filmed versions of two life-changing productions from last season: <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/06/richard-ii-spamalot-stratford-2023-part.html" target="_blank">Richard II</a></i> and <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/06/casey-and-diana-stratford-2023-part-i.html" target="_blank">Casey and Diana</a></i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyzEgzBarpsaBmj8WVj8L3O1y60TfgKrLi_1lb2RECTtmTUiIOOQzWRK7tl9DpLLQ4ocfdkYM3HFmiFPDRUv0fdvE77L7zlHMZglNOH-LqFFk20eyo9ZkxUyvfR-mD1ND7HD9DF91lU0qOxrhb8HcV9q9z2GocUZU95huscp73rvd_U_xcula8iukMwdy/s900/CASEY%20DIANA%20STILL%2005.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyzEgzBarpsaBmj8WVj8L3O1y60TfgKrLi_1lb2RECTtmTUiIOOQzWRK7tl9DpLLQ4ocfdkYM3HFmiFPDRUv0fdvE77L7zlHMZglNOH-LqFFk20eyo9ZkxUyvfR-mD1ND7HD9DF91lU0qOxrhb8HcV9q9z2GocUZU95huscp73rvd_U_xcula8iukMwdy/w400-h225/CASEY%20DIANA%20STILL%2005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While I was eager to experience both productions again, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/casey-and-diana-extraordinary.html" target="_blank">Casey and Diana</a></i> for a third time thanks to the Toronto transfer, I was uncertain of how to approach these old friends. Live theatre is a quicksilver event that exists only once in that moment that one gets to experience it. There is a magical energy that flows between the stage and the audience that is quite different than the projected, whether bombastic or seductive, energy emanating from a screen. Without the benefit—the curse?—of CGI, theatre coaxes a complicity out of the audience, where imagination, with a little assistance, becomes reality. And of course, the worst critique a reviewer can give an actor's performance is that it is "stagey," something the camera loves to linger on with lascivious loathing. Instead of analyzing, I decided to just see what occurred, how I reacted, and, crucially, what my partner who had seen neither production on stage, thought.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObqJVnb4oOEFMvuwwoJRWTmWcuTRLc6et4Dp9mHOS554Iyq8czzf9vG1uhlVJJCQ9qzwnYZhLdE9Usq_gPR7S0j3xjoO-nbeAS0vlwUTC25rOwqS8D1nA4M2ze7RUXShTGPXjb3ccA-Xm6Basaayo24Kk4jn3wMwUvgNhk7KlYb315DM1Dika8GMXr0ax/s900/Richard%20II%2001.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObqJVnb4oOEFMvuwwoJRWTmWcuTRLc6et4Dp9mHOS554Iyq8czzf9vG1uhlVJJCQ9qzwnYZhLdE9Usq_gPR7S0j3xjoO-nbeAS0vlwUTC25rOwqS8D1nA4M2ze7RUXShTGPXjb3ccA-Xm6Basaayo24Kk4jn3wMwUvgNhk7KlYb315DM1Dika8GMXr0ax/w400-h266/Richard%20II%2001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Richard II</i> 's opening explodes, as it did on stage, with pounding disco beats and energetic dancing emulating the pansexual exuberance of <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/studio-54-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of.html" target="_blank">Studio 54</a>. What becomes immediately apparent in the difference between the two mediums is that our eye, subtly directed by light cues and staging, is shown a specific interpretation when on film. While Stephen Jackman-Torkoff's magnetic performance drew all eyes to him amidst the swirling choreography, the camera frames him in close-up from below, emphasizing his ecstatic revelry and dominion. The camera does cut to other dancers and characters, but they are less important while crucially vital. From having to claim a spotlight, Jackman-Torkoff is handed one, which is a tidy conceptual metaphor for one of the themes of the show. The close-ups, rather than being constraining, turn out to be revelatory. All of the dancers and minor characters are alive and bristling with energy. Marcus Nance hands Jordin Hall his shirt and the camera catches a relationship I missed completely during the theatrical version.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFDSPHePeI3Z96BZrWagoToOo8HlSMq9gtSeTbWuYJztNk7AJVHKjg6iw0je2g37GrteCRSn2uvSqmVEiXPznFUD9oV0XefYyiWCqPv0w4s7GkBhHqGG6tSiUyhPSde_9RMI5pGZIhj_m8PHLQtgA-9sDQW2WB9DYaU2SAoTsVphMUj0Zuh4MaIEG98BM/s900/Richard%20II%2006.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFDSPHePeI3Z96BZrWagoToOo8HlSMq9gtSeTbWuYJztNk7AJVHKjg6iw0je2g37GrteCRSn2uvSqmVEiXPznFUD9oV0XefYyiWCqPv0w4s7GkBhHqGG6tSiUyhPSde_9RMI5pGZIhj_m8PHLQtgA-9sDQW2WB9DYaU2SAoTsVphMUj0Zuh4MaIEG98BM/w400-h266/Richard%20II%2006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">All of the cast benefits from close-ups. This is one sexy and sensual production coasting on throbbing disco beats. And a very gay production. Jackman-Torkoff' and Emilio Vieira's build-up to a blow job in a hot tub works even better on film where the theatrical magic, while still present, is less of a visual visible flourish. Less so a stylized hanging and the mimed shirtless fight between Hall and Tyrone Savage. One crucial aspect of Brad Fraser's adaptation, the metaphor of AIDS in paradise, becomes forefronted with Charlie Gallant using sheer sizzling physical appeal (if only they had filmed <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/08/frankenstein-revived-monster-lives.html" target="_blank">Frankenstein Revived</a></i>) to break our hearts in the bathhouse scene. Throughout I found parts of the text clearer to the ear, and the finer points of the performances, particularly Jackman-Torkoff's remarkable mash of contemporary colloquialisms and pristine iambic pentameter, smoother. The same result might have been achieved by attending the live production repeatedly, sitting in different sections. But alas, the show could not run forever so this record, and memory, is all we can revisit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0KW52NCrdGw3FZLa9gH0KN43FvOrwvq9tuNt2Bkk90ibo2vU87NItBtyZeoUAP42qndqLCBpCuzUCO8O_AJo1X2h9FkHJJuIuIY3irm9tdgFpDnJbqHgtl-Y4kh7dJhc8lyhrEhdtAoJ4IXgYLMsluKBX1Uo1BmqnWg6FH343y94VjoDBZfCxB2g-4p-/s900/CASEY%20DIANA%20STILL%2068.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0KW52NCrdGw3FZLa9gH0KN43FvOrwvq9tuNt2Bkk90ibo2vU87NItBtyZeoUAP42qndqLCBpCuzUCO8O_AJo1X2h9FkHJJuIuIY3irm9tdgFpDnJbqHgtl-Y4kh7dJhc8lyhrEhdtAoJ4IXgYLMsluKBX1Uo1BmqnWg6FH343y94VjoDBZfCxB2g-4p-/w400-h225/CASEY%20DIANA%20STILL%2068.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Casey and Diana</i> is successful in a different way. In this case, though the same film director Nicholas Shields is at the helm, the camera is less frenetic and focusses mainly on mid-shots at eye level. This gives the film a comfortable subversive sitcom feeling. Playwright Nick Green's one-liners zing and we are set up to navigate the unbearable emotional terrain to come. All of the cast shine with naturalistic performances that draw one in. Linda Kash glows as she describes the fraught and homoerotic ritual of brunch, earning laughs while also emphasizing Green's themes of the fear of touch and the very air we breathe. Of the need for family and chosen family and connection at a time when those were all torn apart. All of the performances are nuanced and spectacular without being stagey or showy, operatic emotions channelled by humans. That is except for when Sean Arbuckle is called upon to demonstrate that great gay survival technique of joking and camping to prevail through extreme pain and sorrow. <i>Casey and Diana</i> invites you in to feel every moment and offers a cathartic finale that brings tears to my eyes even as I type hours later.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhPBwjwXNSBmRVgWQZ7cZNCT_b-sxSJivp_XYG2_YsTeJqjL00XJvAQVP9d3vkxdgB2p7N4JMyxGfpgB4VXtz09zJKhG-FZdsUFc9obSA4FK_Jk_YDku9G_Yw3cC3mdRogow6NiLbokX-mn6C72bjoK8qXN-muQV7Bmvy-knUdMeVGicQ6v57kGJiMcos/s900/CASEY%20DIANA%20STILL%2040.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhPBwjwXNSBmRVgWQZ7cZNCT_b-sxSJivp_XYG2_YsTeJqjL00XJvAQVP9d3vkxdgB2p7N4JMyxGfpgB4VXtz09zJKhG-FZdsUFc9obSA4FK_Jk_YDku9G_Yw3cC3mdRogow6NiLbokX-mn6C72bjoK8qXN-muQV7Bmvy-knUdMeVGicQ6v57kGJiMcos/w400-h225/CASEY%20DIANA%20STILL%2040.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So my reactions and enjoyment of both productions was inextricably bound up in my reactions to, and memories of, the theatrical productions. Savouring the moments I'd remembered, revelling in a new discovery, guided to a nuance or emotional beat. My partner, having come to both virginally, had as enthusiastic but slightly different reactions. The look, energy and soundtrack of <i>Richard II</i> had an immediate and visceral appeal, but he was astonished to discover how absorbed he became in the political machinations. And how keenly he felt the final betrayal and demise with ironic beautifully encapsulated coda. <i>Casey and Diana</i> was impossible for him to judge because it was so overwhelming and full of triggers. Intensity to the point of incandescence on stage is sometimes difficult to contain or process on a screen. His response was that we needed to watch it again so he could evaluate instead of just react and experience. I say that was a valid evaluation in itself. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nammm9IG8riXCm8w-hdwmM635w1otZaEoU27076O6XSbjBgNxdkSM38ETVHsL0UE6jBjffBHO7co8rd79nBE0NxX0j4gfmVD9Im8pc6d5re1guUVDt6G-3y1fh3EWbvLraAnQaAZMvqdfNIrhGRDvA5DzUNvX_LBpeu0dIa9CFbwi0LPesGduV3Ilhqz/s900/Richard%20II%2003.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nammm9IG8riXCm8w-hdwmM635w1otZaEoU27076O6XSbjBgNxdkSM38ETVHsL0UE6jBjffBHO7co8rd79nBE0NxX0j4gfmVD9Im8pc6d5re1guUVDt6G-3y1fh3EWbvLraAnQaAZMvqdfNIrhGRDvA5DzUNvX_LBpeu0dIa9CFbwi0LPesGduV3Ilhqz/w400-h266/Richard%20II%2003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I would watch both again, Stratfest@Home serving as a library of favourites as well as a tease for what next season will bring. And, of course, there are multiple other offerings including a comic soap opera, <i>Leer Estates</i>, created by and starring the irrepressible <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2017/11/plumbum-returns-in-christmas-carol.html" target="_blank">Dan Chameroy</a>. The back catalogue is not as deep as Netflix or Disney+, but what there is is quality. And in these two cases, crucial and moving works of gay art that can't be found anywhere else.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Richard II <i>photos by David Hou</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Casey and Diana <i>stills courtesy of Stratfest@Home</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Richard II <i>and </i>Casey and Diana <i>are available to stream at Stratfest@Home. stratford.vhx.tv</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQ2BCWz2PckM8Sthr_ZTakKelRvS95DI_DUxQojPmYzswPC8gc9yVTLINqFLJImzULV6dKeSWie7zLNKhmnIFbNckjQkiAODhtm8dyB3DWtwR3t-Nz3xkII3emsfo26_q4NCtT1iKxGkqs6xNZUcpGZITpUf8zKKKgsPGN9ZM05VTGGXP3frwkak0rTnm/s1185/zcovers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1185" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQ2BCWz2PckM8Sthr_ZTakKelRvS95DI_DUxQojPmYzswPC8gc9yVTLINqFLJImzULV6dKeSWie7zLNKhmnIFbNckjQkiAODhtm8dyB3DWtwR3t-Nz3xkII3emsfo26_q4NCtT1iKxGkqs6xNZUcpGZITpUf8zKKKgsPGN9ZM05VTGGXP3frwkak0rTnm/w640-h462/zcovers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUh1YOBYDxJIXDZ859EhrdhHRztPOcJgLaIcRY6SuhfbFM45SbNNZVaLAdFP6FMbN9nW-gTvuidXxmY5vsunwh5enE2snKDaq2NetqE6Jm7BRzN49t8ddM7M0pznLnaGzXXbU3hliBlhxZkfuEkr4302KosNbNcuWQ2KHpQJA4P4iczhVLkBARhTTfw7e/s900/zStratford%20at%20Home%20homepage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUh1YOBYDxJIXDZ859EhrdhHRztPOcJgLaIcRY6SuhfbFM45SbNNZVaLAdFP6FMbN9nW-gTvuidXxmY5vsunwh5enE2snKDaq2NetqE6Jm7BRzN49t8ddM7M0pznLnaGzXXbU3hliBlhxZkfuEkr4302KosNbNcuWQ2KHpQJA4P4iczhVLkBARhTTfw7e/w640-h360/zStratford%20at%20Home%20homepage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-66806616242065225442024-02-26T06:24:00.002-05:002024-03-20T06:22:22.634-04:00Progeny of the Adder: a hard-bitten detective on the trail of a vampire in 1965<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TVJmx3i8CInfz8xjgZLXZ6Giq2zCU9WhjuMsRjxFN1afDGSIso5F8v-StZptuylT4n0UVhK__8tKqzGB0O3GNL4ZlL6R_8naOaYClxqONITbXoSwuLPS0fIoFx6yuEvUVf8whIeg_PbCfKj8O5-l4WNyLhBMsveiRrSA17yNtWx_KnZjrXfVYpIZkvTa/s500/cross%20christopher%20lee%20g.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="500" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TVJmx3i8CInfz8xjgZLXZ6Giq2zCU9WhjuMsRjxFN1afDGSIso5F8v-StZptuylT4n0UVhK__8tKqzGB0O3GNL4ZlL6R_8naOaYClxqONITbXoSwuLPS0fIoFx6yuEvUVf8whIeg_PbCfKj8O5-l4WNyLhBMsveiRrSA17yNtWx_KnZjrXfVYpIZkvTa/w400-h199/cross%20christopher%20lee%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div>While industriously working away on another project, I realized that, while being reasonably well read, I was not well versed in the horror genre. I have developed a taste for Stephen King (reviews of</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/stephen-kings-revival.html" target="_blank">Revival</a>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/09/needful-things-stephen-king-at-his-best.html" target="_blank">Needful Things</a><i>, </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" target="_blank">Joyland</a><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"> </a><i>and</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/06/stephen-king-drives-mr-mercedes-full.html" target="_blank">Mr Mercedes</a> <i>have boosted the readership of this blog immensely, especially after Mr King himself expressed his pleasure with the </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/10/sequel-to-shining-shines.html" target="_blank">Dr Sleep</a><i> review and his amusement at my short story</i> "<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2004/01/in-stephen-kings-motel-room.html" target="_blank"><i>In Stephen King's Motel Room</i></a>"<i>) and that led to </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/lost-boy-lost-girl-and-horror-of-bram.html" target="_blank"><i>Peter Straub</i></a><i>. </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/11/genres-collide-in-creepy-gothic-glory.html" target="_blank"><i>Michael Rowe</i></a><i> I was already well acquainted with. How to immerse myself in the best of the canon? As usual I was both practical and impulsive: I googled "the best," "the scariest," and "the most terrifying" horror novels and cross-referenced. I had already read a surprising number but that only meant my to-research list was going to tend towards the less mainstream and popular, which was fine by me. And so I began.</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBCTYwn67ZwItphacy8mhKS2OiyqNk5BA0PQq3eVg6F_q0pIQF9A2MhnoG8jz5LzFgYQG6g99xO8uTAYeEuE4L2P7s9dUevBMdnSACM_Z5KOA7_amHAmRGv0hVZG6w7gTh0YITXraYystBZlun0JjpqtjYbIGpGJOfkwkesZ9mkJblQDGoLTQXrN6NQk9/s900/zProgeny%20of%20the%20Adder%20cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="546" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBCTYwn67ZwItphacy8mhKS2OiyqNk5BA0PQq3eVg6F_q0pIQF9A2MhnoG8jz5LzFgYQG6g99xO8uTAYeEuE4L2P7s9dUevBMdnSACM_Z5KOA7_amHAmRGv0hVZG6w7gTh0YITXraYystBZlun0JjpqtjYbIGpGJOfkwkesZ9mkJblQDGoLTQXrN6NQk9/w242-h400/zProgeny%20of%20the%20Adder%20cover.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Browsing, leading inevitably to impulse purchasing, at Little Ghosts resulted in a sleepless night reading Leslie H Whitten's <i>Progeny of the Adder</i> cover to cover. The lurid blood red cover boasted an old school vampire recoiling from a glowing cross, his torso bisected by the title and the bally "A spellbinding blend of sex, intrigue and mystery." Irresistible. The "Featured in Grady Hendrix's Paperbacks from Hell" seal of approval in the top right corner reminded me of how much I'd enjoyed <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-nest-and-roaches-shall-inherit-earth.html" target="_blank">The Nest</a></i> and <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-auctioneer-prescient-or-tragically.html" target="_blank">The Auctioneer</a></i>, and that I had intended to read all of the reprints in the Paperbacks from Hell series before getting sidetracked in all the different delightful directions this blog has veered. Then, of course, there was the synopsis:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Homicide detective Harry Picard has seen a lot of violent deaths . . . but never like this. Three bodies-blond, female, strangely emaciated-have been found in the Potomac River with their throats brutally slashed. Each victim was last seen in the company of a huge, hulking man dressed in black. Picard's investigation catapults him into a roiling morass of passion, sexual intrigue, violence, and primordial fear . . . as he faces an enemy as powerful, and as horrifying, as mankind's oldest superstitions!</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>Progeny of the Adder</i> dates from 1965 and Will Errickson argues, in a context setting introduction, that it is the novel that originated a horror subgenre that we love and cherish to this day. Yes, as Picard investigates the violent deaths, he slowly begins to fear and then to understand that it is not a serial killer or a maniac at work, it is a vampire! Whether <i>Progeny of the Vampire</i> is the very first of what is now a familiar trope or not, is academic and fascinating, but what really matters to a reader is whether it holds up as a novel. It does, but not necessarily in the ways that are expected of a vampire or horror novel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mTKQztZGmhQpnLqC00fdbBFb1g20LA30wxj5Uyddj5RyIUOUw5LPOtupUuQTuaWFfhWcsGkQOyJ1h5YpuTehjc52fwcS-M_DqA4ne75WlffTc_qB-LoGBLFx2lBCM2kwuErxBs4-cLTGM_WKWWcKiSHALFDJ-7pRfE2t90E_Z_IwGYEJvxj9pModb3ZA/s480/hardboiled%20detective%2001%20g.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="480" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mTKQztZGmhQpnLqC00fdbBFb1g20LA30wxj5Uyddj5RyIUOUw5LPOtupUuQTuaWFfhWcsGkQOyJ1h5YpuTehjc52fwcS-M_DqA4ne75WlffTc_qB-LoGBLFx2lBCM2kwuErxBs4-cLTGM_WKWWcKiSHALFDJ-7pRfE2t90E_Z_IwGYEJvxj9pModb3ZA/w400-h211/hardboiled%20detective%2001%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>Progeny of the Adder</i> is first and foremost a police procedural mystery. With a heavy dose of hard-bitten film noir. Picard is a dogged detective and when the victims are discovered to be sex workers (though in 1965 that phrase was non-existent) except for one who is a slumming diplomat's daughter, the case becomes high profile while shrouded in secrecy. Picard gets the assistance of Susy Finnerton who is a Sherlock Holmes of fabrics from the Women's Bureau. It is her keen eye that identifies the profession linking the victims through their clothing. Methodically, Picard and Susy (it is 1965, he is Picard, she is Susy) piece together the other clues. This takes them to some shady places in the company of some exemplary purple noir prose.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BkOxCv7dzrNdnA3ybc1AEctTEijD1Qt_6yTBid8GQXhtfFf9KP27rzdgR4d0j4-zMsV8vNmCD1VT0WTjAQU7My2QwcIw1JZZLXwpAr0bsSgjY2nxZm_PXFOQIK_sP4daKJ0FNAv1SRiohTj_4EY_KWExdhdF4kJyH7rPzQtoAnyWbEEDjFUoxtx1GRnk/s553/hookers%2001.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="553" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BkOxCv7dzrNdnA3ybc1AEctTEijD1Qt_6yTBid8GQXhtfFf9KP27rzdgR4d0j4-zMsV8vNmCD1VT0WTjAQU7My2QwcIw1JZZLXwpAr0bsSgjY2nxZm_PXFOQIK_sP4daKJ0FNAv1SRiohTj_4EY_KWExdhdF4kJyH7rPzQtoAnyWbEEDjFUoxtx1GRnk/w400-h229/hookers%2001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">There, in huge black Gothic letters and man-high photographs a still-famous tenor shared billing with the immense breasts of an "exotic' named Telly Stahr. Down the street a block, the Aden Inn and its seraglio of bell dancers (Sandy Times, Metaxianne) lured the omphalophilic.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Inside the bars a mixed lot of no-goods, college kids, shady business punks, marginal public relations types, GIs, furtive congressmen, and expense-account bums would sit in the dark and heat up as the dollies did their work.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"I once had a broad in one of these joints advertised as Miss Billion Dollar Bust offer me another part of her anatomy for fifty dollars," he said matter-of-factly as they crossed out of the section. "It was ironic."</span> </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">She half laughed, a "Hunh."</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Thank God, Harry thought to himself, she isn't a complete prude.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1AVCQB7w5erAOLCSUo6QCd33HMp3VSnRrPpgkVsCJ82LjCzdqTqdZajUFiVaCLV6lHz22kHAN20fsTXATeF69_ipjHDUriSe2-zmjKOyk8u1SuTznV9TnQVQd1zdknJ6DBOUHe1oJLeGQWVXuvIAed61A1_50PHcOd8Dk-SCOvinNEF2IdHH-b2uPjwg/s480/Do%20Vampires%20Really%20Exist%20tc%20g.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="480" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1AVCQB7w5erAOLCSUo6QCd33HMp3VSnRrPpgkVsCJ82LjCzdqTqdZajUFiVaCLV6lHz22kHAN20fsTXATeF69_ipjHDUriSe2-zmjKOyk8u1SuTznV9TnQVQd1zdknJ6DBOUHe1oJLeGQWVXuvIAed61A1_50PHcOd8Dk-SCOvinNEF2IdHH-b2uPjwg/w400-h311/Do%20Vampires%20Really%20Exist%20tc%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Whitten keeps that up for the entire novel. Reading in the context of 2024, it is impossible to separate the noir from the satirical. I had to google "omphalophilic" and not only learned something I didn't need to know, but gained an admiration for Whitten's conceptual humour. The strength, or the revisionist camp, of the prose helps when Picard spends a night in the library to become an expert on vampires, he and Susy tentatively take their relationship to the next level, and the vampire hunting turns <i>Progeny of the Adder </i>into a flat-out actioner. In a world where <i>Fright Night</i> already has a remake and <i>Nosferatu</i> has at least three with one imminent, a gentle reader will be forgiven for shouting at Picard to figure it out more quickly. And for shouting again when the finale has everyone believing just in time for an extended chase sequence that ends, oddly, wistfully. This vampire is not suave or sexual, it/he is an animal who kills for food and is never seen as anything but evil. Until the very end.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7kE_GJtlgN0pe7ocMlRG0gbQn9WR7MNIqFW-PRasBH-9ZXIPBuhyphenhyphenIuAITzqHMOZOcNpG-_2ryU0mmFv8b7hT7h8W_irUHOyRDs1PvP_kctz3s2FJjsNzGj29MEHmVUByN7ivcS9_LAGHv23ZWQonRCZex7f4QscUXXm0UAue_2jefYKjgam-85uM026f/s432/trunk.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="432" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7kE_GJtlgN0pe7ocMlRG0gbQn9WR7MNIqFW-PRasBH-9ZXIPBuhyphenhyphenIuAITzqHMOZOcNpG-_2ryU0mmFv8b7hT7h8W_irUHOyRDs1PvP_kctz3s2FJjsNzGj29MEHmVUByN7ivcS9_LAGHv23ZWQonRCZex7f4QscUXXm0UAue_2jefYKjgam-85uM026f/w400-h339/trunk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">There is a wonderful passage where a dim-witted customs clerk in Montreal provides an important clue involving a brass-hinged trunk that reeks of death. Picard interviews a host of indelibly written characters who all have partial clues. There is a slimy used car salesman, a selection of sex workers (treated with an admirable lack of judgement), and a homosexual professor who is treated with less judgement than could be expected but more than is tasteful. <i>Progeny of the Adder</i> dates from 1965 and the vice squad refers to the "pansy patrol" of washroom entrapment, and the alluring bisexuality of vampires in a post-Anne Rice world is nowhere in evidence. The vampire is not depicted sexually at all other than an uncanny ability to hypnotize or mesmerize his victims and occasionally his pursuers. He drains the women of their life and voluptuousness, leaving them emaciated and sexless. When Susy is enlisted to become bait, an entirely new layer of sexual confusion infects Picard's brain.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sNzYPl4V_3JtL28lnwroPEPDRv880c7RZtyBKtsNsixeptjePC34drOsDwM9Tj3iHHCqJm6hWEeHocsd2aCnI_YNFDgeEnlpSpjGwDbMAqvVh2ODypbIWffAa9KFglTypwmRh8tMp9aMr-j4gZPmXYVXvHZLh-XQ9i8Q_oCmKkaLgJcqkfG3E_oiiL59/s485/vampire%20feeding%20g.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="485" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sNzYPl4V_3JtL28lnwroPEPDRv880c7RZtyBKtsNsixeptjePC34drOsDwM9Tj3iHHCqJm6hWEeHocsd2aCnI_YNFDgeEnlpSpjGwDbMAqvVh2ODypbIWffAa9KFglTypwmRh8tMp9aMr-j4gZPmXYVXvHZLh-XQ9i8Q_oCmKkaLgJcqkfG3E_oiiL59/w400-h168/vampire%20feeding%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">If gays and sexual women are treated ambiguously, blacks are treated egregiously. There is an unfortunate passage where two black men find another of the vampire's victims and are almost lynched. Picard shows a shred of sensitivity but it is implied that that is more for the sake of effective questioning than any moral imperative. But along with the unpleasant redolence of a time capsule, one gets a thick lived-in atmosphere. Whitten is using a consciously late '40s Spillane-esque style in a horror genre that won't flower for another 20 years. The tension is exquisite. Picard's world is subtly upended with Susy's sexuality blossoming, the daughter's brazen sexuality is seen as poisonous, the professor and black men are instantly suspicious as potentially sexual, and then it all explodes with the arrival of a tall, foreign man of mystery and death. Except that Whitten is not exploring the vampire myth. He doesn't really seem to care what it means. <i>Progeny of the Vampire</i> was simply a commercial pulp fiction endeavour, and mashing film noir with horror was, is, a brilliant idea. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwW5PEplCWyqBGhJwMNXAsruxMQMkovQVpfOsywKznD8CGLBOValfC0cpq5NbPDhrdO4FkUMKQdOmHYn-XHTuHnuT7-IaMoEJpBK0biYlvdhq5IqXUE7SCX4l_VfpHRNTjHuQJfUrDnMNMlrSFoLuomoZmonF2UmqHwvNat1xuDIp_zpRmAELR8NDDcb9/s469/cross%20bela%20lugosi.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="469" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwW5PEplCWyqBGhJwMNXAsruxMQMkovQVpfOsywKznD8CGLBOValfC0cpq5NbPDhrdO4FkUMKQdOmHYn-XHTuHnuT7-IaMoEJpBK0biYlvdhq5IqXUE7SCX4l_VfpHRNTjHuQJfUrDnMNMlrSFoLuomoZmonF2UmqHwvNat1xuDIp_zpRmAELR8NDDcb9/w400-h221/cross%20bela%20lugosi.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As part of his research, Picard reads <i>Dracula</i> and finds "the old-timey writing too much for his sleepy mind" (which is bizarre as he has just had a crash course in vampire 101 involving numerous old texts and even Malaysian mythology). Yet we read Whitten's "old-timey writing" emulating a style even older and more codified, and it is delicious and well suited to the relentless rhythm of a driving narrative. Errickson's introduction is very concerned with whether or not <i>Progeny of the Adder</i> was ripped off to become a certain, very famous and influential television movie and then series. It's a shame if, as is implied, Whitten went to his grave bitter about being ripped off by Hollywood. His life was full of achievements and <i>Progeny of the Adder</i> would be enough of a legacy on its own merits. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhy47_c8vPNZFsWQYOAGTwfDagvLPJ4C_VRzb_8bMHmboRcwojYBnRf4Q_uOBwIwDsYglIkWcx2vnalaJ2e0CRGQ0h0NgGL_OCGdUAAV90pk2iv6PSJIWGUZnKDvSAzV7qsVAvX0393XNE5p5n-GY8BHisLLivhxGKxgwGFM5wGK4aWO_FDLu0INB2hBl/s900/detective%20fog.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhy47_c8vPNZFsWQYOAGTwfDagvLPJ4C_VRzb_8bMHmboRcwojYBnRf4Q_uOBwIwDsYglIkWcx2vnalaJ2e0CRGQ0h0NgGL_OCGdUAAV90pk2iv6PSJIWGUZnKDvSAzV7qsVAvX0393XNE5p5n-GY8BHisLLivhxGKxgwGFM5wGK4aWO_FDLu0INB2hBl/w400-h225/detective%20fog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The lurid cover doesn't lie. Except perhaps for the cliché rendering of the vampire but Lugosi has forever imprinted his erotic stamp on the way we visualize. It is the daring, coupled with the rich prose and toying with euphemisms, of writing a police procedural, a mystery, where the result is supernatural. And while the ending is wistful, it is also full of awe. Picard doesn't initially believe that crosses and holy water will work against the vampire. He does not believe in vampires at all, they are creatures from gothic fiction and pulp horror novels. Whitten sets one amongst us and lets Picard, and Susy, ferret it out. And while we may be a step ahead of them in terms of solving the mystery, we are in their shoes every step of the way in finding a solution. It doesn't matter who was first, what matters is that the trop works beautifully and <i>Progeny of the Adder</i> kept me up all night. Believe.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAg-jP49ra8qCBmjyLVpumpw12L4D6QaepflcpSIGtxRLftpAOOGRBJg0221krhJIvzFyYlp_qeCR4w8OaNVmPk-qHVfZP-oX_k1HavqkhZcfRHKl-hDHK7KP6XyVUOayQ2JY_AzngbZm4Ok7rb_zvz02bZh4inWzPQviKrvdJ9kGx-FrmAXsDCZV7OSc8/s839/Leslie%20H%20Whiten.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="650" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAg-jP49ra8qCBmjyLVpumpw12L4D6QaepflcpSIGtxRLftpAOOGRBJg0221krhJIvzFyYlp_qeCR4w8OaNVmPk-qHVfZP-oX_k1HavqkhZcfRHKl-hDHK7KP6XyVUOayQ2JY_AzngbZm4Ok7rb_zvz02bZh4inWzPQviKrvdJ9kGx-FrmAXsDCZV7OSc8/w310-h400/Leslie%20H%20Whiten.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>The series</b>:<br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/horror-in-personal-context-i-novels-and.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror I</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/influential-horror-ii-novels-and-few.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror II</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/01/funland-under-boardwalk-lurks-heavily.html" target="_blank"><i>Funland</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/chuck-palahniuks-haunted-is-indeed.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted</i> by Chuck Palahniuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/03/banquet-for-damned-two-unrequited.html" target="_blank"><i>Banquet for the Damned</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/the-house-that-dripped-gore-doesnt-draw.html" target="_blank"><i>The House That Dripped Gore</i> by Dan West</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/twilight-eyes-dean-koontzs-carnies-vs.html" target="_blank"><i>Twilight Eyes</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/john-dies-at-end-is-more-humour-than.html" target="_blank"><i>John Dies at the End</i> by David Wong</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/hell-house-gory-gothic-tale-of-sexual.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell House</i> by Richard Matheson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/the-scarlet-gospels-clive-barker-kills.html" target="_blank"><i>The Scarlet Gospels</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-hellbound-heart-clive-barker-mixes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hellbound Heart</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/night-creatures-vampire-in-80s-bathhouse.html" target="_blank"><i>Night Creatures</i> by Jeremy Jordan King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-girl-next-door.html" target="_blank"><i>The Girl Next Door</i> by Jack Ketchum</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/07/red-rain-r-l-stine-for-adults.html" target="_blank"><i>Red Rain</i> by R L Stine</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-troop.html" target="_blank"><i>The Troop</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/pages-torn-from-travel-journal-edward.html" target="_blank"><i>Pages Torn From a Travel Journal</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-funhouse-book.html" target="_blank"><i>The Funhouse</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/scared-stiff-tales-of-sex-and-death.html" target="_blank"><i>Scared Stiff </i>by Ramsey Campbell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/a-choir-of-ill-children.html" target="_blank"><i>A Choir of Ill Children</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/flesh-gothic-edward-lee-ratchets-sex.html" target="_blank"><i>Flesh Gothic</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/slade-house-david-mitchell-goes-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>Slade House</i> by David Mitchell</a><br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzuYrhqV-C0PkbFLaHfcaCUSEA1dWFhlfvqAgkssArlLbfz5plxpRH19wNTDj4CwqiN2sUWOA5NgUjZ8d3umNLs9cZm1kNPqiV4kUrljBevppAVwcrJRd4xOErTnqaxhS8wZNdMAEXZje6BdZ8MAYhU6IP8ZVmMAF6EDP5nrUsP7HCBvgzDyY6lc_bVWB/s450/vampire%2002%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="450" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzuYrhqV-C0PkbFLaHfcaCUSEA1dWFhlfvqAgkssArlLbfz5plxpRH19wNTDj4CwqiN2sUWOA5NgUjZ8d3umNLs9cZm1kNPqiV4kUrljBevppAVwcrJRd4xOErTnqaxhS8wZNdMAEXZje6BdZ8MAYhU6IP8ZVmMAF6EDP5nrUsP7HCBvgzDyY6lc_bVWB/w400-h169/vampire%2002%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/the-bazaar-of-bad-dreams-body-weakens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bazaar of Bad Dreams</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/horrorstor-retail-is-hell-and-lust-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Horrorstör </i>by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/trigger-warning-warning-neil-gaimans.html" target="_blank"><i>Trigger Warning</i> by Neil Gaiman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/the-gunslinger-dark-tower-i-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gunslinger</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/the-summer-is-ended-and-we-are-not-yet.html" target="_blank"><i>The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved </i>by Joey Comeau</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/haunted-tales-of-grotesque-joyce-carol.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque</i> by Joyce Carol Oates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/04/the-dark-tower-ii-drawing-of-three-dark.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drawing of the Three</i> & <i>The Wastelands</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/05/goldenland-past-dark-chandler-klang.html" target="_blank"><i>Goldenland Past Dark</i> by Chandler Klang Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/the-fireman-joe-hill-writes-epic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Fireman</i> by Joe Hill</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEY-WoKIzmuV1POLTtsJ83xcJ1JLxMpLhpZx7EyfNOQsOppjAhWVVIhG3MjgI6pxgYTFhbjM2GbIyNng_3dgN4LqQ7CKykWTo9KEoP1tqrWVyJytkFJUIQCg9llT8IWxQoGS3dkgTxPlw6r80rx4c320o5feoamXr7EU-RjjM6J1UWSGwC37aFEa_2phaX/s900/detective%20toon.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="697" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEY-WoKIzmuV1POLTtsJ83xcJ1JLxMpLhpZx7EyfNOQsOppjAhWVVIhG3MjgI6pxgYTFhbjM2GbIyNng_3dgN4LqQ7CKykWTo9KEoP1tqrWVyJytkFJUIQCg9llT8IWxQoGS3dkgTxPlw6r80rx4c320o5feoamXr7EU-RjjM6J1UWSGwC37aFEa_2phaX/w310-h400/detective%20toon.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/end-of-watch-stephen-king-on-horrors-of.html" target="_blank"><i>End of Watch</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/a-head-full-of-ghosts-paul-tremblay.html" target="_blank"><i>A Head Full of Ghosts</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/the-elementals-camp-comedy-horror-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elementals</i> by Michael McDowell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/nos4a2-have-yourself-scary-little.html" target="_blank"><i>NOS4A2</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-iv-wizard-and-glass.html" target="_blank"><i>Wizard and Glass</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-v-wolves-of-calla.html" target="_blank"><i>Wolves of the Calla</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-vi-song-of-susannah.html" target="_blank"><i>Song of Susannah</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/the-dark-tower-vii-dark-tower-climactic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dark Tower</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/circus-of-damned-meeting-laurell-k.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus of the Damned</i> by Laurell K Hamilton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/tell-my-sorrows-to-stones-christopher.html" target="_blank"><i>Tell My Sorrows to the Stones</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/10/dark-carnival-haunted-circus-kills-just.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Carnival</i> by James A Moore</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/clown-in-moonlight-alienation-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Clown in the Moonlight</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/father-gaetanos-puppet-catechism-tasty.html" target="_blank"><i>Father Gaetano's Puppet Catechism</i> by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/snowblind-christopher-golden-gives.html" target="_blank"><i>Snowblind</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/01/little-heaven.html" target="_blank"><i>Little Heaven</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/02/the-acolyte-nick-cutters-gory-dystopian.html" target="_blank"><i>The Acolyte</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/06/gwendys-button-box-stephen-king-gets.html" target="_blank"><i>Gwendy's Button Box</i> by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-traveling-vampire-show-richard.html" target="_blank"><i>The Traveling Vampire Show</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/philip-fracassi-altar-and-sacculina-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Altar</i> and <i>Sacculina</i> by Philip Fracassi</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Children</i> by Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>Odd Adventures with Your Other Father</i> by Norman Prentiss</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EyrokQqJxU9nZgSJemALgfmXnnjjKDIBRmU5EuaB9olQNZn9K0io3PPH441yAfl4-eW3u0BruG3vsZPt-pJ059Gm0OruAZAogHS8uVXMzmQbGYur6_jOi2V2We4Ps-q4P32xPGua9MX1HzaYlhbHHA_TL_dgaAmeAyo4E86xzk3eScTBC5i0mFGP6quX/s450/hooker%20walks%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="450" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EyrokQqJxU9nZgSJemALgfmXnnjjKDIBRmU5EuaB9olQNZn9K0io3PPH441yAfl4-eW3u0BruG3vsZPt-pJ059Gm0OruAZAogHS8uVXMzmQbGYur6_jOi2V2We4Ps-q4P32xPGua9MX1HzaYlhbHHA_TL_dgaAmeAyo4E86xzk3eScTBC5i0mFGP6quX/w400-h229/hooker%20walks%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/it-stephen-kings-masterpiece-of-novel.html" target="_blank"><i>It</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>Life in a Haunted House</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dungeon of Count Verlock</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Lake Monster</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-bone-mother-david-demchuk-creates.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bone Mother</i> by David Demchuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/sleeping-beauties-stephen-and-own-king.html" target="_blank"><i>Sleeping Beauties</i> by Stephen King and Owen King</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-only-child-andrew-pyper-pens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Child</i> by Andrew Pyper</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampire's Kiss</i> by Sonny Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Gay Vampire</i> by Davy S</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/remember-why-you-fear-me.html" target="_blank"><i>Remember Why You Fear Me</i> by Robert Shearman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/october-michael-rowe-pens-classic-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>October </i>by Michael Rowe</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/strange-weather-joe-hills-quartet-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Strange Weather</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-house-edward-lee.html" target="_blank"><i>The House</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/01/lovecraft-country-matt-ruffs-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Lovecraft Country</i> by Matt Ruff</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDC9E25XqzL4Dwo6abyv68NRHJ-T6bU2Vye5iC0iyDWmtrEA0BMFNU-zGlYccyarFYeK1RQn6WprMhTwYe9-UjUmBT7czUXFFKzPxYlW8WhUxs4LdX03qzTtpg09NA_OcUAqAadjtdIWIqdId4ajRL2EQlQuwv0DW0UIlzqvTIdbrAK4epMhCWAbbL9oV/s900/fangs%2001.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDC9E25XqzL4Dwo6abyv68NRHJ-T6bU2Vye5iC0iyDWmtrEA0BMFNU-zGlYccyarFYeK1RQn6WprMhTwYe9-UjUmBT7czUXFFKzPxYlW8WhUxs4LdX03qzTtpg09NA_OcUAqAadjtdIWIqdId4ajRL2EQlQuwv0DW0UIlzqvTIdbrAK4epMhCWAbbL9oV/w400-h200/fangs%2001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/fat-vampire-prolific-johnny-b-truant.html" target="_blank"><i>Fat Vampire</i> by Johnny B Truant</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/chords-for-dead-two-men-one-love-ghost.html" target="_blank"><i>Chords for the Dead</i> by Sarah Luddington</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolores Claiborne</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Thinner</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/03/the-ballad-of-black-tom-victor-lavalles.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ballad of Black Tom</i> by Victor LaValle</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/dr-potters-medicine-show.html" target="_blank"><i>Dr Potter's Medicine Show</i> by Eric Scott Fischl</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/the-door-keepers-graham-masterton-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Doorkeepers</i> by Graham Masterton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/floppy-shoes-apocalypse-introduction-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Floppy Shoes Apocalypse</i> edited by John Ledger</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/ghostwritten.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostwritten</i> by David Mitchell</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/the-pilo-family-circus.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pilo Family Circus</i> by Will Elliott</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/house-of-large-sizes-voodoo-sex-and.html" target="_blank"><i>House of Large Sizes</i> by Ian Graham Leask</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-outsider-stephen-king.html" target="_blank"><i>The Outsider</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Tilt</i> by Neal Shusterman</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0-2_OT63PO4sxreTEjMCwvo8ZEmhODoQcXnNzzehVWAx5bhVDd43Ywcw5MFUdV3QAQB64x6jC_Ox4iRg6qb4HwY1mig5OXLdCPQhGCyBjAS5ji7YzvW3Z7Vd5pNMu11d5aE-0BpyfvniCxwV5MAyRqOxek3DzMnDhSuSlFu1mdwZVioi6pGFlrUa0NSq/s400/bite%20marks%20found%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="400" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0-2_OT63PO4sxreTEjMCwvo8ZEmhODoQcXnNzzehVWAx5bhVDd43Ywcw5MFUdV3QAQB64x6jC_Ox4iRg6qb4HwY1mig5OXLdCPQhGCyBjAS5ji7YzvW3Z7Vd5pNMu11d5aE-0BpyfvniCxwV5MAyRqOxek3DzMnDhSuSlFu1mdwZVioi6pGFlrUa0NSq/w400-h163/bite%20marks%20found%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>A Nightmare on Clown Street</i> by R L Stine</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-hollow-man-dan-simmons-on-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hollow Man</i> by Dan Simmons</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/ushers-passing-riffing-on-poe-to-turn.html" target="_blank"><i>Usher's Passing</i> by Robert R McCammon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/dolly-ghost-story-creepy-literary.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolly</i> by Susan Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/nightwing-killer-vampire-bats-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightwing</i> by Martin Cruz Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/wildwood-bizarro-beach-read-of-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Wildwood</i> by John Farris</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/hex.html" target="_blank"><i>HEX</i> by Thomas Olde Heuvelt</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/coulrophobia-sparklez-clowns-for-chaos.html" target="_blank"><i>Coulrophobia</i> by Tim Miller</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-cabin-at-end-of-world-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cabin at the End of the World</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-loney-creepy-moody-gothic-chiller.html" target="_blank"><i>The Loney</i> by Andrew Michael Hurley</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-saturday-night-ghost-club-craig.html" target="_blank"><i>The Saturday Night Ghost Club</i> by Craig Davidson</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-legacyjohn-coyne-pens-fun.html" target="_blank"><i>The Legacy</i> by John Coyne</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdO92C_RiGbfl2ZxJJmmjUgo5vyNtegq__u51FFOXnIlbZCJZiKtLf6oXbQI_piQcKnqrY8YthMycDyYw57w8V9__Z22GxfipwmcGYLYvYCEc3qgkNNN0-gOQYlrQgxshZ7bYh1_YLlhg22Lu6qIRDQmzSNdX61S2dH8mROnLUy4cJQ_9d34OIVEnjoGg/s900/vampire%2001.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="781" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdO92C_RiGbfl2ZxJJmmjUgo5vyNtegq__u51FFOXnIlbZCJZiKtLf6oXbQI_piQcKnqrY8YthMycDyYw57w8V9__Z22GxfipwmcGYLYvYCEc3qgkNNN0-gOQYlrQgxshZ7bYh1_YLlhg22Lu6qIRDQmzSNdX61S2dH8mROnLUy4cJQ_9d34OIVEnjoGg/w348-h400/vampire%2001.jpg" width="348" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-house-of-small-shadows-adam-nevills.html" target="_blank"><i>The House of Small Shadows</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-mailman-neither-rain-nor-snow-nor.html" target="_blank"><i>The Mailman</i> by Bentley Little</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/disappearance-at-devils-rock-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>Disappearance at Devil's Rock</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-cartoonist-conceptual-coincidence.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cartoonist</i> by Sean Costello</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-vampire-de-sade-wonderful-premise.html" target="_blank"><i>The Vampire de Sade</i> by Mary Ann Mitchell</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-infinite-douglas-clegg.html" target="_blank"><i>The Infinite</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
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<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/elevation-stephen-king-fable-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Elevation</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>For Fear of the Night</i> by Charles L Grant</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>Grimscribe</i> by Thomas Ligotti</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/fantasticland-horror-is-human.html" target="_blank"><i>Fantasticland</i> by Mike Bockoven</a><br />
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<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-night-of-moonbow.html" target="_blank"><i>The Night of the Moonbow</i> by Thomas Tryon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/witching-hour-theatre-nostalgia-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>Witching Hour Theatre</i> by Johnathan Janz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Nobody Was Here</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Hoppers</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/terror-by-moonlight-critter-catchers.html" target="_blank"><i>Terror by Moonlight (Critter Catchers Book 1)</i> by Hank Edwards</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightmare House</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Mischief</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-kills-issac-thornes-collected.html" target="_blank"><i>Road Kills</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-passage-epic-absorbing-chronicle-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Passage</i> by Justin Cronin</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CfMP196DC6jicV2mObQkCTj92yYLCuy5sPyUknu0aHMyFvlLjwMEhqtqF9FsWthIz83E6grfuPsvbmK_rU_ZK3RJRuazfDuXH9fMaz8UWSakM_l222se85pUFvbNZ33MUD-hC4l4Ye6yu0cylLrOZ9aRsG1rM83KNv9ef22nBRRIAkpt1UYgy-IYF5uB/s450/detective%20in%20rain%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="450" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CfMP196DC6jicV2mObQkCTj92yYLCuy5sPyUknu0aHMyFvlLjwMEhqtqF9FsWthIz83E6grfuPsvbmK_rU_ZK3RJRuazfDuXH9fMaz8UWSakM_l222se85pUFvbNZ33MUD-hC4l4Ye6yu0cylLrOZ9aRsG1rM83KNv9ef22nBRRIAkpt1UYgy-IYF5uB/w400-h294/detective%20in%20rain%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The Twelve</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The City of Mirrors</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/house-beneath-bridge-vivid-and-vicious.html" target="_blank"><i>House Beneath the Bridge</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-gordon-place-isaac-thorne-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gordon Place</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/johannes-cabal-necromancer.html" target="_blank"><i>Johannes Cabal the Necromancer</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/hellfire.html" target="_blank"><i>Hellfire</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/circus-tarot-cards-and-clowns-will.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus Tarot</i> by Charles W Jones</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/colony-of-lost-derik-cavignanos.html" target="_blank"><i>Colony of the Lost</i> by Derik Cavignano</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/while-industriously-working-away-on.html" target="_blank"><i>Second Child</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-darkness-david-b-silvas-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Darkness</i> by David B Silva</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-demons-possession-loose-morals.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Demons</i> by Mason Burgess</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/drag-thing-more-camp-than-horror-or.html" target="_blank"><i>Drag Thing</i> by Victor J Banis</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/bubba-ho-tep-elderly-elvis-soul-sucking.html" target="_blank"><i>Bubba Ho-Tep</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/dark-ride-iain-rob-wright-delivers.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Ride</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/see-them-dance-cranch-clown-and-zirkus.html" target="_blank"><i>See Them Dance</i> by Freder</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-drive-in-b-movie-with-blood-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drive-in</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-nest-and-roaches-shall-inherit-earth.html" target="_blank"><i>The Nest</i> by Gregory A Douglas</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkLQO1uDgEBgyTgew5Zvzczm_sWxpOK8KF4i4nnvAGQKZSKo3-VlhYfOyw2-qtVCUCUQgf-bgEGW-PVWavfmxBW8vuUj-vJ_8DFKvqQQ9bJy7B5G3wt6duNtALbilKsHVkh_TNlZiftoGZgZV2DxAc6SU2IWb4FqhgonXPCW3pgNytFEpUNXHl0DNaoJn/s511/paulier.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="325" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkLQO1uDgEBgyTgew5Zvzczm_sWxpOK8KF4i4nnvAGQKZSKo3-VlhYfOyw2-qtVCUCUQgf-bgEGW-PVWavfmxBW8vuUj-vJ_8DFKvqQQ9bJy7B5G3wt6duNtALbilKsHVkh_TNlZiftoGZgZV2DxAc6SU2IWb4FqhgonXPCW3pgNytFEpUNXHl0DNaoJn/w255-h400/paulier.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/coyote-songs-gabino-iglesias-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>Coyote Songs</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/boys-life-revisiting-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>Boy's Life</i> by Robert R McCammon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/growing-things-and-other-stories-book.html" target="_blank"><i>Growing Things and Other Stories</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-freakshow-bryan-smiths-extreme.html" target="_blank"><i>The Freakshow</i> by Bryan Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/clownflesh-horror-author-tim-curran.html" target="_blank"><i>Clownflesh</i> by Tim Curran</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-manhattan-hunt-club.html" target="_blank"><i>The Manhattan Hunt Club</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/craven-manor-dary-coates-gothic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Craven Manor</i> by Darcy Coates</a><br />
<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-institute-stephen-kings-conspiracy.html" target="_blank">The Institute by Stephen King</a></i><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-dollmakers-daughters-where.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dollmaker's Daughters</i> by Abigail Padgett</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/carnival-of-fear-jg-fahertys-explosion.html" target="_blank"><i>Carnival of Fear</i> by JG Faherty</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/final-girls.html" target="_blank"><i>Final Girls</i> by Riley Sager</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/ninth-house-leigh-bardugo-conjures-up.html" target="_blank"><i>Ninth House</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/angel-of-abyss-ed-kurtzs-noir-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Angel of the Abyss</i> by Ed Kurtz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-naughty-boy-for-krampus-or-two.html" target="_blank"><i>A Naughty Boy for Krampus or Two</i> by Quinn D'Angelo</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/ghoul-brian-keenes-despair-over.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghoul</i> by Brian Keene</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/queen-of-blood-bryan-smith-catalogues.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Blood</i> by Bryan Smith</a><br />
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<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/salvage-duncan-ralstons-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Salvage</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
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<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/phantom-rage-big-horror-in-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Phantom Rage</i> by William Blackwell</a><br />
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<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/ghostland-duncan-ralstons-killer-thrill.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostland</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPJbjnjVAccDK69L9qaMkvKFquAumU4Zp72zgNXIeOO7hsYuZTy785ssTJjiobWn2EXsIXunsJkoDVAmtg3Af8WV4ZYADEHFHW1zI29v9cqRKRPzpgDKCvGBIk7Gj_X6ME7ZLnBtCjyOmrsq5VVB19Wx3nKE_p0ajuC-B9lRw8qQVt7-rL48lLaoCV8OK/s245/fangs%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="245" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxPJbjnjVAccDK69L9qaMkvKFquAumU4Zp72zgNXIeOO7hsYuZTy785ssTJjiobWn2EXsIXunsJkoDVAmtg3Af8WV4ZYADEHFHW1zI29v9cqRKRPzpgDKCvGBIk7Gj_X6ME7ZLnBtCjyOmrsq5VVB19Wx3nKE_p0ajuC-B9lRw8qQVt7-rL48lLaoCV8OK/w400-h261/fangs%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-auctioneer-prescient-or-tragically.html" target="_blank"><i>The Auctioneer</i> by Joan Samson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/full-throttle-cohesive-coming-of-age.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Throttle</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-window-when-man-in-mirror-is-pair.html" target="_blank"><i>The Window</i> by Glenn Rolfe</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/island-of-dolls-murders-observed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>Island of the Dolls</i> by Jeremy Bates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-southern-book-clubs-guide-to.html" target="_blank"><i>The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires</i> by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-boys-on-mountain-intoxicating.html" target="_blank"><i>The Boys on the Mountain</i> by John Inman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/if-it-bleeds-four-novellas-from-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>If It Bleeds</i> by Stephen King</a><br /><a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/07/survivor-song-horror-so-real-it-hurts.html" target="_blank"><i>Survivor Song</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br /><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/09/combustion-fiery-erotic-gay-horror-from.html" target="_blank"><i>Combustion</i> by Daniel W Kelly</a><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/01/afterlife-dead-and-digital-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Afterlife</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/01/rise-of-thing-down-below-returning-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Rise of the Thing Down Below</i> by Daniel W Kelly</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/05/tenebrion-rejuvenating-blast-of-sheer.html" target="_blank"><i>Tenebrion</i> by James H Longmore</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/05/342-abercorn-renovating-and-living-in.html" target="_blank"><i>342 Abercorn</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/06/shockadelica-how-well-do-you-know-your.html" target="_blank"><i>Shockadelica</i> by Jon O'Bergh</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/06/bacchanal-carnival-of-horror-from-inside.html" target="_blank"><i>Bacchanal</i> by Veronica G Henry</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigP1X71B_i2_tSfnXchUVAZ5YE9dhPEjdlcpcejI3Worz0lY8E-H-SqRmqZq3UiR_HDD_cLosxAF8swbMmn6t97aRzjzilFI0jgGPAshAZRJS6DANFV5Su1OiS5_GHw94nQnQTR89-x09oD5JG2JlQXtfNpzLnKDHUtaqh830G75slZp8O6LjJwl3g4ECk/s375/detective%20smoke.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="375" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigP1X71B_i2_tSfnXchUVAZ5YE9dhPEjdlcpcejI3Worz0lY8E-H-SqRmqZq3UiR_HDD_cLosxAF8swbMmn6t97aRzjzilFI0jgGPAshAZRJS6DANFV5Su1OiS5_GHw94nQnQTR89-x09oD5JG2JlQXtfNpzLnKDHUtaqh830G75slZp8O6LjJwl3g4ECk/w400-h300/detective%20smoke.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/07/scream-ride-thrills-and-chills-on-every.html" target="_blank"><i>Scream Ride</i> by D I Russell</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/08/catmagic-witches-mad-scientists.html" target="_blank"><i>Catmagic</i> by Whitley Strieber</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elvis Room</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Good Indian</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>Zombie Bake-Off</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/red-x-david-demchuks-novel-is-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Red X</i> by David Demchuk</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/feral-creatures-can-feral-werewolf-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Feral Creatures </i>by Tommy Ousslander</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/12/infinite-third-volume-of-ghostland.html" target="_blank"><i>Infinite</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>2B</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>A Laymon Kind of Night</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>Van People</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>Asylum</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells </a></div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/plain-bad-heroines-emily-m-danforth.html" target="_blank"><i>Plain Bad Heroines</i> by Emily M Danforth</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-wakening-jg-faherty-explores.html" target="_blank"><i>The Wakening</i> by JG Faherty</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-night-in-lonesome-october-dog.html" target="_blank"><i>A Night in the Lonesome October</i> by Roger Zelazny and Gahan Wilson</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-ii.html" target="_blank"><i>Tales From the Typewriter</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-ii.html" target="_blank"><i>When it Rains</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRW2Px7BOtolvZpXdHYHR-tqwXYqwKavQXzUjIqns9hZMiRJG07CGmE7-mevwYJgBqZftZSFmFhe4KZyDklVHuce7tEdXI1-S6hfaM_-B3h3QAHr9Sk_U4NP2OkJberI_LygAl-kqUrVAT7-BrPig41LRl9QkVwa58CR-vjh8DzpBB4YEz5AXoZjkhnL3/s480/hooker%20zoom%20in%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRW2Px7BOtolvZpXdHYHR-tqwXYqwKavQXzUjIqns9hZMiRJG07CGmE7-mevwYJgBqZftZSFmFhe4KZyDklVHuce7tEdXI1-S6hfaM_-B3h3QAHr9Sk_U4NP2OkJberI_LygAl-kqUrVAT7-BrPig41LRl9QkVwa58CR-vjh8DzpBB4YEz5AXoZjkhnL3/w400-h225/hooker%20zoom%20in%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/incarnate-innocence-vs-very-haunted.html" target="_blank"><i>Incarnate</i> by Steve Stred</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/scary-stories-to-tell-in-dark-worms.html" target="_blank"><i>Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark</i> by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/gross-out-woom-splatterfest-attendees.html" target="_blank"><i>Woom</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/gross-out-woom-splatterfest-attendees.html" target="_blank"><i>Gross Out</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/05/lot-lizards-ray-garons-pulpy.html" target="_blank"><i>Lot Lizards</i> by Ray Garton</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/06/straight-chuck-tingle-tingles-with-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>Straight</i> by Chuck Tingle</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-inhuman-condition-cleansed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>The Inhuman Condition</i> by Clive Barker</a></div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/queen-of-teeth-body-horror-vagina.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Teeth</i> by Hailey Piper</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/welcome-to-smileyland-and-sister.html" target="_blank"><i>Welcome to Smileyland</i> by Spencer Hamilton</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/welcome-to-smileyland-and-sister.html" target="_blank"><i>Sister Funtime</i> by Spencer Hamilton</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/hell-spring-isaac-thorne-unleashes-soul.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell Spring</i> by Isaac Thorne</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/twentieth-anniversary-screening-even.html"><i>Twentieth Anniversary Screening</i> by Jeff Strand</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-devil-takes-you-home-black-magic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Devil Takes You Home</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrpWfmWKysmoE0VGQtqZOi-tcTMzJza8L8TAVpEO4yZB_HK54vpf0B2lL4-4KV611S5ql0x10LKkb_igNVtQDMkyLTka-RB2TZwCaTSHru_EjB4eK33lPzIC8FsWUJvYiFs4o9HhxlE7BlKX6gyUXd5vlBITJ_7PmYOo8PwgWSr3v85TTYllJQdRr1BzG/s660/cop%20car%2060s.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="660" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrpWfmWKysmoE0VGQtqZOi-tcTMzJza8L8TAVpEO4yZB_HK54vpf0B2lL4-4KV611S5ql0x10LKkb_igNVtQDMkyLTka-RB2TZwCaTSHru_EjB4eK33lPzIC8FsWUJvYiFs4o9HhxlE7BlKX6gyUXd5vlBITJ_7PmYOo8PwgWSr3v85TTYllJQdRr1BzG/w400-h180/cop%20car%2060s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-pallbearers-club-terrifying.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pallbearers Club</i> by Paul Tremblay</a> </div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-right-hand-of-evil-john-saul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Right Hand of Evil</i> by John Saul</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/montagues-carnival-of-delights-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Montague's Carnival of Delights and Terror</i> by Jamie Stewart</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/they-thirst-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>They Thirs</i>t by Robert R McCammon</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/fairy-tale-stephen-king-and-theres-no.html" target="_blank"><i>Fairy Tale</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/queer-little-nightmares-anthology-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Queer Little Nightmares</i> edited by David Ly & Daniel Zomparelli</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/11/dearly-departed-sephera-giron-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Dearly Departed</i> by Sephera Giron & Andrew Robertson</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-sleeping-car-porter-underside-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Sleeping Car Porter</i> by Suzette Mayr</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/lucid-when-dreams-become-nightmare.html" target="_blank"><i>Lucid</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLv_Zku_pwbpebHuDUx0U8WCmm8OzHTpEMw1lqgELbA0_vroi9y64lvkE3FSv_BSHPVI7vhVwEhracT6ZNCtcrKJmU1QGqnbxkWVNObplkJM2hky0P2_RSxNLRFiMQp33en8rYgzfD7UuTLpOLeSvqHXV0gp0awUPenvBDYqFRXtZw-jLNAZh599WC_5Ct/s604/fangs%20toon.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="604" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLv_Zku_pwbpebHuDUx0U8WCmm8OzHTpEMw1lqgELbA0_vroi9y64lvkE3FSv_BSHPVI7vhVwEhracT6ZNCtcrKJmU1QGqnbxkWVNObplkJM2hky0P2_RSxNLRFiMQp33en8rYgzfD7UuTLpOLeSvqHXV0gp0awUPenvBDYqFRXtZw-jLNAZh599WC_5Ct/w400-h203/fangs%20toon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/goblin-small-town-full-of-wonder-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Goblin</i> by Josh Malerman</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/horror-show-b-movies-become-real-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Horror Show</i> by Greg Kihn</a></div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/haunted-attractions-with-your-other.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted Attractions with Your Other Father</i> by Norman Prentiss</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-ghost-that-ate-us-tragic-true-story.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ghost That Ate Us</i> by Daniel Kraus</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-exorcists-house.html" target="_blank"><i>The Exorcist's House</i> by Nick Roberts</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/a-ghost-of-chance-horror-slash-mystery.html" target="_blank"><i>A Ghost of a Chance</i> by Josh Lanyon</a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/03/autumn-gothic-deadpan-extreme-violence.html" target="_blank"><i>Autumn Gothic</i> by Brian Bowyer</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/04/hell-bent-alex-stern-goes-to-hell-few.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell Bent</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/05/septic-novella-of-suspense-trapped-in.html" target="_blank"><i>Septic</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/05/house-of-illusions-at-first-children.html" target="_blank"><i>House of Illusions</i> by Ruby Jean Jensen</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/gothic-dangers-of-horror-writing-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Gothic</i> by Philip Fracassi</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/blood-kiss.html" target="_blank"><i>Blood Kiss</i> by J Daniel Stone</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-rising-tropes-invented-as-they-rise.html" target="_blank"><i>The Rising</i> by Brian Keene</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphilprJMDl8GWXQaKnfawWmW0AUx6F3dlGGAwEHbvlEFzqKsBofLJdYrvwueGiwJSokeVymbkVXoGh8x9Dm7KRyjFUXXr8PucgnHfgOWYFvH1jSOs1UsZFS2eRiRwdy6ruZw7BxGV7MM50pNcXdLtxm6RzlegITKn5sUkRSXqFddeOueuMH-rFwuoHSDh/s450/under%20bridge%20pipe%20toon%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="450" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphilprJMDl8GWXQaKnfawWmW0AUx6F3dlGGAwEHbvlEFzqKsBofLJdYrvwueGiwJSokeVymbkVXoGh8x9Dm7KRyjFUXXr8PucgnHfgOWYFvH1jSOs1UsZFS2eRiRwdy6ruZw7BxGV7MM50pNcXdLtxm6RzlegITKn5sUkRSXqFddeOueuMH-rFwuoHSDh/w400-h225/under%20bridge%20pipe%20toon%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/suburban-gothic-inner-lives-of-meat-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Suburban Gothic</i> by Brian Keene and Bryan Smith</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/wedding-day-massacre-disgusting-gore.html"><i>Wedding Day Massacre</i> by Aron Beauregard</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/08/anais-nin-at-grand-guignol-creating-art.html" target="_blank"><i>Anais Nin at the Grand Guignol</i> by Robert Levy</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/mexican-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>Mexican Gothic</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/holly-stephen-king-and-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Holly</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/all-hollows-supernatural-slashers.html" target="_blank"><i>All Hollows</i> by Christopher Golden</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/vampires-anonymous-gay-will-forever-be.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampires Anonymous</i> by Jeffrey N McMahan</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/daubed-in-darkness-when-arty-throuple.html" target="_blank"><i>Daubed in Darkness</i> by J Daniel Stone</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/haunted-places-and-other-stories-ghosts.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted Places and Other Stories</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-only-safe-place-left-is-dark-lean.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark</i> by Warren Wagner</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-handyman-method-horrors-of-nuclear.html" target="_blank"><i>The Handyman Method</i> by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/old-too-soon-innocence-lost-in-sea-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Old Too Soon</i> by Brian Bowyer</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-daughter-of-doctor-moreau-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/furnace-real-evil-wears-tailored-pink.html" target="_blank"><i>Furnace</i> by Muriel Gray</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/progeny-of-adder-hard-bitten-detective.html" target="_blank"><i>Progeny of the Adder</i> by Leslie H Whitten</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/03/something-wicked-something-dark-french.html" target="_blank"><i>Something Wicked Something Dark</i> by Jamie Stewart</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-83829091134351960962024-02-25T04:31:00.003-05:002024-03-20T06:22:37.234-04:00Furnace: real evil wears a tailored pink power suit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uc-Pj6nEYKlUfOmYEM1vYdgajqfKGTh7cMye9hqVxf0f920Hn2S7aE0APvn9Ec9aK9W02wEEA-b_3OEqQwTmlrqUzQXhm7XaX5QDM2cJDRt7GiFRkHvLikXEyg1jpa1w6cHK3eyIMMVAd0QLYCszMQl2mgpUOIkiVnZJI9_BuSaOJ1nXtVFIFuVidp8_/s900/demon%20woodcut.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="900" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uc-Pj6nEYKlUfOmYEM1vYdgajqfKGTh7cMye9hqVxf0f920Hn2S7aE0APvn9Ec9aK9W02wEEA-b_3OEqQwTmlrqUzQXhm7XaX5QDM2cJDRt7GiFRkHvLikXEyg1jpa1w6cHK3eyIMMVAd0QLYCszMQl2mgpUOIkiVnZJI9_BuSaOJ1nXtVFIFuVidp8_/w400-h345/demon%20woodcut.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While industriously working away on another project, I realized that, while being reasonably well read, I was not well versed in the horror genre. I have developed a taste for Stephen King (reviews of</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/stephen-kings-revival.html" target="_blank">Revival</a>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/09/needful-things-stephen-king-at-his-best.html" target="_blank">Needful Things</a><i>, </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" target="_blank">Joyland</a><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"> </a><i>and</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/06/stephen-king-drives-mr-mercedes-full.html" target="_blank">Mr Mercedes</a> <i>have boosted the readership of this blog immensely, especially after Mr King himself expressed his pleasure with the </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/10/sequel-to-shining-shines.html" target="_blank">Dr Sleep</a><i> review and his amusement at my short story</i> "<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2004/01/in-stephen-kings-motel-room.html" target="_blank"><i>In Stephen King's Motel Room</i></a>"<i>) and that led to </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/lost-boy-lost-girl-and-horror-of-bram.html" target="_blank"><i>Peter Straub</i></a><i>. </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/11/genres-collide-in-creepy-gothic-glory.html" target="_blank"><i>Michael Rowe</i></a><i> I was already well acquainted with.</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i> </i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>How to immerse myself in the best of the canon? As usual I was both practical and impulsive: I googled "the best," "the scariest," and "the most terrifying" horror novels and cross-referenced. I had already read a surprising number but that only meant my to-research list was going to tend towards the less mainstream and popular, which was fine by me. And so I began.</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoe6psSm1xjmZz8KcPYKYSOOimAU0OBh7RW6QdplZVwzkrrc81FKrk-wYi62KoqSsfE1ogTy3vfRxjEeyDsae-cbWnc-inpEvCPp5zI0fX_lImblVsZjSrjnu-Rr-jnxLKXAauZ0zjVp_kd3GsHF00FCCS0Z-TI84-h-mK2ktr6-KWpJ9ysGnWItAcxae3/s900/zFurnace%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="589" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoe6psSm1xjmZz8KcPYKYSOOimAU0OBh7RW6QdplZVwzkrrc81FKrk-wYi62KoqSsfE1ogTy3vfRxjEeyDsae-cbWnc-inpEvCPp5zI0fX_lImblVsZjSrjnu-Rr-jnxLKXAauZ0zjVp_kd3GsHF00FCCS0Z-TI84-h-mK2ktr6-KWpJ9ysGnWItAcxae3/w261-h400/zFurnace%20cover.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Anyone pop culture literate will be steering clear of the towns of Derry in Maine, Summerisle in Scotland, Sunnydale in California, and <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/goblin-small-town-full-of-wonder-and.html" target="_blank">Goblin</a>. To this list of superficially charming but deadly dangerous locales, must be added Furnace: an incongruously upscale small town nestled high in the Appalachian Mountains. The streets are clean, the gardens and yards well-maintained, and the standard of living is higher than one would expect. Of course there is a reason for all of that and it ties directly into the town's name. And the nearby "world-famous" sulphur caves, And the suspiciously homicidal homemaker Councillor Nelly MacFarlane. From the moment trucker Josh Spiller drives into Furnace and feels that something is off, we are on a familiar road to small town backwoods organized evil of the supernatural form. But with author Muriel Gray, we are in excellent hands and the journey that is <i>Furnace</i> is a fun and occasionally frightening one.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Gray was touted on Twitter as a horror author who deserved to be better known. I have no idea of her relative popularity, but 1997's <i>Furnace</i> deserves to be considered a classic from the golden age of '80s and '90s horror pulp fiction. Set firmly in the milieu of working class truckers, Gray spices the text with CB conversations, trucker lingo and lot lizard locales. Not only does this contrast with the upright middle-class citizens of Furnace, it gives Josh an extra frisson of underdog status. There is even a back story flashback to Josh's past, involving an ice cream stand on the wrong side of town that might be a step too far for subtlety. Gray is fascinated with class, money and the power dynamics those two things create. The rich have a way of generating, in Furnace's case literally, more wealth easily, but there is always a price to be paid, in this case a Lovecraftian one. Working class Josh is already always paying, struggling to drive enough loads to pay his bills, his only saving grace being that life on the road makes him feel he is always heading forward. Or away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_85PC6ISyeuWCx77QggwtiHXwOrmgv4QV5wJ0Q-FAfkQ8oxY7mz5EqNA3BEWH6E9WZXtkB_sIvLsZIhEynErqXnJYtJV4i0OZX2isWY9tw8XpYriBFcOA4awuBO70FUrAA6Y62lBaILBy3E21vUBB1q3b0IDno3Mq0Yfr0PEdxunG4HPHN_IiR3B7z-iy/s400/trucker%20in%20fear%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="400" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_85PC6ISyeuWCx77QggwtiHXwOrmgv4QV5wJ0Q-FAfkQ8oxY7mz5EqNA3BEWH6E9WZXtkB_sIvLsZIhEynErqXnJYtJV4i0OZX2isWY9tw8XpYriBFcOA4awuBO70FUrAA6Y62lBaILBy3E21vUBB1q3b0IDno3Mq0Yfr0PEdxunG4HPHN_IiR3B7z-iy/w320-h278/trucker%20in%20fear%20g.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Josh is running from a dilemma when he arrives, seemingly by chance, in Furnace. His long-time girlfriend is pregnant, but she is not planning on keeping the baby. Josh suddenly wants marriage and fatherhood, the stability that the surface of Furnace represents. But the underbelly of Furnace depends on children in a much more insidious way and, surprise, something is gestating, growing larger and more demonically powerful, in the womb of the town itself. The abortion discussions attempt to be balanced, but a passage towards the end, describing vividly, it is not for the squeamish, how MacFarlane puts newborns to use, tilts the viewpoint in the same way anti-choice propogandists use photos of fetuses for emotional impact. Death, let alone torture and dismemberment, of children (also dogs) always risks alienating the reader, but Gray is masterful in creating disgust and horror, shocking when it needs to be and matter-of-fact when setting up plot points.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdp6wCb3CocI3CzJj6ygZ5ezkYN5aNLou18R7Ui8EIkXkP-7ZNs15JZIUr-in3AEl59zTsSL4GtloDiAHaeqPhrpFmBNb6wOn5sMYS9k8qslhh6e5ulp-tIqEUJYjwQfZNzKl2NrPTO-8ru5Flk8bQfvW3UIACmrbWR-cU4EkR0u3BF7MbYuy2D9F4po9X/s250/demon%20chases%20toon%20g.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdp6wCb3CocI3CzJj6ygZ5ezkYN5aNLou18R7Ui8EIkXkP-7ZNs15JZIUr-in3AEl59zTsSL4GtloDiAHaeqPhrpFmBNb6wOn5sMYS9k8qslhh6e5ulp-tIqEUJYjwQfZNzKl2NrPTO-8ru5Flk8bQfvW3UIACmrbWR-cU4EkR0u3BF7MbYuy2D9F4po9X/s1600/demon%20chases%20toon%20g.gif" width="250" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">In this case the plot matters. I can't vouch for 1997 but in 2024 Gray traffics in several clichés that threaten predictability. Fortunately there is one major plot twist that is totally unexpected and quite clever. Perfectly set up, it sets up a finale that would be cliché if not for Gray's visceral and viscera-soaked prose. The milieu and the time period also create a few unfortunate slurs and stereotypes that would have been more effective if pinned on the citizens of Furnace. But, as far as I know, CB radio chatter was never known for its political correctness. There are tentative explorations of women's rights with the most liberated becoming the most evil as well as the ones who suffer the most. Mixed messages. The first two sentences of <i>Furnace</i> are "There was no need for her nakedness. Not yet." Immediately sexuality is set up as a ritual instead of an erotic or loving act. The ritual of procreation is mixed in as the novel progresses making the child torture even more discomfiting. Even the one sex scene that is erotic has another agenda. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhda6k52j8P8KB3pCPDUj43R8Ir4fcK6YWt3LyPJv0IsguuN1X2QWqBpRFQpqAVX5T5RnGocla6PerfW41YTTfV36C7FFpx2zlwHJlRS_Smw0Q5EY9YcyjBHxzIXewr1VhmVhmuwgzT14HAM8aGMWtfrxkOhjyN0QoFShJxL2ZUmgAKu7aohL7atHp4OhTn/s830/griffin%20in%20headlights.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="830" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhda6k52j8P8KB3pCPDUj43R8Ir4fcK6YWt3LyPJv0IsguuN1X2QWqBpRFQpqAVX5T5RnGocla6PerfW41YTTfV36C7FFpx2zlwHJlRS_Smw0Q5EY9YcyjBHxzIXewr1VhmVhmuwgzT14HAM8aGMWtfrxkOhjyN0QoFShJxL2ZUmgAKu7aohL7atHp4OhTn/w400-h258/griffin%20in%20headlights.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">While <i>Furnace</i> does build up momentum, there is considerable sprawl with extraneous plots, explanations and tangents. Like the best '80s horror, this is where much of the most interesting stuff lurks. Trucker diners are endlessly fascinating locales and Gray crafts some memorable characters to shine on the sidelines. Furnace's horrific history and the way its books are balanced are convoluted tales slowly revealed, while the addition of multiple schools of supernatural styles risks tipping over into comical chaos. Josh's pregnant girlfriend gains an ally in an elderly Asian gardener who possesses a psychic ability that adds little beyond cringe to the plotline, but creates a character that sticks in the memory. Most indelible is Griffin a hitchhiking escapee from Furnace who is an enigmatic foil to Josh's moral stolidity. Gray gets much traction out of people mistaking Josh's trucker facade—earring, beard, tattoos—for danger. The real danger wears a tailored pink suit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GQUluyDulJunm2nVLdfvdiPil7Mrd3etdKIzXdlNtDaK0rLnyysFBlAbYzxhGlT7Kd0DoSEMm9wPs1dBb3ce0TcUTzf7D3KBS0xExKJRmuVPsxmxYOW5IEGtOvyEGi7s4JpeYnL5zFrHgknFEy3m3GE1uW01aErS4bSOSAO07r8gbXNVHC7ad4FZB8sD/s249/trucker%20sunglasses%20g.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="249" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GQUluyDulJunm2nVLdfvdiPil7Mrd3etdKIzXdlNtDaK0rLnyysFBlAbYzxhGlT7Kd0DoSEMm9wPs1dBb3ce0TcUTzf7D3KBS0xExKJRmuVPsxmxYOW5IEGtOvyEGi7s4JpeYnL5zFrHgknFEy3m3GE1uW01aErS4bSOSAO07r8gbXNVHC7ad4FZB8sD/w400-h376/trucker%20sunglasses%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>Furnace</i> is messy in the way that life and '80s horror novels that needed one more substantive edit are. That becomes a part of its charm. We begin with each chapter featuring a tease, a few paragraphs like "There was no need for her nakedness," that portent importance but don't fit into the main plot until later. Sometimes considerably later. This elevates the conspiracy, the horrible events affecting Josh, to a much larger scale. Characters we are barely going to get to know, some that we won't at all, are caught in the fringe eddies of this maelstrom. Evil may be afoot in Furnace, but its effects can be felt on all the highways and biways. There is a beautiful bromance between Josh and a fellow trucker that contrasts with the manipulative relationships of the Furnace elite. The banter between the bros, and between Josh and Griffin, is sharp with a finely tuned sense of rhythm and punchlines. Now that we have CGI that would be up to the scenes of lurking demons, eighteen-wheeler destruction, and that deliciously gory finale, <i>Furnace</i> would make for a solid and spooky mini-series. The battles of divas of a certain age for the role of the duplicitous, beautiful and evil incarnate Nelly MacFarlane, would be an epic mini-series tie-in. Josh may be the lovable heroic protagonist, but the bitch in the pink power suit is the one we carry in our hearts. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGP23CrnqRzJat-5IR6Qn_vNQQ9j9eN6Ft37kbjzdYIP0IrMvTEwEq6LBaCakfC-S4S8QYtY0K100eUW_r3qLqkL5d_DpcTdKQPCXPp5N5AME4Qqo_DrOHB9BqNaykwd8zF0CQa8cL-z90ZWfLcvvHrAWesFUD28Fsio410ArZsNOGYgCmsMkE7-FBs_d4/s900/Muriel%20Gray.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGP23CrnqRzJat-5IR6Qn_vNQQ9j9eN6Ft37kbjzdYIP0IrMvTEwEq6LBaCakfC-S4S8QYtY0K100eUW_r3qLqkL5d_DpcTdKQPCXPp5N5AME4Qqo_DrOHB9BqNaykwd8zF0CQa8cL-z90ZWfLcvvHrAWesFUD28Fsio410ArZsNOGYgCmsMkE7-FBs_d4/w400-h266/Muriel%20Gray.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>The series</b>:<br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/horror-in-personal-context-i-novels-and.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror I</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/influential-horror-ii-novels-and-few.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror II</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/01/funland-under-boardwalk-lurks-heavily.html" target="_blank"><i>Funland</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/chuck-palahniuks-haunted-is-indeed.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted</i> by Chuck Palahniuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/03/banquet-for-damned-two-unrequited.html" target="_blank"><i>Banquet for the Damned</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/the-house-that-dripped-gore-doesnt-draw.html" target="_blank"><i>The House That Dripped Gore</i> by Dan West</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/twilight-eyes-dean-koontzs-carnies-vs.html" target="_blank"><i>Twilight Eyes</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/john-dies-at-end-is-more-humour-than.html" target="_blank"><i>John Dies at the End</i> by David Wong</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/hell-house-gory-gothic-tale-of-sexual.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell House</i> by Richard Matheson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/the-scarlet-gospels-clive-barker-kills.html" target="_blank"><i>The Scarlet Gospels</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-hellbound-heart-clive-barker-mixes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hellbound Heart</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/night-creatures-vampire-in-80s-bathhouse.html" target="_blank"><i>Night Creatures</i> by Jeremy Jordan King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-girl-next-door.html" target="_blank"><i>The Girl Next Door</i> by Jack Ketchum</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/07/red-rain-r-l-stine-for-adults.html" target="_blank"><i>Red Rain</i> by R L Stine</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-troop.html" target="_blank"><i>The Troop</i> by Nick Cutter</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WXO2ZrihyphenhyphenIRZFBknjalRz2LfpKknzteRLXvr8hj7NhPvUe42qcfoG4sNRbgtfBo4ZpWBk039B5wwZrewCyh5KgYn1VvGwuiD8rdJNgJiTpeO8JViLcSQ1x5P17Gwir4Ld3uYIPjc4Wj2EO1sx1h0RjQ2ev-WuRdPLLB333d7pp08KKOiH-zokIhvR9aD/s900/temptation%20of%20st%20anthony.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="685" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WXO2ZrihyphenhyphenIRZFBknjalRz2LfpKknzteRLXvr8hj7NhPvUe42qcfoG4sNRbgtfBo4ZpWBk039B5wwZrewCyh5KgYn1VvGwuiD8rdJNgJiTpeO8JViLcSQ1x5P17Gwir4Ld3uYIPjc4Wj2EO1sx1h0RjQ2ev-WuRdPLLB333d7pp08KKOiH-zokIhvR9aD/w305-h400/temptation%20of%20st%20anthony.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/pages-torn-from-travel-journal-edward.html" target="_blank"><i>Pages Torn From a Travel Journal</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-funhouse-book.html" target="_blank"><i>The Funhouse</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/scared-stiff-tales-of-sex-and-death.html" target="_blank"><i>Scared Stiff </i>by Ramsey Campbell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/a-choir-of-ill-children.html" target="_blank"><i>A Choir of Ill Children</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/flesh-gothic-edward-lee-ratchets-sex.html" target="_blank"><i>Flesh Gothic</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/slade-house-david-mitchell-goes-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>Slade House</i> by David Mitchell</a><br />
<div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/the-bazaar-of-bad-dreams-body-weakens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bazaar of Bad Dreams</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/horrorstor-retail-is-hell-and-lust-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Horrorstör </i>by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/trigger-warning-warning-neil-gaimans.html" target="_blank"><i>Trigger Warning</i> by Neil Gaiman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/the-gunslinger-dark-tower-i-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gunslinger</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/the-summer-is-ended-and-we-are-not-yet.html" target="_blank"><i>The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved </i>by Joey Comeau</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/haunted-tales-of-grotesque-joyce-carol.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque</i> by Joyce Carol Oates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/04/the-dark-tower-ii-drawing-of-three-dark.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drawing of the Three</i> & <i>The Wastelands</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/05/goldenland-past-dark-chandler-klang.html" target="_blank"><i>Goldenland Past Dark</i> by Chandler Klang Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/the-fireman-joe-hill-writes-epic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Fireman</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/end-of-watch-stephen-king-on-horrors-of.html" target="_blank"><i>End of Watch</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/a-head-full-of-ghosts-paul-tremblay.html" target="_blank"><i>A Head Full of Ghosts</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/the-elementals-camp-comedy-horror-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elementals</i> by Michael McDowell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/nos4a2-have-yourself-scary-little.html" target="_blank"><i>NOS4A2</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-iv-wizard-and-glass.html" target="_blank"><i>Wizard and Glass</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-v-wolves-of-calla.html" target="_blank"><i>Wolves of the Calla</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-vi-song-of-susannah.html" target="_blank"><i>Song of Susannah</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/the-dark-tower-vii-dark-tower-climactic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dark Tower</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPDCXbHnz3QxXt9HtIOWGhtP_Dc7JGZ2uJLslq9CXUr1V8Kn8EA4nCBM90_x-0WDLdkVFFMwM1swmD6u9P9ikhFc9wwNxwBvyrX2i7NN7Z-cNNiuudNbobencn0xhef1yTIPu2CyAxE-aQO-QPm1nPNEdeFti8yj7ztxGhG7WFjikcqlIdraacdXPQerl/s450/griffin%20runs%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="450" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPDCXbHnz3QxXt9HtIOWGhtP_Dc7JGZ2uJLslq9CXUr1V8Kn8EA4nCBM90_x-0WDLdkVFFMwM1swmD6u9P9ikhFc9wwNxwBvyrX2i7NN7Z-cNNiuudNbobencn0xhef1yTIPu2CyAxE-aQO-QPm1nPNEdeFti8yj7ztxGhG7WFjikcqlIdraacdXPQerl/w400-h354/griffin%20runs%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/circus-of-damned-meeting-laurell-k.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus of the Damned</i> by Laurell K Hamilton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/tell-my-sorrows-to-stones-christopher.html" target="_blank"><i>Tell My Sorrows to the Stones</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/10/dark-carnival-haunted-circus-kills-just.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Carnival</i> by James A Moore</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/clown-in-moonlight-alienation-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Clown in the Moonlight</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/father-gaetanos-puppet-catechism-tasty.html" target="_blank"><i>Father Gaetano's Puppet Catechism</i> by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/snowblind-christopher-golden-gives.html" target="_blank"><i>Snowblind</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/01/little-heaven.html" target="_blank"><i>Little Heaven</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/02/the-acolyte-nick-cutters-gory-dystopian.html" target="_blank"><i>The Acolyte</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/06/gwendys-button-box-stephen-king-gets.html" target="_blank"><i>Gwendy's Button Box</i> by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-traveling-vampire-show-richard.html" target="_blank"><i>The Traveling Vampire Show</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/philip-fracassi-altar-and-sacculina-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Altar</i> and <i>Sacculina</i> by Philip Fracassi</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Children</i> by Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>Odd Adventures with Your Other Father</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/it-stephen-kings-masterpiece-of-novel.html" target="_blank"><i>It</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>Life in a Haunted House</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dungeon of Count Verlock</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Lake Monster</i> by Norman Prentiss</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZR7bxADrbL40C_pE_AoYAN0k1lf9Lb52f5gb5UIuxNafIMp99aGGzY_elMaz5VsI5grkfdFMGbaKcERGXsB7_wz3ZjM-edZyXtbMZB2nbo5Ar5bXfhKQ5ixw4rlN8FWNbjCBKUE9Kafcsli_b0P0E2_OazogD7TYEtQqXHerr0Hrjm14u3WwEopCw1duN/s500/trucker%20on%20cb%2003.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="500" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZR7bxADrbL40C_pE_AoYAN0k1lf9Lb52f5gb5UIuxNafIMp99aGGzY_elMaz5VsI5grkfdFMGbaKcERGXsB7_wz3ZjM-edZyXtbMZB2nbo5Ar5bXfhKQ5ixw4rlN8FWNbjCBKUE9Kafcsli_b0P0E2_OazogD7TYEtQqXHerr0Hrjm14u3WwEopCw1duN/w400-h261/trucker%20on%20cb%2003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-bone-mother-david-demchuk-creates.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bone Mother</i> by David Demchuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/sleeping-beauties-stephen-and-own-king.html" target="_blank"><i>Sleeping Beauties</i> by Stephen King and Owen King</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-only-child-andrew-pyper-pens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Child</i> by Andrew Pyper</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampire's Kiss</i> by Sonny Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Gay Vampire</i> by Davy S</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/remember-why-you-fear-me.html" target="_blank"><i>Remember Why You Fear Me</i> by Robert Shearman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/october-michael-rowe-pens-classic-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>October </i>by Michael Rowe</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/strange-weather-joe-hills-quartet-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Strange Weather</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-house-edward-lee.html" target="_blank"><i>The House</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/01/lovecraft-country-matt-ruffs-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Lovecraft Country</i> by Matt Ruff</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/fat-vampire-prolific-johnny-b-truant.html" target="_blank"><i>Fat Vampire</i> by Johnny B Truant</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/chords-for-dead-two-men-one-love-ghost.html" target="_blank"><i>Chords for the Dead</i> by Sarah Luddington</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolores Claiborne</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Thinner</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/03/the-ballad-of-black-tom-victor-lavalles.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ballad of Black Tom</i> by Victor LaValle</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/dr-potters-medicine-show.html" target="_blank"><i>Dr Potter's Medicine Show</i> by Eric Scott Fischl</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_YbF6BIC7RcyGswSE_TF0gX2et6qKDZ_1CV5VvppE74V0HnJ1WFqWia97_DRfNh4xagpdjpx5Hj2sHfzdOdLrIz0hrQ-v2kUwLCuak_tbE0CVJ2DFQm7bcmHAS7I7XhTrHIyvDA2kcXgP3WVcqPVugHgv3_VbN2XlvUBGTy45Y4Ns6iFf1aoK7r6Brsj/s150/thing%20flies%20at%20window%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="150" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_YbF6BIC7RcyGswSE_TF0gX2et6qKDZ_1CV5VvppE74V0HnJ1WFqWia97_DRfNh4xagpdjpx5Hj2sHfzdOdLrIz0hrQ-v2kUwLCuak_tbE0CVJ2DFQm7bcmHAS7I7XhTrHIyvDA2kcXgP3WVcqPVugHgv3_VbN2XlvUBGTy45Y4Ns6iFf1aoK7r6Brsj/w400-h355/thing%20flies%20at%20window%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/the-door-keepers-graham-masterton-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Doorkeepers</i> by Graham Masterton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/floppy-shoes-apocalypse-introduction-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Floppy Shoes Apocalypse</i> edited by John Ledger</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/ghostwritten.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostwritten</i> by David Mitchell</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/the-pilo-family-circus.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pilo Family Circus</i> by Will Elliott</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/house-of-large-sizes-voodoo-sex-and.html" target="_blank"><i>House of Large Sizes</i> by Ian Graham Leask</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-outsider-stephen-king.html" target="_blank"><i>The Outsider</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Tilt</i> by Neal Shusterman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>A Nightmare on Clown Street</i> by R L Stine</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-hollow-man-dan-simmons-on-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hollow Man</i> by Dan Simmons</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/ushers-passing-riffing-on-poe-to-turn.html" target="_blank"><i>Usher's Passing</i> by Robert R McCammon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/dolly-ghost-story-creepy-literary.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolly</i> by Susan Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/nightwing-killer-vampire-bats-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightwing</i> by Martin Cruz Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/wildwood-bizarro-beach-read-of-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Wildwood</i> by John Farris</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/hex.html" target="_blank"><i>HEX</i> by Thomas Olde Heuvelt</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/coulrophobia-sparklez-clowns-for-chaos.html" target="_blank"><i>Coulrophobia</i> by Tim Miller</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-cabin-at-end-of-world-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cabin at the End of the World</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-loney-creepy-moody-gothic-chiller.html" target="_blank"><i>The Loney</i> by Andrew Michael Hurley</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-saturday-night-ghost-club-craig.html" target="_blank"><i>The Saturday Night Ghost Club</i> by Craig Davidson</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-legacyjohn-coyne-pens-fun.html" target="_blank"><i>The Legacy</i> by John Coyne</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-house-of-small-shadows-adam-nevills.html" target="_blank"><i>The House of Small Shadows</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-mailman-neither-rain-nor-snow-nor.html" target="_blank"><i>The Mailman</i> by Bentley Little</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUtV-3pm895KqPxs4SnzHzk4nmzngwMq3eSLylex51LQiKsN-x2t7lAJiKwfcAde6bAnxeeEjsH1OsQCrv8S_zC2AJU6eG4vUwT26_A0IR9I4Usc_TsHOdOpECoA6QKGW4ajoPWdu-6mm0yCyEbitO1fRDXtaJSoGNOeeGWay3YdWthQTeQoxNHT0v_7O/s626/alchemy%20shelves.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUtV-3pm895KqPxs4SnzHzk4nmzngwMq3eSLylex51LQiKsN-x2t7lAJiKwfcAde6bAnxeeEjsH1OsQCrv8S_zC2AJU6eG4vUwT26_A0IR9I4Usc_TsHOdOpECoA6QKGW4ajoPWdu-6mm0yCyEbitO1fRDXtaJSoGNOeeGWay3YdWthQTeQoxNHT0v_7O/w266-h400/alchemy%20shelves.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/disappearance-at-devils-rock-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>Disappearance at Devil's Rock</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-cartoonist-conceptual-coincidence.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cartoonist</i> by Sean Costello</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-vampire-de-sade-wonderful-premise.html" target="_blank"><i>The Vampire de Sade</i> by Mary Ann Mitchell</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-infinite-douglas-clegg.html" target="_blank"><i>The Infinite</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/dark-rainbow-queer-erotic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Rainbow: Queer Erotic Horror</i> edited by Andrew Robertson</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-halloween-man-bit-of-trick-but.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Man</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/elevation-stephen-king-fable-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Elevation</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>For Fear of the Night</i> by Charles L Grant</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>Grimscribe</i> by Thomas Ligotti</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/fantasticland-horror-is-human.html" target="_blank"><i>Fantasticland</i> by Mike Bockoven</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/carter-lovecraft-commercialization-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Carter & Lovecraft</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-night-of-moonbow.html" target="_blank"><i>The Night of the Moonbow</i> by Thomas Tryon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/witching-hour-theatre-nostalgia-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>Witching Hour Theatre</i> by Johnathan Janz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Nobody Was Here</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Hoppers</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/terror-by-moonlight-critter-catchers.html" target="_blank"><i>Terror by Moonlight (Critter Catchers Book 1)</i> by Hank Edwards</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightmare House</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Mischief</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-kills-issac-thornes-collected.html" target="_blank"><i>Road Kills</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-passage-epic-absorbing-chronicle-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Passage</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The Twelve</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The City of Mirrors</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/house-beneath-bridge-vivid-and-vicious.html" target="_blank"><i>House Beneath the Bridge</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-gordon-place-isaac-thorne-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gordon Place</i> by Isaac Thorne</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeFD0jf-GhA43w6D4pmPapcePDvbnLhpzlKPaquBsPtoSgrRYjUnJwTCclsH2FQPKU5E7GXUxpayUGhI2itEjJOm4GbqzdV0czvDh3eOqh9dxCTEIcBNJ6nyhEWcBd_RiTPwKuhoZguJ9hpL9izBwAXIi3UT-8dvEez5qI5LHUAT_J23wxQI99-wkIJ2i/s384/claw%20at%20playpen%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="384" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeFD0jf-GhA43w6D4pmPapcePDvbnLhpzlKPaquBsPtoSgrRYjUnJwTCclsH2FQPKU5E7GXUxpayUGhI2itEjJOm4GbqzdV0czvDh3eOqh9dxCTEIcBNJ6nyhEWcBd_RiTPwKuhoZguJ9hpL9izBwAXIi3UT-8dvEez5qI5LHUAT_J23wxQI99-wkIJ2i/w400-h300/claw%20at%20playpen%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/johannes-cabal-necromancer.html" target="_blank"><i>Johannes Cabal the Necromancer</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/hellfire.html" target="_blank"><i>Hellfire</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/circus-tarot-cards-and-clowns-will.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus Tarot</i> by Charles W Jones</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/colony-of-lost-derik-cavignanos.html" target="_blank"><i>Colony of the Lost</i> by Derik Cavignano</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/while-industriously-working-away-on.html" target="_blank"><i>Second Child</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-darkness-david-b-silvas-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Darkness</i> by David B Silva</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-demons-possession-loose-morals.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Demons</i> by Mason Burgess</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/drag-thing-more-camp-than-horror-or.html" target="_blank"><i>Drag Thing</i> by Victor J Banis</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/bubba-ho-tep-elderly-elvis-soul-sucking.html" target="_blank"><i>Bubba Ho-Tep</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/dark-ride-iain-rob-wright-delivers.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Ride</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/see-them-dance-cranch-clown-and-zirkus.html" target="_blank"><i>See Them Dance</i> by Freder</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-drive-in-b-movie-with-blood-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drive-in</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-nest-and-roaches-shall-inherit-earth.html" target="_blank"><i>The Nest</i> by Gregory A Douglas</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/coyote-songs-gabino-iglesias-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>Coyote Songs</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/boys-life-revisiting-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>Boy's Life</i> by Robert R McCammon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/growing-things-and-other-stories-book.html" target="_blank"><i>Growing Things and Other Stories</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-freakshow-bryan-smiths-extreme.html" target="_blank"><i>The Freakshow</i> by Bryan Smith</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUS0o-hY6Lbvp0B6if2yLuZb9K0Rm_eplS3W9Uq5Ot_mSxSpkXuZzrJnPLGYcda-gWeAJmfXQs9xGg1cL1Rkpj1B2A7wa2js1Ki_WJPfOfSF8-inQYBdzlWCfA1lDu72mSX625eVXspFpAFhCbrgvbNziK3QeiKHiehbVfMK6WALbfZzgpRMdlWiD7W5c/s865/pink%20power%20suit.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="505" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUS0o-hY6Lbvp0B6if2yLuZb9K0Rm_eplS3W9Uq5Ot_mSxSpkXuZzrJnPLGYcda-gWeAJmfXQs9xGg1cL1Rkpj1B2A7wa2js1Ki_WJPfOfSF8-inQYBdzlWCfA1lDu72mSX625eVXspFpAFhCbrgvbNziK3QeiKHiehbVfMK6WALbfZzgpRMdlWiD7W5c/w234-h400/pink%20power%20suit.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/clownflesh-horror-author-tim-curran.html" target="_blank"><i>Clownflesh</i> by Tim Curran</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-manhattan-hunt-club.html" target="_blank"><i>The Manhattan Hunt Club</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/craven-manor-dary-coates-gothic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Craven Manor</i> by Darcy Coates</a><br />
<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-institute-stephen-kings-conspiracy.html" target="_blank">The Institute by Stephen King</a></i><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-dollmakers-daughters-where.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dollmaker's Daughters</i> by Abigail Padgett</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/carnival-of-fear-jg-fahertys-explosion.html" target="_blank"><i>Carnival of Fear</i> by JG Faherty</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/final-girls.html" target="_blank"><i>Final Girls</i> by Riley Sager</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/ninth-house-leigh-bardugo-conjures-up.html" target="_blank"><i>Ninth House</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/angel-of-abyss-ed-kurtzs-noir-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Angel of the Abyss</i> by Ed Kurtz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-naughty-boy-for-krampus-or-two.html" target="_blank"><i>A Naughty Boy for Krampus or Two</i> by Quinn D'Angelo</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/ghoul-brian-keenes-despair-over.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghoul</i> by Brian Keene</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/queen-of-blood-bryan-smith-catalogues.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Blood</i> by Bryan Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/neverland-childhood-ends-in-dilapidated.html" target="_blank"><i>Neverland</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/noon-spell-something-evil-shines-under.html" target="_blank"><i>Noon Spell</i> by J N Williamson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/salvage-duncan-ralstons-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Salvage</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-necronomnomnomicon-cookbook-of-dead.html" target="_blank"><i>The Necronomnomnomicon: Cookbook of the Dead</i> by Felix Galvan</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/phantom-rage-big-horror-in-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Phantom Rage</i> by William Blackwell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-haunted-forest-tour-copious-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>The Haunted Forest Tour</i> by James A Moore and Jeff Strand</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/ghostland-duncan-ralstons-killer-thrill.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostland</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-auctioneer-prescient-or-tragically.html" target="_blank"><i>The Auctioneer</i> by Joan Samson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/full-throttle-cohesive-coming-of-age.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Throttle</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-window-when-man-in-mirror-is-pair.html" target="_blank"><i>The Window</i> by Glenn Rolfe</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/island-of-dolls-murders-observed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>Island of the Dolls</i> by Jeremy Bates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-southern-book-clubs-guide-to.html" target="_blank"><i>The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires</i> by Grady Hendrix</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8f7dxn9i6wHy6E26MzA2QDRwBxxYIHIuMga3Z1mtuwcV0sFJOiD5RJPx1NB1-b1Tf5DhiKho-szw5Lhp9Ow9SLFcEKUAa783DX2p3I_a_C_A1JWx7s_D8Wf7chhgeXj_X90SKlsg-J7ZP2yiD2vSZXsBPvR19BEHK1fJo2dhzsnBPDnb1UvSIlpp4FQch/s500/demon%20claws%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8f7dxn9i6wHy6E26MzA2QDRwBxxYIHIuMga3Z1mtuwcV0sFJOiD5RJPx1NB1-b1Tf5DhiKho-szw5Lhp9Ow9SLFcEKUAa783DX2p3I_a_C_A1JWx7s_D8Wf7chhgeXj_X90SKlsg-J7ZP2yiD2vSZXsBPvR19BEHK1fJo2dhzsnBPDnb1UvSIlpp4FQch/w400-h266/demon%20claws%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-boys-on-mountain-intoxicating.html" target="_blank"><i>The Boys on the Mountain</i> by John Inman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/if-it-bleeds-four-novellas-from-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>If It Bleeds</i> by Stephen King</a><br /><a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/07/survivor-song-horror-so-real-it-hurts.html" target="_blank"><i>Survivor Song</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br /><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/09/combustion-fiery-erotic-gay-horror-from.html" target="_blank"><i>Combustion</i> by Daniel W Kelly</a><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/01/afterlife-dead-and-digital-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Afterlife</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/01/rise-of-thing-down-below-returning-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Rise of the Thing Down Below</i> by Daniel W Kelly</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/05/tenebrion-rejuvenating-blast-of-sheer.html" target="_blank"><i>Tenebrion</i> by James H Longmore</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/05/342-abercorn-renovating-and-living-in.html" target="_blank"><i>342 Abercorn</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/06/shockadelica-how-well-do-you-know-your.html" target="_blank"><i>Shockadelica</i> by Jon O'Bergh</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/06/bacchanal-carnival-of-horror-from-inside.html" target="_blank"><i>Bacchanal</i> by Veronica G Henry</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/07/scream-ride-thrills-and-chills-on-every.html" target="_blank"><i>Scream Ride</i> by D I Russell</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/08/catmagic-witches-mad-scientists.html" target="_blank"><i>Catmagic</i> by Whitley Strieber</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elvis Room</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Good Indian</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>Zombie Bake-Off</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/red-x-david-demchuks-novel-is-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Red X</i> by David Demchuk</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/feral-creatures-can-feral-werewolf-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Feral Creatures </i>by Tommy Ousslander</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGnTbrlmS777Lg1eDjbV4_zktrZUCUlZbwKgay-BdCz53o1_5cCSLQ8rl9fMXBOHHtW3webQwIcUIF4IttzT6A4vxDMl_AIL8VkpV6KxbfmwBC4CJPy1Zc6Zn-PpNoypZcgCwTa9ccVvmiORCSbYHta5XpetRtDIPKCsy8JhXP3lEW-PdIqDJ56Sl_OzCj/s792/lithograph%2002.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="520" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGnTbrlmS777Lg1eDjbV4_zktrZUCUlZbwKgay-BdCz53o1_5cCSLQ8rl9fMXBOHHtW3webQwIcUIF4IttzT6A4vxDMl_AIL8VkpV6KxbfmwBC4CJPy1Zc6Zn-PpNoypZcgCwTa9ccVvmiORCSbYHta5XpetRtDIPKCsy8JhXP3lEW-PdIqDJ56Sl_OzCj/w263-h400/lithograph%2002.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/12/infinite-third-volume-of-ghostland.html" target="_blank"><i>Infinite</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>2B</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>A Laymon Kind of Night</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>Van People</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>Asylum</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells </a></div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/plain-bad-heroines-emily-m-danforth.html" target="_blank"><i>Plain Bad Heroines</i> by Emily M Danforth</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-wakening-jg-faherty-explores.html" target="_blank"><i>The Wakening</i> by JG Faherty</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-night-in-lonesome-october-dog.html" target="_blank"><i>A Night in the Lonesome October</i> by Roger Zelazny and Gahan Wilson</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-ii.html" target="_blank"><i>Tales From the Typewriter</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-ii.html" target="_blank"><i>When it Rains</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/incarnate-innocence-vs-very-haunted.html" target="_blank"><i>Incarnate</i> by Steve Stred</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/scary-stories-to-tell-in-dark-worms.html" target="_blank"><i>Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark</i> by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/gross-out-woom-splatterfest-attendees.html" target="_blank"><i>Woom</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/gross-out-woom-splatterfest-attendees.html" target="_blank"><i>Gross Out</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/05/lot-lizards-ray-garons-pulpy.html" target="_blank"><i>Lot Lizards</i> by Ray Garton</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/06/straight-chuck-tingle-tingles-with-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>Straight</i> by Chuck Tingle</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-inhuman-condition-cleansed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>The Inhuman Condition</i> by Clive Barker</a></div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/queen-of-teeth-body-horror-vagina.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Teeth</i> by Hailey Piper</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/welcome-to-smileyland-and-sister.html" target="_blank"><i>Welcome to Smileyland</i> by Spencer Hamilton</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/welcome-to-smileyland-and-sister.html" target="_blank"><i>Sister Funtime</i> by Spencer Hamilton</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/hell-spring-isaac-thorne-unleashes-soul.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell Spring</i> by Isaac Thorne</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/twentieth-anniversary-screening-even.html"><i>Twentieth Anniversary Screening</i> by Jeff Strand</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-devil-takes-you-home-black-magic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Devil Takes You Home</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6Tl7vpPE2cAAD5M3qkNVDGD-PbOc9dg2O233hXBW6wcAyLPvDibuhGzClbQ6jDc6JHgPnwGAi70h7aeY4_DBt_01UAXkwWaUpYPu6wwTGpK8fBjVJ1aaLp69lVEhntcJcBq14IruuiS7YuJLAPb2xz4NlnRx6JQxSQNWP6P35qvpN_W8PJzxA41Q44b4/s450/driving%2003%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="450" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6Tl7vpPE2cAAD5M3qkNVDGD-PbOc9dg2O233hXBW6wcAyLPvDibuhGzClbQ6jDc6JHgPnwGAi70h7aeY4_DBt_01UAXkwWaUpYPu6wwTGpK8fBjVJ1aaLp69lVEhntcJcBq14IruuiS7YuJLAPb2xz4NlnRx6JQxSQNWP6P35qvpN_W8PJzxA41Q44b4/w400-h165/driving%2003%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-pallbearers-club-terrifying.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pallbearers Club</i> by Paul Tremblay</a> </div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-right-hand-of-evil-john-saul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Right Hand of Evil</i> by John Saul</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/montagues-carnival-of-delights-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Montague's Carnival of Delights and Terror</i> by Jamie Stewart</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/they-thirst-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>They Thirs</i>t by Robert R McCammon</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/fairy-tale-stephen-king-and-theres-no.html" target="_blank"><i>Fairy Tale</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/queer-little-nightmares-anthology-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Queer Little Nightmares</i> edited by David Ly & Daniel Zomparelli</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/11/dearly-departed-sephera-giron-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Dearly Departed</i> by Sephera Giron & Andrew Robertson</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-sleeping-car-porter-underside-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Sleeping Car Porter</i> by Suzette Mayr</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV48R86pTEPotmVYNfKoSULPNt2ybGLtfamorbL7OEGZXQUxbpAQbPmFQAr5nW7WJM9xBZFRY8tBf-NubnScZY5jUMFfYtfIxHUmI8eh2v6Ct8BhenigtV_2GwE1GNOTosj61Dd9EjpiBdLNF3jNxzTgG-NPZAMLAKtwJMRUgXEPwkpd1ed-Iv_yNk6vP-/s480/woman%20hitchhiking%20stylized%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV48R86pTEPotmVYNfKoSULPNt2ybGLtfamorbL7OEGZXQUxbpAQbPmFQAr5nW7WJM9xBZFRY8tBf-NubnScZY5jUMFfYtfIxHUmI8eh2v6Ct8BhenigtV_2GwE1GNOTosj61Dd9EjpiBdLNF3jNxzTgG-NPZAMLAKtwJMRUgXEPwkpd1ed-Iv_yNk6vP-/w400-h300/woman%20hitchhiking%20stylized%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/holly-stephen-king-and-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Holly</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/all-hollows-supernatural-slashers.html" target="_blank"><i>All Hollows</i> by Christopher Golden</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/vampires-anonymous-gay-will-forever-be.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampires Anonymous</i> by Jeffrey N McMahan</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/daubed-in-darkness-when-arty-throuple.html" target="_blank"><i>Daubed in Darkness</i> by J Daniel Stone</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/haunted-places-and-other-stories-ghosts.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted Places and Other Stories</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-only-safe-place-left-is-dark-lean.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark</i> by Warren Wagner</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-handyman-method-horrors-of-nuclear.html" target="_blank"><i>The Handyman Method</i> by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/old-too-soon-innocence-lost-in-sea-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Old Too Soon</i> by Brian Bowyer</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-daughter-of-doctor-moreau-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/furnace-real-evil-wears-tailored-pink.html" target="_blank"><i>Furnace</i> by Muriel Gray</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/progeny-of-adder-hard-bitten-detective.html" target="_blank"><i>Progeny of the Adder</i> by Leslie H Whitten</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/03/something-wicked-something-dark-french.html" target="_blank"><i>Something Wicked Something Dark</i> by Jamie Stewart</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-2172717553884212552024-02-23T03:57:00.001-05:002024-02-23T03:57:32.380-05:00Epidermis Circus: spicy puppets, drag clown costuming, saucy strange work, and a trail of slime<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DHBmSqScsvvG3c-FFiEz9iBrBgqK0JliZ8fMONQHP7RxGW_oEJbc5LA9_LTb9okaw3-JgXerNtQ1sCKYRZPJnslldeTpBwmz2lOYNJpo8dEvZGWwveaa8BlrkLTeD8IRI6oVgzLoMSKuq_-VcF82k5EwyTIKV5xfpNcQlXZdNORX7_LbzkkOagnjgy6A/s900/1600x1200Epidermis01PhotoCreditHeleneCyrRESIZED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DHBmSqScsvvG3c-FFiEz9iBrBgqK0JliZ8fMONQHP7RxGW_oEJbc5LA9_LTb9okaw3-JgXerNtQ1sCKYRZPJnslldeTpBwmz2lOYNJpo8dEvZGWwveaa8BlrkLTeD8IRI6oVgzLoMSKuq_-VcF82k5EwyTIKV5xfpNcQlXZdNORX7_LbzkkOagnjgy6A/w400-h300/1600x1200Epidermis01PhotoCreditHeleneCyrRESIZED.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>"I'll give you our content warning," says Ingrid Hansen. "<i>Epidermis Circus</i> includes cartoonish sexual content, swear words, and puppet suicide. There are moments of dark lighting, loud music, and surprises. For audiences age 14+ . And I may or may not puppeteer underpants." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The more Hansen tries to explain, the weirder and more enticing <i>Epidermis Circus</i>, touching down briefly on its way to off-Broadway, sounds. "I perform a live puppet film, animating cheeky vignettes in the palm of my hand and projecting them onto a huge screen. Imagine the hand dancing of Kiss & Cry or the live-puppet-animation of Kid Koala's <i>Mosquito Show</i>, but solo, sexy, and, as one reviewer wrote, akin to watching 'Lambchops puppeteer Shari Lewis possessed by David Lynch.'"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2rg542YchB2pre3TLM0ePfYvuooSkP21nzD8c_BIBACJF6OZIb8ZBmwmaBpx-kbyGp3ZgquR6_j-L5Dmalng_hVsfmyWlST9nP_l5mXptUXtfFT9c8LyFJVSK3MRHbVpZCVXgVR8cVxNaOnsSDBrrV2gMirHgftErseAS1eT1ZhyphenhyphenPJwGnSIzKcnXlgke/s900/SNAFUsEpidermisCircusPerformerIngridHansen_PhotobyHeleneCyr812-043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2rg542YchB2pre3TLM0ePfYvuooSkP21nzD8c_BIBACJF6OZIb8ZBmwmaBpx-kbyGp3ZgquR6_j-L5Dmalng_hVsfmyWlST9nP_l5mXptUXtfFT9c8LyFJVSK3MRHbVpZCVXgVR8cVxNaOnsSDBrrV2gMirHgftErseAS1eT1ZhyphenhyphenPJwGnSIzKcnXlgke/w266-h400/SNAFUsEpidermisCircusPerformerIngridHansen_PhotobyHeleneCyr812-043.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For anyone for whom those last few references are too puppet obscure, Hansen hastens to add that her dear friend, superstar Jimbo the Drag Clown, winner of the eighth season of <i>RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars</i>, is involved. "I asked Jimbo to design an over-the-top goddess costume for me for a grand entrance," says Hansen. "I then promptly take it off and leave it in a heap onstage. Underneath I reveal puppeteer's black clothes, I need to blend into the background so that the puppets pop. I have always been a huge fan of Jimbo's clowning, the weirder the better. He's a great example of the weird performing art scene nurtured in Victoria." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Hansen is proud of her Victoria, BC roots. "I was the original costume designer, and <i>Epidermis Circus</i>' director Britt Small directed the premiere version of <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2013/08/next-gay-review-ride-cyclone.html" target="_blank">Ride the Cyclone</a></i> which toured across Canada for five years." That statement twigged a memory of an <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2013/08/ride-cyclones-frank-hank.html" target="_blank">interview I did with puppeteer/musician Hank Pine</a> about that very memorable production. He said, ""My boyfriend, James Insell, plays Karnak, the mechanical fortune-telling machine, and I play a giant rat, Virgil, who plays the bass.” Thirteen years later, Insell is now internationally renowned as Jimbo, Pine's music career is wilder and weirder than ever, while Hansen is on her way to conquer to New York City. There might be something in the water in Victoria.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lQ0ns5bWHU7fnhP-3POQybytgKM7q0juq6UPB6G-O5rCV2NodBaj7YdfrgCvufNTBmcd6MCWovaqJyr9si8pk2IuxRPY9sVBYwyEj5sjqqoHs1KjjMM7vJLaVgqrXwNUPi8l59duoCGWuoE2JicfYWE-MMsdF9l_57XbbDqv7VZEmeS-FDi8h4tKPtlX/s900/1600x1200EpidermisPhotobyIngridHansen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lQ0ns5bWHU7fnhP-3POQybytgKM7q0juq6UPB6G-O5rCV2NodBaj7YdfrgCvufNTBmcd6MCWovaqJyr9si8pk2IuxRPY9sVBYwyEj5sjqqoHs1KjjMM7vJLaVgqrXwNUPi8l59duoCGWuoE2JicfYWE-MMsdF9l_57XbbDqv7VZEmeS-FDi8h4tKPtlX/w400-h300/1600x1200EpidermisPhotobyIngridHansen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Britt is an artistic leader of Atomic Vaudeville, a wild Victoria theatre company that puts on audacious cabarets," says Hansen. "Being a part of their cabarets, testing out new work and ideas, and creating in such a raw, spontaneous way has been and continues to be a big part of my artistic fuel." <i>Epidermis Circus</i> itself was born in a raw, spontaneous way. "I started off puppeteering my clothes. Then I did a residency with a camera and live-feed video, and brought in mirrors, started playing with reflections and bare hands. It's evolved so much, I continue tweaking it all the time. Keeps it exciting. While collaborating with Britt Small, the air always feels sparkly with ideas. We constantly write new jokes for the show together, she's the co-creator and a huge part of the discovery of all the characters. It's difficult, to re-learn new lines I've re-written so many times. What's my line again? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDrvGaVcfEp9dC6HOynjZwhtDleZ29FGphQ3_HebGeqREQMaTYEWmuUXkTyuIhHk_qW_dzfdtWjEALdKL0b1V3gY2MhgVj41Jmn7HAQ6FQw_ajNA4TO4VkTZnp34_sQw3ohsVs-457DySeNu0yM7EzbBZJqzeGzCXMIKe1RoRYKhO2PWJv4Uhc5aX8jBP/s900/EpidermisCircus%20bySNAFU%20photobyJamHamidi%20TRUCK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDrvGaVcfEp9dC6HOynjZwhtDleZ29FGphQ3_HebGeqREQMaTYEWmuUXkTyuIhHk_qW_dzfdtWjEALdKL0b1V3gY2MhgVj41Jmn7HAQ6FQw_ajNA4TO4VkTZnp34_sQw3ohsVs-457DySeNu0yM7EzbBZJqzeGzCXMIKe1RoRYKhO2PWJv4Uhc5aX8jBP/w400-h400/EpidermisCircus%20bySNAFU%20photobyJamHamidi%20TRUCK.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It should be noted that Hansen has also done a lot of mainstream puppeteering, from <i>Sesame Street</i> to <i>Fraggle Rock</i>. "I love both worlds," she says of working high profile productions. “We created our own b-storylines performing puppet extras in the background of scenes. Our puppet extras had crushes, conflicts, complex backstories—we wanted to give them fully developed personal lives in the background of the <i>Fraggle Rock</i> universe.” But "I love surreal object puppetry and body puppetry. I'm super inspired by <i>La Causeuse</i>, a bare-hand puppetry piece by Quebec theatre artist Olivia Faye Lathuillière, and the online videos of Hugo and Ines. They feed my different inner artistic goblins." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Hansen is on a roll and name checks fellow Canadian, and adult-skewing, puppeteers Ronnie Burkettt (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/11/little-dickens-puppetmaster-ronnie.html" target="_blank">Little Dickens</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/forget-me-not-love-letter-to-ronnie.html" target="_blank">Forget Me Not</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-daisy-theatre-driven-to-ecstasy-by.html" target="_blank">The Daisy Theatre</a></i>) and Adam Proulx (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/family-crow-artistry-of-adam-proulx-is.html" target="_blank">Family Crow</a></i>) before, when requested, offering up further examples to googled. "There's <i>Mr. Meaty</i>, a hilarious tv series about teens working in a dingy mall food court, which, was produced for tween audiences but is a great watch for adults. The tapeworm episode will give you nightmares. Theatrically, check out Big Nazo, a Gwar-style monster band. Locally in Toronto, Eric Woolfe [<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/macbeth-tale-told-by-idiot-i-have.html" target="_blank">MacBeth: A Tale Told By an Idiot</a></i>,<i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/doc-weatherglooms-here-there-be.html" target="_blank">Doc Weathergloom's Here There Be Monsters</a></i>), does some great weird puppetry at Red Sandcastle Theatre that, while not explicit, is great for adult audiences."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfX47O7bIMzSO8zMhZ31sdnWQFlDrfPczTksvEVHE2uqV6NMzU41BAyAzEU4oDYPZr7595gk6fU0w1Go1gu7J8vuJTg64Hu-z4Ng0OPFc3KjmBWvHJNTLYv-xR_nl8x9xwETDSWnvVpZLWhnK_dbGFb5U3ei9-8M3meHj4WAmJBWIUICl0MZ-aVarWDG5/s779/EpidermisCircus%20bySNAFU%20photobyIngridHansen%20BABY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="779" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfX47O7bIMzSO8zMhZ31sdnWQFlDrfPczTksvEVHE2uqV6NMzU41BAyAzEU4oDYPZr7595gk6fU0w1Go1gu7J8vuJTg64Hu-z4Ng0OPFc3KjmBWvHJNTLYv-xR_nl8x9xwETDSWnvVpZLWhnK_dbGFb5U3ei9-8M3meHj4WAmJBWIUICl0MZ-aVarWDG5/w400-h363/EpidermisCircus%20bySNAFU%20photobyIngridHansen%20BABY.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Though Hansen claims she is an "extreme extrovert," she is less successful promoting her own work than that of others. "The show is very difficult to describe in words," she says, "the audience has no reference point for the strange work we're doing. So I love when reviewers capture the essence of the show much better than I could. Reviewers: please write my show description for me, is what I'm saying." She quotes her favourite "and most accurate" review courtesy of 12thNight.ca, "We see Hansen create characters from her own hands, fingers, tongue, in a saucy and jostling vaudeville of ‘stars.' Nutty, ingenuous, mesmerizing." While her bally may need work, Hansen has no shortage of well-earned confidence. "I love performing in Toronto," she says of the city with a reputation for cold staidness. "I lived there for six years. I've toured <i>Epidermis Circus</i> across Canada, to raucous audience response. One guy in Winnipeg came back to see the show five times in a row." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqX9iMwLri8-WIciqCDXhp5BV_X8bizAYmAA6lTrwhDGpuZ54QBJ6PXavgG4PCxplcQAJ54G9B9xBVXAAbZo8w3lJgZJq38nm02BhFBXOHEj8ZeCwEiXjw0y9Zid3PLlDuGOgAaI9zGFFuKHtX2SynkmB-QYigU6ybt9wvLEwea0LJ2Rx0pxAyp9j6tmz/s900/Epidermis%20Circus%20by%20SNAFU%20photo%20by%20Jam%20HamidiA7R00947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqX9iMwLri8-WIciqCDXhp5BV_X8bizAYmAA6lTrwhDGpuZ54QBJ6PXavgG4PCxplcQAJ54G9B9xBVXAAbZo8w3lJgZJq38nm02BhFBXOHEj8ZeCwEiXjw0y9Zid3PLlDuGOgAaI9zGFFuKHtX2SynkmB-QYigU6ybt9wvLEwea0LJ2Rx0pxAyp9j6tmz/w400-h266/Epidermis%20Circus%20by%20SNAFU%20photo%20by%20Jam%20HamidiA7R00947.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>There is one other thing that enquiring minds need to know, so I ask Hansen, with your hands doing much of the heavy lifting for the show, what is your moisturizing regimen or recommended lotion to keep them supple and vibrant? "Seriously," she says with no hesitation, "Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector. Comes in the silver tube. Best. Ever. That, and sometimes I just use baby oil. And then everything I touch leaves a trail of slime."</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>Photos by Helene Cyr, Jam Hamid and Ingrid Hansen</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1PfHrZm5Sh7G5gaFA_t-GHGJla_4p4o8UxFt_HxN9Jb4jlwfrgYhVuFbg9puUwzVz4Cw2bxw3IumvHvUjSrMFkpjbgYukry67bz4A62T9qrgMlD0DtebnlG-oLnMn73NzEYB4cyQJZ3iQJzdeF3QeNXDMgz6Wo5iKAV6yvYEn1LA3glP_PYKKMC6vz7G/s900/INSTAStoryEpidermisCircusJan2024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="506" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1PfHrZm5Sh7G5gaFA_t-GHGJla_4p4o8UxFt_HxN9Jb4jlwfrgYhVuFbg9puUwzVz4Cw2bxw3IumvHvUjSrMFkpjbgYukry67bz4A62T9qrgMlD0DtebnlG-oLnMn73NzEYB4cyQJZ3iQJzdeF3QeNXDMgz6Wo5iKAV6yvYEn1LA3glP_PYKKMC6vz7G/w360-h640/INSTAStoryEpidermisCircusJan2024.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Epidermis Circus <i>runs Friday, March 1 to Sunday, March 3 at Sweet Action Theatre, 180 Shaw St, Unit 106. snafudance.com. sweetaction.ca</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>And Tuesday, March 12 at Maja Prentice Theatre
3650 Dixie Road Mississauga. snafudance.com</i></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-6779827810928256172024-02-16T06:20:00.004-05:002024-02-16T06:20:55.439-05:00As I Must Live It: Luke Reece and the poetry of trying to connect the disconnect<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7brQUa7aWrZntnZGruT5x7QdlCEHIEJghac42bzv6gmBp9EnEkUqrFOtN-wTXJaBqtbFkl4pAdGCYBfAQ8vysCtd-eDK2IlvRxfYHW6us62O5OEgFpmQJzok1LTnmCTWM9yy2ckIkSbd0P2DmHDiaLG6g-AUlgJxgn8rWmU84CruqdbfbQbkHmgT5oq5L/s900/2121-As%20I%20Must%20Live%20it%20-_Pictured%20Luke%20Reece_Photo%20cred-Cesar%20Ghisileri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7brQUa7aWrZntnZGruT5x7QdlCEHIEJghac42bzv6gmBp9EnEkUqrFOtN-wTXJaBqtbFkl4pAdGCYBfAQ8vysCtd-eDK2IlvRxfYHW6us62O5OEgFpmQJzok1LTnmCTWM9yy2ckIkSbd0P2DmHDiaLG6g-AUlgJxgn8rWmU84CruqdbfbQbkHmgT5oq5L/w400-h266/2121-As%20I%20Must%20Live%20it%20-_Pictured%20Luke%20Reece_Photo%20cred-Cesar%20Ghisileri.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The lobby renovations at Theatre Passe-Muraille have been tastefully done. Fresh clean lines, whitewashed and technically upgraded, but somehow retaining the flavour, the religious reverence, of the ancient building that it is. Our host for <i>As I Must Live It</i>, Luke Reece, meets us in the lobby and points out the new and nods to the old. A poster for <i>The Farm Show </i>(1972) reminds him that he studied the play in high school. Flippantly he quips that that is all he remembers of it. He is either disingenuous or naïve, as just as the creators and actors of <i>The Farm Show</i> attempted to express the minds and souls of the farmers of Clinton, Ontario, Reece is about to express his own mind and soul. He is genial, a chatterbox, and holds our attention as he zooms around the lobby. He hands out objects to be used later, once the show proper begins, delivers some anecdotes that portend metaphors to come, and shows off an AI subtitling system that will be used throughout the show. Then links the computerized words it to the land acknowledgement of the past in a way that is incisive, poetic and comic. Then he invites us into the theatre.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1k-XZu8bM2qVkl0FP_vJYaZOnLPJqPUwuIS3phpd4MHuhaG-WYZQebs2Nt8HD01_qVjwbJPcbv4SxfHuCDjhe4R7iKcr7s7yp-2EeMR3a7ZxkpuqZyaa28UwLPzKpiCkNsovMSRio-NGL67MnYu8jyAuKaGm2l52gzXVNDVasYYg0sRs4nOBJ0HwwIXB9/s900/405-As%20I%20Must%20Live%20it%20-__Pictured%20Luke%20Reece_Photo%20cred-Cesar%20Ghisileri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1k-XZu8bM2qVkl0FP_vJYaZOnLPJqPUwuIS3phpd4MHuhaG-WYZQebs2Nt8HD01_qVjwbJPcbv4SxfHuCDjhe4R7iKcr7s7yp-2EeMR3a7ZxkpuqZyaa28UwLPzKpiCkNsovMSRio-NGL67MnYu8jyAuKaGm2l52gzXVNDVasYYg0sRs4nOBJ0HwwIXB9/w400-h266/405-As%20I%20Must%20Live%20it%20-__Pictured%20Luke%20Reece_Photo%20cred-Cesar%20Ghisileri.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Except it isn't a standard theatre. It is a playground, both literally and metaphorically. A carousel sits in the center of the room surrounded by truck tires, painted and covered with boards to create lightly bouncing seating. The interaction continues. Reece tosses a ball into the audience, hands out papers to read, uses ball caps to create characters to play opposite, makes us sing along to Bob Marley. The idea seems to be to make us comfortable—every performance is, as he points out, a "relaxed performance," so we can move about, use our phones, or even wander off if we want or if we are triggered—but also part of the show. It is all deceptively casual while considerable projection, lighting and sound technology is operating to support Reece's efforts. Sometimes it works, Reece is very engaging and ingratiating so we are enticed to play along. Some audience members (notably ones who were also thespians or wannabe thespians) relished the chance to join in. Some of us were more impressed when Reece revved into his slam poet role and spit words and emotions as if in a trance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyDKt5LPBW2hvWrt06DBkx7yGjTgUvdVQVW7rKf_8N9LdH-I7Oephl8s1DkUnNjBtnMIheVtjuUnD-LGun9APVJoFRmE3Qmiq40aE9jevs72A-4xi13W7lyFWYBInJOgOO__-ThG-WICjJstgzskJ834sflX9wmhuinmHhkVj2y_gbG8hd3gyE4YaPpMX/s900/1275-As%20I%20Must%20Live%20it%20-_Pictured%20Luke%20Reece_Photo%20cred-Cesar%20Ghisileri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyDKt5LPBW2hvWrt06DBkx7yGjTgUvdVQVW7rKf_8N9LdH-I7Oephl8s1DkUnNjBtnMIheVtjuUnD-LGun9APVJoFRmE3Qmiq40aE9jevs72A-4xi13W7lyFWYBInJOgOO__-ThG-WICjJstgzskJ834sflX9wmhuinmHhkVj2y_gbG8hd3gyE4YaPpMX/w400-h266/1275-As%20I%20Must%20Live%20it%20-_Pictured%20Luke%20Reece_Photo%20cred-Cesar%20Ghisileri.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Reece's identity as a poet is central to <i>As I Must Live It</i>. The show consists of a series of vignettes, or poems, that occur throughout the playing space and which only loosely, if at all, connect. The metaphors are fresh, from a childhood obsession with dinosaurs to <i>Jurassic Park</i> , from resenting <i>Star Wars</i> to intensely intimate memories of his family. His father features prominently and we slowly learn that his father is afflicted with severe depression and OCD. The effect on the family, and on Reece, was devastating. It is that push and pull, that love and anger, the complicated reactions to something out of one's control affecting someone you love, that drives <i>As I Must Live It</i>. And Reece doesn't just tell us about it. Or show it to us. He makes us feel it. When he has audience members catch the ball, it is cute and we are glad to assist. When we are to read papers that are handed out, filled with his father's poetry, it is an intriguing imposition (and we're also aware it is facilitating a costume change). When he asks for assistance escaping the costume, it is a bit more intimate than we might want. His request for a ritual return of the papers is definitely too intimate. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoKA3dNRAvyoHxxGhfUHsS085ItIoVKYyiHyTUK0vyg9676UQ40YZmHtO_l5kO9lbqTYC01jz3kM8caT9UuZrQOKur4c7va2L0VUoAmIWf9wV11DkN6tW0bhwBItHTAyJ375uMgBf0ix2TUK6dQNzWAdNxl8cWt1Pue2HqFQzVLe4qEumVguBqCIQlSUQ/s900/635-As%20I%20Must%20Live%20it%20-__Pictured%20Luke%20Reece_Photo%20cred-Cesar%20Ghisileri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoKA3dNRAvyoHxxGhfUHsS085ItIoVKYyiHyTUK0vyg9676UQ40YZmHtO_l5kO9lbqTYC01jz3kM8caT9UuZrQOKur4c7va2L0VUoAmIWf9wV11DkN6tW0bhwBItHTAyJ375uMgBf0ix2TUK6dQNzWAdNxl8cWt1Pue2HqFQzVLe4qEumVguBqCIQlSUQ/w400-h266/635-As%20I%20Must%20Live%20it%20-__Pictured%20Luke%20Reece_Photo%20cred-Cesar%20Ghisileri.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Informing us that the de-thorned rose that is a prop, is actually from his grandmother's funeral service mere days past, is crossing a line. Breaking the fourth wall and emotionally flaunting it. At some point, different for each audience member, the participation becomes uncomfortable. It is harrowing to hear his descriptions of his father falling apart. Even more harrowing to hear how Reece reacted with the pungent mash of fear, anger, love, regret and rejection. It is beyond harrowing to be part of the process, to experience adjacent physical sensations. Reece is always on the move. Centerstage is deconstructed in the first few minutes of <i>As I Must Live It</i>, and Reece regales us from all sides, from behind and from the catwalk above. We have to keep moving to keep up. And to keep him in view. Like keeping up with someone whose mind is fragmenting in a way we don't necessarily understand. And throughout, the words scroll (and are sometimes projected) but AI is not perfect and there are disconnects. Just as Reece and his father disconnect. And Reece disconnects attempting to reach us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7IgHLbqHcZVNNuhyyaZPA6GlYnUuIv5Fn3alAq_qvVLli8a18kRG1XoLvT65HdF5pQmkqVafnV-LDGNwZ7QXTgdrGTV0mrD00oW2WAbGPRt0K-YGLQ80EZJ0elvkS5KwqqXaMmaqWRJGUg4JX0ZNpGwBeFFaF6Tg9gQ8Iq89kN-Oo0Q1P_7h7yc5xlTp/s900/1230-As%20I%20Must%20Live%20it%20-_Pictured%20Luke%20Reece_Photo%20cred-Cesar%20Ghisileri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="599" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7IgHLbqHcZVNNuhyyaZPA6GlYnUuIv5Fn3alAq_qvVLli8a18kRG1XoLvT65HdF5pQmkqVafnV-LDGNwZ7QXTgdrGTV0mrD00oW2WAbGPRt0K-YGLQ80EZJ0elvkS5KwqqXaMmaqWRJGUg4JX0ZNpGwBeFFaF6Tg9gQ8Iq89kN-Oo0Q1P_7h7yc5xlTp/w266-h400/1230-As%20I%20Must%20Live%20it%20-_Pictured%20Luke%20Reece_Photo%20cred-Cesar%20Ghisileri.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Reece also warns us that he is a perfectionist. Obsessive himself. And that he is doing <i>As I Must Live It</i> for himself, not for "the pleasure of an audience." He does not want to be edited. Again he is disingenuous. The show will mean nothing if the audience does not follow or, worse, want to follow. He is treading a quavering tightrope. With an abundance of charm, a huge smile and the ability to wear his emotions openly, Reece gets away with it until almost the end. A nest to final poetically theatrical image appears, the audience gasps appreciatively, then Reece panders briefly, just as he said he wouldn't. The final spectacular image and action does work and salvages the sudden deflation, theatre rescuing poetry from introversion. He has invited us in, kept us at arm's length with projections and gimmicks. Cajoled us into participating and then flooded us with Brechtian theatrics. Become painfully intense earning empathy, ingratiated until we recoil. Spoken in rhymes to reveal the heart, and spoken in rhymes to hide behind bravado. <i>As I Must Live It</i> feels like a living, breathing process. Reece, with a lot of assistance from the team that created so many special effects: Daniele Bartolini, Sarah Mansikka, Jackie Chau, Adrian Bent, Barrett Hodgson and Thom Buttery may produce something totally different tomorrow. Malleable to how the audience reacts and participates. As impossible to predict as a father struggling with mental illness. As impossible and glorious as words.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLjI83wt6weikndL2PcM52r3tRJaQ6CS8sNglVStHtCBEfH41SBgIzif4xRC1_-1e94vr_eLefLAmSRwsmFxDFfm4-zFcKlizl8jp5dc0CQggCZzqVqadlGHDlxMQCx3Cp_j9LtTg_JrPuFxqTwdMrIV_HjV-zJyfdIkUfueQfzZBpgkFTD4zF-Qo5E9_/s750/zAsIMustLiveIt%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLjI83wt6weikndL2PcM52r3tRJaQ6CS8sNglVStHtCBEfH41SBgIzif4xRC1_-1e94vr_eLefLAmSRwsmFxDFfm4-zFcKlizl8jp5dc0CQggCZzqVqadlGHDlxMQCx3Cp_j9LtTg_JrPuFxqTwdMrIV_HjV-zJyfdIkUfueQfzZBpgkFTD4zF-Qo5E9_/w400-h400/zAsIMustLiveIt%20poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Photos by Cesar Ghisilieri</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />As I Must Live It <i>continues until Saturday, March 2 at Theatre Passe-Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave. passe-muraille.ca</i></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-11946550509770429572024-02-15T03:44:00.010-05:002024-02-16T03:56:32.271-05:00Guilt (A Love Story): Grey Gardens gorgeous<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj263cQnFO18F6ZedCaXyxxNn-uZuHDKR6mqVYpBwBma-NsE5maCTnPkouzUVA91O-sYgYr3hJqBweVYlaw7YmdO5VQ-0xEBMMkglWMdTb82LYxVy2p9a9kUdaQN6Zo8fx9VT4vo-cfBWptRhZvJ67i83GcoDZmwSD5fzT9egWZLzJQYd0jmycMLnYSIxLG/s900/24.02_TA_Guilt2036.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="900" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj263cQnFO18F6ZedCaXyxxNn-uZuHDKR6mqVYpBwBma-NsE5maCTnPkouzUVA91O-sYgYr3hJqBweVYlaw7YmdO5VQ-0xEBMMkglWMdTb82LYxVy2p9a9kUdaQN6Zo8fx9VT4vo-cfBWptRhZvJ67i83GcoDZmwSD5fzT9egWZLzJQYd0jmycMLnYSIxLG/w400-h295/24.02_TA_Guilt2036.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>With a whoop of exuberance, Diane Flacks (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/fall-on-your-knees-slavishly-faithful.html" target="_blank">Fall on Your Knees</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2014/09/freda-and-jems-best-of-week-butch-for.html" target="_blank">Freda and Jem's Best of the Week</a></i>) bounds into the audience on her way to the stage. She bears a tray of tequila shots which she dispenses, being careful to keep one for herself. She encourages the audience members lucky enough to get a shot to join her in knocking it back. She then, in her best Borscht Belt stylings, fires off a few one-liners. "My drinking is not a problem, it's a solution." "My drinking is not a cry for help, it's a cry for Sangria." It turns out she is not here to wring laughs out of joining AA (there are many, many references to suburban civilized wine drinking sprinkled throughout the monologue that follows) but rather to talk about guilt. Hence the title, <i>Guilt (A Love Story)</i>. Flacks tells us that "Guilt is the Jewish default setting" and to prove it, morphs into her grandmother who unleashes a torrent of guilt using Auschwitz as a comic cudgel. We laugh uncomfortably, no matter how well delivered, the gag is dated and questionable in the current cultural climate. Flacks quickly moves on to impersonating Sigmund Freud, complete with mimed cigar, who propounds on the rapacious nature of vaginas in general and lesbians in particular. While this is also dated, at least we all agree and endorse it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8myMHtC62Su2CqGMrhzvYt-WUjyetOg0vsZ__zSJtweRCWJkQfxxU3UitEdjLNrOR4VThwO_HT7s3QB0Yf5J2-S6DuzEYQwPTeMSG7ZoH_d_8hEWxNkBUD50wGnYFtLw5RdpOZoZ87yPSewvW9icVTledo4Fi3a3WEvcvqTpiNY7v1YLJ8sKWeZW7jE1t/s900/24.02_TA_Guilt2226.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="900" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8myMHtC62Su2CqGMrhzvYt-WUjyetOg0vsZ__zSJtweRCWJkQfxxU3UitEdjLNrOR4VThwO_HT7s3QB0Yf5J2-S6DuzEYQwPTeMSG7ZoH_d_8hEWxNkBUD50wGnYFtLw5RdpOZoZ87yPSewvW9icVTledo4Fi3a3WEvcvqTpiNY7v1YLJ8sKWeZW7jE1t/w400-h269/24.02_TA_Guilt2226.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Flacks is as physically restless as she is verbally. Clad in a loose-fitting, almost oversized, post-<i>Annie Hall</i> ensemble, she dances, mugs, and illustrates her points emphatically. She moves on to the joys of motherhood, revelling in being what is colloquially known as a 'helicopter Karen.' She reveals her alias identity complete with a super power of eight octopus arms to protect her kids and to get things done. Her arms flail enough to almost believe there are eight. Threaded throughout, both her grandmother and Freud occasionally reappear, is the nugget of knowledge that she and her wife have broken up. At Flacks' instigation. This is where the guilt of the title comes in. I think. She also explains, with an eerily glowing prop plastic brain, how guilt is created by neurons or synapses, through a disconnect or conflict between two parts of the brain. There is a very funny bit about pronouns and identification, some one-liners that land with precision, and a deliciously dark toss away line linking #MeToo and anti-Semitism. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghOGYr02MEaR4mgw2iPoViI6Rt8UHICNixSHPsM6uq4_oKfcV7bknZYoYyWZq3-eK6PRtCBRaSL2k9BCEixJey0A-1xIm29h7r7AwiqCXShRTv0s7F8XpQSgcOWYtq6sTRUVz_Qvi5sBhcWPUgc7en3aJh5ynTT2jCflvg5MGYK5VgOt6wSHiHWnrpamt/s900/24.02_TA_Guilt2013.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="900" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghOGYr02MEaR4mgw2iPoViI6Rt8UHICNixSHPsM6uq4_oKfcV7bknZYoYyWZq3-eK6PRtCBRaSL2k9BCEixJey0A-1xIm29h7r7AwiqCXShRTv0s7F8XpQSgcOWYtq6sTRUVz_Qvi5sBhcWPUgc7en3aJh5ynTT2jCflvg5MGYK5VgOt6wSHiHWnrpamt/w400-h293/24.02_TA_Guilt2013.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">She philosophizes on how creating a family of any sort involves building on or reacting to the heterosexual nuclear family paradigm. Her conclusion is that therefore the foundations will always be unsound, but the resulting structure can be "Grey Gardens gorgeous." It is a powerful and evocative bit that resonates, and is referenced, throughout the rest of the evening. We learn a little about her new hard-drinking younger new love interest, and the painful process of separation. There are numerous mentions of all-inclusive beach vacations and our eyes are drawn to the sand ringing the stage. Sand studded with empty wine bottles. And a discarded microphone and stand which is never used. Has Flacks' guilt, and drinking, caused her to abandon her comedy? Before it all has a chance to gel or connect, Flacks takes a hard turn into very dark material that fans will recognize as a pivotal experience mined in a previous work <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/01/diane-flacks-finds-gallows-humour-and.html" target="_blank">Waiting Roon</a></i>. It might very well be a whiplash too far.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0Xr-BzHNrYRyVpVzld22l114eiPSdvQkeBQSYfXhNpJicQFKBGUOHjpd8Hs_O2LcOu0zRfCTj5rw8wG22oNYrYFSjvj_Zn8NfCgWPA4netA8YHkZY4I6lbUdHmvLU3BdmHgdhJa5Cos-RT7iZ8qvUgPNrtNb28Rrw6-VUzTc6dBTocsdTKX-JfLgpHPS/s900/24.02_TA_Guilt2117.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="702" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0Xr-BzHNrYRyVpVzld22l114eiPSdvQkeBQSYfXhNpJicQFKBGUOHjpd8Hs_O2LcOu0zRfCTj5rw8wG22oNYrYFSjvj_Zn8NfCgWPA4netA8YHkZY4I6lbUdHmvLU3BdmHgdhJa5Cos-RT7iZ8qvUgPNrtNb28Rrw6-VUzTc6dBTocsdTKX-JfLgpHPS/w313-h400/24.02_TA_Guilt2117.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Flacks is an incredibly gregarious performer and we are in her confidence from the first shot of tequila (whether we received one or not). The evening progresses as if we were sipping, maybe chugging, wine while a particularly witty close friend regales us with her latest domestic troubles. It is all very amiable and amusing with occasional flashes of insight. However, personally, the references to yoga, housing, and finally the cribbing of a Woody Allen—who had been dissed in the #MeToo/Jewish joke—one-liner about all you can eat buffets at a resort made me gasp 'Oy vey." Perhaps the marital split isn't what Flacks is really feeling guilty about. The Allen reference is an apt one. Like his work, Flacks is mining a specifically upper middle class milieu and it clashes with the fiery sexy queer actress/comedian she is. Throughout the show, Flacks reaches for, carries and fondles a tall water bottle set at the back of the stage. But she never drinks. Her guilt is not allowing her to? Self-denial? The final image of <i>Guilt (A Love Story)</i> resolves the dilemma theatrically, but not emotionally. Though <i>Guilt (A Love Story)</i> is Grey Gardens gorgeous, the foundation is unsound.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Photos by Cylla von Tiedemann</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Guilt (A Love Story) <i>continues until Sunday, March 3 at Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Ave. tarragontheatre.com</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqK4Y5xA737wCnxHz-UGyL7Cs4M7vrW4KtIUC7FPv1o7pHDXAJXZwCjOvWunoL7r0aHaUI-ObF2WBc2oyhvqcV4qaJ0ZR4xMsUuH1D63Jc_basQ12BpDl74s9B_67Vv2_hc-lnxBj2jf6q2RbEdNo2ygOz09BcC8k3Qmnj4u99BbocsXtvnZW8B_vo3lgt/s900/zGuilt%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqK4Y5xA737wCnxHz-UGyL7Cs4M7vrW4KtIUC7FPv1o7pHDXAJXZwCjOvWunoL7r0aHaUI-ObF2WBc2oyhvqcV4qaJ0ZR4xMsUuH1D63Jc_basQ12BpDl74s9B_67Vv2_hc-lnxBj2jf6q2RbEdNo2ygOz09BcC8k3Qmnj4u99BbocsXtvnZW8B_vo3lgt/w426-h640/zGuilt%20poster.jpg" width="426" /></a></div></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-41575637909431565182024-02-14T06:24:00.005-05:002024-02-14T06:24:59.089-05:00De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail speaks the name of love<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jvIciMZNoDNNQ0AEQIu_vf_mlW5EeipiEl0RDmzlzJPj803lnZ87mDfrthgLfHnGP2f5U4QrXXJ68z3WioGEXCJmQYOSb-cArrSEzcdyzrxVPCh98OcGc6x97r6xLWVGu1RS8FBNiJa2HTbkWi42VL3wdwh2baLyD2jGggeH-sfWi15LB025goplQe2O/s2048/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jvIciMZNoDNNQ0AEQIu_vf_mlW5EeipiEl0RDmzlzJPj803lnZ87mDfrthgLfHnGP2f5U4QrXXJ68z3WioGEXCJmQYOSb-cArrSEzcdyzrxVPCh98OcGc6x97r6xLWVGu1RS8FBNiJa2HTbkWi42VL3wdwh2baLyD2jGggeH-sfWi15LB025goplQe2O/w400-h266/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6508.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Oscar Wilde's fame and fortune was built on, and maintained over a century by, his facility with words. Not just his plays, novels and writings, but his quick way with a quip, an epigram. There is a very amusing moment in <i>De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail</i>, when Wilde, randomly pulling fortune cookie style slips of paper from a jar, reads one of his notorious quotes. He has already read several, each one followed by an amplifying, negating or just amusing commentary quip, but this one is different. He stares into the audience and confesses that this epigram, and it is a hilarious and insightful one, should actually be attributed to Dorothy Parker. "But," he arches one eyebrow until it abuts the ceiling, "I could have written it."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBjT62NCqPtLVianmQtEylHtcTFAc2UX2ufHNxYiXwighKS77OPpWilY9LatgX4MO2HAhzJdQYp_bHtPr5-g7AUbCPo9qBBlqJbygpIiotvXOgSysOOqa3cf-t6yUw6O89mF4d1JhCJTt7PiBOVUGBcFycDXlQx0tEl2CHPrcT3edtT3oYwlqKG7rB5FA/s900/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-5800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="900" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBjT62NCqPtLVianmQtEylHtcTFAc2UX2ufHNxYiXwighKS77OPpWilY9LatgX4MO2HAhzJdQYp_bHtPr5-g7AUbCPo9qBBlqJbygpIiotvXOgSysOOqa3cf-t6yUw6O89mF4d1JhCJTt7PiBOVUGBcFycDXlQx0tEl2CHPrcT3edtT3oYwlqKG7rB5FA/w400-h233/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-5800.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>De Profundis</i> is an essay, a poem, and a manifesto but most of all a letter to Bosie, the beautiful boy that Wilde loved, lost and was ruined by. Or, as he ruminates, that he allowed himself to be ruined by. <i>De Profundis</i> was written a page a day, Wilde was only allowed one sheet of paper per diem, while he was imprisoned for the crime of gross indecency. It seems shocking, in our plush theatre bubble surrounded by gay men and other patrons of a theatrical bent, that homosexuality could, even in 1892, earn a sentence of two years in Reading Gaol. <i>De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail</i> is here to remind us that it did, it has, and that it could again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VTmZnG-Hfw_mcdC6M4QebMGyZ870nro4HOOLOP8PNrjqD75cjUdhnAnbEUMPuRjeYmlag0G8hkZkBs6CyvYe6KFSvMnuKsumEfZ40dC7zIpvcviX74bjUii5ganfRBciIL69xdEmY5pSmpiQq0F70zbGHXl_LPggWs1f9Fd4CLMraEPWVWceXqLUUMq4/s2048/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-5788-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VTmZnG-Hfw_mcdC6M4QebMGyZ870nro4HOOLOP8PNrjqD75cjUdhnAnbEUMPuRjeYmlag0G8hkZkBs6CyvYe6KFSvMnuKsumEfZ40dC7zIpvcviX74bjUii5ganfRBciIL69xdEmY5pSmpiQq0F70zbGHXl_LPggWs1f9Fd4CLMraEPWVWceXqLUUMq4/w400-h266/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-5788-edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We begin with Robbie (Jonathan Corkal-Astorga) standing stage right to a sumptuous black velvet painting of peonies in a gold gilded frame that cloaks the stage. He begins to give us what he calls "context" but the phrase "We were illegal then" repeats. Damien Atkins (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/here-lies-henry-damien-atkins-is.html" target="_blank">Here Lies Henry</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/queen-goneril-three-sisters-usurp-kings.html" target="_blank">Queen Goneril</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/king-lear-and-thou-all-shaking-thunder.html" target="_blank">King Lear</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/caroline-or-change-humble-revealed-as.html" target="_blank">Caroline, or Change</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/we-are-not-alone-damien-atkins-wants-us.html" target="_blank">We Are Not Alone</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-gay-heritage-project-fine-tuned-for.html" target="_blank">The Gay Heritage Project</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2014/01/beyond-song-and-dance-heightened.html" target="_blank">London Road</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2014/11/sextet-orchestrating-perfect-farce.html" target="_blank">Sextet</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/05/mr-burns-post-electric-play-lights-up.html" target="_blank">Mr Burns</a></i>) as Oscar Wilde preparing to go on, critiques from behind the curtain until, unable to contain himself, he pokes his head and demands that Robbie get on with it. If the audience needs context then "I want a different audience. One that's read a book." He scoffs in disbelief that he might be unfamiliar to members of the audience, "What are they? Camels? They know who I am." And, as he will a few more times before the evening has ended, he reminds us that "I awoke the imagination of my century." As Wilde and <i>De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail</i> are about to do for this night in 2024.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlXCb88bWUP-2JA_6vvxkzgUWMovjwmCedpyVL_SnYCd1KV4llR_ULGsLC-nwOi6GnlVFKWDyUZ_gXIMNsV6Bz88rMmeR7KNPMBS0yPL4ur3fLqicSSEDtgPGuqzAoGLr77sCabpa7p3VmaQQasaran0ID9tef3UqXWZNL249Vg_4SlPu3WQ0p3_YWJlG/s900/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlXCb88bWUP-2JA_6vvxkzgUWMovjwmCedpyVL_SnYCd1KV4llR_ULGsLC-nwOi6GnlVFKWDyUZ_gXIMNsV6Bz88rMmeR7KNPMBS0yPL4ur3fLqicSSEDtgPGuqzAoGLr77sCabpa7p3VmaQQasaran0ID9tef3UqXWZNL249Vg_4SlPu3WQ0p3_YWJlG/w400-h266/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6429.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The curtain rises to reveal a grey claustrophobic prison cell in which Wilde/Atkins, in a fetching leaf-emblazoned jumpsuit, is trapped. Wilde tells a fable of the lion and the lord. It is a straightforward tale that also references <i>Lady Windermere's Fan</i>, <i>The Happy Prince and Other Tales</i>, the famous quote falsely attributed to Wilde comparing himself on trial to "a lion in a den of Daniels," and, of course, his and Bosie's relationship. Simplicity containing multitudes of layers. Very Wildean. He picks up his rationed single piece of paper and begins with "Dear Bosie." From there Wilde launches into selections from <i>De Profundis</i>. It is a love letter full of invective. Atkins is astonishing as he paces, riding the rhythms and raging emotions, punctuating with quips and moments of self-reflective doubt. Even as the words accelerate in number and speed, the ideas are framed carefully and delivered with dark humour, gay speak, and philosophical clarity. And when words fail, Atkins breaks into song.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsvMmKygR3fRebJe15FuU6rTohnWBLeENVTJiyKCn8J4sAnnHacKEDAaooFhjuHYs9DRPAjRMg436rYMNh6KaETifHLR4ljdB_pmsq7p9vj3UgQIq9WeMdDClg5YW6PPGvdXnTKcKllOE3UfZ4JYiiKr7QjfsTCPbTHiEyoLfZfSghaWdX0xQh32wtBGe/s2048/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsvMmKygR3fRebJe15FuU6rTohnWBLeENVTJiyKCn8J4sAnnHacKEDAaooFhjuHYs9DRPAjRMg436rYMNh6KaETifHLR4ljdB_pmsq7p9vj3UgQIq9WeMdDClg5YW6PPGvdXnTKcKllOE3UfZ4JYiiKr7QjfsTCPbTHiEyoLfZfSghaWdX0xQh32wtBGe/w400-h266/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6447.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The songs by composer Mike Ross and lyricist Sarah Wilson (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/rose-song-and-dance-gertrude-stein.html" target="_blank">Rose</a></i>) cover much the same ground as the monologues, but in a more modern idiom. The music is a combination of piano (ably supplied by Corkal-Astorga) and electronics, the lyrics are pointed and metaphorically blunt. The melodies are slight but catchy, what is important is the words, and Atkins is virtuosic in turning them into show tunes or haunting ruminations. At the mid-point Wilde draws us into his imagination for a scantily-clad dance number with Bosie (a very limber and sexy Colton Curtis), and the final song transforms into an 11 o'clock number to rival Mama Rose. But I am off track. <i>De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail</i> is not a musical. It might not even be a play. While it evokes and riffs on <i>De Profundis</i>, adaptor/director <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/gregory-prest-pulling-up-floorboards-of.html" target="_blank">Gregory Prest</a> (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/xavier-lopez-finding-hope-in-jesus.html" target="_blank">Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-streetcar-named-desire-harrowing.html" target="_blank">A Streetcar Named Desire</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/little-menace-pinter-plays-hilarious.html" target="_blank">Little Menace</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/rose-song-and-dance-gertrude-stein.html" target="_blank">Rose</a></i>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/bed-and-breakfast-delirious-gay-farce.html" target="_blank">Bed and Breakfast</a>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/05/la-bete-riotous-comedy-that-vivisects.html" target="_blank">La Bete</a></i>) is diving deep into Wilde's history, queer history and a lurid lexicology, trying to get to the heart of love in the context of what we now know as gay.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0jgexI84-Pibxqv7L8CrJK20SZzbmoRC9x18MQtMvCfXBGs0Av8OCnxb6YLYo2Rx2XkVVMB_xrPKqIDxIlHrcJYKQ_tfLg1geRKsrkRSzWaCtSBJTu_dMerdbSrrANO1HwgUmKtEC_IxXW6_poO1KLbmC5mlA6Hu21bzicl_AXMSXJzqV4e9TVAwh4eG/s900/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="900" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0jgexI84-Pibxqv7L8CrJK20SZzbmoRC9x18MQtMvCfXBGs0Av8OCnxb6YLYo2Rx2XkVVMB_xrPKqIDxIlHrcJYKQ_tfLg1geRKsrkRSzWaCtSBJTu_dMerdbSrrANO1HwgUmKtEC_IxXW6_poO1KLbmC5mlA6Hu21bzicl_AXMSXJzqV4e9TVAwh4eG/w400-h233/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6454.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wilde, a master crafter of words, sings to Bosie that "I have no words for how I love you." He talks of love and forgiveness being more important that hate, but it is abstract. He uses a gorgeous metaphor of eating only fruit from the trees on the sunny side of the orchard, that dining on sorrow, despair and regret were not on the planned menu but are necessary. Must be embraced. And then the key, he refers to the "love that dare not speak its name." A quote that could have been penned or uttered by Wilde but was actually the last line of a poem by Lord Alfred Douglas. Aka Bosie. During flashbacks to the trial, the judge tries to get Wilde to admit that he "adored" Bosie. Wilde allows himself no more than to admit to a "friendship." During his transfer to prison, the handcuffed Wilde is verbally abused by a crowd hurling every vile epithet that existed to vilify gay. Those were the only words Wilde had, that the world had, to describe his love. Through the use of movement and dance, courtesy of Indrit Kasapi (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/toka-blood-feuds-sexuality-and.html" target="_blank">Toka</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/box-4901-flaws-foibles-and-fabulousness.html" target="_blank">Box 4901</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/lilies-or-revival-of-romantic-drama.html" target="_blank">Lilies</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/02/hello-again-sex-and-lust-and-song-and.html" target="_blank">Hello Again</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2017/11/house-guests-invitation-to-party-of.html" target="_blank">House Guests</a></i>), we have seen just how physical Wilde and Bosie's relationship was.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHs-daq0ZIbGNQY7srxrGGKnGol2i9nP8g5wUHfO-1NnMnyOeTvDWuh8Qxr2n5C8nZxH0CXORQMrkYD1MQGgfMbwv1jUKKgfNuNI7wcebMe2po56GAd4RJm4bl4Y9O3Wvn4BY-zg-OoeLorGPOduPtp2Xjz-WSutumW-CO9T6EYSf2owdMjhEUd3jq55LD/s900/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="900" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHs-daq0ZIbGNQY7srxrGGKnGol2i9nP8g5wUHfO-1NnMnyOeTvDWuh8Qxr2n5C8nZxH0CXORQMrkYD1MQGgfMbwv1jUKKgfNuNI7wcebMe2po56GAd4RJm4bl4Y9O3Wvn4BY-zg-OoeLorGPOduPtp2Xjz-WSutumW-CO9T6EYSf2owdMjhEUd3jq55LD/w400-h233/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6212.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wilde may have been consumed by lust—a scene where he struggles to sing while Curtis sensually removes his shoes and socks, exposing only his feet and calves but raising the temperature in the theatre by several Cole Porterian degrees, sears—but he needed to define it as love. Or intellectual attraction. Or art. There was no context, no words, to express, to justify, that indescribable angelic ecstasy that is the result of sexual attraction and connection between two men. Wilde knows it but he dare not speak its name. No-one would dare to put words in Wilde's mouth, misattributing is dangerous enough, but Lorenzo Savoini's extraordinary, near-monolithic set design, flirting with overkill as Wilde did with words, has one more surprise, and <i>De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail</i> gives us a final visual flourish of a happy ending. "We were illegal then" but the incandescent Wilde, incarnated by an incandescent Atkins, are not. <i>De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail</i> comes full circle and where the words cannot be found, cannot be dared, the emotions slice deep into the heart. And breaks it wide open.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVse0-RFcB-tgzub4QteAKCeAvAA7MqXuuDTsytKyiEdeWj5Y2U8ZtJuLfbZ2TKu0YfceL3vfn5aaLhPtnPqd3dEOl4C39yVCQJQbXgh3iIr3oSmi3bwyrWksn0t2EVKk9Zmouf0TR6QEQIRzMnC6vKdaw1E8sD_ASnUbgc0xf_CtBC4WpdNTuDnMCYLK/s900/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6389-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="900" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVse0-RFcB-tgzub4QteAKCeAvAA7MqXuuDTsytKyiEdeWj5Y2U8ZtJuLfbZ2TKu0YfceL3vfn5aaLhPtnPqd3dEOl4C39yVCQJQbXgh3iIr3oSmi3bwyrWksn0t2EVKk9Zmouf0TR6QEQIRzMnC6vKdaw1E8sD_ASnUbgc0xf_CtBC4WpdNTuDnMCYLK/w400-h255/SPDeProfundis-photobyDahliaKatz-6389-edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>Photos by Dahlia Katz</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail <i>continues until Friday, February 23 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, Historical Distillery District. soulpepper.ca</i></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-1039759845791876232024-02-11T03:54:00.014-05:002024-02-13T05:28:15.159-05:00MacBeth: A Tale Told By an Idiot - "I have supped full with horror." And hilarity<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBUmlvqbD_MPd45z94Ny_TUPcSmdrLClN-ZX4nMJbK9yRUL4WZnGjBO9Iz0BtbQ97vnRnu53DGDymEO2ErfVbaE3gz8XsPzWiRrebFANN2-yshyphenhyphen7sp410D3hm0gzY2gv8EynyWmHX2b753GYhTaOF8dIboyMiGGz6OwRCA2UZDRn12YR2UFM8qBiJkJqZ/s900/MacBeth%20web%2001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="900" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBUmlvqbD_MPd45z94Ny_TUPcSmdrLClN-ZX4nMJbK9yRUL4WZnGjBO9Iz0BtbQ97vnRnu53DGDymEO2ErfVbaE3gz8XsPzWiRrebFANN2-yshyphenhyphen7sp410D3hm0gzY2gv8EynyWmHX2b753GYhTaOF8dIboyMiGGz6OwRCA2UZDRn12YR2UFM8qBiJkJqZ/w400-h335/MacBeth%20web%2001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">And then is heard no more. It is a tale </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Signifying nothing</span>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Eric Woolfe, the mad genius who created <i>MacBeth: A Tale Told By an Idiot</i>, is being disingenuous referencing that particular quote in the title. Yes, Woolfe "struts and frets" and is full of "sound and fury" but he also performs magic, animates puppets and becomes a tragic haunting MacBeth. He will not be "heard no more," anyone lucky enough to see this <i>MacBeth</i> will never forget it. When I am this absorbed and transported by a production, I am usually oblivious to the reactions of those around me. Upon entering the theatre, I duly noted that it, being a Saturday, appeared to be date night. A date night with an unusual undertone, a slight macabre glee in introducing a potential partner or paramour to something joyous, unusual and intense. Expectations were of Cthulhuian proportions. But nothing could have prepared one for what transpired. And I suspect this blogpost will not prepare you gentle reader, no matter how hard I strain for the perfect words.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnYjYnovSgVYTE5UdfQfz2TA46rkQzSTMpuywc8WKgctqTklvGiiXZNtnGrWakhu_SwIhhearA_Sp26kTdEgpD6GVWVQosHa2MOAEDj8LywlzF7aG1NrN-BjhK3WpO-3LaEhgLg_MonrL9T4Zx18PSXghw1RYjQpP540S_lYJf8mxnp7dKgA6wW4MSBxE/s900/MacBeth%20A%20Tale%20Told%20by%20an%20Idiot%20with%20Eric%20Woolfe%20photo%20by%20Adrianna%20Prosser%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnYjYnovSgVYTE5UdfQfz2TA46rkQzSTMpuywc8WKgctqTklvGiiXZNtnGrWakhu_SwIhhearA_Sp26kTdEgpD6GVWVQosHa2MOAEDj8LywlzF7aG1NrN-BjhK3WpO-3LaEhgLg_MonrL9T4Zx18PSXghw1RYjQpP540S_lYJf8mxnp7dKgA6wW4MSBxE/w400-h300/MacBeth%20A%20Tale%20Told%20by%20an%20Idiot%20with%20Eric%20Woolfe%20photo%20by%20Adrianna%20Prosser%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This <i>MacBeth</i> is a haunted house production, leaning into the horror and gore to reveal the tragic descent of MacBeth as he is driven mad by a quest for power. The puppets are not used to make Shakespeare palatable or as a gimmick, they are integral to the themes that obsess Woolfe. And obsessed Shakespeare. Lady MacBeth is a slinky stone-faced creation. Like many of the characters, she is sometimes a hand puppet, sometimes a piece of haberdashery, always alive. Woolfe (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/doc-weatherglooms-here-there-be.html" target="_blank">Doctor Weathergloom's Here There Be Monsters</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/as-you-like-it-romping-through-sensual.html" target="_blank">As You Like It</a></i>) is not only the puppeteer and magician, he plays MacBeth. A vivid, tortured, unhinged and guilt-ridden MacBeth. A performance that would not be out of place in a standard <i>Macbeth</i>, but one that elevates and is elevated by the startling relationship between Woolfe and his inanimate animated co-stars. Lady MacBeth takes control of Woolfe's body and he becomes a sensual seducer, writhing with hilarious eroticism as she lures Duncan's guards to their deaths. But Woolfe, MacBeth, is the puppeteer, supposedly in control. His paranoia deepens as the lines blur and we no longer know who is the manipulator. A major theme of the canonical text has never been so explicitly vivid.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEZp8XQO-MuQ-mRxFhWbHehgBrbn8MSwxFjWFfwDOVCWg0Lw5Gos49PeuAXMQBOr8QgrYAsiQ26_U31CYZpBReIMfBp17207NY1NPH-aVfwBe6bWoE_aoJAWivaV5q_5giSp5NzSV2XwjzOoNwH8Gr3hToFlfLISXAg_2ADqcl2LwnaalylW79kklOg95/s900/MacBeth%20web%2002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="900" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEZp8XQO-MuQ-mRxFhWbHehgBrbn8MSwxFjWFfwDOVCWg0Lw5Gos49PeuAXMQBOr8QgrYAsiQ26_U31CYZpBReIMfBp17207NY1NPH-aVfwBe6bWoE_aoJAWivaV5q_5giSp5NzSV2XwjzOoNwH8Gr3hToFlfLISXAg_2ADqcl2LwnaalylW79kklOg95/w400-h335/MacBeth%20web%2002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There is a similar integration of the illusion elements. Woolfe starts <i>MacBeth</i> with a card trick. Tossed off with a flourish, it astounds then, immediately afterwards, registers as a metaphorical introduction to the three witches. The witches are remarkable puppets, warty, green, scary and delightful. And their prognostications, their magic, becomes inextricably bound up with the questions of fate that lurk in the text of <i>Macbeth</i>. The "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech is amplified by some close up magic with coins. Coins that are placed on the eyes of the dead. The illusion is sheer showmanship but the illustration of the themes of the soliloquy is icy cold and deadly clear. The "is this a dagger I see before me" is accompanied by a puppet dagger that takes on a life of its own in another illusion. It is a potent mix of horror, comedy, Las Vegas flash and Shakespearean scholarship. As if this blending of genres were not enough, Woolfe throws juggling into the mix with a ever-reappearing hamster becoming the guilt and horror that is beginning to consume MacBeth. In any other production, in any circus or extravaganza, it would be a showstopper. Here it is just breathtaking and unforgettable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOqftrgCavpYPdVX-0If-JrsV7T7gyccRzYy8_AksR-iwQSebTWkruYy5Mb5ttYf6c-aPqoIkda3OP_A3yeGuRart83-U-Qc5DkOFSWXcKR3T7Hfk19h8pZBHmRhKGXjRArDL08vvBMx-D-BTLyC7WY3FZsNtrsJ4l2aOzuaTowXKCIIfBRQ5EltBRLbG/s900/MacBeth%20A%20Tale%20Told%20by%20an%20Idiot%20with%20Eric%20Woolfe%20photo%20by%20Adrianna%20Prosser%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOqftrgCavpYPdVX-0If-JrsV7T7gyccRzYy8_AksR-iwQSebTWkruYy5Mb5ttYf6c-aPqoIkda3OP_A3yeGuRart83-U-Qc5DkOFSWXcKR3T7Hfk19h8pZBHmRhKGXjRArDL08vvBMx-D-BTLyC7WY3FZsNtrsJ4l2aOzuaTowXKCIIfBRQ5EltBRLbG/w300-h400/MacBeth%20A%20Tale%20Told%20by%20an%20Idiot%20with%20Eric%20Woolfe%20photo%20by%20Adrianna%20Prosser%204.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While Shakespeare does not get short shrift—MacBeth could be, should be, used as a way of teaching a complicated resonant play in a clear, concise and hysterical manner—Woolfe doesn't stint on the humour. Gags abound, from a riff on MacBeth being always "behind you," to an acknowledgment that many of Shakespeare's jokes no longer have relevance; "This Elizabethan humour hasn't aged well," says Woolfe before de-aging it farcically. The puppets themselves are inventive, bursting with colour and are prone to funny voices, sight gags and wisecracks. <i>MacBeth</i> is also, like the play, extraordinarily gory. The murders are vivid with fabric and buckets of ribboned blood festooning the stage. The flayed corpses are shockingly horrific, earning gasps. One eye gouging is vivid enough to warrant a "content warning." And hilarious enough that any warning should be disregarded. When MacBeth's guilt becomes a guillotine, there is a sense of real danger. After all, many puppets have already been grievously harmed, why not the puppeteer? When MacBeth meets his doom, it is shocking and disturbing and, because we see the illusion, oddly comical and fitting. The play <i>Macbeth</i> distilled to its emotional core. Shaking us to our core. The sound and fury may signify nothing beyond audacious entertainment and an artist at the peak of his bizarre and bonkers powers, but then the layers peel back and the liquid terror in Woolfe/MacBeth's eyes becomes an image that dazzles and horrifies. And is still haunting me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdztnk3gO3zH5KdNCWj7b_yrSQiURN7c5bHKMs1wYg859rfKdo7oPVLM8yA_4dUr-5bymPZZSPa0qcuckPxvtu4iy2HRIXt1_rrRr3DukLH5qNNActjO-YQ6cgCMRsQKQLut8OBwSvWzGzTUqCKtJFp8kdjoX8PhHjJETFwgWg1SaFUlloJOMpiVN_e00/s900/MacBeth%20fb%2001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdztnk3gO3zH5KdNCWj7b_yrSQiURN7c5bHKMs1wYg859rfKdo7oPVLM8yA_4dUr-5bymPZZSPa0qcuckPxvtu4iy2HRIXt1_rrRr3DukLH5qNNActjO-YQ6cgCMRsQKQLut8OBwSvWzGzTUqCKtJFp8kdjoX8PhHjJETFwgWg1SaFUlloJOMpiVN_e00/w300-h400/MacBeth%20fb%2001.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Date night ended after repeated ovations, and I was suddenly transported into one of those television commercials used to hawk Broadway and Mirvish spectacles. "That was unbelievable" and "I've never seen anything like it" followed by raucous and/or nervous laughter were the dominant themes. Except these weren't puppets performing lines for the camera, these were date night denizens with whom I'd just shared a unique and remarkable experience. An idiot, my ass.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Photos by Adrianna Prosser</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">MacBeth: A Tale Told By an Idiot <i>continues until Saturday, February 24 at the Red Sandcastle Theatre, 922 Queen St E. eldritchtheatre.ca</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-50675721774978361622024-02-10T03:12:00.001-05:002024-02-10T03:12:00.138-05:00Being a Dog in the Year of the Dragon: when you wish upon a star<div style="text-align: left;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJU0i0CjwCWfptdc1hnOHksLGLZn6yHg33tFNhuXmFt3Ktj-FGfAflaYmyKcHfEFsEjqW9ntOUCTlf-6kUIfhBgHTrlumGIDbmhD8eBbOpGbffcbWXTWnTCpj8J28wyDW0xxlFqBElxuST_7WhwjmIWT6bRd9YW2R2KuG1jOh4fbBsZnl2Vy3uDwM_TVj/s500/wood-dragon%20g.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJU0i0CjwCWfptdc1hnOHksLGLZn6yHg33tFNhuXmFt3Ktj-FGfAflaYmyKcHfEFsEjqW9ntOUCTlf-6kUIfhBgHTrlumGIDbmhD8eBbOpGbffcbWXTWnTCpj8J28wyDW0xxlFqBElxuST_7WhwjmIWT6bRd9YW2R2KuG1jOh4fbBsZnl2Vy3uDwM_TVj/w400-h266/wood-dragon%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div>Happy New Year! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span>Welcome to the Year of the Wooden Dragon.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The dragon has long held a power position in the Chinese zodiac, showering success upon those born in its years. With 2024 being a year of the dragon, legends explain that the mythical creature’s good fortune will be sprinkled upon all.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">But the dragon has one requirement before all that wealth and wisdom is spread about — people need to be kind and compassionate to each other first. (Pretty good advice whether you’re a horoscope adherent or not.)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Monica Zurowski, <i>Calgary Herald</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL-W46iaVUnrE0k71HSajJi3dT9jQCLbeST_UcTJJb6K8Qf6GTwP1zVOAF9nYSpSdLr7l8xS7PY_tDJRozr9CkHs8JUZePdsHIyhup3c4vKKlfGmBK2C56pbZ0WqGSBn8qEnPD5GTh9d1TIFQVqz02bVtVBQZug0Xdu58Z3qAS0_SzhOQuVMTVRakeYxz/s736/corgi%20and%20dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="736" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL-W46iaVUnrE0k71HSajJi3dT9jQCLbeST_UcTJJb6K8Qf6GTwP1zVOAF9nYSpSdLr7l8xS7PY_tDJRozr9CkHs8JUZePdsHIyhup3c4vKKlfGmBK2C56pbZ0WqGSBn8qEnPD5GTh9d1TIFQVqz02bVtVBQZug0Xdu58Z3qAS0_SzhOQuVMTVRakeYxz/w400-h309/corgi%20and%20dragon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Being a semi-skeptical "horoscope adherent," I agree that the world, judging by 2024 so far, could certainly use some kindness and compassion. I'm glad to contribute. In that spirit I am attempting to ignore that Zurowski is a newspaper published by the rabidly right wing Postmedia Network in a right wing town in a rabidly right wing province. One that has just recently enacted some horrific anti-LGBTQ legislation. However, I am writing this in advance of the Chinese New Year so my sources are limited to what has been published in advance. And while I find anything right wing calling for kindness and compassion richly ridiculous, I was curious what Zurowski (and astrologers are trustworthy and apolitical aren't they?) had to say about us dogs in the upcoming Year of the Dragon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU8LKu549ScHBXbclxDtqY_7TnAVdZFVgdABGAtf4XTxTVRSOMasGZ9k5Mef_q3ix9yCgUkCVidl6LqEdiasd_iwMO4BzURyFFzg0rHsgmKu4czv-rB3ThATl8c3PkkhiMdmxZdmXmzyg590SOtoRyxBggFuxE3tUJFycSGFvac7afibLMZhEr7EAC-mF/s740/dog%20in%20dragon%20costume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="740" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU8LKu549ScHBXbclxDtqY_7TnAVdZFVgdABGAtf4XTxTVRSOMasGZ9k5Mef_q3ix9yCgUkCVidl6LqEdiasd_iwMO4BzURyFFzg0rHsgmKu4czv-rB3ThATl8c3PkkhiMdmxZdmXmzyg590SOtoRyxBggFuxE3tUJFycSGFvac7afibLMZhEr7EAC-mF/w400-h363/dog%20in%20dragon%20costume.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Dogs could find 2024 to be full of ups and downs. Patience and loyalty are attributes that will help dogs find success during the year, which could lead to increased wealth. That financial success may arrive more easily than relationship success, however. Keep both ears open when talking to loved ones and when lucky numbers are needed, rely on 3, 4 and 9. The dog is famously known for being honest and this is a key year for reflecting that characteristic.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wishy-washy but I'll give Zurowski the benefit of the doubt. I'm usually relatively honest and loyal often to my own detriment, but I'll have to work on patience. It is not my dominant virtue.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Associate Professor Xiaohuan Zhao, from Chinese Studies in the School of Languages and Culture at the University of Sydney warns on the scholastic website to "Avoid getting a new puppy" and "Avoid collaborating with or marrying people who were born in the Year of the Dog." That will make for a very lonely year for moi. And I am still wanting a fellow dog, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/10/r-i-p.html" target="_blank">it's been almost a decade</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBy3fQAI29z3wY7RHoOvjHOgEw44i5JP-yZPuwPWzO8MfDGfLKJh78vR7Xr9d-lRlSdDuN3mz4GcH3ObjZeravAIpQmJuUoRVZHtMbswh5ryXsuo794YyMzz_Eg5BlfwjFEmvNyf-TwCWVQi0MUPzOOR_uLuOBjVRRQ9InniCJ9iylxa7Pz1IOIV9_m0eC/s900/dragon%20battles%20dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="900" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBy3fQAI29z3wY7RHoOvjHOgEw44i5JP-yZPuwPWzO8MfDGfLKJh78vR7Xr9d-lRlSdDuN3mz4GcH3ObjZeravAIpQmJuUoRVZHtMbswh5ryXsuo794YyMzz_Eg5BlfwjFEmvNyf-TwCWVQi0MUPzOOR_uLuOBjVRRQ9InniCJ9iylxa7Pz1IOIV9_m0eC/w400-h255/dragon%20battles%20dog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The <i>Daily Mail</i>'s Zeenia Naqvee writes that "The fifth animal in the Chinese zodiac, the dragon is believed to represent strength, health, good luck and yang - the universe's masculine energy in Taoist tradition. Out of the entire animal lineup, the dragon is the only mythical creature and it is revered." They also provide the interesting tidbit that Salvador Dali was a proud dragon. Unfortunately Naqvee had no advice for us dogs, so I moved on.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">In 2024, the overall luck for Dogs (those born in a Chinese zodiac year of the Dog) is predicted to be quite low according to Chinese astrology. Under the influence of unfortunate stars, Dogs, you are set to encounter various challenges and setbacks in different aspects of your life.
Therefore, Dog individuals, you need to work harder in 2024, otherwise you may find yourself in a crisis. It will be especially important for you to be cautious of the impact of the unfortunate stars on your financial situation. Be wise in managing your finances, practice frugality, and avoid wastefulness.
However, despite the unfavorable luck during this year, there will be good news for you, Dogs, as your destiny palace will be blessed with an auspicious star. This star can help ward off some of the misfortunes and bring new opportunities and rays of hope in your career. As long as you seize the moment, it will be possible to turn the tide of luck in your favor.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Gavin, <i>chinesehighlights.com</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9gAEkzXabMfOfEBTH28j6NI3KWhwnXf1DNf4ERJzDQ1ekBW_kPUaxVF18H_aMU_i132fsYUXBk830waMm8HLUh2jRQTcH1xHL8AJjejJx6VjW9hzx77xdzqwcFn9RQ0jiqqo29yQQ_GYo5C5IKYIMn8RIFUCLN-MsUm0nC_mfymIBpErCAyi1VTy1BK0/s500/dragon%20and%20cricket.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="500" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9gAEkzXabMfOfEBTH28j6NI3KWhwnXf1DNf4ERJzDQ1ekBW_kPUaxVF18H_aMU_i132fsYUXBk830waMm8HLUh2jRQTcH1xHL8AJjejJx6VjW9hzx77xdzqwcFn9RQ0jiqqo29yQQ_GYo5C5IKYIMn8RIFUCLN-MsUm0nC_mfymIBpErCAyi1VTy1BK0/w400-h239/dragon%20and%20cricket.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Gavin—like Cher, Madonna, Charo and Liberace, only one name is apparently necessary—sure knows how to kick a dog when they're down. All we can hope for is that Jiminy Cricket-esque "auspicious star." But then astrology is the study of the stars so I'm going to keep my eyes peeled and my heart open and will see if my dreams come true.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Happy New Year!</div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-8607774987560346272024-02-09T03:35:00.009-05:002024-02-13T03:54:12.588-05:00Dion: A Rock Opera transcends musical theatre into glorious queer camp<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ffL8aa5eGKKrYJMheg0etC89nrZNd-eDjF-SSjCY0MQ4JElioEmhWeSPbDVbRmrBuZ_aIbLFTiDSinyVvr9RAm6hOanVUgsdE5GUKMXbWwJ5ENs7mhddOo_zEHODLT-7jTF8vkLoUPsxD959Prz3B6mwjwQiSryfUUIle6QqsgMVlrqAd_p4co8IxWu8/s900/production%20photo%2010.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ffL8aa5eGKKrYJMheg0etC89nrZNd-eDjF-SSjCY0MQ4JElioEmhWeSPbDVbRmrBuZ_aIbLFTiDSinyVvr9RAm6hOanVUgsdE5GUKMXbWwJ5ENs7mhddOo_zEHODLT-7jTF8vkLoUPsxD959Prz3B6mwjwQiSryfUUIle6QqsgMVlrqAd_p4co8IxWu8/w400-h266/production%20photo%2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My name is Dionysus</div><div style="text-align: center;">But you can call me Dion</div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />In the second phrase of the opening number of <i>Dion: A Rock Opera</i>, Sate (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-streetcar-named-desire-harrowing.html" target="_blank">A Streetcar Named Desire</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/02/rumours-note-for-note-but-deeper.html" target="_blank">Rumours</a></i>) casually sings a glorious sustained note on a consonant. Something that is almost impossible to do. Even more impossibly: it sounds glorious and is perfectly modulated to fill the intimate venue that is the Coal Mine Theatre. It is the first of many extraordinary moments when talent and charisma is lavished to the point of sublime bombast on Ted Dykstra (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/02/rumours-note-for-note-but-deeper.html" target="_blank">Rumours</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-father-seeing-through-fracturing.html" target="_blank">The Father</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/hand-to-god-puppets-from-hell-are.html" target="_blank">Hand to God</a></i>) and Steven Mayoff's adaptation of <i>The Bacchae</i> by Euripides. The "A Rock Opera" in the title is important, <i>Dion</i> follows in, homages to, the grand tradition of classical musical theatre productions kickstarted by <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>. Those frequently spectacular riffs on classical texts that used a fusion of pop music and musical theatre stylings to drive the drama. A genre that, before it degenerated, in a Webberized decline, to one hit wonders, made sure that every number fit coherently in the plot and score while also being easily lifted to produce a hit single to sell the show. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv87Kt588Xn1AUvNT_EDY5gnwmBOVA6wCP4wufbAY5KpT_kjvijqNXoJot7rMoOtgfu17hsBrynYkeCdqn87W6EkwMljHfqj1LwEbwk1kItSp-RinuDmYVUBwIynW0X43-ARFcz20jqIL4LBIx-fJOV_eVvKG1pbqTX4gXF3c0dvy7TdoitQGs0392XZnE/s900/production%20photo%2004.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv87Kt588Xn1AUvNT_EDY5gnwmBOVA6wCP4wufbAY5KpT_kjvijqNXoJot7rMoOtgfu17hsBrynYkeCdqn87W6EkwMljHfqj1LwEbwk1kItSp-RinuDmYVUBwIynW0X43-ARFcz20jqIL4LBIx-fJOV_eVvKG1pbqTX4gXF3c0dvy7TdoitQGs0392XZnE/w400-h266/production%20photo%2004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sometimes the score homages a little closely to plagiarism, but that doesn't deny its effectiveness. And at a brisk and breathtaking 70 minutes, there is barely time to note the repeated riffs and pop blandness of the arrangements. This is a Greek tragedy with a convoluted plot and back story, so there is considerable recitative exposition but it is never allowed to become repetitive because of the visuals. The stage is a runway with the audience seated on either side, elevated just enough that we are, ampitheatre-style, looking down on the characters below. Dionysus may be a god, but the mortals he toys with are objects to be observed. The colour scheme is lurid blood bordello red carpet with touches of Eurotrash. Set and costume designer Scott Penner pushes right to the edge of camp and then a step over, to where sexy and sincere blend with high hilarity. It is a perfect framing for a production in which too much is never quite enough.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXqocFHhG2heBQMGaZik3DYnjQcJfqR9-PLfl78pFpXS2reRYisfLwRlE498UA248Yd3oF3rfTgVBbnn_V_nj6KrlI6oEiDPAHXGtlXyUdm4bTKUE4q9hMVIYDw8BcmKXFhjowO2qHFoezIpUz-mC_y13t8GCT7QFUekqNkq4x-VUJ97KYPItmHU0UPv3/s900/production%20photo%2007.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXqocFHhG2heBQMGaZik3DYnjQcJfqR9-PLfl78pFpXS2reRYisfLwRlE498UA248Yd3oF3rfTgVBbnn_V_nj6KrlI6oEiDPAHXGtlXyUdm4bTKUE4q9hMVIYDw8BcmKXFhjowO2qHFoezIpUz-mC_y13t8GCT7QFUekqNkq4x-VUJ97KYPItmHU0UPv3/w400-h400/production%20photo%2007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The camp aspect is crucial, <i>Dion</i> is very much about sexual and gender awakening and reckoning. The lighting by Bonnie Beecher is pinpoint and overly dramatic, timed to match the music and movement with rhythmic precision. Director Peter Hinton-Davis (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-last-epistle-of-tightrope-time.html" target="_blank">The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-hooves-belonged-to-deer-chance-to.html" target="_blank">The Hooves Belonged to the Deer</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/12/martin-julien-on-man-that-got-away.html" target="_blank">The Man That Got Away</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/11/bombay-black-erotic-power-of-revenge.html" target="_blank">Bombay Black</a></i>) is fearless. Phallic imagery is not a subtext, it is commented on and sung about while being stroked suggestively. The considerable gore is rendered using party favours and stylization that is as beautiful as it is brazen. There is a great queer go for broke that is so infectious that when it becomes unintentionally, or intentionally, hilarious, the audience laughs along and the dramatic arc survives. This is important because many of the rhymes are howlers. It takes an extraordinary chorus to sing "I will piss on my enemies, yeah, yeah" and have it be simultaneously incongruously uproarious and stridently anthemic. Allister MacDonald (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/12/angels-in-america-part-1-intimate-epic.html" target="_blank">Angels in America</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/02/surviving-pandemic-xiii-mrs-kasha-davis.html" target="_blank">Stage Mother</a></i>) wraps his voice around</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Doing what they do</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Cavorting in the nude</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Even though its a sin</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I want to join in</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">It may be avant garde</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">But by Zeus I'm getting hard</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ph2_jg0AAMZ2YcnxTkAdM3H-tG9iAy6ydodOFPa6aovJ8IjExq_-rTTRAkzzEEeHAQtAuKAmNkzZF3Mpz4YYPFrTT3-6XW95oXNgB8Zj9u26MrOQJqOgHeh3Ozlto7zgbkqTPXdlGE0vRg5YKG_zVwjavn_-PG5btJzV8w2CloTqauoRSPbXSulu0YBn/s900/CMDion-photobyDahliaKatz-2536.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ph2_jg0AAMZ2YcnxTkAdM3H-tG9iAy6ydodOFPa6aovJ8IjExq_-rTTRAkzzEEeHAQtAuKAmNkzZF3Mpz4YYPFrTT3-6XW95oXNgB8Zj9u26MrOQJqOgHeh3Ozlto7zgbkqTPXdlGE0vRg5YKG_zVwjavn_-PG5btJzV8w2CloTqauoRSPbXSulu0YBn/w400-h266/CMDion-photobyDahliaKatz-2536.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">and we laugh but understand and relate. Because that is the magic and power of Ludlamesque camp as interpreted by this <i>Dion</i>, it believes so passionately in itself that the theatre of the ridiculous evaporates leaving a raw throbbing essence of expression. Fortunately, <i>Dion</i> has such a strong cast that there is no time to question delicate matters of taste, there are tidal waves of emotion to be ridden. At one point Carly Street (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2017/04/midsummer-play-with-songs-one-night.html" target="_blank">Midsummer</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-visitation-from-aphrodite.html" target="_blank">Venus in Furs</a></i>) playing an indomitable incestuous train wreck, sings at one end of the stage, while Allan Louis (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/11/red-velvet-futility-of-theatre-as.html" target="_blank">Red Velvet</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/07/julius-caesar-and-futility-but.html" target="_blank">Julius Caesar</a></i>) in a slinky butch mesh shirt wields his Barry White baritone at the other. One could get whiplash from such an embarrassment of riches. The vocals are not only incredibly strong, they are also intricately arranged. Any of these singers could blast the roof off, but the ceiling is low, the audience is crowded in, and the electrifying effects must be achieved through skill not volume. The chorus—Max Borowski (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/an-incomplete-list-of-all-things-im.html" target="_blank">An Incomplete List of All the Things I'm Going to Miss When the World is No Longer</a></i>), Saccha Dennis, Kaden Forsberg and Kelsey Verzotti—are everywhere at once. Strutting, sashaying, churning up a sexy storm through implication, rambunctious choreography and cock/clit teasing. More importantly they are a constant, a Greek chorus becoming storytellers, harmonies, and even orchestration.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPp3jSXtcnnd5P6ZmqzglbKI7iX0FJMJDZ6v1u6DWg1uXEs2TRCtb9yCeI_jcqQPORpk6C3M4EMydZSv0b_VkDw4AFAmCCSgc1T57d_JsLS9xSZNUv7sUjR6orD0kNndMfX2SNYSd9DXLApXEaU_8CGn3D1zyJVux0YIHntIZVBiuz-9FO9Ny_0byTZRU5/s900/CMDion-photobyDahliaKatz-1853.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPp3jSXtcnnd5P6ZmqzglbKI7iX0FJMJDZ6v1u6DWg1uXEs2TRCtb9yCeI_jcqQPORpk6C3M4EMydZSv0b_VkDw4AFAmCCSgc1T57d_JsLS9xSZNUv7sUjR6orD0kNndMfX2SNYSd9DXLApXEaU_8CGn3D1zyJVux0YIHntIZVBiuz-9FO9Ny_0byTZRU5/w400-h266/CMDion-photobyDahliaKatz-1853.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The aforementioned MacDonald had, on opening night, a slight rasp to the top end of his voice that threatened to affect his pitch. No matter, he channelled Bonnie Tyler and the sound of his throat ripping gave an extra dimension to his character's arc from macho to feminine to dead. Dion's revenge on Pentheus is a curiosity, liberating him sexually and from gender only to destroy them. The confusion is there in the original text where only the gods are allowed to escape from the bonds of morality. It's a shame, and tragically Christian, because MacDonald's awakening is exhilarating and delicately charming. Reconciling that confusion is the job of Dion in the final number. Throughout <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/jacob-macinnis-is-dionysus-in-dion.html" target="_blank">Jacob MacInnis</a> (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/04/alice-in-wonderland-theatrical-magic-vs.html" target="_blank">Alice in Wonderland</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/pinocchio-overwhelming-innocence-song.html" target="_blank">Pinocchio</a></i>) as Dion has been the calm eye of the hurricane, holding court over the sexual maelstrom they inspire. And demand. There is an eerie and very sensual gaze that MacInnis uses as they eye their victims, observe their devotees, or calculate their next move. It is regal and gracious, but full of curiosity, as they wonder just what these mortals can be made to do and how they will react. It is masterful and they hold focus with the wattage of a star while allowing everyone else to shine. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wPNR9JAJ0gZgyVWbB4IhJcp4lXg1_SGCVN6JT9lkYQM0Lux8FPzikZJyKtPtEPn3rkSArb4rdKwH5sHDwWAZL3zQMnG_MB6dG3hGsBNUGocLmWUr_KOQ2MBot_Paz_tB4ItRKbpli8dnIqPq73lADccNt9UpmFXHJv2R0y_nm3mgYuYd4CBvGTvokap2/s900/production%20photo%2008.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wPNR9JAJ0gZgyVWbB4IhJcp4lXg1_SGCVN6JT9lkYQM0Lux8FPzikZJyKtPtEPn3rkSArb4rdKwH5sHDwWAZL3zQMnG_MB6dG3hGsBNUGocLmWUr_KOQ2MBot_Paz_tB4ItRKbpli8dnIqPq73lADccNt9UpmFXHJv2R0y_nm3mgYuYd4CBvGTvokap2/w400-h266/production%20photo%2008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And that last number, "Moment to Moment," is a killer that MacInnis sings the hell out of. The creatives and cast attempt to, through sheer force of melody and vocal prowess, force the ruminations and themes into a coherent statement. It almost works. But there is no shame in leaving an audience humming while we ruminate on the messy duality and promiscuous variations of life, sexuality, gender, religion and ecstasy itself. Dion welcomes Pentheus, and us, to his "theatre of illusion" to explore what "lies between the face and the mask." And that may be enough, to recognize the power of illusion and ecstasy, both of which, it could be and herewith is, argued, reach their highest form, their apex, in a theatrical musical. Especially one that transcends into glorious and utterly sincere camp.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8EuJj-CobHUCVEFLVmIjCdLycG1kYacZhZlWQCgLO3lMJqhRPOwIkhZdYMTOk-VjYm6ee6JuQhgF0_BZ8qEozyTvCKmbn08EUQm6UiZC68jPSgvg_YU4lBWfGnSPH2g9cDYI1ptvcwx6t7RQy7Eo8y4lNewBCo5jECZbqCTGY-wEP7rUys8JsIox0976/s900/CMDion-photobyDahliaKatz-2468.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8EuJj-CobHUCVEFLVmIjCdLycG1kYacZhZlWQCgLO3lMJqhRPOwIkhZdYMTOk-VjYm6ee6JuQhgF0_BZ8qEozyTvCKmbn08EUQm6UiZC68jPSgvg_YU4lBWfGnSPH2g9cDYI1ptvcwx6t7RQy7Eo8y4lNewBCo5jECZbqCTGY-wEP7rUys8JsIox0976/w400-h266/CMDion-photobyDahliaKatz-2468.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i>Photos by Dahlia Katz</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Dion <i>continues until Sunday, March 3 at Coal Mine Theatre, 2076 Danforth Ave. coalminetheatre.com</i></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-62584297516588216792024-02-08T07:33:00.001-05:002024-02-14T03:57:33.508-05:00Gregory Prest: pulling up the floorboards of coded history with musical fantasy De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDm-Py6skt4SIlWRetqdOvOgsayKyuqqd405y-bHN9_DMtb4WUgIZW0onL6Dx2WqMOR3FtF1aTIQzIwCOjRvGWptFx-e6g7Ya7MFrdTywQ5xmYTaVuJd1SoE3offSgLy4JYpHw0d10IXK0JQdCt9e1NZTyxgagDlQPHgioH7pTBt2M365V4o4xnRmOqCmq/s496/Photo%201%20-%20Colton_Damien%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="496" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDm-Py6skt4SIlWRetqdOvOgsayKyuqqd405y-bHN9_DMtb4WUgIZW0onL6Dx2WqMOR3FtF1aTIQzIwCOjRvGWptFx-e6g7Ya7MFrdTywQ5xmYTaVuJd1SoE3offSgLy4JYpHw0d10IXK0JQdCt9e1NZTyxgagDlQPHgioH7pTBt2M365V4o4xnRmOqCmq/w320-h264/Photo%201%20-%20Colton_Damien%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>"I have had a relationship to this piece since I was a teenager," says Gregory Prest of Oscar Wilde's letter/poem/manifesto/confession written from prison, <i>De Profundis</i>. "I grew up in a time and a place where Oscar and Bosie’s relationship, read about in biographies for school projects, was the only gay relationship I had encountered. Ever. Until I was in a relationship myself. Even then, their actual relationship was often only hinted at and never explicit. Because the letter <i>De Profundis</i> is so coded, filled with subtext, it’s difficult to get a clear picture, so one has to start filling in the blanks. I wanted role models. I wanted to see men in relationship to one another, but the way Oscar and Bosie are spoken about is so distasteful." The subtext was unable to be revealed as its proper urtext and "I filled in the blanks, made some conclusions about how these kinds of relationships work, began to believe some harmful things and moved on with my life."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXWsjO10FRCIVK3I6So1XXU2HvtHxjYw0jcYNjhfckDpf264P3mx9nzD7_FocjpymSEL6mG4VEw7DFoV-ZmF8IOmAcnl7X1bA-5TUQ82bIaJvCLZ0JB2QeqwK3MJJR8o-td6ngK2SE9vwVkh9JcTnYM1wWqnnl1uPKi_cIW6gfoSoWsFiHCoEhSs5-rB2/s900/Gregory_Prest_photo_by_Dahlia_Katz.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="785" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXWsjO10FRCIVK3I6So1XXU2HvtHxjYw0jcYNjhfckDpf264P3mx9nzD7_FocjpymSEL6mG4VEw7DFoV-ZmF8IOmAcnl7X1bA-5TUQ82bIaJvCLZ0JB2QeqwK3MJJR8o-td6ngK2SE9vwVkh9JcTnYM1wWqnnl1uPKi_cIW6gfoSoWsFiHCoEhSs5-rB2/w349-h400/Gregory_Prest_photo_by_Dahlia_Katz.png" width="349" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With his long term relationship, and his theatrical career (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/xavier-lopez-finding-hope-in-jesus.html" target="_blank">Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-streetcar-named-desire-harrowing.html" target="_blank">A Streetcar Named Desire</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/little-menace-pinter-plays-hilarious.html" target="_blank">Little Menace</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/rose-song-and-dance-gertrude-stein.html" target="_blank">Rose</a></i>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/bed-and-breakfast-delirious-gay-farce.html" target="_blank">Bed and Breakfast</a>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/05/la-bete-riotous-comedy-that-vivisects.html" target="_blank">La Bete</a></i>) solidified, Prest returned to Wilde's work. "In my forties, and with this creative team, I was really interested in interrupting this incomplete, corrupted, and distorted narrative. I wanted to go back into this letter and make a case for love, for hope, for possibility. Of course, we know how their story ends (in point form), but one never really knows in the moment of one’s life how it will end. I wanted to stop time, interrupt inevitability, and allow Oscar’s thinking about the future and next steps to ring out. It is profound to me that he accepts that one must walk with one’s sorrow hand in hand. One cannot deny it, ignore it, be consumed by it – one must acknowledge it’s there and keep going. I mean, come on! We wanted to rewrite some harmful narratives."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And what better way to counter a negative narrative than to turn it into a musical. "Making this letter into a musical is a terrible idea," says Prest, "but using music to help understand and communicate the heights of the pain, sorrow, and anger feels like the most natural thing. We don’t call it a musical only because the music in this piece doesn’t function like music in a traditional show. It doesn’t always take the action further. Sometimes it reflects what’s happening with Oscar, sometimes it distracts from what’s happening which is its own kind of reflection. We’ve settled on calling it a 'musical fantasy' but that’s still a working description."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LpTAcF69krNNzct5_rWecc9-Ypv5QmPhn9Hx5qrrVJHQz_sZ4sQcvMCzvu6-uyaKAXGHGOtQZlmXPCfPSVVRHkVxmfYvsRW2CoeYDJSd5N5tlY6EcpAfQakoqCjYI47UHs2IN_9xBIxSIZNAWYqMEeJX8lH0ecDifzfJvtOUDWQupd43VgnPBORFlI4d/s900/COMPANY%20PHOTO.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LpTAcF69krNNzct5_rWecc9-Ypv5QmPhn9Hx5qrrVJHQz_sZ4sQcvMCzvu6-uyaKAXGHGOtQZlmXPCfPSVVRHkVxmfYvsRW2CoeYDJSd5N5tlY6EcpAfQakoqCjYI47UHs2IN_9xBIxSIZNAWYqMEeJX8lH0ecDifzfJvtOUDWQupd43VgnPBORFlI4d/w400-h300/COMPANY%20PHOTO.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Prest had collaborated with Mike Ross and Sarah Wilson on their musical <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/rose-song-and-dance-gertrude-stein.html" target="_blank">Rose</a></i>, so the creative process was easy to settle into. "Go away and work, come back together and work, go away and work, come back together and work. We laughed a lot," says Prest. "Sometimes we think about the piece of a glass bowl that we shattered, and we take each broken piece and look at it on its own. The accumulative observation and experience is the show. It’s always been an experiment and while the show as it is now may actually look and feel like a good old normal piece of theatre, every step of this was a question. It was a puzzle and we were all game to keep trying to figure it out." 'A good old normal piece of theatre' maybe, but, "Mike and Sarah’s music is amazing. I hope that people leave having felt they experienced what it must have been like to sit next to Oscar Wilde at a dinner party. Sort of. He was a true celebrity and people either loved him or loathed him. I would also love for young people, heck middle aged or old people too, to leave with a sense of his nature, genius, humour, provocativeness, and wit so that when they encounter a Wildean piece again, it might shift how they experience it."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4YMC03BVnKb80ohYK33mLXBZtt9VH0Zoj8Y0MdcKw5yklFf-L5P06F1tLx9W3yrLHXO9wBxVEvDIF-8YOQckKMS8XS6fHgmCqAyyahpzKSRCzHUVWpKBsZhN_wZwV3tjtvBi8gn9jp9O6sCeymUCedYMmCUOnLgtfRT1Z87hQ-3OQ2FlRKVhgykopRwZ/s900/Photo%205%20-%20Jonathan_Damien.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="506" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4YMC03BVnKb80ohYK33mLXBZtt9VH0Zoj8Y0MdcKw5yklFf-L5P06F1tLx9W3yrLHXO9wBxVEvDIF-8YOQckKMS8XS6fHgmCqAyyahpzKSRCzHUVWpKBsZhN_wZwV3tjtvBi8gn9jp9O6sCeymUCedYMmCUOnLgtfRT1Z87hQ-3OQ2FlRKVhgykopRwZ/w225-h400/Photo%205%20-%20Jonathan_Damien.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The entire project became even more collaborative with the welcome addition of Damien Atkins (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/here-lies-henry-damien-atkins-is.html" target="_blank">Here Lies Henry</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/queen-goneril-three-sisters-usurp-kings.html" target="_blank">Queen Goneril</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/king-lear-and-thou-all-shaking-thunder.html" target="_blank">King Lear</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/caroline-or-change-humble-revealed-as.html" target="_blank">Caroline, or Change</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/we-are-not-alone-damien-atkins-wants-us.html" target="_blank">We Are Not Alone</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-gay-heritage-project-fine-tuned-for.html" target="_blank">The Gay Heritage Project</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2014/01/beyond-song-and-dance-heightened.html" target="_blank">London Road</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2014/11/sextet-orchestrating-perfect-farce.html" target="_blank">Sextet</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/05/mr-burns-post-electric-play-lights-up.html" target="_blank">Mr Burns</a></i>) as Wilde. "There was no one else we wanted to do this project with," says Prest. "He has wit, intelligence, deep vulnerability, hysterical rage (the funny and not so funny kind), camp, and humanity in spades. It’s the most obvious casting. Damien is also one of my favourite people, a dear friend, and a flat out star. He makes everything he touches better. I feel so lucky to work with him on this because we have the same desire – to dig up the coded, pasted over given circumstances of Oscar and Bosie’s fragmented relationship and put them out there as relatable and recognizable moments in a contemporary gay person’s life. We made this show for and with Damien."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And with two other up-and-coming triple threats: Colton Curtis and Jonathan Corkal-Astorga. "I’m so damn lucky," says Prest. "Their roles were created with them and their amazing diverse talents in the room. These parts are tailor made for them. There was no audition process. They are both excellent talents and collaborative, humble, and fun people. With Bosie (Colton), I knew I wanted him to move, to haunt, and to wow – to be a specter – and he had to be beautiful. With Robbie (Jonathan), I knew I wanted the accompanist - the person who makes the expression possible – to be Robbie – Oscar’s dearest friend, supporter, and a gay icon in his own right. He needed to possess infinite love and that’s Jonathan."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUp2q9vG9KG_Yq_Gadj-ygY2Eenc2FwT-oOwhN5MQB54_zOkrzM1wDk4K10uqroW5HIaiffJpLSCDJv0dGJzVIIpyOWv2RMf9OTDlQOg9ux0iZqf_fTixQgiXrxL3ORFRB4S0JNbcoG38OX6TtpmzVYk2eoP7ay_7g94bLP94juqxfF35q_Oki1oVNvzA/s900/Photo%201%20-%20Colton_Damien.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="506" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUp2q9vG9KG_Yq_Gadj-ygY2Eenc2FwT-oOwhN5MQB54_zOkrzM1wDk4K10uqroW5HIaiffJpLSCDJv0dGJzVIIpyOWv2RMf9OTDlQOg9ux0iZqf_fTixQgiXrxL3ORFRB4S0JNbcoG38OX6TtpmzVYk2eoP7ay_7g94bLP94juqxfF35q_Oki1oVNvzA/w225-h400/Photo%201%20-%20Colton_Damien.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With <i>De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail</i> now up and running, Prest is ready for the next step in his career. "I’ll be acting in <i>The Inheritance</i> at Canadian Stage very soon and then a remount of <i>Streetcar Named Desire</i> at Soulpepper in the summer. I like all of it. I really do love shifting my roles in the room. Spending time acting allows me to learn so much about directing. The same is true the other way around. I love being able to help create a world." Especially this specific world he first encountered forty years ago. "What has surprised me most is discovering how few people didn’t know that Oscar Wilde was imprisoned," muses Prest. History has hidden a lot and Prest is eager that be corrected. "Oh, God, I hope D<i>e Profndis: Oscar Wild in Jail </i>is an invitation for empathy. I can’t believe I just said that. By trying to pull up the floorboards of its coded history, the piece is a love letter and offers shards of the sorrow and pain of loving someone – of loving someone and loving yourself through someone else’s eyes – the pain, ecstasy, and insanity of that. It is also insanely private. I think there is quiet power in hearing something so private spoken in a room full of people. We want to leave room for the audience to have their own unique experience."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Best of all, "This is going to be gay as fuck," says Prest. "Deep purple. We’ve spent much of our time trying to pull up the coded floorboards and put its gayness center stage." Wilde's entire life was spent coded and struggling against those floorboards that held him down. How does Prest think the icon would feel about his final work being presented in a way that is gay as fuck? "I think he would hate it," says Prest. "But we’re doing it out of love – for him, for Bosie, for Robbie, for a complicated legacy their story leaves. And for the audience. It’s February – let’s have some love." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLP18NudbjjrGdYtIITRsMOhNV3XohkB95eaBy5QcG_g9imJdxXjwGT19bEGy2qc1R4WKRHsBs2tXDiNZqFGpuk1EQ2FI2NJLT8UbTGXBwu-BoBIPb40O4NYtbgYaT1wXInPFb0QMTsrqV7QZ4kBSr2pbL5toRPQ2J-QABQjupfIBgZ6TDJbBvJENsp82/s900/zDP-artwork.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="739" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLP18NudbjjrGdYtIITRsMOhNV3XohkB95eaBy5QcG_g9imJdxXjwGT19bEGy2qc1R4WKRHsBs2tXDiNZqFGpuk1EQ2FI2NJLT8UbTGXBwu-BoBIPb40O4NYtbgYaT1wXInPFb0QMTsrqV7QZ4kBSr2pbL5toRPQ2J-QABQjupfIBgZ6TDJbBvJENsp82/w329-h400/zDP-artwork.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Photos courtesy of Soulpepper</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Gregory Prest headshot by Dahlia Katz</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail <i>continues until Friday, February 23 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, Historical Distillery District. soulpepper.ca</i></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-4364244923409239742024-02-06T03:57:00.002-05:002024-02-13T02:07:04.560-05:00Jacob MacInnis is Dionysus in Dion, "a sensory experience"<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3w0F1v8uXwwni78raIfN2suUPEAElVutpRsbdNl_G8Rh6o20hWyt7qWMeiwz-zCFlA3i4tW-1y7Y3dBYBJWf_T54Ckkt8LBHMHMvW-ADM5ObIUJ7xJJFO46ewDQ78NGhoFimo0nmq7bNM7UNCAxUNIYpoJaMuRLRuGNBxDLPM69wWy8o-O_kKyT3pyV0/s900/JM_052.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="900" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3w0F1v8uXwwni78raIfN2suUPEAElVutpRsbdNl_G8Rh6o20hWyt7qWMeiwz-zCFlA3i4tW-1y7Y3dBYBJWf_T54Ckkt8LBHMHMvW-ADM5ObIUJ7xJJFO46ewDQ78NGhoFimo0nmq7bNM7UNCAxUNIYpoJaMuRLRuGNBxDLPM69wWy8o-O_kKyT3pyV0/w400-h280/JM_052.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The announcement of a new musical inspires cautious optimism. A new musical based on an ancient Greek text full of orgiastic sex and violence is even more intriguing. However the list of creatives, onstage and off, makes <i>Dion</i> a must-see, further enhanced by the pedigree of the producing Coal Mine Theatre. Unable to wait until opening night, I was fortunate to be able to ask a few questions of Jacob MacInnis who is creating the title role of Dionysus.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Drew Rowsome</b>: <span style="color: #2b00fe;">So far in your career, I’ve been lucky enough to seen you in <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/pinocchio-overwhelming-innocence-song.html" target="_blank">Pinocchio</a></i> and <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/04/alice-in-wonderland-theatrical-magic-vs.html" target="_blank">Alice in Wonderland</a></i>. How does it feel to be doing something more adult? How much more adult? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: Well <i>Dion</i> is <i>quite</i> a bit more adult than a lot of my past projects, but what I love about theatre is that no matter what show, there is always an element of accessing the child in all of us—suspending disbelief and using imagination is my favourite element of theatre. But like I said, this one in particular is definitely for a more mature audience . . .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQ0pkHgSbcBOo3VsTZBKO3eoDlsE4nsnk6LGZxuOn23_gIr0xhVH2Mz5gowbzKT2zor_7fA8KhYBU76PPzcbc27LZDWxztx0Ffxq2iJEQOJpAnMv9l1DWcuFYNdm9bZ_ADzvLsXZcufkbnr764HMKIc46x_iXjULAvM92sIK4aR3dhFFUDZqS-slrcJhI/s900/The%20company%20in%20rehearsal%20with%20director%20Peter%20Hinton-Davis%20(3rd%20from%20right)%20and%20music%20director%20Bob%20Foster%20(2nd%20from%20right)_CMDion-reh-photobyDahliaKatz-9171.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQ0pkHgSbcBOo3VsTZBKO3eoDlsE4nsnk6LGZxuOn23_gIr0xhVH2Mz5gowbzKT2zor_7fA8KhYBU76PPzcbc27LZDWxztx0Ffxq2iJEQOJpAnMv9l1DWcuFYNdm9bZ_ADzvLsXZcufkbnr764HMKIc46x_iXjULAvM92sIK4aR3dhFFUDZqS-slrcJhI/w400-h266/The%20company%20in%20rehearsal%20with%20director%20Peter%20Hinton-Davis%20(3rd%20from%20right)%20and%20music%20director%20Bob%20Foster%20(2nd%20from%20right)_CMDion-reh-photobyDahliaKatz-9171.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The press release references the original <i>The Bacchae</i> by Euripides and <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-sweet-transvestite-changed-world.html" target="_blank">The Rocky Horror Show</a></i>. How does <i>Dion</i> manage to do justice to those two classic texts?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: I think the combination of lyricist Steven Mayoff and composer Ted Dykstra is where we get that balance of tragedy and irony through the poetry and the music. And to have Peter Hinton-Davis at the helm with his wealth of knowledge, it is very clear all three have a deep understanding of the source material and artform itself. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The press release also makes several references to “gender and sexual fluidity.” Dionysus was the god of wine, fertility and religious ecstasy. How sexy is <i>Dion</i> going to be? How are you adjusting to becoming a pansexual sex symbol?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwUopkqz_k9qer4T7hXXZ_oSmc-D1SjXWUhzFjXlDkJ3OvzsuSIHdIUEycEskw2_GYyNKHQJh_MWSykVYEqy1RUl7MPrP643GSD8qTD1yAke7bALm2i53F6q21cBE0cIxno6H5RgqPVlV1nxq1RyYPeu3k1nfHFTZ509Aqat-NLRSsBix7ZvuiwAVxN-w/s900/Jacob%20MacInnis%20and%20SATE_CMDion-reh-photobyDahliaKatz-9093.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwUopkqz_k9qer4T7hXXZ_oSmc-D1SjXWUhzFjXlDkJ3OvzsuSIHdIUEycEskw2_GYyNKHQJh_MWSykVYEqy1RUl7MPrP643GSD8qTD1yAke7bALm2i53F6q21cBE0cIxno6H5RgqPVlV1nxq1RyYPeu3k1nfHFTZ509Aqat-NLRSsBix7ZvuiwAVxN-w/w400-h266/Jacob%20MacInnis%20and%20SATE_CMDion-reh-photobyDahliaKatz-9093.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: I think what makes <i>Dion</i> sexy is their unpredictability and their attitude towards life and love and sex. They invite us all to let go and give in to our urges without shame. I would not go so far as to call myself a sex symbol - haha - but this cast and creative team sure do a good job of making me feel close at least. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Coal Mine has an unbroken track record of producing shows that are critical successes but that also sell out. How will <i>Dion</i> appeal to the discerning audience that Coal Mine has built up? The grey-haired members of that audience?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: I have a feeling this show will reach audiences of all walks of life, in big part because of how accessible this music is. Ted Dykstra (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/02/rumours-note-for-note-but-deeper.html" target="_blank">Rumours</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-father-seeing-through-fracturing.html" target="_blank">The Father</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/hand-to-god-puppets-from-hell-are.html" target="_blank">Hand to God</a></i>) has written a show full of earworms, tunes you can hum as you leave the theatre. It has been a while since I have seen a new work I could say that about. The lyrics by Steve Mayoff are at times so rich and profound in their poetry, and then on a dime can switch to equally playful and cheeky. There is a lot to love. There are some powerful songs in this show with equally powerful performers giving them life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5R3Nci6EDb6QxvRX-WUCrfcpDLGVmZbgzFvrmbA3eC02VQT4ddBsBTL5MQX_E08dI4UY4gjmdOdDHGrYNhJev-wTagz7Ji5fxUT6XJxAw9-j5BKvD8DQjMasKe3T30wahiUW8sxGNgxtF7dAxHeDxrQV-SeoaFMFKZcBR76AQFX3NWfDakjFXxCVawWK/s900/DION%20Music%20director%20Bob%20Foster%20at%20the%20piano%20with%20Associate%20music%20director%20Haneul%20Yi%20right_CMDion-reh-photobyDahliaKatz-9245.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5R3Nci6EDb6QxvRX-WUCrfcpDLGVmZbgzFvrmbA3eC02VQT4ddBsBTL5MQX_E08dI4UY4gjmdOdDHGrYNhJev-wTagz7Ji5fxUT6XJxAw9-j5BKvD8DQjMasKe3T30wahiUW8sxGNgxtF7dAxHeDxrQV-SeoaFMFKZcBR76AQFX3NWfDakjFXxCVawWK/w400-h266/DION%20Music%20director%20Bob%20Foster%20at%20the%20piano%20with%20Associate%20music%20director%20Haneul%20Yi%20right_CMDion-reh-photobyDahliaKatz-9245.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Logistically and sonically, how are you going to stage a musical in the intimate Coal Mine space? They did stage <i>Rumours</i> in their former space and there is undoubtedly a certain parallel to the antics of Fleetwood Mac. How does your Dionysus compare to Stevie Nicks in terms of debauchery?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: I think the intimacy of the space only serves to fully submerge the audience into the world of the show. Bob Foster is a Canadian treasure and, through his music direction, has done a beautiful job tailoring the music to this unique space. An acoustic rock opera is a tall order but I think the team has risen to that challenge beautifully. It really challenges the actors to lean into our training with a focus on diction and projection and story telling. And, like Stevie, I know there is a "witchy woman" deep inside all the players on full display.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWA4oilV-uqrk49ZmAs9ZCSdqo1p00935yhot5HshZfYGckrK46vhyJzroD8hFshOxLkZVFoTfEBd2CybpMzH8v3qvj6Kt88Hana1tWM6RMaZflHXYzxpyXd7oVJUrl2Bwwb3fndPsCjGLdNleN64IgbUSx74Ea68u6gQQZThYpXYr3bMFgkFtFjfHUFq/s900/Carly%20Street%20chats%20with%20Peter%20Hinton-David%20in%20rehearsal%20for%20DION_CMDion-reh-photobyDahliaKatz-9202.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWA4oilV-uqrk49ZmAs9ZCSdqo1p00935yhot5HshZfYGckrK46vhyJzroD8hFshOxLkZVFoTfEBd2CybpMzH8v3qvj6Kt88Hana1tWM6RMaZflHXYzxpyXd7oVJUrl2Bwwb3fndPsCjGLdNleN64IgbUSx74Ea68u6gQQZThYpXYr3bMFgkFtFjfHUFq/w400-h266/Carly%20Street%20chats%20with%20Peter%20Hinton-David%20in%20rehearsal%20for%20DION_CMDion-reh-photobyDahliaKatz-9202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Dionysus is the god of theatre. Is that giving you any pressure? Can you feel his spirit guiding you?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: Fortunately no. What makes theatre my passion is that it is, to its marrow, a collaborative art form. I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by some of the best talent our country has to offer so I am given everything I need to rise to the challenge. It also doesn't hurt that <i>Dion</i> and I are so alike (well, minus a few murderous tendencies) so I am able to bring a lot of myself to the part.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Dionysus is also the god of madness and ritual insanity. Is that giving you pause? Influencing your choices? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1jJ93eDrZAlPk91h3JOPNAVM1K2mGxDbcfEFdrgphjeKlkYwlSWYbMpyBysWoCPLjnryGw4PjQkux09YIUsYHJ4P0TkMsEcwdw5I1HYpkVVyzbYFbjWCAq7_7ZEXL_ONnHmgvH8U4_0AQ3GQNEAWS7hLz1XofKm9F2URTRUw0RbWnOAC4CBjfzFsdRdh/s900/Jacob%20MacInnis.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="823" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1jJ93eDrZAlPk91h3JOPNAVM1K2mGxDbcfEFdrgphjeKlkYwlSWYbMpyBysWoCPLjnryGw4PjQkux09YIUsYHJ4P0TkMsEcwdw5I1HYpkVVyzbYFbjWCAq7_7ZEXL_ONnHmgvH8U4_0AQ3GQNEAWS7hLz1XofKm9F2URTRUw0RbWnOAC4CBjfzFsdRdh/w366-h400/Jacob%20MacInnis.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: It feels as if there is an element of ritual insanity to theatre itself, especially in its creation. Being an artist, it certainly feels at times as if I have flirted with "madness," so I think I understand what that feels like. I can't speak for all artists but I'd wager many feel the same way. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ted Dykstra the composer did a stint as Hedwig in 2001 that was, at the time, just ahead of its time. What stylistic advice has he given you?</span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: What I wouldn't give to see Ted as Hedwig! I mean, much like Hedwig, what I adore so much about Ted, and what I believe is a trait we both share, is a deep passion for what he does. We have workshopped this piece over the span of years and our mutual respect for and understanding of each other has only deepened. I know how much he cares about this work and about his craft, I think now he knows just how much I do too. He trusts me with his baby, and it is truly a gift that I cherish.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What musical genres does the score draw upon? Do you have a favourite musical moment? An 11 o’clock number? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-mubv3F9lzij2pSzVxPGzPdTKxwA6OngxDzVSLrtZGNbFovebAS3PLh7hzT3qTORW7inLq_Hdi1FzRu-fyGyHK_lGEGE8fl77k2Be_FEhOdr4DKjwoZ0n4nWR37geKhPJLYlpAm3qmZuighWSBzkYvYgEtlJSOMTVRokv41YyvBMcJ_EHVMHOKEFuLpF/s900/JM_050.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-mubv3F9lzij2pSzVxPGzPdTKxwA6OngxDzVSLrtZGNbFovebAS3PLh7hzT3qTORW7inLq_Hdi1FzRu-fyGyHK_lGEGE8fl77k2Be_FEhOdr4DKjwoZ0n4nWR37geKhPJLYlpAm3qmZuighWSBzkYvYgEtlJSOMTVRokv41YyvBMcJ_EHVMHOKEFuLpF/w400-h266/JM_050.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: This score is a blend of many styles of music, but certainly rooted in the rock opera style. It is really hard to describe actually, at times it shifts from sweet ballads to pulsing chants to funky mid tempos all in the span of minutes, but there remains a musical through line or DNA that ties it all together. I don't know how Ted does it. I have a hard time picking a favourite tune (anything sung by the legendary Sate [<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-streetcar-named-desire-harrowing.html" target="_blank">A Streetcar Named Desire</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/02/rumours-note-for-note-but-deeper.html" target="_blank">Rumours</a></i>] is a spiritual experience) but I'd have to say the very last number in the show is one of the best I have ever gotten to sing. "Moment to Moment" is one of those songs that seems to have crawled right into my brain and exposed what's inside for all to see. I think Steve really captures what it is to be human and I am very lucky to be able to sing those words.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7UbpgXzqWD0ngnULMyOr2nHJvupd97XJYmCtIuzen3-_uouG-Q0F1YR-NzjujlGFbLdh5WGClvsQdfDpgCw4FKuJvrIH85yup5aaa3gX9K_dkQ2mKIUxkNEBmtzfnFOcFQ2wQPeLR_CE2xmwV9h0HxkQV4B-uqSydUG4Kf8Dzr7FZlo__lLyadOXcDy0/s604/Jacob%20MacInnis%20and.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="506" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7UbpgXzqWD0ngnULMyOr2nHJvupd97XJYmCtIuzen3-_uouG-Q0F1YR-NzjujlGFbLdh5WGClvsQdfDpgCw4FKuJvrIH85yup5aaa3gX9K_dkQ2mKIUxkNEBmtzfnFOcFQ2wQPeLR_CE2xmwV9h0HxkQV4B-uqSydUG4Kf8Dzr7FZlo__lLyadOXcDy0/w335-h400/Jacob%20MacInnis%20and.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Director Peter Hinton-Davis (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-last-epistle-of-tightrope-time.html" target="_blank">The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-hooves-belonged-to-deer-chance-to.html" target="_blank">The Hooves Belonged to the Deer</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/12/martin-julien-on-man-that-got-away.html" target="_blank">The Man That Got Away</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/11/bombay-black-erotic-power-of-revenge.html" target="_blank">Bombay Black</a></i>) has given us some epic explorations of the queer experience, notably on the operatic stage. Does <i>Dion</i> have a grand visual plan to match the theatrical passion? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: Working with Peter has been a career highlight for me. Just when I think I know what something is, there is Peter to blow my mind with an offer that completely challenges how I approach the work. I could listen to him speak and watch him work for hours, what a deep well of knowledge and experience. In this process I submitted to his vision fully because I trust and respect him totally, and I think that has led to a theatre experience I can safely say I have never seen before. This show challenges the audience to experience the story in a totally new way. Leaning into the tragedy and the operatic nature has made it a sensory experience. I really could gush for hours, but I will end by saying that working with Peter Hinton-Davis has made me a better actor and I am forever grateful.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What is the most intriguing thing you’ve discovered in rehearsals?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-K-18NTxcSUgC_0hPo5ulAHoBlrF2jiEsAFDo2EA-iz_N8CeS6uXqzgdeiAyjR1La9qaz0DLo9cv9tBplCAfyCzRdqBLnJJFNY5yqAm6Sq4jr5UleKaCByO-WaDcEqYdLACapS7VgKaqQ7KgvJ1OP_5mjTwkM4V4xJR_j5nDdsiS_pKPUA6yVrNbXBEU/s900/zDion%20poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-K-18NTxcSUgC_0hPo5ulAHoBlrF2jiEsAFDo2EA-iz_N8CeS6uXqzgdeiAyjR1La9qaz0DLo9cv9tBplCAfyCzRdqBLnJJFNY5yqAm6Sq4jr5UleKaCByO-WaDcEqYdLACapS7VgKaqQ7KgvJ1OP_5mjTwkM4V4xJR_j5nDdsiS_pKPUA6yVrNbXBEU/w400-h400/zDion%20poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: Rehearsals have served as a beautiful reminder that power is given, not taken. I could feel this immense pressure to play a god who is adored, a leader of a cult, and a sex symbol, but all that work is done by the actors who surround me. Each one of them takes a bit of that burden off my shoulders by making me feel respected, cherished, beautiful and powerful. I am blown away by the talent of my colleagues. Particularly working opposite Allister MacDonald (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/12/angels-in-america-part-1-intimate-epic.html" target="_blank">Angels in America</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/02/surviving-pandemic-xiii-mrs-kasha-davis.html" target="_blank">Stage Mother</a></i>) playing Pentheus has allowed me to experience just how deeply the trust in and respect for a scene partner can go. Working with Allie is a dream. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What do you think audiences will find the most surprising about <i>Dion</i>?</span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Jacob MacInnis</b>: All I can tell audiences before they see our show is to come with an open mind, open ears, open eyes, and an open heart. And in the spirit of Dionysus, unless you are sober like myself, a little wine never hurt.
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Black and white photos by Dahlia Katz, colour photos courtesy of Jacob MacInnis</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Dion <i>continues until Sunday, March 3 at Coal Mine Theatre, 2076 Danforth Ave. coalminetheatre.com</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XOG4c1WIJfPvI4TZA37NrF_ieIFerkSMofYOqS3nP59aM3t3-QRo4r6bL72VAGADyPLpGBrzNs80B9VxeWuby-T6T_o-9DDWwyQLQTtg2aJKSNPy_ePdRP9AeJ17QG_95_xflUATkQfwCTJ-dkSbt0jq5RbSn8zsHw4GKj4M6_FXGsw9LCVGi1PpzW8n/s900/JM_052.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="900" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XOG4c1WIJfPvI4TZA37NrF_ieIFerkSMofYOqS3nP59aM3t3-QRo4r6bL72VAGADyPLpGBrzNs80B9VxeWuby-T6T_o-9DDWwyQLQTtg2aJKSNPy_ePdRP9AeJ17QG_95_xflUATkQfwCTJ-dkSbt0jq5RbSn8zsHw4GKj4M6_FXGsw9LCVGi1PpzW8n/w640-h448/JM_052.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-57580675600905613112024-02-04T04:33:00.006-05:002024-03-20T06:23:13.306-04:00The Daughter of Doctor Moreau: gothic horror, swooning romance and monstrous hybrids<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1sjp9wSa-clpe-Yjh5jKaoWpey4mgjEl0JYnqeO7XTn69EQqpDxoh13xXPgncVQWT9kTT-UjwLHhUlU6jJeDBfGyeZFwo6CkEBM0DUaV5zpqNSPfMFqhLJRNPJzrBVGhpBsu4I_WFmV1mqy7CjfWHpLtoh8XfTaNc7w7u1fEw6c20Ev1xJypCSURHBf4/s500/panther%20girl%20what's%20that%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1sjp9wSa-clpe-Yjh5jKaoWpey4mgjEl0JYnqeO7XTn69EQqpDxoh13xXPgncVQWT9kTT-UjwLHhUlU6jJeDBfGyeZFwo6CkEBM0DUaV5zpqNSPfMFqhLJRNPJzrBVGhpBsu4I_WFmV1mqy7CjfWHpLtoh8XfTaNc7w7u1fEw6c20Ev1xJypCSURHBf4/w400-h300/panther%20girl%20what's%20that%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div>While industriously working away on another project, I realized that, while being reasonably well read, I was not well versed in the horror genre. I have developed a taste for Stephen King (reviews of</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/stephen-kings-revival.html" target="_blank">Revival</a>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/09/needful-things-stephen-king-at-his-best.html" target="_blank">Needful Things</a><i>, </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" target="_blank">Joyland</a><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"> </a><i>and</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/06/stephen-king-drives-mr-mercedes-full.html" target="_blank">Mr Mercedes</a> <i>have boosted the readership of this blog immensely, especially after Mr King himself expressed his pleasure with the </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/10/sequel-to-shining-shines.html" target="_blank">Dr Sleep</a><i> review and his amusement at my short story</i> "<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2004/01/in-stephen-kings-motel-room.html" target="_blank"><i>In Stephen King's Motel Room</i></a>"<i>) and that led to </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/lost-boy-lost-girl-and-horror-of-bram.html" target="_blank"><i>Peter Straub</i></a><i>. </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/11/genres-collide-in-creepy-gothic-glory.html" target="_blank"><i>Michael Rowe</i></a><i> I was already well acquainted with. How to immerse myself in the best of the canon? As usual I was both practical and impulsive: I googled "the best," "the scariest," and "the most terrifying" horror novels and cross-referenced. I had already read a surprising number but that only meant my to-research list was going to tend towards the less mainstream and popular, which was fine by me. And so I began.</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugAMOTdcRGkWgAqDuae6BfN5-Kb4vh3FeoxM0JGn-EXCmAJegSn3p2OwLugaWo69OBhoXOLPFMxGlF8jqcrKjW1wiJQo-ZfwuUW1BXlHFoqHY3HDW-GKCaYBI_LLoAzyqHBjkhQu-gXXSS6PO1I-tlofwKmrnaVKltcYJyZOKObYYHpxIv3RoOxq3gTkl/s900/zDaughter%20of%20Doctor%20Moreau%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="596" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhugAMOTdcRGkWgAqDuae6BfN5-Kb4vh3FeoxM0JGn-EXCmAJegSn3p2OwLugaWo69OBhoXOLPFMxGlF8jqcrKjW1wiJQo-ZfwuUW1BXlHFoqHY3HDW-GKCaYBI_LLoAzyqHBjkhQu-gXXSS6PO1I-tlofwKmrnaVKltcYJyZOKObYYHpxIv3RoOxq3gTkl/w265-h400/zDaughter%20of%20Doctor%20Moreau%20cover.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Silvia Moreno-Garcia's <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/mexican-gothic.html" target="_blank">Mexican Gothic</a></i> was such a delicious read—a perfect balance of gothic horror and subtle but pointed political commentary—that I eagerly anticipated <i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i>. The camp b-movie/feminist overtones of the title appealed as does any riff on HG Wells' creation. It was not until I started hunting out images for this review that I realized how pervasive the mythology of the mad doctor creating human/animal hybrids had become. Not only are there multiple film versions of <i>The Island of Doctor Moreau</i>, but also horror flicks and satires, notably <i>South Park</i>, exploiting the concept to their own ends. Well aware that readers will be approaching the novel with at least some knowledge of the mad doctor and his experimental monsters, Moreno-Garcia plays it both ways, creating both a reimagining from an Indigenous and feminist viewpoint, but also creating an entirely new, canny uncanny blend of romance, Austenesque comedy of manners, and horror, wrapped up in a relentless historical action novel. Moreno-Garcia's joy at gleefully splicing genres to create a new hybrid, is as infectiously manic as Doctor Moreau's god complex.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The novel is told in alternating chapters that focus on either Carlota, the beautiful and intelligent daughter of Doctor Moreau, or Montgomery, an alcoholic mercenary handyman who oversees Doctor Moreau's ranch and laboratory deep in the Yucatan jungle. Montgomery is also nursing, not very successfully, a broken heart, and scars from a near fatal encounter with a jaguar. We begin in 1871 when Montgomery is interviewing for the job, so that the necessary exposition and the revelation of the hybrids can be teased out. The action then jumps forward to 1877 and Carlota has blossomed into a woman and there is a crisis when Doctor Moreau's funding is threatened. It is all quite cleverly done in a pure gothic style: repressed emotions, familial duty and sexual tension clamouring for attention. And of course the hybrids who, though we know they will appear, are first presented as members of the household. They are characters before they are freaks, with only understated clues as to their actual appearance. It is masterfully done. As are the clues leading to the big reveal, though I suspect most readers will have figured it out well before the characters themselves do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnuEqRPxrE53vt2-xf31IErNGURuMRji001ddICrSAENcSzrFQ7YNJaKx2NkssZ7azE30QG7plUwvaME6mA53R_hg-Y225kzBc-Xed0N7CyiNlfyjCilnpS77iawU1xEHvVeDNaHxeYN5hTFPCgOIdCtI36xhsnAyt8g5k4iFsdvCUkADiCHagcRIoDQP/s438/beasts%20advance%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="438" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnuEqRPxrE53vt2-xf31IErNGURuMRji001ddICrSAENcSzrFQ7YNJaKx2NkssZ7azE30QG7plUwvaME6mA53R_hg-Y225kzBc-Xed0N7CyiNlfyjCilnpS77iawU1xEHvVeDNaHxeYN5hTFPCgOIdCtI36xhsnAyt8g5k4iFsdvCUkADiCHagcRIoDQP/w400-h225/beasts%20advance%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Gothic horror is extremely satisfying when formerly repressed female sexuality is unleashed. The pages of <i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> throb with passion and unrequited passion. Throb right to the edge of camp, but don't quite cross over. And once we know the truth, Moreno-Garcia has another genre to mine and drag into the present, Tourneur would be honoured. Because the characters, including the hybrids, have been so developed, we care for them as <i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> turns into an action thriller reminiscent of the pulp propulsiveness of Edgar Rice Burroughs or Robert E Howard. A genre or style usually considered a masculine domain. One can almost visualize Moreno-Garcia smirking as she typed the scenes where Carlota faints or wilts under pressure, initially unable to tap her inner resources. She goes from being a dutiful daughter, an object to be married off to save her father's experimentation, to a woman overwhelmed by love and lust, to a vengeful creature that operates shrewdly. It is a very satisfying character arc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsTnuAQ4f95rG1zAElqNaUf2DdHLPf0eAaL94q95vKnlSVhnKU_C3shtZiryC_Vs71ykonAYAHHO6lEKu_mriEYAT6Mv6mXWHEGgPBIcehDqPmrC7_oTrgQO9KuNbb9hGxY80WJz7bCXbAVyjFlU_RUnx0ABNKFZ3UHnpXaeW3nTR9VG0eGT2i_mH64h3/s900/beast.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsTnuAQ4f95rG1zAElqNaUf2DdHLPf0eAaL94q95vKnlSVhnKU_C3shtZiryC_Vs71ykonAYAHHO6lEKu_mriEYAT6Mv6mXWHEGgPBIcehDqPmrC7_oTrgQO9KuNbb9hGxY80WJz7bCXbAVyjFlU_RUnx0ABNKFZ3UHnpXaeW3nTR9VG0eGT2i_mH64h3/w400-h225/beast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Running parallel to Carlota's awakening and discovery of just what her father was up to, is Montgomery's evolving crisis of conscience. His instinctive dislike for Carlota's suitor and seducer is proven prescient and reverse engineers his lost, tragically mercenary, love. Moreno-Garcia is obliquely insightful on the way that money drives the world. They hybrids were created, ostensibly, to become a slave race and when that proved unfeasible, the funding for Doctor Moreau's real experiments dried up. He is perfectly willing to trade his daughter for more funding. The hybrids were to replace the Indigenous workers who are rebelling and troublesome, even more difficult to handle than the African or Chinese serfs. The rich suitor, son of Doctor Moreau's benefactor, is seductive and appealing beyond his wealth: Carlota is lost to his green eyes. Class distinctions and racial barriers are emphasized by the plight of the hybrids, linked explicitly to women and Indigenous culture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwMatr_mKWEW64fC74YtWeERbbxp0Y4OPB8lh89R8KKBIZP40TJeIt4P2ghTq4jzEm9Wno1Y78Os8cs11ddGiYNqe6nlSIVWsP89WlK62Q96j2RLYkOh_60yymUCgqUnzgt_i0Z3Kixp3xdIrW6UN-Tsiqo6npGPDPekpVtmXEwTl-UHzmbhyFs9liUMp/s268/panther%20girl%20claws%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="268" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLwMatr_mKWEW64fC74YtWeERbbxp0Y4OPB8lh89R8KKBIZP40TJeIt4P2ghTq4jzEm9Wno1Y78Os8cs11ddGiYNqe6nlSIVWsP89WlK62Q96j2RLYkOh_60yymUCgqUnzgt_i0Z3Kixp3xdIrW6UN-Tsiqo6npGPDPekpVtmXEwTl-UHzmbhyFs9liUMp/w400-h299/panther%20girl%20claws%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The key to the thematic and plot structure of <i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> is, alas, a spoiler so perhaps this review seems a little dry or obtuse. The most important thing to know about <i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> is that it is more seductive than Carlota, the green-eyed Eduardo Lizalde or a jaguar in heat. Its claws slide in painlessly, holding one in thrall to the sensuous prose. The familiar story resonates in new ways, and even foreknowledge of the big reveal doesn't lessen the emotional maelstrom it unleashes. <i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> can be, should be, read as an absorbing escape from reality. With threads of reality spliced so delicately into the DNA to give it a monstrous heft. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>The series</b>:<br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/horror-in-personal-context-i-novels-and.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror I</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/influential-horror-ii-novels-and-few.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror II</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfWcwZOppRoKoO_R08_VGmIAs3CyJ0EChBV6mag95l_Spca-XCgf127kP0nXo9gnl-C-BoB2a3kiJav76zcQ_ofdHvWp4ZFSYfjoAFmP9jF0yqwqjsZU2883Im3Yyh8HEpM_sD6MII5mtArCESjjBmMLghM38-2ihxWQOrpZtgoIkj4a9heUxLkKgRkLm/s751/Silvia%20Moreno-Garcia.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfWcwZOppRoKoO_R08_VGmIAs3CyJ0EChBV6mag95l_Spca-XCgf127kP0nXo9gnl-C-BoB2a3kiJav76zcQ_ofdHvWp4ZFSYfjoAFmP9jF0yqwqjsZU2883Im3Yyh8HEpM_sD6MII5mtArCESjjBmMLghM38-2ihxWQOrpZtgoIkj4a9heUxLkKgRkLm/w266-h400/Silvia%20Moreno-Garcia.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/01/funland-under-boardwalk-lurks-heavily.html" target="_blank"><i>Funland</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/chuck-palahniuks-haunted-is-indeed.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted</i> by Chuck Palahniuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/03/banquet-for-damned-two-unrequited.html" target="_blank"><i>Banquet for the Damned</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/the-house-that-dripped-gore-doesnt-draw.html" target="_blank"><i>The House That Dripped Gore</i> by Dan West</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/twilight-eyes-dean-koontzs-carnies-vs.html" target="_blank"><i>Twilight Eyes</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/john-dies-at-end-is-more-humour-than.html" target="_blank"><i>John Dies at the End</i> by David Wong</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/hell-house-gory-gothic-tale-of-sexual.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell House</i> by Richard Matheson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/the-scarlet-gospels-clive-barker-kills.html" target="_blank"><i>The Scarlet Gospels</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-hellbound-heart-clive-barker-mixes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hellbound Heart</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/night-creatures-vampire-in-80s-bathhouse.html" target="_blank"><i>Night Creatures</i> by Jeremy Jordan King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-girl-next-door.html" target="_blank"><i>The Girl Next Door</i> by Jack Ketchum</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/07/red-rain-r-l-stine-for-adults.html" target="_blank"><i>Red Rain</i> by R L Stine</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-troop.html" target="_blank"><i>The Troop</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/pages-torn-from-travel-journal-edward.html" target="_blank"><i>Pages Torn From a Travel Journal</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-funhouse-book.html" target="_blank"><i>The Funhouse</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/scared-stiff-tales-of-sex-and-death.html" target="_blank"><i>Scared Stiff </i>by Ramsey Campbell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/a-choir-of-ill-children.html" target="_blank"><i>A Choir of Ill Children</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/flesh-gothic-edward-lee-ratchets-sex.html" target="_blank"><i>Flesh Gothic</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/slade-house-david-mitchell-goes-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>Slade House</i> by David Mitchell</a><br />
<div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/the-bazaar-of-bad-dreams-body-weakens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bazaar of Bad Dreams</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/horrorstor-retail-is-hell-and-lust-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Horrorstör </i>by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/trigger-warning-warning-neil-gaimans.html" target="_blank"><i>Trigger Warning</i> by Neil Gaiman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/the-gunslinger-dark-tower-i-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gunslinger</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/the-summer-is-ended-and-we-are-not-yet.html" target="_blank"><i>The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved </i>by Joey Comeau</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SQE-dKyWbjR1AfgaqAgPTwi7-UiHWtsm0R6XH2dq0FqWcayl3QcbyxCF0I-O7TTO-8avXtUZb_7NqIGj1RNIWVDJIB7ISSht0DSH9wY7COKLOYV1jcasuKbWoTtTMt0DKVP7XzicA1hRUujD7BZ0b29eQqemK1yc7Wi2Mza2sbvLphH5B8VW3vVeGCAH/s220/jaguar%20snarl%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SQE-dKyWbjR1AfgaqAgPTwi7-UiHWtsm0R6XH2dq0FqWcayl3QcbyxCF0I-O7TTO-8avXtUZb_7NqIGj1RNIWVDJIB7ISSht0DSH9wY7COKLOYV1jcasuKbWoTtTMt0DKVP7XzicA1hRUujD7BZ0b29eQqemK1yc7Wi2Mza2sbvLphH5B8VW3vVeGCAH/w400-h400/jaguar%20snarl%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/haunted-tales-of-grotesque-joyce-carol.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque</i> by Joyce Carol Oates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/04/the-dark-tower-ii-drawing-of-three-dark.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drawing of the Three</i> & <i>The Wastelands</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/05/goldenland-past-dark-chandler-klang.html" target="_blank"><i>Goldenland Past Dark</i> by Chandler Klang Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/the-fireman-joe-hill-writes-epic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Fireman</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/end-of-watch-stephen-king-on-horrors-of.html" target="_blank"><i>End of Watch</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/a-head-full-of-ghosts-paul-tremblay.html" target="_blank"><i>A Head Full of Ghosts</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/the-elementals-camp-comedy-horror-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elementals</i> by Michael McDowell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/nos4a2-have-yourself-scary-little.html" target="_blank"><i>NOS4A2</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-iv-wizard-and-glass.html" target="_blank"><i>Wizard and Glass</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-v-wolves-of-calla.html" target="_blank"><i>Wolves of the Calla</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-vi-song-of-susannah.html" target="_blank"><i>Song of Susannah</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/the-dark-tower-vii-dark-tower-climactic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dark Tower</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/circus-of-damned-meeting-laurell-k.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus of the Damned</i> by Laurell K Hamilton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/tell-my-sorrows-to-stones-christopher.html" target="_blank"><i>Tell My Sorrows to the Stones</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/10/dark-carnival-haunted-circus-kills-just.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Carnival</i> by James A Moore</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/clown-in-moonlight-alienation-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Clown in the Moonlight</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/father-gaetanos-puppet-catechism-tasty.html" target="_blank"><i>Father Gaetano's Puppet Catechism</i> by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/snowblind-christopher-golden-gives.html" target="_blank"><i>Snowblind</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/01/little-heaven.html" target="_blank"><i>Little Heaven</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/02/the-acolyte-nick-cutters-gory-dystopian.html" target="_blank"><i>The Acolyte</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/06/gwendys-button-box-stephen-king-gets.html" target="_blank"><i>Gwendy's Button Box</i> by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcQE7CVC3tUheeYm84qo99hBVvGTWf-N_lZTFdFXTFwM7SKghE_sA-C0wNJQg5SpVpN4q_leanwk16j_b-9NGJEIVWPRfyUz33z74gYmUmJWzGKlaiWmT1VJ5Zfh4SU6g9WUZWfYv8fSCf5FMJh_PU3MSP3amtG16uQK4bQj4L633h1k9V11l4sdwPAY-/s900/beasts%2001.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcQE7CVC3tUheeYm84qo99hBVvGTWf-N_lZTFdFXTFwM7SKghE_sA-C0wNJQg5SpVpN4q_leanwk16j_b-9NGJEIVWPRfyUz33z74gYmUmJWzGKlaiWmT1VJ5Zfh4SU6g9WUZWfYv8fSCf5FMJh_PU3MSP3amtG16uQK4bQj4L633h1k9V11l4sdwPAY-/w400-h225/beasts%2001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-traveling-vampire-show-richard.html" target="_blank"><i>The Traveling Vampire Show</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/philip-fracassi-altar-and-sacculina-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Altar</i> and <i>Sacculina</i> by Philip Fracassi</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Children</i> by Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>Odd Adventures with Your Other Father</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/it-stephen-kings-masterpiece-of-novel.html" target="_blank"><i>It</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>Life in a Haunted House</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dungeon of Count Verlock</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Lake Monster</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-bone-mother-david-demchuk-creates.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bone Mother</i> by David Demchuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/sleeping-beauties-stephen-and-own-king.html" target="_blank"><i>Sleeping Beauties</i> by Stephen King and Owen King</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-only-child-andrew-pyper-pens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Child</i> by Andrew Pyper</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampire's Kiss</i> by Sonny Barker</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKY0jzgNuq2UgG52edsFoYLrXwUt5N1v6jjiYs5THSrFRUJ9jQ36KZfqeo_HhLQ7FZsuQemngIATBsp7QN-R3RE49nuOLgwvon04mMfimTvjr97QZuRIb8Vql_faLaylRGkMcLOBqqgHoVFUZ8PGotD0BcNgXFGxGWvQB076IdmfJe9vJ8yidNGQRQum7V/s450/embryo%20in%20sack%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="450" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKY0jzgNuq2UgG52edsFoYLrXwUt5N1v6jjiYs5THSrFRUJ9jQ36KZfqeo_HhLQ7FZsuQemngIATBsp7QN-R3RE49nuOLgwvon04mMfimTvjr97QZuRIb8Vql_faLaylRGkMcLOBqqgHoVFUZ8PGotD0BcNgXFGxGWvQB076IdmfJe9vJ8yidNGQRQum7V/w400-h206/embryo%20in%20sack%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Gay Vampire</i> by Davy S</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/remember-why-you-fear-me.html" target="_blank"><i>Remember Why You Fear Me</i> by Robert Shearman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/october-michael-rowe-pens-classic-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>October </i>by Michael Rowe</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/strange-weather-joe-hills-quartet-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Strange Weather</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-house-edward-lee.html" target="_blank"><i>The House</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/01/lovecraft-country-matt-ruffs-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Lovecraft Country</i> by Matt Ruff</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/fat-vampire-prolific-johnny-b-truant.html" target="_blank"><i>Fat Vampire</i> by Johnny B Truant</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/chords-for-dead-two-men-one-love-ghost.html" target="_blank"><i>Chords for the Dead</i> by Sarah Luddington</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolores Claiborne</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Thinner</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/03/the-ballad-of-black-tom-victor-lavalles.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ballad of Black Tom</i> by Victor LaValle</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/dr-potters-medicine-show.html" target="_blank"><i>Dr Potter's Medicine Show</i> by Eric Scott Fischl</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/the-door-keepers-graham-masterton-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Doorkeepers</i> by Graham Masterton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/floppy-shoes-apocalypse-introduction-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Floppy Shoes Apocalypse</i> edited by John Ledger</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5kUvegkbQ913LoUPEg4Zi-j0UXg8dbU5gvzLSxFq27gr9No0fmiQL-eNVkxZz6eKlaY2Zu3UCxsF1-0pmtUaJy3rdpUPq7rRMh9FZYhwkLOcMNxBR4NxjnfOg07nPY3b1X2UskQV11QVaAmwo05fDTkSzJmhTn4mKN4ZaCj-fWf8v6p5ndeM3mPgef8G/s900/Dr._Moreau%20toon.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="900" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5kUvegkbQ913LoUPEg4Zi-j0UXg8dbU5gvzLSxFq27gr9No0fmiQL-eNVkxZz6eKlaY2Zu3UCxsF1-0pmtUaJy3rdpUPq7rRMh9FZYhwkLOcMNxBR4NxjnfOg07nPY3b1X2UskQV11QVaAmwo05fDTkSzJmhTn4mKN4ZaCj-fWf8v6p5ndeM3mPgef8G/w400-h398/Dr._Moreau%20toon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/ghostwritten.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostwritten</i> by David Mitchell</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/the-pilo-family-circus.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pilo Family Circus</i> by Will Elliott</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/house-of-large-sizes-voodoo-sex-and.html" target="_blank"><i>House of Large Sizes</i> by Ian Graham Leask</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-outsider-stephen-king.html" target="_blank"><i>The Outsider</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Tilt</i> by Neal Shusterman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>A Nightmare on Clown Street</i> by R L Stine</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-hollow-man-dan-simmons-on-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hollow Man</i> by Dan Simmons</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/ushers-passing-riffing-on-poe-to-turn.html" target="_blank"><i>Usher's Passing</i> by Robert R McCammon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/dolly-ghost-story-creepy-literary.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolly</i> by Susan Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/nightwing-killer-vampire-bats-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightwing</i> by Martin Cruz Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/wildwood-bizarro-beach-read-of-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Wildwood</i> by John Farris</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/hex.html" target="_blank"><i>HEX</i> by Thomas Olde Heuvelt</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/coulrophobia-sparklez-clowns-for-chaos.html" target="_blank"><i>Coulrophobia</i> by Tim Miller</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-cabin-at-end-of-world-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cabin at the End of the World</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-loney-creepy-moody-gothic-chiller.html" target="_blank"><i>The Loney</i> by Andrew Michael Hurley</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-saturday-night-ghost-club-craig.html" target="_blank"><i>The Saturday Night Ghost Club</i> by Craig Davidson</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-legacyjohn-coyne-pens-fun.html" target="_blank"><i>The Legacy</i> by John Coyne</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-house-of-small-shadows-adam-nevills.html" target="_blank"><i>The House of Small Shadows</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-mailman-neither-rain-nor-snow-nor.html" target="_blank"><i>The Mailman</i> by Bentley Little</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/disappearance-at-devils-rock-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>Disappearance at Devil's Rock</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-cartoonist-conceptual-coincidence.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cartoonist</i> by Sean Costello</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-vampire-de-sade-wonderful-premise.html" target="_blank"><i>The Vampire de Sade</i> by Mary Ann Mitchell</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-infinite-douglas-clegg.html" target="_blank"><i>The Infinite</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/dark-rainbow-queer-erotic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Rainbow: Queer Erotic Horror</i> edited by Andrew Robertson</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1p06wDyvtwI0TEzahtV68Ks0PElnro4P5xdUV5Ir3LcGFMC87jUGb1g7kNjg4TuC_nGvyJ9B5mm4ggOrj0C16efsRYJN9tQNHXIV-eAK0McOkLopyYXQDb0wgpIjXLnXw3Ka49C8qXETt7NXoFpcIYVJ-nmQ5kEUCc1gU6bmr9b4lKrqXhzqfG3RUd4fO/s450/beast%20and%20Carlota%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="450" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1p06wDyvtwI0TEzahtV68Ks0PElnro4P5xdUV5Ir3LcGFMC87jUGb1g7kNjg4TuC_nGvyJ9B5mm4ggOrj0C16efsRYJN9tQNHXIV-eAK0McOkLopyYXQDb0wgpIjXLnXw3Ka49C8qXETt7NXoFpcIYVJ-nmQ5kEUCc1gU6bmr9b4lKrqXhzqfG3RUd4fO/w400-h250/beast%20and%20Carlota%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-halloween-man-bit-of-trick-but.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Man</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/elevation-stephen-king-fable-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Elevation</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>For Fear of the Night</i> by Charles L Grant</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>Grimscribe</i> by Thomas Ligotti</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/fantasticland-horror-is-human.html" target="_blank"><i>Fantasticland</i> by Mike Bockoven</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/carter-lovecraft-commercialization-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Carter & Lovecraft</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-night-of-moonbow.html" target="_blank"><i>The Night of the Moonbow</i> by Thomas Tryon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/witching-hour-theatre-nostalgia-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>Witching Hour Theatre</i> by Johnathan Janz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Nobody Was Here</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Hoppers</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/terror-by-moonlight-critter-catchers.html" target="_blank"><i>Terror by Moonlight (Critter Catchers Book 1)</i> by Hank Edwards</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightmare House</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Mischief</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-kills-issac-thornes-collected.html" target="_blank"><i>Road Kills</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-passage-epic-absorbing-chronicle-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Passage</i> by Justin Cronin</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nnMjT9BIfgxOLismuEv4uLshtgvQ3PMikA0zNA-zXTs-EdmO76X2TkRRGQ5qBcpGCU_Fr65ut-X8fT9TN2MDGiRR8H3LuWMxaUc8r3zV0CIFn2Z81EjhtYEzcR8zJWInmdwk80bIgbSFm3r4iA0LH4oioBJdQEh43udv6w00c0z8_vD1LRBBKfFQY5ZC/s900/micheal%20york%20gun%20beast.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="900" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nnMjT9BIfgxOLismuEv4uLshtgvQ3PMikA0zNA-zXTs-EdmO76X2TkRRGQ5qBcpGCU_Fr65ut-X8fT9TN2MDGiRR8H3LuWMxaUc8r3zV0CIFn2Z81EjhtYEzcR8zJWInmdwk80bIgbSFm3r4iA0LH4oioBJdQEh43udv6w00c0z8_vD1LRBBKfFQY5ZC/w400-h181/micheal%20york%20gun%20beast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The Twelve</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The City of Mirrors</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/house-beneath-bridge-vivid-and-vicious.html" target="_blank"><i>House Beneath the Bridge</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-gordon-place-isaac-thorne-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gordon Place</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/johannes-cabal-necromancer.html" target="_blank"><i>Johannes Cabal the Necromancer</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/hellfire.html" target="_blank"><i>Hellfire</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/circus-tarot-cards-and-clowns-will.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus Tarot</i> by Charles W Jones</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/colony-of-lost-derik-cavignanos.html" target="_blank"><i>Colony of the Lost</i> by Derik Cavignano</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/while-industriously-working-away-on.html" target="_blank"><i>Second Child</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-darkness-david-b-silvas-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Darkness</i> by David B Silva</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-demons-possession-loose-morals.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Demons</i> by Mason Burgess</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/drag-thing-more-camp-than-horror-or.html" target="_blank"><i>Drag Thing</i> by Victor J Banis</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmNMAivmD7t29UHEGnVu_lAvauY87laxUt4YeKrqZxOphH8XCTewvZyi8fydmk9gmYQRomcptyvbsk5nVVKk2xs9Dhtg_gOParZdDdzBAdF-nrcrXq6GGvcGh03u8XvWo85NcaRK9uTe7oAKQvE4T3k_9AIS5wvaoOkDZTSDpv0Sn_2XieB1gytjsfAEF/s499/panther%20girl%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="499" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmNMAivmD7t29UHEGnVu_lAvauY87laxUt4YeKrqZxOphH8XCTewvZyi8fydmk9gmYQRomcptyvbsk5nVVKk2xs9Dhtg_gOParZdDdzBAdF-nrcrXq6GGvcGh03u8XvWo85NcaRK9uTe7oAKQvE4T3k_9AIS5wvaoOkDZTSDpv0Sn_2XieB1gytjsfAEF/w400-h310/panther%20girl%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/bubba-ho-tep-elderly-elvis-soul-sucking.html" target="_blank"><i>Bubba Ho-Tep</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/dark-ride-iain-rob-wright-delivers.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Ride</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/see-them-dance-cranch-clown-and-zirkus.html" target="_blank"><i>See Them Dance</i> by Freder</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-drive-in-b-movie-with-blood-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drive-in</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-nest-and-roaches-shall-inherit-earth.html" target="_blank"><i>The Nest</i> by Gregory A Douglas</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/coyote-songs-gabino-iglesias-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>Coyote Songs</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/boys-life-revisiting-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>Boy's Life</i> by Robert R McCammon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/growing-things-and-other-stories-book.html" target="_blank"><i>Growing Things and Other Stories</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-freakshow-bryan-smiths-extreme.html" target="_blank"><i>The Freakshow</i> by Bryan Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/clownflesh-horror-author-tim-curran.html" target="_blank"><i>Clownflesh</i> by Tim Curran</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-manhattan-hunt-club.html" target="_blank"><i>The Manhattan Hunt Club</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/craven-manor-dary-coates-gothic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Craven Manor</i> by Darcy Coates</a><br />
<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-institute-stephen-kings-conspiracy.html" target="_blank">The Institute by Stephen King</a></i><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-dollmakers-daughters-where.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dollmaker's Daughters</i> by Abigail Padgett</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/carnival-of-fear-jg-fahertys-explosion.html" target="_blank"><i>Carnival of Fear</i> by JG Faherty</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/final-girls.html" target="_blank"><i>Final Girls</i> by Riley Sager</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/ninth-house-leigh-bardugo-conjures-up.html" target="_blank"><i>Ninth House</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/angel-of-abyss-ed-kurtzs-noir-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Angel of the Abyss</i> by Ed Kurtz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-naughty-boy-for-krampus-or-two.html" target="_blank"><i>A Naughty Boy for Krampus or Two</i> by Quinn D'Angelo</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27P3SnXz5z9QD2gEwqnLImDvNqS-WAFbHpiBsoiMT8TNMiE-M99nSFgDz-4h4eIzNF3ySfvPXoxECkyBow9Eo_386tbgg2W_bpIab3gUu8mNaVwx6y4vYeehKG-c5_2QQO1PG3yl8P0vLI84a2PV6FWRG6EDs7AhKTVyTH4yCnqJnPIapx_-7DeQAqeMK/s225/pig%20headed%20man.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27P3SnXz5z9QD2gEwqnLImDvNqS-WAFbHpiBsoiMT8TNMiE-M99nSFgDz-4h4eIzNF3ySfvPXoxECkyBow9Eo_386tbgg2W_bpIab3gUu8mNaVwx6y4vYeehKG-c5_2QQO1PG3yl8P0vLI84a2PV6FWRG6EDs7AhKTVyTH4yCnqJnPIapx_-7DeQAqeMK/w400-h400/pig%20headed%20man.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/ghoul-brian-keenes-despair-over.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghoul</i> by Brian Keene</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/queen-of-blood-bryan-smith-catalogues.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Blood</i> by Bryan Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/neverland-childhood-ends-in-dilapidated.html" target="_blank"><i>Neverland</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/noon-spell-something-evil-shines-under.html" target="_blank"><i>Noon Spell</i> by J N Williamson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/salvage-duncan-ralstons-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Salvage</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-necronomnomnomicon-cookbook-of-dead.html" target="_blank"><i>The Necronomnomnomicon: Cookbook of the Dead</i> by Felix Galvan</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/phantom-rage-big-horror-in-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Phantom Rage</i> by William Blackwell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-haunted-forest-tour-copious-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>The Haunted Forest Tour</i> by James A Moore and Jeff Strand</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/ghostland-duncan-ralstons-killer-thrill.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostland</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-auctioneer-prescient-or-tragically.html" target="_blank"><i>The Auctioneer</i> by Joan Samson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/full-throttle-cohesive-coming-of-age.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Throttle</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-window-when-man-in-mirror-is-pair.html" target="_blank"><i>The Window</i> by Glenn Rolfe</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/island-of-dolls-murders-observed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>Island of the Dolls</i> by Jeremy Bates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-southern-book-clubs-guide-to.html" target="_blank"><i>The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires</i> by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-boys-on-mountain-intoxicating.html" target="_blank"><i>The Boys on the Mountain</i> by John Inman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/if-it-bleeds-four-novellas-from-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>If It Bleeds</i> by Stephen King</a><br /><a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/07/survivor-song-horror-so-real-it-hurts.html" target="_blank"><i>Survivor Song</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br /><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/09/combustion-fiery-erotic-gay-horror-from.html" target="_blank"><i>Combustion</i> by Daniel W Kelly</a><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/01/afterlife-dead-and-digital-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Afterlife</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/01/rise-of-thing-down-below-returning-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Rise of the Thing Down Below</i> by Daniel W Kelly</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/05/tenebrion-rejuvenating-blast-of-sheer.html" target="_blank"><i>Tenebrion</i> by James H Longmore</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzSnfZmxMkwXZIejxUHvxRxXTLJCtZX3T_YTVLvHVmgtcdFaoQdw1jp3mGHJqMFYl5eME9fd-yeNLD_BjuIqIZHjJbccpmzeT_hBeH6nMfbLB0cqdid8NZTZ2BcSz3nSVjHQbu9ON9AZRBBXlcGpca7AJNiLixIB4h0pZQviQ7gjC6u44JXJ6ZcTmR0K1/s461/part%20man%20part%20beast%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="461" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzSnfZmxMkwXZIejxUHvxRxXTLJCtZX3T_YTVLvHVmgtcdFaoQdw1jp3mGHJqMFYl5eME9fd-yeNLD_BjuIqIZHjJbccpmzeT_hBeH6nMfbLB0cqdid8NZTZ2BcSz3nSVjHQbu9ON9AZRBBXlcGpca7AJNiLixIB4h0pZQviQ7gjC6u44JXJ6ZcTmR0K1/w400-h266/part%20man%20part%20beast%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/05/342-abercorn-renovating-and-living-in.html" target="_blank"><i>342 Abercorn</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/06/shockadelica-how-well-do-you-know-your.html" target="_blank"><i>Shockadelica</i> by Jon O'Bergh</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/06/bacchanal-carnival-of-horror-from-inside.html" target="_blank"><i>Bacchanal</i> by Veronica G Henry</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/07/scream-ride-thrills-and-chills-on-every.html" target="_blank"><i>Scream Ride</i> by D I Russell</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/08/catmagic-witches-mad-scientists.html" target="_blank"><i>Catmagic</i> by Whitley Strieber</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elvis Room</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Good Indian</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>Zombie Bake-Off</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/red-x-david-demchuks-novel-is-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Red X</i> by David Demchuk</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/feral-creatures-can-feral-werewolf-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Feral Creatures </i>by Tommy Ousslander</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/12/infinite-third-volume-of-ghostland.html" target="_blank"><i>Infinite</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>2B</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>A Laymon Kind of Night</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>Van People</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>Asylum</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells </a></div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/plain-bad-heroines-emily-m-danforth.html" target="_blank"><i>Plain Bad Heroines</i> by Emily M Danforth</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-wakening-jg-faherty-explores.html" target="_blank"><i>The Wakening</i> by JG Faherty</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-night-in-lonesome-october-dog.html" target="_blank"><i>A Night in the Lonesome October</i> by Roger Zelazny and Gahan Wilson</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a 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Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-85458601745085195662024-02-03T04:56:00.002-05:002024-02-03T04:56:27.016-05:00Rockabye: don't tell Madonna<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeET-JP3c1DSSWOxXxyaLAtZ32m8gY4lhr_7fTgXaAcKmDyyvj6ob_RHeGB7Vj2C266sLQB94pYjPATRzaIqBFntFNZWsLJyekB8xz6zjGkJ4An-DYJa4n5oXt-T2UUzn8UPeDz2zewDnV8c8RQY2DqoTWm9IiL7DlL_0c86AOvlQmp95hpZHoJGViFur/s900/Deborah%20Drakeford%20and%20Christopher%20Allen%20in%20Rockabye%20-%20ARC_Sam%20Moffatt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeET-JP3c1DSSWOxXxyaLAtZ32m8gY4lhr_7fTgXaAcKmDyyvj6ob_RHeGB7Vj2C266sLQB94pYjPATRzaIqBFntFNZWsLJyekB8xz6zjGkJ4An-DYJa4n5oXt-T2UUzn8UPeDz2zewDnV8c8RQY2DqoTWm9IiL7DlL_0c86AOvlQmp95hpZHoJGViFur/w400-h266/Deborah%20Drakeford%20and%20Christopher%20Allen%20in%20Rockabye%20-%20ARC_Sam%20Moffatt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Pop star Sidney Jones was famous enough to have a huge faux-Warhol created in her honour. It looms over the Factory Theatre stage, not only as a symbol of the fleetingness of fame, but as a convenient distraction during the frequent set changes. Jones has been treading water artistically and commercially but, just like The Hoff, she is still huge in Germany. We first meet her in the midst of a rapid-fire overlapping conversation with her assistant Julia. They speak in fragments, each aware the other knows what they mean, and pop culture references. It is light, mildly funny and the audience settles in for an amiable satire on show business. Sidney is about to promote a comeback album, one that might be her last hope as she is either approaching, or past, 40 which is apparently—don't tell Madonna—the cut off date for female pop star relevancy. Sidney's manager, Alfie, has found the one journalist who admires the new album, the other reviews are lukewarm at best, and has pinned his hopes on an interview with Tobias Beresford, henceforth known as "the arbitrator."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFhrzlhUQa-zI9D_qroPsLj2lbqVwRNK2XJZIwhPZImdjlUUxTO9d7OqFBakUr_4uM6SBEayYUdBBuJ2TKFBnKQx10sS6cLDoHr1oStoyYzBs420XH_QIJUBGucO6Qoz5ZEBFfOfl943Jj7RafP1RweT0Ve3OeVTULsh42Hx87YAiW2_wPOJONFiTAAGp/s900/Christopher%20Allen%20and%20Shauna%20Thompson%20in%20Rockabye%20-%20ARC_Sam%20Moffatt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFhrzlhUQa-zI9D_qroPsLj2lbqVwRNK2XJZIwhPZImdjlUUxTO9d7OqFBakUr_4uM6SBEayYUdBBuJ2TKFBnKQx10sS6cLDoHr1oStoyYzBs420XH_QIJUBGucO6Qoz5ZEBFfOfl943Jj7RafP1RweT0Ve3OeVTULsh42Hx87YAiW2_wPOJONFiTAAGp/w400-h266/Christopher%20Allen%20and%20Shauna%20Thompson%20in%20Rockabye%20-%20ARC_Sam%20Moffatt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That is, once you've mixed in Sidney's boy toy Jolyon who has an ambiguous relationship with Julia, enough plot to drive a satire. Except that playwright Joanna Murray-Smith has something else in mind. Sidney screams, "There is more to life than rock n' roll. I have to have this baby," and once the audience stops laughing, we realize it was meant to be serious. Sidney is (shades of Madonna who is oddly never referenced though Angelina Jolie is) planning to adopt an orphan from Africa. Cue Layla, a social worker who has to sign off on the adoption. There is a twist after intermission, but it serves more as a mild visual coup de theatre and an opportunity to ogle the butt of Christopher Allen (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/redbone-coonhound-pitch-black-comedy.html" target="_blank">Redbone Coonhound</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/bengal-tiger-at-baghdad-zoo-life-in-zoo.html" target="_blank">Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/redbone-coonhound-pitch-black-comedy.html" target="_blank">Orphans for the Czar</a></i>). Sadly not enough to be worthy of notifying Madonna. From there <i>Rockabye</i> devolves into debates on adoption, cross-cultural adoption, racism, the merits of <i>Das Boot</i>, ageism, The Ronettes vs the Carpenters, journalistic ethics and a short bizarre segment on lesbian parenting. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjy4xO2cMUzNY743bH1aMJ8GAau35xoxjG6evreHaWP6YJllKWIzfPkWsTX5wa2c1rSHqzTnFSNSTGFC6v9hodebr_4bm4QNzT9RXHBDsqocCAKpZQtSbOa6fvQSGXX8VVAH_yTLndBZN2khNMAyycNE3Oulsi9NOIqlbW9m9qEWz0hJbdqJbZOenUsJl2/s900/Sergio%20Di%20Zio%20and%20Christopher%20Allen%20in%20Rockabye%20-%20ARC_Sam%20Moffatt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjy4xO2cMUzNY743bH1aMJ8GAau35xoxjG6evreHaWP6YJllKWIzfPkWsTX5wa2c1rSHqzTnFSNSTGFC6v9hodebr_4bm4QNzT9RXHBDsqocCAKpZQtSbOa6fvQSGXX8VVAH_yTLndBZN2khNMAyycNE3Oulsi9NOIqlbW9m9qEWz0hJbdqJbZOenUsJl2/w400-h266/Sergio%20Di%20Zio%20and%20Christopher%20Allen%20in%20Rockabye%20-%20ARC_Sam%20Moffatt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Murray-Smith can write witty lines—"love is just gratitude for finding someone to indulge your self-delusions" and "bring out the Amy Winehouse and suppress the Mia Farrow, don't mention Africa"—but not enough of them to support almost three hours of relentless pontificating. The cast works hard to keep the audience involved, and director Rob Kempson (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/box-4901-flaws-foibles-and-fabulousness.html" target="_blank">Box 4901</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2014/01/song-dance-and-rock-hudson-way-back-to.html" target="_blank">The Way Back to Thursday</a></i>) keeps the action and dialogue moving, but the final result is unfortunately flat and draggy. That the music business is evil (though Sergio Di Zio [<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/between-riverside-and-crazy-devils-may.html" target="_blank">Between Riverside and Crazy</a></i>] nails the frantic smarmy seductiveness of a manager pushed to the brink financially and morally) is old news, and the references are a mix of contemporary and '80s. An internal if confusing logic as contemporary pop music consists mostly of regurgitated and resuscitated '80s pop. Deborah Drakeford (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/redbone-coonhound-pitch-black-comedy.html" target="_blank">Redbone Coonhound</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/doubt-parable-when-spark-of-gossip.html" target="_blank">Doubt</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/human-animals-living-apocalypse-from.html" target="_blank">Human Animals</a></i>) is light on the diva, which robs her role of much of its humour and centrality. Playing a performer who's been so packaged that she no longer knows what emotions are real while promoting an album that is revealing a true self that no longer even exists, is a conundrum that robs any of Sidney's motivations of their power. And Drakeford's star power is never given a chance to dazzle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABC19x9zYpxewXU57ig4nvJ2LZPL0JDq2_k-ry8T2yNSM2EijrCLW9vRToNxQbRUOmnHZlHc34cSCMoRp1hRM2xE_-lK0PminZh9qu1K7ss-n9dwYOwDIo3u9u3c2PGQY3Gh611WWW3DLt7onayO9G48vxwbgY9KbGTch9SwXUHXEFNm_p7kiiic43bRl/s900/Julie%20Lumsden%20and%20Nabil%20Traboulsi_ARC%20Rockabye_photo%20Sam%20Moffatt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABC19x9zYpxewXU57ig4nvJ2LZPL0JDq2_k-ry8T2yNSM2EijrCLW9vRToNxQbRUOmnHZlHc34cSCMoRp1hRM2xE_-lK0PminZh9qu1K7ss-n9dwYOwDIo3u9u3c2PGQY3Gh611WWW3DLt7onayO9G48vxwbgY9KbGTch9SwXUHXEFNm_p7kiiic43bRl/w400-h266/Julie%20Lumsden%20and%20Nabil%20Traboulsi_ARC%20Rockabye_photo%20Sam%20Moffatt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Allen has fun with a fragile ego and a need to not only deliver a shocking story, but to avoid, as a fraud himself, being the story. Shauna Thompson (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/03/prodigal-irresistible-destructive.html" target="_blank">Prodigal</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/orphans-for-czar-if-people-are-hungry.html" target="_blank">Orphans for the Czar</a></i>) as Layla expresses passion fervently but the speeches, by the time she reaches her dilemma, are wearing and the back and forth with Allen, despite being the crucial crux of the second act, quickly becomes tiresome. Nabil Traboulsi is comic relief and has a great time trying on accents and pretensions with just enough failed former rock star skinny sexiness to be believable. Poor Kyra Harper is stuck in a drab role that seems to have wandered in from a pop music riff on <i>All About Eve</i>, but Julie Lumsden as the beleaguered assistant is a flippant delight as she banters with Traboulsi and Drakeford. Even more so when it becomes open warfare with Drakeford. Everything is polished, thought out and presented passionately, it just fails to ignite as the script meanders from point to point, speeding along but never gaining momentum. Great pop music can take shallow thoughts and ideas and glossy them up to seem momentous. Perhaps <i>Rockabye</i> is trying to vivisect pop music by taking momentous ideas and instead of a three minute cri de coeur, stretch and inflate it into three hours of theatre. Madonna, meet The Hoff.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqllkW9WFMg7bu1gWIWAz21ugcOt3-KXI7wX4_dM_Wcw0e5VnQ1eyeI25cT8oXJt7CiuxeaEgonOP8qiZ6SbdEjV0ZUUjTZsdDBAaZHkDGTnUmQ08XU72fUs8t7WivBEZvFSqEF_eTZlQxfZwylIr2-yzx26ffWDLq-Px7pT04A2L8fNKhfPEKKM9BrWFX/s900/Deborah%20Drakeford%20and%20cast%20in%20Rockabye%20-%20ARC_Sam%20Moffatt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqllkW9WFMg7bu1gWIWAz21ugcOt3-KXI7wX4_dM_Wcw0e5VnQ1eyeI25cT8oXJt7CiuxeaEgonOP8qiZ6SbdEjV0ZUUjTZsdDBAaZHkDGTnUmQ08XU72fUs8t7WivBEZvFSqEF_eTZlQxfZwylIr2-yzx26ffWDLq-Px7pT04A2L8fNKhfPEKKM9BrWFX/w400-h266/Deborah%20Drakeford%20and%20cast%20in%20Rockabye%20-%20ARC_Sam%20Moffatt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Photos by Sam Moffatt</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Rockabye <i>continues until Sunday, February 11 at Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst St. factorytheatre.ca, arcstage.com</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyaT_zcKBXs6mcs3lE0MQDYMAVFwJfWeylIlRajbNWSdTzJWyddQQ3j67eBoHFvttvHxxY6CwDI12HwlcvCR1AUH4X1TzIzexwcF3JNrGeRkNqoaY9o045cjdI-wtjIJ9HyquRzOzFe4ns0K2hM2pU90VdcyVR54016zzkB5qVOHQvdhmGCvXZImVnyQf/s900/zRockabye%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyaT_zcKBXs6mcs3lE0MQDYMAVFwJfWeylIlRajbNWSdTzJWyddQQ3j67eBoHFvttvHxxY6CwDI12HwlcvCR1AUH4X1TzIzexwcF3JNrGeRkNqoaY9o045cjdI-wtjIJ9HyquRzOzFe4ns0K2hM2pU90VdcyVR54016zzkB5qVOHQvdhmGCvXZImVnyQf/w640-h640/zRockabye%20poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-30080299214482609862024-02-02T05:01:00.002-05:002024-02-03T09:46:29.621-05:00The Rhubarb Festival: beautiful, sexy, electric artists "motivated to restructure the universe"<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6m7y5PCYPMQnLSvKcIwMFqMGVQmHaLYyooAxdHKl72f_rshx5vkhtK-Ds3YdghsFJ7Vfkm8cu3qa_TS_qZS2u1X4_OoYZkLGTXipXazl5HkcULGOpGFA7NBzKQNJWQZwzZ7x9vApYJvKIVX7-CXjLP_jsoGQFzlWJvhpQQeRsA_urLnShG_FuPdZuD4Yg/s900/8)%20F%C3%A9lix%20Bonnevie.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6m7y5PCYPMQnLSvKcIwMFqMGVQmHaLYyooAxdHKl72f_rshx5vkhtK-Ds3YdghsFJ7Vfkm8cu3qa_TS_qZS2u1X4_OoYZkLGTXipXazl5HkcULGOpGFA7NBzKQNJWQZwzZ7x9vApYJvKIVX7-CXjLP_jsoGQFzlWJvhpQQeRsA_urLnShG_FuPdZuD4Yg/w266-h400/8)%20F%C3%A9lix%20Bonnevie.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>Every year I struggle to express the magnificent monster that is the Rhubarb Festival. Now in its 45th year, it is more youthful than ever and bursting at the seams with experimentation, art, sexuality, comedy, horror and palatable and unpalatable politics. To try to convey the breadth and magnitude of this year's Rhubarb, we asked eight of the participating artists—Michael Martini, Anthony (Ani) Palermo (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-gray-and-its-creator-anthony.html" target="_blank">The Gray</a></i>), Nickeshia Garrick (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/08/obeah-opera-when-deserve-to-be-divas.html" target="_blank">Obeah Opera</a></i>), Lester Trips (Theatre) (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/04/mr-truth-i-do-find-this-erotic.html" target="_blank">Mr Truth</a></i>), Tygr Willy, Elizabeth Staples (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/10/xlq-bring-ritualistic-absurd-and.html" target="_blank">All For One For All</a></i>), S E Grummett and <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2016/01/stephen-jackman-torkoff-making-art-and.html" target="_blank">Stephen Jackman-Torkoff</a> (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/06/richard-ii-spamalot-stratford-2023-part.html" target="_blank">Richard II</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/fifteen-dogs-exuberant-tragedy-and-what.html" target="_blank">Fifteen Dogs</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/every-little-nookie-uproarious-sex.html" target="_blank">Every Little Nookie</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/10/trout-stanley-grotesque-tragedies-spun.html" target="_blank">Trout Stanley</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/towards-youth-play-on-radical-hope.html" target="_blank">Towards Youth</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2017/08/erased-billy-bayard-stephen-jackman.html" target="_blank">Erased: Billy & Bayard</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2016/04/botticelli-in-fire-sunday-in-sodom.html" target="_blank">Botticelli in the Fire & Sunday in Sodom</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2016/11/black-boys-trio-of-talents-tackle.html" target="_blank">Black Boys</a></i>)—a handful of questions about their contribution. Their answers hint at just how much there is to be discovered and enjoyed at Rhubarb. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>Drew Rowsome</b>: <span style="color: #2b00fe;">What is the title of, and the promotional hook for, your artwork in two sentences or less? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Michael Martini</b>: I'm presenting <i>What if Hansel Consented to Being Baked Alive?</i> It is a sort of pornographic retelling of <i>Hansel and Gretel</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Anthony (Ani) Palermo</b>: <i>She, Men, & the Giant F*cking Snake</i> is a theatrical drag pop rock song-cycle about gender identity and sexual assault in queer spaces. It follows “She”– the mythological Greek figure Tiresias, a twink in the Village, and a multi-dimensional space bitch on a mission to find who touched their tits. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjW9VYFw7dyP82ARU03nZM5m2k3OOhoC58CD1EiN8LpU3403lp48Bewe3J-AjZy3_SQNWndHaw68XHFjOC7Ykf1PcvUNGJ44UXcslH8SVVvNz3VbdbExgqhXrHkSfStiwiXO-JhIGmlUO6nvOcmUkNLIR5F5Hm2ogM_hCcSFKJFKukHjeZpxTOLR1m7HH3/s900/Anthony%20(Ani)%20Palermo_photo%20by%20Dahlia%20Katz.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjW9VYFw7dyP82ARU03nZM5m2k3OOhoC58CD1EiN8LpU3403lp48Bewe3J-AjZy3_SQNWndHaw68XHFjOC7Ykf1PcvUNGJ44UXcslH8SVVvNz3VbdbExgqhXrHkSfStiwiXO-JhIGmlUO6nvOcmUkNLIR5F5Hm2ogM_hCcSFKJFKukHjeZpxTOLR1m7HH3/w400-h266/Anthony%20(Ani)%20Palermo_photo%20by%20Dahlia%20Katz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Nickeshia Garrick</b>: <i>Find Your Rhythm</i> is a multidisciplinary work that incorporates original music, contemporary dance, and text, and delves into the Akashic records. I invite the audience into a sea of dyed pages, asking: Why are you here? What matters to you most? Who is writing your story? What is your rhythm? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lester Trips (Theatre)</b>: <i>Honey I’m Home</i>. When full job automation pushes a person past the point of tolerable boredom, she uploads her consciousness into her house, literally. Body horror ensues. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Tygr Willy</b>: <i>Thirst Nation: Chill</i>. In an era where the dance floor is our medicines, bodies - hips - lips are our connection, and the extravagant expression of our art heralds in abundance. Thirst Nation brings forth a night-life experience like no other. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqZVI8_6s8mJtL9y0POj2_8uQub-Ze8ESC2DlCt8NEN7iXP3Xcyz_1wCaQ7-oVr-BjtIfZixsGWfx8Ft1B4CeHBepdGo_5Aqwez0JAJgBL9uIrTke3Ss-b-5JG05mFo7vwe_kFGskiJTW50tcmutLx3h6fxf-Cx_clYynjHoPwO8ihWKdZq9iLpZ48EU5/s887/Nickeshia_02.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="887" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqZVI8_6s8mJtL9y0POj2_8uQub-Ze8ESC2DlCt8NEN7iXP3Xcyz_1wCaQ7-oVr-BjtIfZixsGWfx8Ft1B4CeHBepdGo_5Aqwez0JAJgBL9uIrTke3Ss-b-5JG05mFo7vwe_kFGskiJTW50tcmutLx3h6fxf-Cx_clYynjHoPwO8ihWKdZq9iLpZ48EU5/w400-h224/Nickeshia_02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Elizabeth Staples</b>: <i>Chez Moi</i>. Looking to dance floors of the past to understand how to build the dance floors of the future. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>S E Grummett</b>: For Rhubarb, I’m presenting a work-in-progress showing of my newest solo-show, <i>Nude Parade</i>, an interactive performance combining live feed video and trash puppets exploring my transgender body and what it means to perform queerness for consumption. For this Rhubarb showing, I present an hour-long interactive surgery session: think a live theatre version of the game of Operation, but make it trans. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5Du35VGG1rNWf4tIg4ex5BxwSEquvrrIRF_P5gTmU19QOoiJre42ItaNm_uwgDXIHanaIvp6ah-SuRd05vKMQ4SiJmz8ZcHpais22b0ZWbP_bucJxrCe-yY69p5sp4qDBRB98SZHAx6lkSeNOmiKcNqfoiTnHiTrpP3jN_7S673X5CIiqzTOfosYJC0b/s900/Lester%20Trips%20Honey%20I'm%20Home%20-%20photo%20by%20Helen%20Yung.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="900" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5Du35VGG1rNWf4tIg4ex5BxwSEquvrrIRF_P5gTmU19QOoiJre42ItaNm_uwgDXIHanaIvp6ah-SuRd05vKMQ4SiJmz8ZcHpais22b0ZWbP_bucJxrCe-yY69p5sp4qDBRB98SZHAx6lkSeNOmiKcNqfoiTnHiTrpP3jN_7S673X5CIiqzTOfosYJC0b/w400-h333/Lester%20Trips%20Honey%20I'm%20Home%20-%20photo%20by%20Helen%20Yung.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stephen Jackman-Torkoff</b>: <i>Die Phantasie: Enter the Portal</i>.. A local librarian named Lauren gets sucked into an old book and enters a world of unbridled sexuality and immense grief. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rhubarb is about playing in a “hotbed of experimentation” and “challenging notions of what art-making and art-watching can be.” What makes your work fit into that framework? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Michael Martini</b>: I work in the blurriness of DIY and rigour. I like to take advantage of the fact that we are all together in a room—strangers, peers, art-lovers—and make the experience both social and artistic. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Anthony (Ani) Palermo</b>: My piece experiments with drag, musical theatre, solo cabaret performance, and combines them with taboo subjects in the queer community and conversations about gender identity—through the lens of Greek mythology in a sci-fi multiverse—all in 10 minutes. It’s definitely a trip. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCWJdtl3bM06aV6dRXHfNtvDd5KF0efdMy2X0e78y4HFsZgHnRsb2qWrjD7jWp1P33JGznF9z54A3zJmyPKlBegEOmbIufS44nFOQSV_bLJTSbaf3JLk5UhjG185uZPQwOBv2nDPbgvqEAeu1BDNPGPQX3T_0U4e_BxWmagmCwUb6WpScj8f5cUkv7Ol3/s900/Tygr%20Willy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCWJdtl3bM06aV6dRXHfNtvDd5KF0efdMy2X0e78y4HFsZgHnRsb2qWrjD7jWp1P33JGznF9z54A3zJmyPKlBegEOmbIufS44nFOQSV_bLJTSbaf3JLk5UhjG185uZPQwOBv2nDPbgvqEAeu1BDNPGPQX3T_0U4e_BxWmagmCwUb6WpScj8f5cUkv7Ol3/w266-h400/Tygr%20Willy.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Nickeshia Garrick</b>: I'm constantly playing with ways to break the fourth wall in my solo works by devolving the responsibility of the performer and sharing it with the audience. I have expectations for the audience to be as accountable as I am on stage. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lester Trips (Theatre)</b>: In the spirit of chaos, we offer: painful furniture, raging boredom leading to bad decisions, the joys and horrors of the internet without having to look at any screens (NO SCREENS GUARANTEED), performers furiously running back and forth playing digital copies of themselves, and strange, bad dancing. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Tygr Willy</b>: Toronto has a vibrant nightlife and even brighter drag and burlesque industry. Yet, very few of these places carve a space for Indigenous excellence, joy, and pride. More so Indigenous performance beckons experimentation in that we consistently are a resistance. In our most sensual gentleness we’re a resistance to oppression. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Elizabeth Staples</b>: The Rhubarb Festival is my absolute favourite new works festival that happens in Toronto, I've seen some of the best and weirdest art at this festival. <i>Chez Moi</i> is less of an experiment and more a deep dive into history to challenge our present and future. It is a political call to action as well as a play that challenges the sit back and relax kind of theatre experience Toronto audiences may be used to. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oTBGg3kNyL0bttKbvVhsGOaiK-iahjkpMuZXB-yLkzhvkEul6bUWmi4PQMTg1bex65Q9o0G5FjPl0cB-Tinvz864liQWNxEkJvRXllD-rCif63Y5MkVYuED09uxGAiwcHF9xaymMk3QKcmMVsOpyuPNK8uYDOgoTTNO_0iMBw_17RdvmCa7fgu4RPFKE/s900/LizStaples_by_TylerJSloane-5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="616" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oTBGg3kNyL0bttKbvVhsGOaiK-iahjkpMuZXB-yLkzhvkEul6bUWmi4PQMTg1bex65Q9o0G5FjPl0cB-Tinvz864liQWNxEkJvRXllD-rCif63Y5MkVYuED09uxGAiwcHF9xaymMk3QKcmMVsOpyuPNK8uYDOgoTTNO_0iMBw_17RdvmCa7fgu4RPFKE/w274-h400/LizStaples_by_TylerJSloane-5.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>S E Grummett</b>: <i>Nude Parade</i> relies on using its comedy to enlist and implicate the audience, before delivering its message. Because the thesis of this work succeeds or fails by how you (the audience) interact with it. This Rhubarb performance truly is an experiment to help me determine whether my message comes across and what’s funny. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stephen Jackman-Torkoff</b>: My work is a poetic dreamscape odyssey. Once it begins, we have no idea what will happen next. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">How is this work an extension of, or detour away from, your artistic practice? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Michael Martini</b>: I usually work in collaborations, but <i>Hansel</i> is a solo. I'm really pushing my instincts as far as I can. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Anthony (Ani) Palermo</b>: <i>She, Men, & The Giant F*cking Snake</i> is an extension of my artistic practice to examine the intricacies of queer perspectives within a theatrical music-based landscape using spectacle, drag, glamour, and camp. The piece uses the genre of rock/pop music to upheave, destroy, and re-contextualize the confines of traditional musical theatre and create space for storytellers of diverse gender identities and experiences. I believe in bringing together the elements of music and a Dionysian sense of immersive party to connect the queer community. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mSPowWCI_BnjyBZG8EL4FyXmmbuiCmg9SvZvUyKqCG1Y6deNJ8IOcWvydM2a6gPip8NJNCFMTr3e3MOiZL1ysNQKkzURRgEaauj2fHFYQo4QGdUmrK8UfubtOf5j3_wz4KIPR6lWpAdmznAH04cpSuvgNO8c1e-fRjuKFHE-jC3kb_dP1tjngKH8xsAC/s900/Rhubarb%2003.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mSPowWCI_BnjyBZG8EL4FyXmmbuiCmg9SvZvUyKqCG1Y6deNJ8IOcWvydM2a6gPip8NJNCFMTr3e3MOiZL1ysNQKkzURRgEaauj2fHFYQo4QGdUmrK8UfubtOf5j3_wz4KIPR6lWpAdmznAH04cpSuvgNO8c1e-fRjuKFHE-jC3kb_dP1tjngKH8xsAC/w400-h300/Rhubarb%2003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Nickeshia Garrick</b>: Nothing I discover is a detour away from my artistic practice as anything has the potential to inspire my work which adds to my practice. In terms of an extension of my artistic practice, I am delving into written work, song, movement and spirit; honouring the past, present and future, which is the foundation of my practice. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lester Trips (Theatre)</b>: As Lester Trips (Theatre), we are obsessed with those liminal teetering moments of cringe when great hopes for all technology could be collide with the reality of how outrageously awkward and painful it is to have a human body trying to digitize itself. We are returning to our first love, physical theatre, after taking a detour through making a CBC Gem series, <i>Content Farm</i>. We are ready to explore why NPC movement is annoying and delightful. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E-uA5VKSV2HRpTZJ_w13og8IzUk6NN3pgt1w2bvxc5dTgUiJv6XQb530Jth-1nGGH4lWlciBOnQ-2CNvhzBEBVQV5UEYKpL7XZQ55g3EO4Kfsq8jS5O7uFGbUp5ilc4GYxpNDKDjjZvy8Jc8-sFhZeBAG0vtCQ7rw1m8cUUdu-azg6yfaAB08MIsmytR/s900/Stephen%20Jackman-Torkoff_Die-phantasie-snake-photo.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E-uA5VKSV2HRpTZJ_w13og8IzUk6NN3pgt1w2bvxc5dTgUiJv6XQb530Jth-1nGGH4lWlciBOnQ-2CNvhzBEBVQV5UEYKpL7XZQ55g3EO4Kfsq8jS5O7uFGbUp5ilc4GYxpNDKDjjZvy8Jc8-sFhZeBAG0vtCQ7rw1m8cUUdu-azg6yfaAB08MIsmytR/w200-h400/Stephen%20Jackman-Torkoff_Die-phantasie-snake-photo.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Tygr Willy</b>: I spent three years as a youth curator for Pride Toronto Festival stages from 2019-2021. I’ve produced independent cabarets and artist immersive parties such as: Passion Fruit (2019-2023), Colour Me Now(2019-2022), Nostalgia (2021), Under Where?! (2022). Recently also my pirate parody show I co-produce alongside Qaptain called <i>Our Flag Means Queer</i>, and ongoing I’m part of a drag girl group called Rice Queens. So in many ways a lot of Thirst Nation is an extension, but it’s a focus to produce an artistic performance space that puts focus on queer Indigenous artists. <i>Thirst Nation: Chill</i> is for everyone, but those behind the scenes and on the stage and decks are all Indigenous to Turtle Island, or to neighbouring nations in the south. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Elizabeth Staples</b>: This is the first solo show I have written. I have co-written and devised theatre in collaboration in the past, but this baby is fully conceived by me. I taught myself some basic sound design and beat making (thanks YouTube!) and bought a loop pedal and a lil amp. I have always been very musically inclined but this is my first foray into sonic explorations. Writing anything (music, a play, a grant) is so freaking hard but so rewarding. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>S E Grummett</b>: Throughout my artistic practice, physical theatre techniques – particularly puppetry and mask, allow me to move beyond my physical body and the assumed gender of its attributes. Puppets don’t have to have a gender, let alone be human. In my work, I am curious about using object-manipulation to explore trans/queer identities and this feeling of the “other.” I’ve also been drawn to comedy and clown as a means of disrupting and criticizing those in power in accessible ways – laughter often makes the best Trojan horse. I love to dabble in live feed video, audience interaction and trash-theatre magic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLXq70FzfSMECEmtQB0EtHy-UJTEUokjbhJV7SpTEQixzs9ufpfoiOXqxsm27B7LBagbamPFtIp71OouerTIDrv6XdBu1MxCD-cq_Y1j22Qpl6Chg5LM9sbcuxSapaB4W-GAY_0W_dVtRMwmXq7pe7J8Q8MZF8ergmEGgdFV9KrGwZjunddjTimmTDI7O/s900/Michael%20Martini_photo%20by%20Nicolas%20Biaux.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLXq70FzfSMECEmtQB0EtHy-UJTEUokjbhJV7SpTEQixzs9ufpfoiOXqxsm27B7LBagbamPFtIp71OouerTIDrv6XdBu1MxCD-cq_Y1j22Qpl6Chg5LM9sbcuxSapaB4W-GAY_0W_dVtRMwmXq7pe7J8Q8MZF8ergmEGgdFV9KrGwZjunddjTimmTDI7O/w400-h266/Michael%20Martini_photo%20by%20Nicolas%20Biaux.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stephen Jackman-Torkoff</b>: I would say this is my main practice (along with painting) that not many people in Toronto get to experience. I spend lots of time performing in other people's work but this is where my creative power truly lies.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">How does it feel to be working at, or returning to, the hallowed space that is Buddies? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Michael Martini</b>: I have lived in Toronto and I have lived elsewhere. When you are not in Toronto, you see how unique Buddies is —part nightclub, part theatre, part community space. Other cities don't necessarily have places like that and I believe it must be cherished. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWJWvfwbipQqP8y0Fb0nWZADiY0wdMppPiEnCMy2JD4yeQzyzG8DMtGw4WAY0ApnrNm0cRLAjYmc9pWhkxYpxoR8scAMv5rW9MKAk2rVXqYEFVcAf5Vwt2Xw_7MmbEKSBZ_Bw0AS8CAFr0NdPwe5HQyYhsZnuWSMt7fnMYp_g5lUJIYCrHbe2H_osvqXY/s900/Anthony02-photobyDahliaKatz-6553.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWJWvfwbipQqP8y0Fb0nWZADiY0wdMppPiEnCMy2JD4yeQzyzG8DMtGw4WAY0ApnrNm0cRLAjYmc9pWhkxYpxoR8scAMv5rW9MKAk2rVXqYEFVcAf5Vwt2Xw_7MmbEKSBZ_Bw0AS8CAFr0NdPwe5HQyYhsZnuWSMt7fnMYp_g5lUJIYCrHbe2H_osvqXY/w400-h266/Anthony02-photobyDahliaKatz-6553.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Anthony (Ani) Palermo</b>: It is a huge honour to be performing my original work here. As a first-timer and young queer artist, I am thrilled about stepping into the history of Buddies. I have always created work for the queer community to start conversations, and Buddies has always been the ideal space to do that in. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Nickeshia Garrick</b>: I will be returning . . . it feels like the completion of a chapter. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lester Trips (Theatre)</b>: Most excellent, and we are most honoured. Our fondest memory of Buddies is performing our installation, <i>Inverse Petting Zoo</i>, in which we gave curious-octopus immersive dance experiences to semi-nude partygoers covered in watered-down veterinary lubricant. (It is available for bookings.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Vo0yQcxVfs8CWAIBr8GfHz_Ez3FXlYzO-P7SO8crHKIs9p5xFe19yeRTs6G1FbYXAtlKo59NoEqzm9C4MdTfdAu8F1KrT7iAjByjNicj15d1rxPFADyg3K9tD2jCbtvGDneXIMXXZ9iKWssa1roQhUngJLZ1myy280JsBWQCTUadvq6MlvwYzi-JXsx2/s900/Rhubarb%2002.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Vo0yQcxVfs8CWAIBr8GfHz_Ez3FXlYzO-P7SO8crHKIs9p5xFe19yeRTs6G1FbYXAtlKo59NoEqzm9C4MdTfdAu8F1KrT7iAjByjNicj15d1rxPFADyg3K9tD2jCbtvGDneXIMXXZ9iKWssa1roQhUngJLZ1myy280JsBWQCTUadvq6MlvwYzi-JXsx2/w400-h300/Rhubarb%2002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Tygr Willy</b>: Buddies has always been good to me. I started my journey as a youth in their Youth/Elder’s programming in 2016 and was part of the 2017 production at Rhubarb and their final show that season. Throughout I’ve been a participant in that era’s Youth Cabarets before jointing leZlie Lee Kam as a co-facilitator for their monthly queer youth and elders conversations for a couple years. As an independent producer I’ve hosted several one off parties and cabarets beyond previously mentioned such as the <i>Drop Deadly Gorgeous: the Pageant</i> on 2023 where our kitten Kuya Atay won the prize! In recent years I’ve taken the stage as Tygr Willy for their New Years stage (2023) and Queer Pride weekend programming (2022-2023). So Buddies has always been a place to feel like a queer huh to return to. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJG9rjs6WtuxHeNMkqLkEpEz5ihr3UUn2V0D0OJaqUMHjc7HRai2G1f8aGV0Tdwz7yqSlUbPPDP6xoEO0hkrMijKnlJ5a8p-yI7DCjHIlL742uRS0EelWNfCjLn29KlwzT4OJdSkmqjmCHtXGRfBvkCu7oGQ9Pib-zxK9tBEBvsxFlZRcVoGXPCYO2rTP/s900/Ranganathan%20Rajan%20(video%20still).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="900" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJG9rjs6WtuxHeNMkqLkEpEz5ihr3UUn2V0D0OJaqUMHjc7HRai2G1f8aGV0Tdwz7yqSlUbPPDP6xoEO0hkrMijKnlJ5a8p-yI7DCjHIlL742uRS0EelWNfCjLn29KlwzT4OJdSkmqjmCHtXGRfBvkCu7oGQ9Pib-zxK9tBEBvsxFlZRcVoGXPCYO2rTP/w400-h229/Ranganathan%20Rajan%20(video%20still).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Elizabeth Staples</b>: Buddies is a home away from home for me as it is for many queer artists in this city. To be included in the Rhubarb Festival under my own name this year makes me feel really proud. I have performed in the Chamber before, but not solo. I am kinda terrified, but I have so much trust in my team and the Buddies Production team. They are the best.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>S E Grummett</b>: I presented my solo-show <i>Something in the Water</i> at Buddies earlier this year. It feels so wonderful to be welcomed back by the Buddies team, particularly with something so fresh, new and scary. <i>Nude Parade </i>is also a commentary on the very identity show that is <i>Something in the Water</i>, so it really feels like a natural follow-up. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikOCBu7lgPPK2okKUX4SkXp-jLxYHS4oSKTM7DMp3DQ5_DRyyBryfmnV1sT-6RoUssSaKEpDCrnYAryMxU2YfkWGcnmyFSu90nf5qYnXNR973SVe1wZbCc6-XQPYfFey_XV0bryQ10R58YVRwku8TO_z6vQG2oNk6u-kP_7YS1IZH3SJJhTzLQvZRqnih/s1992/Vridhhi%20Chaudhry.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1992" data-original-width="1494" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikOCBu7lgPPK2okKUX4SkXp-jLxYHS4oSKTM7DMp3DQ5_DRyyBryfmnV1sT-6RoUssSaKEpDCrnYAryMxU2YfkWGcnmyFSu90nf5qYnXNR973SVe1wZbCc6-XQPYfFey_XV0bryQ10R58YVRwku8TO_z6vQG2oNk6u-kP_7YS1IZH3SJJhTzLQvZRqnih/w300-h400/Vridhhi%20Chaudhry.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stephen Jackman-Torkoff</b>: It feels really special. As an artist formerly in residence while creating <i>Black Boys</i> with Saga Collectif, it is very exciting to return with a major solo work. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Is it important to your work to be in an explicitly queer space?</span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Michael Martini</b>: I am not sure. It is exciting and important for me to be able to connect with other queer people, whether audiences or fellow artists, so I appreciate the magnet-effect of the festival for that. I am not sure if the artwork itself is coloured differently in a queer framing. It probably loses some singularity or randomness, and the audience probably arrives with more readily-available references to see the work through. There's probably a higher chance of people connecting with the themes of the work through lived experience rather than voyeurism, which is special. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Anthony (Ani) Palermo</b>: Yes! This piece aims to ask questions directly to people who have lived a queer experience. What does it means to experience sexual assault as a queer person? What does it mean for that experience to be an awakening of gender identity? How can a trans/genderqueer person be the winning “hero” of the story despite the situation they are in? And how can I do all that in a solo-musical about a multi-dimensional drag-alien? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjB9iebotEFddJYxz3N3b_66OnXjXue8zzRNy_zyp60AJJb1wJaDdj6FmH6vGEw4Wbtdlzvpb49fZm1G0x535ejbclbVOlAxVmjqwHpl_XGbg8LPsF1WtJNPX6uBGcJCaHffk7MlUtv-rywsp5HLf4dxd3GlsRq2b5w1_rEK2D_s_WV1t_l6VOgWba9OY/s900/Nicolas%20Biaux%204.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjB9iebotEFddJYxz3N3b_66OnXjXue8zzRNy_zyp60AJJb1wJaDdj6FmH6vGEw4Wbtdlzvpb49fZm1G0x535ejbclbVOlAxVmjqwHpl_XGbg8LPsF1WtJNPX6uBGcJCaHffk7MlUtv-rywsp5HLf4dxd3GlsRq2b5w1_rEK2D_s_WV1t_l6VOgWba9OY/w400-h266/Nicolas%20Biaux%204.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Nickeshia Garrick</b>: My work needs to take up space in many spaces, but, an explicitly queer space feels like home. When I'm at home, you get all of me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Tygr Willy</b>: I build my spaces and artwork to be the representation I didn’t have or the community I didn’t have the opportunity to be within. So very much so! However my work can and should thrive in all spaces. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Elizabeth Staples</b>: We feel at home with the queer audience of Buddies and Bad Times. It's an honour to present this Lesbian history about the lack of spaces in a thriving queer space. In writing <i>Chez Moi</i>, there was a lot of discussion about how much of this culture should be explained or given context. I want to perform this play and assume the audience already knows what a bull dyke is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmo4ROcrjxz4uxwqZrUG6yIbaNpn_ydPzYKcnYGHbbcXJuuwpGKOJYvWW8H2Ljb4Pj6xnvZ0cyYcCyTK6PC6OKJPD4vRpgtg88vBOj2hVgmsU2Ff0LkaNVgMImSGkAQulxSOcfeG7ByuCsVowBig_Uvx-wUYLrMb9YMXXxCzBV1msnY1SceuW12g92AI2/s900/evan%20webb.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmo4ROcrjxz4uxwqZrUG6yIbaNpn_ydPzYKcnYGHbbcXJuuwpGKOJYvWW8H2Ljb4Pj6xnvZ0cyYcCyTK6PC6OKJPD4vRpgtg88vBOj2hVgmsU2Ff0LkaNVgMImSGkAQulxSOcfeG7ByuCsVowBig_Uvx-wUYLrMb9YMXXxCzBV1msnY1SceuW12g92AI2/w266-h400/evan%20webb.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>S E Grummett</b>: Being trans in Saskatchewan is a much different experience than that of larger cities like Toronto. It can be a very lonely experience: I often find that I am the only trans person in a room, or that the burden of educating falls on my shoulders. I’m very excited to be presenting this new work-in-progress in a very queer space, away from the cis-het gaze that continuously perceives my body as something it is not, where I can truly “fuck-around-and-find-out” without having to make my work palatable or legible for a cis, straight audience. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stephen Jackman-Torkoff</b>: Not necessarily but it feels good and comforting nonetheless. And I might be able to express myself easier which hopefully will make the experience better for everyone. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What effect do you hope your work will have on an audience? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Michael Martini</b>: Hopefully nothing too unified. I hope the work is alive enough that it leads to different reactions. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Anthony (Ani) Palermo</b>: I hope to impact my audience by start conversations about sexual assault in the queer community and gender identity through the lens of music and drag. My piece aims to normalize discourse around consent and what it means to exist as a genderqueer person in primarily male dominated queer spaces. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j663KNodhh1QLPrLuMockepHPWesf66YF4dxmrd1wO1pU3TJ56ErziOHdyj_uPeZPuMGKLR0PDx1Rc9w3u-pQ2Xbxa6KJmpSK_xsc3EB-QKnBQH5ByQ0wEptCWQiRA8cDQ01GZTKMujY7pGvpOQ7aS7ErDNDmBc5KlfYIdSe9IS23b_h9gUcrXLrpl_c/s900/(Jian%20Yi)%20Magic-Theatre-%E2%80%93-scenes-from-the-unconscious-images-photographer-Jassy-Earl-CCA-Glasgow-2019_Page_3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j663KNodhh1QLPrLuMockepHPWesf66YF4dxmrd1wO1pU3TJ56ErziOHdyj_uPeZPuMGKLR0PDx1Rc9w3u-pQ2Xbxa6KJmpSK_xsc3EB-QKnBQH5ByQ0wEptCWQiRA8cDQ01GZTKMujY7pGvpOQ7aS7ErDNDmBc5KlfYIdSe9IS23b_h9gUcrXLrpl_c/w400-h266/(Jian%20Yi)%20Magic-Theatre-%E2%80%93-scenes-from-the-unconscious-images-photographer-Jassy-Earl-CCA-Glasgow-2019_Page_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Nickeshia Garrick</b>: I hope for my work to simply connect . . .</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lester Trips (Theatre): </b>What a bad idea! I would NEVER do that! Unless . . . </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Tygr Willy</b>: I hope for release, joy, safety, and for old connections to strengthen and new ones to flourish.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Elizabeth Staples</b>: I hope that the audience gets to feel like the first time they ever walked into an explicitly queer space for the first time again. I want to evoke the magic of being in the middle of a queer dance floor and seeing your best friends shining in the lights of a disco ball. I want the audience to consider the barriers that queer women still face today, even in our own community. To quote Bob the Drag Queen: "Stop being mean to the Lesbians! We need them!" </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6apLQOk9d-U5njc29VbWcuSb5F7U7fkSYDfUP0YCiHFFvKBQoIRld2-nJ17AhUl3ss7hI1psHAhxzQpdtWz3Z3CBsDd5aw6sKdUcPOjAH-HKMyO7C1EkY_tCYWse-FmMbq4aTncgHiFbug5rikwXMbAYdJqeAtqMw2fApl9jA_niEySYJWh5ZP2Fk1ccL/s900/Ashley%20T_photo%20by%20Sly%20Play%20Studios.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6apLQOk9d-U5njc29VbWcuSb5F7U7fkSYDfUP0YCiHFFvKBQoIRld2-nJ17AhUl3ss7hI1psHAhxzQpdtWz3Z3CBsDd5aw6sKdUcPOjAH-HKMyO7C1EkY_tCYWse-FmMbq4aTncgHiFbug5rikwXMbAYdJqeAtqMw2fApl9jA_niEySYJWh5ZP2Fk1ccL/w266-h400/Ashley%20T_photo%20by%20Sly%20Play%20Studios.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>S E Grummett</b>: While we are seeing progress in the bodies, identities and stories allowed onstage, these artists (myself included) are often being asked to perform their trauma onstage for the sake of educating the (often) cis, white, able-bodied middle-class audiences that come to the theatre. By bringing this show to Rhubarb, I hope that together, as audience and performer, we can unpack the “trauma porn” narratives that so many of us are asked to tell and examine what it means to tell our stories within a capitalist system. How do we, as queer people, consent to be packaged, and shaped to become profitable depictions of our identities? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stephen Jackman-Torkoff</b>: I hope they feel beautiful and electric and sexy and motivated to restructure the universe.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">What other artwork(s) are you looking forward to experiencing during Rhubarb and why? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Michael Martini</b>: Everything I can see I will see! Rhubarb is a gingerbread house and I will devour it as much as I can. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Anthony (Ani) Palermo</b>: I am looking forward to experiencing the other pieces in the Young-in-Craft Cabaret to see what the upcoming generation of queer artists are experimenting with. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YPfIasomrn0xilQmCNRSBUkrnVOi54xVbeSusCIYes17YlK6qdxYxzUCYsyMflvz3Hqc5w5XLaEoQr7c_7V9-PxYfeHYOkUf-L9uDX4oAu5gXjw8NZXKl2N21uSmLT2l6LPoFQ8IlMrKnTmvUPT4Ocym3ZH46_YFx_UvbGYphzWd8xQ99TgYzL-7nsYH/s900/Rhubarb%2004.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="900" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YPfIasomrn0xilQmCNRSBUkrnVOi54xVbeSusCIYes17YlK6qdxYxzUCYsyMflvz3Hqc5w5XLaEoQr7c_7V9-PxYfeHYOkUf-L9uDX4oAu5gXjw8NZXKl2N21uSmLT2l6LPoFQ8IlMrKnTmvUPT4Ocym3ZH46_YFx_UvbGYphzWd8xQ99TgYzL-7nsYH/w400-h283/Rhubarb%2004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Nickeshia Garrick</b>: Honestly, I'm looking forward to seeing as many works as I can because of the individuality, authenticity and heart that is brought forth by Rhubarb artists. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Lester Trips (Theatre)</b>: This <i>Hansel</i> consenting to being baked in the oven business sounds really interesting. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Tygr Willy</b>: <i>Chez Moi</i>! Work by Nickeshia Garrick and Stephen Jackman-Torkoff.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Elizabeth Staples</b>: Literally all of them. Go every single night if you can, you won’t regret it. I will shout out the late night programming this year, it's fabulous. The Young-In Craft Cabaret, Thirst Nation, Kunst Kids, and Amateur Strip are going to turn the party like always.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbk4LJ4ocXke-4_-MFzb_mxto_kVwH-KtvQSiAikOnKkIptvXsfBoep92EpmhDdOY7QsvSdrP3w3Lg-AcJ2JiRStt3PlyU4bq-oTocffuZJNxuiufnKmE2S60Gk1ruNOiHEYD906qL1U3qc7eALPgzqz1MRKQFF9rf2X84E1kscpeTHBn7DsCb5lsHkB5/s900/(Jaye%20Kovach)%20djdykeboyfriend%20.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbk4LJ4ocXke-4_-MFzb_mxto_kVwH-KtvQSiAikOnKkIptvXsfBoep92EpmhDdOY7QsvSdrP3w3Lg-AcJ2JiRStt3PlyU4bq-oTocffuZJNxuiufnKmE2S60Gk1ruNOiHEYD906qL1U3qc7eALPgzqz1MRKQFF9rf2X84E1kscpeTHBn7DsCb5lsHkB5/w400-h266/(Jaye%20Kovach)%20djdykeboyfriend%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>S E Grummett</b>: I’m really excited to see my fellow prairie queer, Jaye Kovach’s piece <i>I don’t want to see or be seen by cis people</i>. From the title alone, I know I’ll love it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Stephen Jackman-Torkoff</b>: I am looking forward to the work of isi bhakhomen, Tanya Marquardt and Jaye Kovach. I know these artists personally and am excited for the things they make.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Rhubarb festival <i>runs Thursday, February 8 to Sunday, February 18 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. buddiesinbadtimes.com</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgLR3TF9V4l-jNDDhPL6hGmyCc9TTeHKkCCxQhwPBwPDtKMoWkALnd7tG3OHcOSnfZ_gCAkQKn2s1nw8QbqQ3dVANMLHUdEYzRreQsvei222KtcDay-wNhrsBu7pzVSPlG8BcM9GgCfNPaAg5GyoljVQFZ97azeyyMxhsWbxRD1eccOw-JboaFSP6AVeY/s900/zRhubarb%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="900" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgLR3TF9V4l-jNDDhPL6hGmyCc9TTeHKkCCxQhwPBwPDtKMoWkALnd7tG3OHcOSnfZ_gCAkQKn2s1nw8QbqQ3dVANMLHUdEYzRreQsvei222KtcDay-wNhrsBu7pzVSPlG8BcM9GgCfNPaAg5GyoljVQFZ97azeyyMxhsWbxRD1eccOw-JboaFSP6AVeY/w640-h276/zRhubarb%20banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-27660674996564712552024-01-27T05:00:00.004-05:002024-03-20T06:23:00.820-04:00Old Too Soon: innocence lost in a sea of sex, drugs, rock n' roll and extreme violence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaun_77VSxvmUWaBCBO-hesYL4q0DijtUrtyb9O_r88B5x5W3AdMB2CpbWD_FUB6qTPfwlWlqfdRIg9f5ADts0-LuNx2Fcg4jIbwBx_szyKcC0Tj3Y49E8WrzRk3CyIrQMEV2JYdfjXP4xXw8VRIniZeS7P6ZDlgnh67FqpVKgc-oSFzZyqj7gqakcCiB/s540/bleeding%20skull.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="540" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHaun_77VSxvmUWaBCBO-hesYL4q0DijtUrtyb9O_r88B5x5W3AdMB2CpbWD_FUB6qTPfwlWlqfdRIg9f5ADts0-LuNx2Fcg4jIbwBx_szyKcC0Tj3Y49E8WrzRk3CyIrQMEV2JYdfjXP4xXw8VRIniZeS7P6ZDlgnh67FqpVKgc-oSFzZyqj7gqakcCiB/w400-h266/bleeding%20skull.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>While industriously working away on another project, I realized that, while being reasonably well read, I was not well versed in the horror genre. I have developed a taste for Stephen King (reviews of</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/stephen-kings-revival.html" target="_blank">Revival</a>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/09/needful-things-stephen-king-at-his-best.html" target="_blank">Needful Things</a><i>, </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" target="_blank">Joyland</a><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"> </a><i>and</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/06/stephen-king-drives-mr-mercedes-full.html" target="_blank">Mr Mercedes</a> <i>have boosted the readership of this blog immensely, especially after Mr King himself expressed his pleasure with the </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/10/sequel-to-shining-shines.html" target="_blank">Dr Sleep</a><i> review and his amusement at my short story</i> "<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2004/01/in-stephen-kings-motel-room.html" target="_blank"><i>In Stephen King's Motel Room</i></a>"<i>) and that led to </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/lost-boy-lost-girl-and-horror-of-bram.html" target="_blank"><i>Peter Straub</i></a><i>. </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/11/genres-collide-in-creepy-gothic-glory.html" target="_blank"><i>Michael Rowe</i></a><i> I was already well acquainted with. How to immerse myself in the best of the canon? As usual I was both practical and impulsive: I googled "the best," "the scariest," and "the most terrifying" horror novels and cross-referenced. I had already read a surprising number but that only meant my to-research list was going to tend towards the less mainstream and popular, which was fine by me. And so I began.</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPlcG_mFB8ycE6NKpnvXRdPzZ9DGMXemRe6cl82_wFOrPK6utVNJKeDuPrDElnEvc25jr7qnDTmc7G6pZswtgdhh4U3n6CVubWUsX_Yc7G9lbi8QRfEqlP2Cy6IoG3-ZAozbEPJHbkIuDX5GVHTH5e8Sut_iB2_4smFinMtRncmQEFqy_ftql31TGOGoc/s900/zOld%20Too%20Soon%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPlcG_mFB8ycE6NKpnvXRdPzZ9DGMXemRe6cl82_wFOrPK6utVNJKeDuPrDElnEvc25jr7qnDTmc7G6pZswtgdhh4U3n6CVubWUsX_Yc7G9lbi8QRfEqlP2Cy6IoG3-ZAozbEPJHbkIuDX5GVHTH5e8Sut_iB2_4smFinMtRncmQEFqy_ftql31TGOGoc/w266-h400/zOld%20Too%20Soon%20cover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This is the first time sensitive book review I have ever written. In only five days from this writing, Brian Bowyer's most recent novel, <i>Old Too Soon</i>, will not be available for purchase due to publisher problems. This is a shame not only for his fans but those who would have become fans after ripping through this self-proclaimed "bleak, transgressive . . . coming-of-age horror novel." My take on <i>Old Too Soon</i> is below, but you might want to grab a copy while you can.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"Wait!" Angela said. "For the love of God! Please! Don't do this!"</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"Beatrix laughed. "For the love of God? Let me tell you something, Angela: if God exists, then God created us just to watch us suffer until we die, and I hate God as much as God hates us all." She set the rubbing alcohol back down on the medical cart. Then she thrust the hacksaw's blade into Angela's right leg above the ankle and began sawing her foot off.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"It's a crazy world you inhabit," Paula said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kadence nodded. "Yeah, it is a crazy world, I guess."</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We meet Kadence the morning of her 11th birthday which is not a day of celebration. Shortly after that she embraces her destiny of being an alcoholic lesbian and turns to a life of drug-dealing to finance her twin addictions. Fortunately her aunt Vanessa is the city's kingpin drug distributor, unfortunately her daughter Beatrix, is also a lesbian but one with a taste for torture and dismemberment of girlfriends, random strangers and, particularly, children. Kadence and Beatrix develop a good business relationship selling drugs, but their personal lives inevitably build to a deadly showdown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvJE68iaoBGlp94_qct7yww9BJKPYQhbwtSr0EJDnTEr7_9sRBcoTaeuchtyBrMal3qUrSFNyA_7J28PcrDIx5kNGbmgVHSflETm1eUuzeFa1iVLbMb2oDGydM7NiguLSxpmoCqWphyfmIwevT5zlGRPInKZY3S16q6ww_BvnWUF7zOXIhXx46Rn_slUX/s435/drunk%20toddler%20falls%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvJE68iaoBGlp94_qct7yww9BJKPYQhbwtSr0EJDnTEr7_9sRBcoTaeuchtyBrMal3qUrSFNyA_7J28PcrDIx5kNGbmgVHSflETm1eUuzeFa1iVLbMb2oDGydM7NiguLSxpmoCqWphyfmIwevT5zlGRPInKZY3S16q6ww_BvnWUF7zOXIhXx46Rn_slUX/s320/drunk%20toddler%20falls%20g.gif" width="294" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvJE68iaoBGlp94_qct7yww9BJKPYQhbwtSr0EJDnTEr7_9sRBcoTaeuchtyBrMal3qUrSFNyA_7J28PcrDIx5kNGbmgVHSflETm1eUuzeFa1iVLbMb2oDGydM7NiguLSxpmoCqWphyfmIwevT5zlGRPInKZY3S16q6ww_BvnWUF7zOXIhXx46Rn_slUX/s435/drunk%20toddler%20falls%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As in <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/03/autumn-gothic-deadpan-extreme-violence.html" target="_blank">Autumn Gothic</a></i>, Bowyer fills the pages with sex, drugs, rock n' roll and lots of extreme violence. The twist this time is Kadence's age. Bowyer delivers minimal description, preferring to create a mood or essence of a character instead of a detailed portrait. We have no idea of the colour or length of Kadence's hair but we have a clear vision of her wide-eyed homicidal innocence. No matter what happens to her (the novel begins with a rape by her stepfather that is apparently habitual), we picture her as a moppet, albeit one that drinks excessively, is precociously sexually active, and is numb to violence, death and murder, even when she is committing it. It is a tricky character to make us care about, but Kadence is as sweet as it is possible for one to be in Bowyer's self-proclaimed "bleak" world. In a very twisted way, Kadence is a Candide, or an Addie Loggins, or a shrewd Dorothy Gale, navigating naively through a very nasty set of circumstances. Cute, deadly and tragic.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">If Kadence is adrift, trying to survive in an after school special of perverse proportions, she gives as good as she gets. When her heart is broken, she gets even. When she finds herself in reform school, she climbs to the top of the pecking order and lands herself a new love interest. However, no matter how she strives and struggles, Bowyer's vision is that the world is shit and "if God exists, then God created us to suffer until we die." It is a very special after school special where a necrophiliac is not only a trusted advisor, but also a sex object and comic relief. Where a biker gang are saviors. Where a woman who hears voices in her head telling her to kill is an adorable sexy love interest. Bowyer has a very twisted sense of humour as Kadence endures trials, tribulations and clichés (the women in prison riffs are outrageously funny) on her journey. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIj0uwfS14oYmhHSxH9Z_UVV2Co7lsLERu-h4mgGLSbjj17TIpeRqrM0D5aOe-s4kg-vzSUbRqEkxZV37zoNVFxHf7cHjS5ku0mPQ25hqf90z_GiJt2wqShPWTmic8zgsOIJ_HKcn2R6Cgv0OxfGAgYYkR2wuAkCXjXHs7HVdmzMoVG12JVtR7afzQxeWz/s500/electric%20knife%20to%20arm%20g.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="500" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIj0uwfS14oYmhHSxH9Z_UVV2Co7lsLERu-h4mgGLSbjj17TIpeRqrM0D5aOe-s4kg-vzSUbRqEkxZV37zoNVFxHf7cHjS5ku0mPQ25hqf90z_GiJt2wqShPWTmic8zgsOIJ_HKcn2R6Cgv0OxfGAgYYkR2wuAkCXjXHs7HVdmzMoVG12JVtR7afzQxeWz/w400-h168/electric%20knife%20to%20arm%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Kadence learns guitar to become a rock n' roll star (drugs and violence interfere alas) and then aspires to become a writer. Intriguingly Kadence's writing, a short story is the example we are given, is as stark as Bowyer's but with a supernatural horror hook. It also contains one short paragraph where Kadence turns poetic and lavishes the page with poetic descriptions that are vivid and lush. It is as if Bowyer is laughing and saying, "See, I could write this shit if I wanted to." He may not want to charm us blatantly, but he uses a very rock n' roll stylistic device to seduce the reader. Phrases repeat, like a chorus, in refrains that echo, binding the entire novel into one epic song or sadistic symphony that is only missing the guitar solo. That one of the choruses/refrains involves the necrophiliac and Vaseline is hooky or horrific or hilarious. I vote for the latter, even though my inner laughter left me feeling dirty and soiled.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCX3RQErExKOOxlPtc2t6YQGpf7G3J7-kZJMRSJBFTcU3Mt8J8CG_hqWFmyd9_LmsMN9jKkVBl9SIkatwQjD-cXBsDFl2StwhXdFe10jsMMRiK6vz66gegr_fU-NPjrmg4C3w26xRgWZnB95SierYhlidWeB5eR4GefuuHICFSd4-7OUz0kU8gYWXdw68/s1500/woman%20skull%20nipple%20art.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1500" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCX3RQErExKOOxlPtc2t6YQGpf7G3J7-kZJMRSJBFTcU3Mt8J8CG_hqWFmyd9_LmsMN9jKkVBl9SIkatwQjD-cXBsDFl2StwhXdFe10jsMMRiK6vz66gegr_fU-NPjrmg4C3w26xRgWZnB95SierYhlidWeB5eR4GefuuHICFSd4-7OUz0kU8gYWXdw68/w400-h279/woman%20skull%20nipple%20art.png" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Bowyer uses a lot of horror imagery, haunted mansions and lots of skulls. Beatrix is particularly villainous simply because she must be worse than our beloved protagonist Kadence. There was a section where even I felt that Bowyer splatterpunked a little too far. But, as always in these cases, it told me more about my specific moral compass and tolerance than the state of Bowyer's soul. Pushing the limits should be the goal of any horror novel, there are undoubtedly places in <i>Old Too Soon</i> that may push a reader too far. It is the deadpan realism that makes it so disturbing. Kadence accepts her dreadful home life as an 11-year-old and struggles to transcend, or at least escape from, her horrific history. That she does so in such a numb, matter-of-fact manner is truly terrifying. And tragically realistic. Kadence is far from dead inside, but all the sex, drugs and rock n' roll in existence will not give her salvation or peace. In a very old fashioned way, Bowyer posits that love can save, it's just that God will be sure to snatch it away in the goriest, most painful way possible. It's a crazy world.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HymLJLXhNtr_ysEj9fcwDh-CHoh2oFut8Id1vXu9FxNwmJYjgtKgSkA3XanC3H5K-5himrCTPhdZrZ11R1clCBkRT7tygBHJ8Hdy6huAQCqmEgkJ3yd6rfLs4OvNEX7T_qd6T_0dIVwW_F6q10DPmxVgmvGcckqyoXk1_3-lc2oAZZXq1mKCCSSEfBYy/s400/Brian%20Bowyer.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HymLJLXhNtr_ysEj9fcwDh-CHoh2oFut8Id1vXu9FxNwmJYjgtKgSkA3XanC3H5K-5himrCTPhdZrZ11R1clCBkRT7tygBHJ8Hdy6huAQCqmEgkJ3yd6rfLs4OvNEX7T_qd6T_0dIVwW_F6q10DPmxVgmvGcckqyoXk1_3-lc2oAZZXq1mKCCSSEfBYy/w400-h400/Brian%20Bowyer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>The series</b>:<br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/horror-in-personal-context-i-novels-and.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror I</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/influential-horror-ii-novels-and-few.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror II</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/01/funland-under-boardwalk-lurks-heavily.html" target="_blank"><i>Funland</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/chuck-palahniuks-haunted-is-indeed.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted</i> by Chuck Palahniuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/03/banquet-for-damned-two-unrequited.html" target="_blank"><i>Banquet for the Damned</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/the-house-that-dripped-gore-doesnt-draw.html" target="_blank"><i>The House That Dripped Gore</i> by Dan West</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/twilight-eyes-dean-koontzs-carnies-vs.html" target="_blank"><i>Twilight Eyes</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/john-dies-at-end-is-more-humour-than.html" target="_blank"><i>John Dies at the End</i> by David Wong</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/hell-house-gory-gothic-tale-of-sexual.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell House</i> by Richard Matheson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/the-scarlet-gospels-clive-barker-kills.html" target="_blank"><i>The Scarlet Gospels</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-hellbound-heart-clive-barker-mixes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hellbound Heart</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/night-creatures-vampire-in-80s-bathhouse.html" target="_blank"><i>Night Creatures</i> by Jeremy Jordan King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-girl-next-door.html" target="_blank"><i>The Girl Next Door</i> by Jack Ketchum</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/07/red-rain-r-l-stine-for-adults.html" target="_blank"><i>Red Rain</i> by R L Stine</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-troop.html" target="_blank"><i>The Troop</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/pages-torn-from-travel-journal-edward.html" target="_blank"><i>Pages Torn From a Travel Journal</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-funhouse-book.html" target="_blank"><i>The Funhouse</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/scared-stiff-tales-of-sex-and-death.html" target="_blank"><i>Scared Stiff </i>by Ramsey Campbell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/a-choir-of-ill-children.html" target="_blank"><i>A Choir of Ill Children</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/flesh-gothic-edward-lee-ratchets-sex.html" target="_blank"><i>Flesh Gothic</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/slade-house-david-mitchell-goes-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>Slade House</i> by David Mitchell</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mXv-TnY5l5Ea9jRn6FS3ZUJAr-jT-_iB-EA3wZVOVrzCYi-DLOuH2w5eN_0RXRnAV7Br3TuuRMtUy-b0rEuEftoZjR019sfVOksQpDG_316YwINea8WpSZ1RsWZl6XFfsrgP7wDa9b5vUxa1XtQr8lV3LnSarIZjgzuLBKGemWfDHTM-1TD8PHr8A8i9/s300/skulls%20on%20fire%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mXv-TnY5l5Ea9jRn6FS3ZUJAr-jT-_iB-EA3wZVOVrzCYi-DLOuH2w5eN_0RXRnAV7Br3TuuRMtUy-b0rEuEftoZjR019sfVOksQpDG_316YwINea8WpSZ1RsWZl6XFfsrgP7wDa9b5vUxa1XtQr8lV3LnSarIZjgzuLBKGemWfDHTM-1TD8PHr8A8i9/w400-h400/skulls%20on%20fire%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/the-bazaar-of-bad-dreams-body-weakens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bazaar of Bad Dreams</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/horrorstor-retail-is-hell-and-lust-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Horrorstör </i>by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/trigger-warning-warning-neil-gaimans.html" target="_blank"><i>Trigger Warning</i> by Neil Gaiman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/the-gunslinger-dark-tower-i-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gunslinger</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/the-summer-is-ended-and-we-are-not-yet.html" target="_blank"><i>The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved </i>by Joey Comeau</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/haunted-tales-of-grotesque-joyce-carol.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque</i> by Joyce Carol Oates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/04/the-dark-tower-ii-drawing-of-three-dark.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drawing of the Three</i> & <i>The Wastelands</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/05/goldenland-past-dark-chandler-klang.html" target="_blank"><i>Goldenland Past Dark</i> by Chandler Klang Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/the-fireman-joe-hill-writes-epic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Fireman</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/end-of-watch-stephen-king-on-horrors-of.html" target="_blank"><i>End of Watch</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/a-head-full-of-ghosts-paul-tremblay.html" target="_blank"><i>A Head Full of Ghosts</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/the-elementals-camp-comedy-horror-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elementals</i> by Michael McDowell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/nos4a2-have-yourself-scary-little.html" target="_blank"><i>NOS4A2</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-iv-wizard-and-glass.html" target="_blank"><i>Wizard and Glass</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-v-wolves-of-calla.html" target="_blank"><i>Wolves of the Calla</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-vi-song-of-susannah.html" target="_blank"><i>Song of Susannah</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/the-dark-tower-vii-dark-tower-climactic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dark Tower</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/circus-of-damned-meeting-laurell-k.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus of the Damned</i> by Laurell K Hamilton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/tell-my-sorrows-to-stones-christopher.html" target="_blank"><i>Tell My Sorrows to the Stones</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/10/dark-carnival-haunted-circus-kills-just.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Carnival</i> by James A Moore</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/clown-in-moonlight-alienation-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Clown in the Moonlight</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZgx0qvdETVlzAMDqmxHTVSTLpAGayoo6-VjRGPh-Hl6s5Mz-v7Cvp9jPraA4AOxxjFQFmx-WvDTQzJLbZXgY2LQHvOQmWCZZCula2-79rXvE0ubAnIfLBIFVwLTwQ7-B_GfP9BAzdOst9FwXK3nv41mzqb6L9o8INHm0hyYTmpZj94CR2luntXdXQIgU/s760/v%20old%20crow%20ad.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="570" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZgx0qvdETVlzAMDqmxHTVSTLpAGayoo6-VjRGPh-Hl6s5Mz-v7Cvp9jPraA4AOxxjFQFmx-WvDTQzJLbZXgY2LQHvOQmWCZZCula2-79rXvE0ubAnIfLBIFVwLTwQ7-B_GfP9BAzdOst9FwXK3nv41mzqb6L9o8INHm0hyYTmpZj94CR2luntXdXQIgU/w300-h400/v%20old%20crow%20ad.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/father-gaetanos-puppet-catechism-tasty.html" target="_blank"><i>Father Gaetano's Puppet Catechism</i> by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/snowblind-christopher-golden-gives.html" target="_blank"><i>Snowblind</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/01/little-heaven.html" target="_blank"><i>Little Heaven</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/02/the-acolyte-nick-cutters-gory-dystopian.html" target="_blank"><i>The Acolyte</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/06/gwendys-button-box-stephen-king-gets.html" target="_blank"><i>Gwendy's Button Box</i> by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-traveling-vampire-show-richard.html" target="_blank"><i>The Traveling Vampire Show</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/philip-fracassi-altar-and-sacculina-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Altar</i> and <i>Sacculina</i> by Philip Fracassi</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Children</i> by Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>Odd Adventures with Your Other Father</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/it-stephen-kings-masterpiece-of-novel.html" target="_blank"><i>It</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>Life in a Haunted House</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dungeon of Count Verlock</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Lake Monster</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-bone-mother-david-demchuk-creates.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bone Mother</i> by David Demchuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/sleeping-beauties-stephen-and-own-king.html" target="_blank"><i>Sleeping Beauties</i> by Stephen King and Owen King</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-only-child-andrew-pyper-pens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Child</i> by Andrew Pyper</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampire's Kiss</i> by Sonny Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Gay Vampire</i> by Davy S</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/remember-why-you-fear-me.html" target="_blank"><i>Remember Why You Fear Me</i> by Robert Shearman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/october-michael-rowe-pens-classic-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>October </i>by Michael Rowe</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/strange-weather-joe-hills-quartet-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Strange Weather</i> by Joe Hill</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkCXHMnNrFmOOxBMWOTR6bRK6_Sb-4t508DiPYgPwB3Sv-iFq91Jt5M7BoensLh6JqdOEhvBzYzsuMYVdBcBJqHAjaFaN0kXJ0pgkwIISy6f6Fly_3lDN4jkdh-yrrt0hGIbE6ni3jHKvDfvaFem3_4JcTeQnUrLCCnfpHkF9m7diMqWsDhnpKs4BYLb8/s500/pointed%20gun%203d%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="500" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkCXHMnNrFmOOxBMWOTR6bRK6_Sb-4t508DiPYgPwB3Sv-iFq91Jt5M7BoensLh6JqdOEhvBzYzsuMYVdBcBJqHAjaFaN0kXJ0pgkwIISy6f6Fly_3lDN4jkdh-yrrt0hGIbE6ni3jHKvDfvaFem3_4JcTeQnUrLCCnfpHkF9m7diMqWsDhnpKs4BYLb8/w400-h281/pointed%20gun%203d%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-house-edward-lee.html" target="_blank"><i>The House</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/01/lovecraft-country-matt-ruffs-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Lovecraft Country</i> by Matt Ruff</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/fat-vampire-prolific-johnny-b-truant.html" target="_blank"><i>Fat Vampire</i> by Johnny B Truant</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/chords-for-dead-two-men-one-love-ghost.html" target="_blank"><i>Chords for the Dead</i> by Sarah Luddington</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolores Claiborne</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Thinner</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/03/the-ballad-of-black-tom-victor-lavalles.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ballad of Black Tom</i> by Victor LaValle</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/dr-potters-medicine-show.html" target="_blank"><i>Dr Potter's Medicine Show</i> by Eric Scott Fischl</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/the-door-keepers-graham-masterton-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Doorkeepers</i> by Graham Masterton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/floppy-shoes-apocalypse-introduction-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Floppy Shoes Apocalypse</i> edited by John Ledger</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/ghostwritten.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostwritten</i> by David Mitchell</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/the-pilo-family-circus.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pilo Family Circus</i> by Will Elliott</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/house-of-large-sizes-voodoo-sex-and.html" target="_blank"><i>House of Large Sizes</i> by Ian Graham Leask</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-outsider-stephen-king.html" target="_blank"><i>The Outsider</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Tilt</i> by Neal Shusterman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>A Nightmare on Clown Street</i> by R L Stine</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-hollow-man-dan-simmons-on-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hollow Man</i> by Dan Simmons</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/ushers-passing-riffing-on-poe-to-turn.html" target="_blank"><i>Usher's Passing</i> by Robert R McCammon</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNg-5RqIffBcIh9wVISArOw8UvH8k3tFXMIMqBrqSX4IuzyhrjZYXyIboohcyrrdQ77-fEnCiWnT5zLP4jXGTxgX1Cg1ADdfKP6cYgqvFJzB8GZcJ5WxCFthQXyEH8JaU_qtDT2hkC25kVqAGL04MPJxK8MNLTAa5mytUtFeauDE2BziHbQbzEibfssYe/s564/after%20school%20special%20teenage%20alcoholic.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="532" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNg-5RqIffBcIh9wVISArOw8UvH8k3tFXMIMqBrqSX4IuzyhrjZYXyIboohcyrrdQ77-fEnCiWnT5zLP4jXGTxgX1Cg1ADdfKP6cYgqvFJzB8GZcJ5WxCFthQXyEH8JaU_qtDT2hkC25kVqAGL04MPJxK8MNLTAa5mytUtFeauDE2BziHbQbzEibfssYe/w378-h400/after%20school%20special%20teenage%20alcoholic.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/dolly-ghost-story-creepy-literary.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolly</i> by Susan Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/nightwing-killer-vampire-bats-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightwing</i> by Martin Cruz Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/wildwood-bizarro-beach-read-of-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Wildwood</i> by John Farris</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/hex.html" target="_blank"><i>HEX</i> by Thomas Olde Heuvelt</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/coulrophobia-sparklez-clowns-for-chaos.html" target="_blank"><i>Coulrophobia</i> by Tim Miller</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-cabin-at-end-of-world-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cabin at the End of the World</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-loney-creepy-moody-gothic-chiller.html" target="_blank"><i>The Loney</i> by Andrew Michael Hurley</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-saturday-night-ghost-club-craig.html" target="_blank"><i>The Saturday Night Ghost Club</i> by Craig Davidson</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-legacyjohn-coyne-pens-fun.html" target="_blank"><i>The Legacy</i> by John Coyne</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-house-of-small-shadows-adam-nevills.html" target="_blank"><i>The House of Small Shadows</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-mailman-neither-rain-nor-snow-nor.html" target="_blank"><i>The Mailman</i> by Bentley Little</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/disappearance-at-devils-rock-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>Disappearance at Devil's Rock</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-cartoonist-conceptual-coincidence.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cartoonist</i> by Sean Costello</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-vampire-de-sade-wonderful-premise.html" target="_blank"><i>The Vampire de Sade</i> by Mary Ann Mitchell</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-infinite-douglas-clegg.html" target="_blank"><i>The Infinite</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/dark-rainbow-queer-erotic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Rainbow: Queer Erotic Horror</i> edited by Andrew Robertson</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-halloween-man-bit-of-trick-but.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Man</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/elevation-stephen-king-fable-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Elevation</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>For Fear of the Night</i> by Charles L Grant</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>Grimscribe</i> by Thomas Ligotti</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/fantasticland-horror-is-human.html" target="_blank"><i>Fantasticland</i> by Mike Bockoven</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/carter-lovecraft-commercialization-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Carter & Lovecraft</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-night-of-moonbow.html" target="_blank"><i>The Night of the Moonbow</i> by Thomas Tryon</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwlms5fUVPPU4aM09dzjRKyM44DTpckuuYg4JQpZ0k0cbc3e7xkP6_OutA9CrQOqrEx7XpQwCAxKO3dEnHJmdUYAIbFs8wt4OY5YdaykC8D5x9JZZH4EQwjKGO-xQA6bH-BBjU76EYWq2hkFN0RBEjRMWNgJgiI9GeeLUbCXxJuXKXDcGirZbuDL_LhPc/s390/drug%20dealer%20psa%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="390" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwlms5fUVPPU4aM09dzjRKyM44DTpckuuYg4JQpZ0k0cbc3e7xkP6_OutA9CrQOqrEx7XpQwCAxKO3dEnHJmdUYAIbFs8wt4OY5YdaykC8D5x9JZZH4EQwjKGO-xQA6bH-BBjU76EYWq2hkFN0RBEjRMWNgJgiI9GeeLUbCXxJuXKXDcGirZbuDL_LhPc/w400-h300/drug%20dealer%20psa%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/witching-hour-theatre-nostalgia-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>Witching Hour Theatre</i> by Johnathan Janz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Nobody Was Here</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Hoppers</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/terror-by-moonlight-critter-catchers.html" target="_blank"><i>Terror by Moonlight (Critter Catchers Book 1)</i> by Hank Edwards</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightmare House</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Mischief</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-kills-issac-thornes-collected.html" target="_blank"><i>Road Kills</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-passage-epic-absorbing-chronicle-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Passage</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The Twelve</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The City of Mirrors</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/house-beneath-bridge-vivid-and-vicious.html" target="_blank"><i>House Beneath the Bridge</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-gordon-place-isaac-thorne-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gordon Place</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/johannes-cabal-necromancer.html" target="_blank"><i>Johannes Cabal the Necromancer</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/hellfire.html" target="_blank"><i>Hellfire</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/circus-tarot-cards-and-clowns-will.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus Tarot</i> by Charles W Jones</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/colony-of-lost-derik-cavignanos.html" target="_blank"><i>Colony of the Lost</i> by Derik Cavignano</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB61NoPOMKRfxte7qHiSGc86zvmf1XL0TzGbXjSBo4uSnVWUt9Z9decunO0QQ-DR3jX_hZp2_8o58xQOJYb3IkiK2eUBK2KLkHDurFCHHba9bWmPtg1vDYhrGxXnJnPGUl1uOVAmewYBbOv5TvEGtiTo2l1np-OELgOXiMDEwXQv9skNug56i9Agz0qND/s600/blood%20on%20walls.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimB61NoPOMKRfxte7qHiSGc86zvmf1XL0TzGbXjSBo4uSnVWUt9Z9decunO0QQ-DR3jX_hZp2_8o58xQOJYb3IkiK2eUBK2KLkHDurFCHHba9bWmPtg1vDYhrGxXnJnPGUl1uOVAmewYBbOv5TvEGtiTo2l1np-OELgOXiMDEwXQv9skNug56i9Agz0qND/w374-h400/blood%20on%20walls.jpg" width="374" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/while-industriously-working-away-on.html" target="_blank"><i>Second Child</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-darkness-david-b-silvas-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Darkness</i> by David B Silva</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-demons-possession-loose-morals.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Demons</i> by Mason Burgess</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/drag-thing-more-camp-than-horror-or.html" target="_blank"><i>Drag Thing</i> by Victor J Banis</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/bubba-ho-tep-elderly-elvis-soul-sucking.html" target="_blank"><i>Bubba Ho-Tep</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/dark-ride-iain-rob-wright-delivers.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Ride</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/see-them-dance-cranch-clown-and-zirkus.html" target="_blank"><i>See Them Dance</i> by Freder</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-drive-in-b-movie-with-blood-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drive-in</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-nest-and-roaches-shall-inherit-earth.html" target="_blank"><i>The Nest</i> by Gregory A Douglas</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/coyote-songs-gabino-iglesias-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>Coyote Songs</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/boys-life-revisiting-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>Boy's Life</i> by Robert R McCammon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/growing-things-and-other-stories-book.html" target="_blank"><i>Growing Things and Other Stories</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-freakshow-bryan-smiths-extreme.html" target="_blank"><i>The Freakshow</i> by Bryan Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/clownflesh-horror-author-tim-curran.html" target="_blank"><i>Clownflesh</i> by Tim Curran</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-manhattan-hunt-club.html" target="_blank"><i>The Manhattan Hunt Club</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/craven-manor-dary-coates-gothic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Craven Manor</i> by Darcy Coates</a><br />
<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-institute-stephen-kings-conspiracy.html" target="_blank">The Institute by Stephen King</a></i><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-dollmakers-daughters-where.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dollmaker's Daughters</i> by Abigail Padgett</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/carnival-of-fear-jg-fahertys-explosion.html" target="_blank"><i>Carnival of Fear</i> by JG Faherty</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/final-girls.html" target="_blank"><i>Final Girls</i> by Riley Sager</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/ninth-house-leigh-bardugo-conjures-up.html" target="_blank"><i>Ninth House</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/angel-of-abyss-ed-kurtzs-noir-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Angel of the Abyss</i> by Ed Kurtz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-naughty-boy-for-krampus-or-two.html" target="_blank"><i>A Naughty Boy for Krampus or Two</i> by Quinn D'Angelo</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2fKLWZz1yyRDcy_BCpkEK8O7n2TyFNzw8iYg7sUikJ3uOg0QfpCrH6RoHqbg5SCPNT3n-UpaWbuddY4tI49QJV8e73FoGGeK6wXeVYgWDxXcVH-PB7P0f0exj7-TUe9_r6DInwf4phUzfBKkzFcFUgArb5QfC4fP6BOLCyz5mJYUZhoPpukhz8xo0SzP/s245/cleaver%20in%20face%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="245" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2fKLWZz1yyRDcy_BCpkEK8O7n2TyFNzw8iYg7sUikJ3uOg0QfpCrH6RoHqbg5SCPNT3n-UpaWbuddY4tI49QJV8e73FoGGeK6wXeVYgWDxXcVH-PB7P0f0exj7-TUe9_r6DInwf4phUzfBKkzFcFUgArb5QfC4fP6BOLCyz5mJYUZhoPpukhz8xo0SzP/w400-h333/cleaver%20in%20face%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/ghoul-brian-keenes-despair-over.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghoul</i> by Brian Keene</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/queen-of-blood-bryan-smith-catalogues.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Blood</i> by Bryan Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/neverland-childhood-ends-in-dilapidated.html" target="_blank"><i>Neverland</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/noon-spell-something-evil-shines-under.html" target="_blank"><i>Noon Spell</i> by J N Williamson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/salvage-duncan-ralstons-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Salvage</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-necronomnomnomicon-cookbook-of-dead.html" target="_blank"><i>The Necronomnomnomicon: Cookbook of the Dead</i> by Felix Galvan</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/phantom-rage-big-horror-in-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Phantom Rage</i> by William Blackwell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-haunted-forest-tour-copious-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>The Haunted Forest Tour</i> by James A Moore and Jeff Strand</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/ghostland-duncan-ralstons-killer-thrill.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostland</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-auctioneer-prescient-or-tragically.html" target="_blank"><i>The Auctioneer</i> by Joan Samson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/full-throttle-cohesive-coming-of-age.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Throttle</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-window-when-man-in-mirror-is-pair.html" target="_blank"><i>The Window</i> by Glenn Rolfe</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/island-of-dolls-murders-observed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>Island of the Dolls</i> by Jeremy Bates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-southern-book-clubs-guide-to.html" target="_blank"><i>The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires</i> by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-boys-on-mountain-intoxicating.html" target="_blank"><i>The Boys on the Mountain</i> by John Inman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/if-it-bleeds-four-novellas-from-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>If It Bleeds</i> by Stephen King</a><br /><a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/07/survivor-song-horror-so-real-it-hurts.html" target="_blank"><i>Survivor Song</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br /><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/09/combustion-fiery-erotic-gay-horror-from.html" target="_blank"><i>Combustion</i> by Daniel W Kelly</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHNpUUfUtSoj2ZAjjufRQSLu9Hjd1ZFf5ltw0_g4Nic2uarVBdY3Sf_N-Yl3iLYgduSCjvuY1cunKQamUTo6iDCm9pMkG8tEHIgINlLGHa3B-1sq_ORjndJOnxGwmDuweYqk6PxoyDVgeS94vGxLaFW6sA8J4OU6fUiL3DabWfwf8U7bHw9lQBLTQej4A/s622/skulls%20on%20shelves.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="622" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHNpUUfUtSoj2ZAjjufRQSLu9Hjd1ZFf5ltw0_g4Nic2uarVBdY3Sf_N-Yl3iLYgduSCjvuY1cunKQamUTo6iDCm9pMkG8tEHIgINlLGHa3B-1sq_ORjndJOnxGwmDuweYqk6PxoyDVgeS94vGxLaFW6sA8J4OU6fUiL3DabWfwf8U7bHw9lQBLTQej4A/w400-h394/skulls%20on%20shelves.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/01/afterlife-dead-and-digital-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Afterlife</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/01/rise-of-thing-down-below-returning-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Rise of the Thing Down Below</i> by Daniel W Kelly</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/05/tenebrion-rejuvenating-blast-of-sheer.html" target="_blank"><i>Tenebrion</i> by James H Longmore</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/05/342-abercorn-renovating-and-living-in.html" target="_blank"><i>342 Abercorn</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/06/shockadelica-how-well-do-you-know-your.html" target="_blank"><i>Shockadelica</i> by Jon O'Bergh</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/06/bacchanal-carnival-of-horror-from-inside.html" target="_blank"><i>Bacchanal</i> by Veronica G Henry</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/07/scream-ride-thrills-and-chills-on-every.html" target="_blank"><i>Scream Ride</i> by D I Russell</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/08/catmagic-witches-mad-scientists.html" target="_blank"><i>Catmagic</i> by Whitley Strieber</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elvis Room</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Good Indian</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-artistry-of-stephen-graham-jones.html" target="_blank"><i>Zombie Bake-Off</i> by Stephen Graham Jones</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/red-x-david-demchuks-novel-is-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Red X</i> by David Demchuk</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/10/feral-creatures-can-feral-werewolf-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Feral Creatures </i>by Tommy Ousslander</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2021/12/infinite-third-volume-of-ghostland.html" target="_blank"><i>Infinite</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>2B</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>A Laymon Kind of Night</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>Van People</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-2b.html" target="_blank"><i>Asylum</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells </a></div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/plain-bad-heroines-emily-m-danforth.html" target="_blank"><i>Plain Bad Heroines</i> by Emily M Danforth</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-wakening-jg-faherty-explores.html" target="_blank"><i>The Wakening</i> by JG Faherty</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-night-in-lonesome-october-dog.html" target="_blank"><i>A Night in the Lonesome October</i> by Roger Zelazny and Gahan Wilson</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-ii.html" target="_blank"><i>Tales From the Typewriter</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UoeuwxMI9n7WmeSR1e7jfZ8wjAt4k1OfW2JjAagEKkGYReNrebMztqahTm5Wn0Zpn8QOmS01qRxhrUUwxpPj4mWcHP71A4bamd6Ske2r0pz1MwX2b_in2MW16ZrujcIeDKvg568jTH33WGwoxAbX_mSQuqWT4GEHOokugEy_jCw4vTsXC3DZrlTaGZVl/s450/kissing%20rainbow%20lesbian%20toon%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="450" height="371" 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Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/gross-out-woom-splatterfest-attendees.html" target="_blank"><i>Gross Out</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/05/lot-lizards-ray-garons-pulpy.html" target="_blank"><i>Lot Lizards</i> by Ray Garton</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/06/straight-chuck-tingle-tingles-with-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>Straight</i> by Chuck Tingle</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-inhuman-condition-cleansed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>The Inhuman Condition</i> by Clive Barker</a></div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/queen-of-teeth-body-horror-vagina.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Teeth</i> by Hailey Piper</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/welcome-to-smileyland-and-sister.html" target="_blank"><i>Welcome to Smileyland</i> by Spencer Hamilton</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/welcome-to-smileyland-and-sister.html" target="_blank"><i>Sister Funtime</i> by Spencer Hamilton</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/hell-spring-isaac-thorne-unleashes-soul.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell Spring</i> by Isaac Thorne</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/twentieth-anniversary-screening-even.html"><i>Twentieth Anniversary Screening</i> by Jeff Strand</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-devil-takes-you-home-black-magic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Devil Takes You Home</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-pallbearers-club-terrifying.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pallbearers Club</i> by Paul Tremblay</a> </div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-right-hand-of-evil-john-saul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Right Hand of Evil</i> by John Saul</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/montagues-carnival-of-delights-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Montague's Carnival of Delights and Terror</i> by Jamie Stewart</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/they-thirst-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>They Thirs</i>t by Robert R McCammon</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/fairy-tale-stephen-king-and-theres-no.html" target="_blank"><i>Fairy Tale</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/queer-little-nightmares-anthology-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Queer Little Nightmares</i> edited by David Ly & Daniel Zomparelli</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGL_lZ13uliXW2dKhyWxCQlstUt9DU9MTgAqv2nPkXrjZmxDxVKdelTDfPP8DaERv0lFFjg6878k3EWKfMzvQM0pOeabuMAof9E5fr9_uOhzvmAdftkgQi5grTxwTI81pBYeNFU8fES1L_VGTuKC1I-tJQZsZIwvXjmb5Ctt2XbtAlC4dP4IyOvIRfERb/s450/women%20in%20prison%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="450" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGL_lZ13uliXW2dKhyWxCQlstUt9DU9MTgAqv2nPkXrjZmxDxVKdelTDfPP8DaERv0lFFjg6878k3EWKfMzvQM0pOeabuMAof9E5fr9_uOhzvmAdftkgQi5grTxwTI81pBYeNFU8fES1L_VGTuKC1I-tJQZsZIwvXjmb5Ctt2XbtAlC4dP4IyOvIRfERb/w400-h214/women%20in%20prison%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/11/dearly-departed-sephera-giron-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Dearly Departed</i> by Sephera Giron & Andrew Robertson</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-sleeping-car-porter-underside-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Sleeping Car Porter</i> by Suzette Mayr</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/lucid-when-dreams-become-nightmare.html" target="_blank"><i>Lucid</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/goblin-small-town-full-of-wonder-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Goblin</i> by Josh Malerman</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/horror-show-b-movies-become-real-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Horror Show</i> by Greg Kihn</a></div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/haunted-attractions-with-your-other.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted Attractions with Your Other Father</i> by Norman Prentiss</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-ghost-that-ate-us-tragic-true-story.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ghost That Ate Us</i> by Daniel Kraus</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-exorcists-house.html" target="_blank"><i>The Exorcist's House</i> by Nick Roberts</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/a-ghost-of-chance-horror-slash-mystery.html" target="_blank"><i>A Ghost of a Chance</i> by Josh Lanyon</a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/03/autumn-gothic-deadpan-extreme-violence.html" target="_blank"><i>Autumn Gothic</i> by Brian Bowyer</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/04/hell-bent-alex-stern-goes-to-hell-few.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell Bent</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/05/septic-novella-of-suspense-trapped-in.html" target="_blank"><i>Septic</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCApRmiy2nm-_ANhfxx5hnJbEzfzIlMVV_rIXNPaPZnc3sRZYAoMG-qW20sCy6jJCu8CiC9LGHvxAQXwCMpkcNJ13h-tdkggt95kOsrZ5QfiiF92DVslcWNNRV2kFhzbhOQGp78fgXNP-Kt6dRLjrG9C8k2fEZTnBw38JswA7cctXv6J2mqcwxnvMGHon/s450/implements%20of%20torture%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="450" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCApRmiy2nm-_ANhfxx5hnJbEzfzIlMVV_rIXNPaPZnc3sRZYAoMG-qW20sCy6jJCu8CiC9LGHvxAQXwCMpkcNJ13h-tdkggt95kOsrZ5QfiiF92DVslcWNNRV2kFhzbhOQGp78fgXNP-Kt6dRLjrG9C8k2fEZTnBw38JswA7cctXv6J2mqcwxnvMGHon/w400-h170/implements%20of%20torture%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/05/house-of-illusions-at-first-children.html" target="_blank"><i>House of Illusions</i> by Ruby Jean Jensen</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/gothic-dangers-of-horror-writing-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Gothic</i> by Philip Fracassi</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/blood-kiss.html" target="_blank"><i>Blood Kiss</i> by J Daniel Stone</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-rising-tropes-invented-as-they-rise.html" target="_blank"><i>The Rising</i> by Brian Keene</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/suburban-gothic-inner-lives-of-meat-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Suburban Gothic</i> by Brian Keene and Bryan Smith</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/wedding-day-massacre-disgusting-gore.html"><i>Wedding Day Massacre</i> by Aron Beauregard</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/08/anais-nin-at-grand-guignol-creating-art.html" target="_blank"><i>Anais Nin at the Grand Guignol</i> by Robert Levy</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/mexican-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>Mexican Gothic</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/holly-stephen-king-and-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Holly</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/all-hollows-supernatural-slashers.html" target="_blank"><i>All Hollows</i> by Christopher Golden</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/vampires-anonymous-gay-will-forever-be.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampires Anonymous</i> by Jeffrey N McMahan</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/daubed-in-darkness-when-arty-throuple.html" target="_blank"><i>Daubed in Darkness</i> by J Daniel Stone</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/haunted-places-and-other-stories-ghosts.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted Places and Other Stories</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-only-safe-place-left-is-dark-lean.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark</i> by Warren Wagner</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-handyman-method-horrors-of-nuclear.html" target="_blank"><i>The Handyman Method</i> by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/old-too-soon-innocence-lost-in-sea-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Old Too Soon</i> by Brian Bowyer</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-daughter-of-doctor-moreau-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/furnace-real-evil-wears-tailored-pink.html" target="_blank"><i>Furnace</i> by Muriel Gray</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/progeny-of-adder-hard-bitten-detective.html" target="_blank"><i>Progeny of the Adder</i> by Leslie H Whitten</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/03/something-wicked-something-dark-french.html" target="_blank"><i>Something Wicked Something Dark</i> by Jamie Stewart</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-7967536541030443132024-01-26T04:18:00.001-05:002024-01-26T05:02:16.810-05:00Casey and Diana: an extraordinary production gains power in a remount<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhWviidkyhvzBUjVXTzat0mQzK_AXHJ0kHYjhwnlPqNV9ccp1aQCFbpNfzxOrPhHQeEuE52pgiDY7vQ6j327vB1KnPZTQbmS-uZltdubznvmiC9GublTcWp19qK4tzYOYlBmGF5tBbhQPCzZ4RINuZ5IqushVGQdACkoOvokBJkQOEPpK7UQ9TLYxhtuA/s900/Casey%20and%20Diana%2004.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhWviidkyhvzBUjVXTzat0mQzK_AXHJ0kHYjhwnlPqNV9ccp1aQCFbpNfzxOrPhHQeEuE52pgiDY7vQ6j327vB1KnPZTQbmS-uZltdubznvmiC9GublTcWp19qK4tzYOYlBmGF5tBbhQPCzZ4RINuZ5IqushVGQdACkoOvokBJkQOEPpK7UQ9TLYxhtuA/w400-h320/Casey%20and%20Diana%2004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Those of us lucky enough to have experienced <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/06/casey-and-diana-stratford-2023-part-i.html" target="_blank"><i>Casey and Diana</i> at the Stratford Festival in June of 2023</a>, will never forget it. Neither I suspect will those who are lucky enough to see the remount at Soulpepper which, mercifully, is getting a well-deserved much longer run. Perhaps remount is the wrong word and it should be labelled a 'transfer,' as the cast and main creatives remain the same. The sole significant difference is that Soulpepper's <i>Casey and Diana</i> is presented on a proscenium stage as opposed to the intimate thrust stage of Stratford's Studio Theatre. Initially I was concerned that this would create a distancing effect, allowing the audience to become voyeurs to the raw emotions instead of enveloped by them. It was an unnecessary worry, midway through the first act, the powerful script, performances and staging had the audience committed and enthralled. The addition of one simple venture down the theatre aisle even proved a crucial thematic point, thrusting any attempt of distancing into one's face. The reality created was so visceral, that one simultaneously reacted and reacted to one's reaction, just as people did to AIDS in 1991. An instantaneous lesson in simple theatricality and skill slicing to the heart of humanity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGX-DrwJZeXbgVxx2H8rr-rFzXD5-zZQ-jyIJpNlp0Lg0C3Cx9xUfp1_ZC1LMTVADx7wm_cbe3Bv_B812fjf8Hq2rcb01danV0g0o50bI228AgLIdP6cQO8zFQ6RzQpzFdLDIncKPaotEV6S2irLgKLHiVLE5CkwCz_jso7e07mHM5joDXVpuYFQE-DkM6/s900/Casey%20and%20Diana%2002.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGX-DrwJZeXbgVxx2H8rr-rFzXD5-zZQ-jyIJpNlp0Lg0C3Cx9xUfp1_ZC1LMTVADx7wm_cbe3Bv_B812fjf8Hq2rcb01danV0g0o50bI228AgLIdP6cQO8zFQ6RzQpzFdLDIncKPaotEV6S2irLgKLHiVLE5CkwCz_jso7e07mHM5joDXVpuYFQE-DkM6/w400-h320/Casey%20and%20Diana%2002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The only differences from my original review (which I am going to cut and paste below) is that the performances have grown even deeper and more naturalistic than I remember. That allows Nick Green's script, which is supported by a highly poetic doubling of thematic elements, to be blatantly operatic while remaining firmly grounded. The lyrical repetitions registered but, more importantly, they resonated. The fabulously gay conflation of fashion, death, royalty and wit, may not hold up to intellectual scrutiny, but it is utterly convincing and our hearts know that it is factual. Sean Arbuckle creates a bitter aria out of "so, so sad," and Linda Cash takes such joy in zingers, even those aimed at her, that the heightened reality matches the unrelieved horror of those times. <i>Casey and Diana</i> feels like a documentary instead of carefully constructed threads and metaphors. Opening night there were a few sound glitches making a few sound effects more emphatic than they needed to be, but the final image is now so haunting and cathartic that it is breathtaking and heartbreaking in equal measure. And unforgettable.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKC2xqPcfxgRQu-K9wefVnvM099NULURN9ezbC12vHkSCbLhYiFxnbmdOlNC1IRYL5NqEJQ-UHtCzMF8ZdQ4c3Ni6Wo_QExREC6volquJrkK79Vc9SzOXZ71mtFJjHe0sq4ZrGsYS4nWT-7XxY3vX8_WtUIKAhDUXo4Fq-htiexnei6qUsiZgExBxB7If/s900/Casey%20and%20Diana%2001.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKC2xqPcfxgRQu-K9wefVnvM099NULURN9ezbC12vHkSCbLhYiFxnbmdOlNC1IRYL5NqEJQ-UHtCzMF8ZdQ4c3Ni6Wo_QExREC6volquJrkK79Vc9SzOXZ71mtFJjHe0sq4ZrGsYS4nWT-7XxY3vX8_WtUIKAhDUXo4Fq-htiexnei6qUsiZgExBxB7If/w400-h320/Casey%20and%20Diana%2001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From June 10, 2023:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">"You have to laugh to keep from dying."<br />"Then tell me a million jokes."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />When the kindly ushers at the Stratford festival put down their "Please Turn Off All Devices" signs to proffer Kleenex, it is obvious that <i>Casey and Diana</i> has moved the audience on a gut level. I freely admit to stifling sobs at the end of the first act and ugly crying though the climax of the second. That is not to say that <i>Casey and Diana</i> is a tearjerker or a manipulative AIDS play, the tears are cathartic. Shared with the rest of the audience lucky enough to be in attendance, with the remarkable cast, with the memories of those we lost, with the complicated emotions we all have around death and our own mortality. With the realization of just how close biting gay humour is to gallows humour. And how necessary both are.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmrrew-7Wqr6Fqz3YfbYMmHXhoW_KqDugzy20t4hKWVCWkT7HrElLclzIgfxedxWr25__9H_Hro59eN2jdxS0BxpIMD2ZCP6SmqHncVYIpKDaJsJAotoKPxs2j2JuCfnqpZFo7UFbaI5dR_OKo1zZpXs91omJyYE3uhzkd5iI3OR5MhcPRJrOvRo6tdZR/s900/Casey%20and%20Diana%2006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmrrew-7Wqr6Fqz3YfbYMmHXhoW_KqDugzy20t4hKWVCWkT7HrElLclzIgfxedxWr25__9H_Hro59eN2jdxS0BxpIMD2ZCP6SmqHncVYIpKDaJsJAotoKPxs2j2JuCfnqpZFo7UFbaI5dR_OKo1zZpXs91omJyYE3uhzkd5iI3OR5MhcPRJrOvRo6tdZR/w400-h320/Casey%20and%20Diana%2006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Casey and Diana</i> takes place at <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2013/08/25-years-of-casey-house.html" target="_blank">Casey House</a> in the week leading up to Princess Diana's historic visit to the hospice. The visit that did so much to raise awareness and reduce stigma about AIDS by the simple human act of the royal guest holding the hands of the men afflicted with a disease we then knew so little about. And were so terrified of. Thomas, who is one of the longest survivors at Casey House, is obsessed with preparing for the visit and making sure that he makes an impression. He rehearses and fantasizes his encounter with the princess, and a version of her obligingly shows up. As played by Sean Arbuckle, Thomas is the life of the party. The conversation, more of a monologue though he does have the perfect and hilarious icebreaker question, is in fluent gay speak: humorous, bitter, and laced with pop culture references with a longing for glamour. Arbuckle is brilliant and plays achingly with Krystin Pellerin's Diana who radiates regal compassion and effortless poise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjip5_thquWyd7N1K_RmkqViPJYWJ0LsEcGOl3AeI4udqJJVnEVVAAW4dUjc1dwUd6WrTJ2G2S5xj4FfHuEMqcfpMd0MoGO0gdsqAJ79WHMnv_YvsaM6Fd24oGhyphenhyphenL8EnkNvjOUSHwrt1sfle6KkCtyxO9kwfqvDnP9sqvFVBWtZpykKhdlwR30836wTP0ty/s900/Casey%20and%20Diana%2003.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjip5_thquWyd7N1K_RmkqViPJYWJ0LsEcGOl3AeI4udqJJVnEVVAAW4dUjc1dwUd6WrTJ2G2S5xj4FfHuEMqcfpMd0MoGO0gdsqAJ79WHMnv_YvsaM6Fd24oGhyphenhyphenL8EnkNvjOUSHwrt1sfle6KkCtyxO9kwfqvDnP9sqvFVBWtZpykKhdlwR30836wTP0ty/w400-h320/Casey%20and%20Diana%2003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But Diana's visit is just the hook for what playwright Nick Green (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/dr-silver-celebration-of-life-true-cult.html" target="_blank">Dr Silver</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2014/05/geeks-in-lust-hackerlove.html" target="_blank">Hackerlove</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2012/04/dancing-queen-is-achingly-romantic.html" target="_blank">Dancing Queen</a></i>) wants to explore. There are several other relationships revolving around Thomas's shared room, Casey House, and Diana's impending visit. Sophia Walker is the nurse who struggles to keep her emotions concealed—she is there to help, as she says, these men die with dignity—behind an efficient exterior. Linda Kash (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/caroline-or-change-humble-revealed-as.html" target="_blank">Caroline, or Change</a></i>) is a volunteer who develops an intense maternal relationship with new arrival Davinder Malhi who has multiple issues of his own. The volunteer already has a bantering relationship with Thomas. Laura Condlln (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/08/frankenstein-revived-monster-lives.html" target="_blank">Frankenstein Revived</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/fifteen-dogs-exuberant-tragedy-and-what.html" target="_blank">Fifteen Dogs</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-virgin-trial-thriller-of-queen.html" target="_blank">The Virgin Trial</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/sisters-charming-adaptation-of-grim.html" target="_blank">Sisters</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/04/fun-home-stellar-cast-sings-and-dances.html" target="_blank">Fun Home</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/10/an-enemy-of-people-wildly-entertaining.html" target="_blank">An Enemy of the People</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2014/11/sextet-orchestrating-perfect-farce.html" target="_blank">Sextet</a></i>) is Thomas's estranged, once very close, sister. All of them have complicated links with and reactions to AIDS as well as to each other. And with gay life. The cast, all exemplary, wrap their pain in gay speak, discover and reveal, and fire off zinging quips. They are all warm and fragile people we want to know, flaws and all. The reality they create does not encompass all the politics, fear and horror that was AIDS, but Green gifts us a multitude of experiences that meld with our own perceptions to create an empathy that outshines Diana's.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL2ck9IemMHh76PlP-8zKU_4xVw3ve1wFLsreApuLUEdeMNd0Sq56_YaVEiDOfXXxD0ZRHDLQ9di2NP5Ca2PedYRYgEjWFeYmHIFf2ZOs2N_D48XhXzOZ8xy3gGptK0YPn5tdTmJbKwS4mTqYpRss3WAAjJKs-ABNU-RGqmvY4ezRGAxpqZ_csPJRPZpx/s900/Casey%20and%20Diana%2005.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL2ck9IemMHh76PlP-8zKU_4xVw3ve1wFLsreApuLUEdeMNd0Sq56_YaVEiDOfXXxD0ZRHDLQ9di2NP5Ca2PedYRYgEjWFeYmHIFf2ZOs2N_D48XhXzOZ8xy3gGptK0YPn5tdTmJbKwS4mTqYpRss3WAAjJKs-ABNU-RGqmvY4ezRGAxpqZ_csPJRPZpx/w400-h320/Casey%20and%20Diana%2005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Director Andrew Kushnir (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/towards-youth-play-on-radical-hope.html" target="_blank">Towards Youth</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/11/wormwood-magic-and-politics-poetry-and.html" target="_blank">Wormwood</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2014/04/battling-for-cock.html" target="_blank">Cock</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-gay-heritage-project-fine-tuned-for.html" target="_blank">The Gay Heritage Project</a></i>) matches Green's heightened gay reality with an unobtrusive touch, moving the action seamlessly, expanding and shrinking the confined hospice room to match the emotional states and conflicts. Shifting in and out of Thomas's reality and fantasy. In one particularly vivid moment, a visceral reaction is drawn from the audience, that in a lesser play or production would be a dramatic moment. Instead it becomes a powerful flash of self-reflection as the main thematic conflict in <i>Casey and Diana</i> is revealed to be one of our own. It is closely matched by the final image, a simple but effective coup de theatre, that infuses a climax of exquisite pain with unbearable joy, transcending Green's clever parallel structure into pure emotional catharsis.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZO5F3RuxqmyMou4K7_Bundvlmx1c3ufgYGhJkFywajBnJkspkjO2QAurhLGJzVpbGhBlZHC58O8c-1opO2ECBu4OiupT9nfuuUxK5io5BT6eXfMCh4FlwNoTcPCXe-W5W8WLC6S3tFTrwQpghaeYB_x8NtidQba7hBF8Zn4PvuWDdDyxD6ZgsvUHq-rAA/s900/sean%20arbuckle.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="719" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZO5F3RuxqmyMou4K7_Bundvlmx1c3ufgYGhJkFywajBnJkspkjO2QAurhLGJzVpbGhBlZHC58O8c-1opO2ECBu4OiupT9nfuuUxK5io5BT6eXfMCh4FlwNoTcPCXe-W5W8WLC6S3tFTrwQpghaeYB_x8NtidQba7hBF8Zn4PvuWDdDyxD6ZgsvUHq-rAA/w320-h400/sean%20arbuckle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Casey and Diana</i> is getting a tragically short run but those who are lucky enough to experience it, will never forget it. Being produced at the Stratford Festival is an important factor in the impact. The midweek matinee I attended, was not a gay audience. Yes, there was a sprinkling of us homos (including two twinks proudly wearing souvenir Broadway musical t-shirts) but the majority of the audience was composed of presumably straight couples of a certain age. Serious festival patrons and theatregoers. And they all needed the provided Kleenex. The incredible thing that the cast and creatives of <i>Casey and Diana</i> have done, is to create an AIDS play that slices through our gender and sexuality barriers to get to the heart of what makes us similar, the humanity we share. Yes, <i>Casey and Diana</i> triggered my own personal memories and traumas, but it also achieves a universal context. A very gay, very powerful play flourishing in a suddenly no longer staid environment. Thomas keeps wondering why his, and Diana's, heads don't explode from all that is happening to them. It isn't their heads, it's the audience's hearts</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Photos by Dahlia Katz</i><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> <br />Casey and Diana <i>continues until Sunday, February 11 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, Historical Distillery District. soulpepper.ca</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpO8ra6XwKTb0McZO-tc_JlXkI9-9_yKKzsFzdSvkXMfGg1nQg7OSynInle8Z9HqMPj7MU1y3CPm0mj9V9I50Lj72IJxspv4N-UlzSZBRxFATRKSleW7RzhAzS2QgBcA3C7_SlQEAYDc_MRH4mRa5gIx_yqF7SyBIh1QFZ9tP78OowcMmKd_0wOWtz5ZMq/s900/zCasey%20and%20Diana%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="900" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpO8ra6XwKTb0McZO-tc_JlXkI9-9_yKKzsFzdSvkXMfGg1nQg7OSynInle8Z9HqMPj7MU1y3CPm0mj9V9I50Lj72IJxspv4N-UlzSZBRxFATRKSleW7RzhAzS2QgBcA3C7_SlQEAYDc_MRH4mRa5gIx_yqF7SyBIh1QFZ9tP78OowcMmKd_0wOWtz5ZMq/w640-h370/zCasey%20and%20Diana%20banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div></div>Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758779313854501528.post-65834852395819420802024-01-16T04:29:00.006-05:002024-03-20T06:23:39.051-04:00The Handyman Method: the horrors of the nuclear family are beyond repair<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuzQfVpIkB4QF7FX-FAtGWm1MvG25KQjHJEftE3AZ4RNHu0kKUnhQ2dQJg-SGSpKzPcju_oS79OBw9HsEQTXnZ87iFNwYkYkQA8_8EvZqcEh3OgvXYZSZAbREGzK2L-5muZAgO72p5SRkmYELGt_3qeomp-fcyUMbjaERu4Ns7NSA5DIqgHRocv5NMyUn/s480/fantasy%20handyman%20toon%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="480" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuzQfVpIkB4QF7FX-FAtGWm1MvG25KQjHJEftE3AZ4RNHu0kKUnhQ2dQJg-SGSpKzPcju_oS79OBw9HsEQTXnZ87iFNwYkYkQA8_8EvZqcEh3OgvXYZSZAbREGzK2L-5muZAgO72p5SRkmYELGt_3qeomp-fcyUMbjaERu4Ns7NSA5DIqgHRocv5NMyUn/w400-h370/fantasy%20handyman%20toon%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div>While industriously working away on another project, I realized that, while being reasonably well read, I was not well versed in the horror genre. I have developed a taste for Stephen King (reviews of</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/stephen-kings-revival.html" target="_blank">Revival</a>, <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/09/needful-things-stephen-king-at-his-best.html" target="_blank">Needful Things</a><i>, </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" target="_blank">Joyland</a><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/06/joy-found-in-joyland.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"> </a><i>and</i> <a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/06/stephen-king-drives-mr-mercedes-full.html" target="_blank">Mr Mercedes</a> <i>have boosted the readership of this blog immensely, especially after Mr King himself expressed his pleasure with the </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/10/sequel-to-shining-shines.html" target="_blank">Dr Sleep</a><i> review and his amusement at my short story</i> "<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2004/01/in-stephen-kings-motel-room.html" target="_blank"><i>In Stephen King's Motel Room</i></a>"<i>) and that led to </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2014/11/lost-boy-lost-girl-and-horror-of-bram.html" target="_blank"><i>Peter Straub</i></a><i>. </i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2013/11/genres-collide-in-creepy-gothic-glory.html" target="_blank"><i>Michael Rowe</i></a><i> I was already well acquainted with. How to immerse myself in the best of the canon? </i><i>As usual I was both practical and impulsive: I googled "the best," "the scariest," and "the most terrifying" horror novels and cross-referenced. I had already read a surprising number but that only meant my to-research list was going to tend towards the less mainstream and popular, which was fine by me. And so I began.</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Despite the severe backlog of books in my to-read pile, I couldn't resist browsing the endlessly enticing shelves at Little Ghosts. Though I resisted the full volume of volumes I coveted, I couldn't pass up a new Nick Cutter (<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-saturday-night-ghost-club-craig.html" target="_blank">The Saturday Night Ghost Club</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2017/01/little-heaven.html" target="_blank">Little Heaven</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-troop.html" target="_blank">The Troop</a></i>, <i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-acolyte-nick-cutters-gory-dystopian.html" target="_blank">The Acolyte</a></i>). The friendly clerk remarked that she hadn't read it yet but was really curious. I explained that I was a huge Nick Cutter fan and, while surprised that I hadn't heard anything about <i>The Handyman Method</i>, I didn't feel I was taking a risk in splurging. She confessed that she hadn't read Cutter but that she was an admirer of Andrew F Sullivan who is the co-author. My copy of <i>The Marigold</i> is still in the to-read pile, but her recommendation erased any concerns I didn't have about the collaboration. She insisted that I let her know what I thought. Here it is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKblEw7Yd6ZtKgS9UCcA9Az-eelnD5JfHbQ0rTvtTM9EkV966s_-qNJflrBZe2mlGgzG3DU4TB3KtVk6ED3XLrJPJeeDP8rZP-anIqCm91BGD9j7hFnXi19wOyjxSdiaC_MFWDqmDmWCR66og0IDeJNR-WbDZ1Rabojb1Upzs_ep3Db-c6a5JQZ-EG8Mrd/s900/zhandyman%20method%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="579" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKblEw7Yd6ZtKgS9UCcA9Az-eelnD5JfHbQ0rTvtTM9EkV966s_-qNJflrBZe2mlGgzG3DU4TB3KtVk6ED3XLrJPJeeDP8rZP-anIqCm91BGD9j7hFnXi19wOyjxSdiaC_MFWDqmDmWCR66og0IDeJNR-WbDZ1Rabojb1Upzs_ep3Db-c6a5JQZ-EG8Mrd/w258-h400/zhandyman%20method%20cover.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>The Handyman Method</i> opens with a nuclear family—father Trent, mother Rita, son Milo and pet turtle Morty—arriving at their new home. The house is a model dwelling on the edge of a new subdivision it is supposedly advertising, though the landscaping so far is just dirt. Immediately there are tensions in the marriage and the house, while beautiful, is subtly portrayed as being an evil entity that thrives on the secrets the family is concealing from the world and each other. Within a few pages, the family begins to disintegrate and the house begins to exert its influence. The main storyline follows Trent's descent into what appears to be madness. He is on leave from his job as a lawyer so begins, with the help of online tutorial videos from Handyman Hank's YouTube channel, a series of minor home repairs. The repairs become major as the house seems to morph, fall apart, expand and mutate. Mysterious voices echo, things crawl in the walls, and Trent is bitten by something that appears to have nested in a crack in the drywall of the master bedroom. And so begins a quite effective if sledgehammered (pun intended) satirical treatise on toxic masculinity.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">While Trent is struggling to prove his masculinity through tool size and quantity, the son Milo also has an online advisor: Little Boy Blue. Milo begins building machine creatures and instruments that include a phone that is a direct line to demonic voices. The phone factors in a scene with Rita that, when first read, is confusing and cliché, but once there has been a twist on a twist in the plot, it proves to be a brilliant piece of foreshadowing in reverse. Both father and son are compelled to dig into the house's foundations and they find a mixed metaphor of objects. Some are living creatures which are described in a gruesomely disgusting manner that is appetizingly nauseating, and some are mechanical or digital which are by nature colder. The parallel tracks don't quite track and <i>The Handyman Method</i>, until a reveal quite near the end of the book, feels inconsistent and a bit confused.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYgzy0IG27Hw-0k9bQnnsiR3yhkK8Lp0cyi1iuxEvZ9p9KgZEk-4vVh3C67nVyhxOLBzz81rrPrp0y8TLcsmzGAkfMMaQiCX4XWZZOjcxDFE6T57RhoWSW52P1G361AK0XqNCZ-jcqyhQn3MkzjfRqauWoI58pL1UFvcS46LXiL24TeoVMxL9FiJIfxfo/s400/handyman%20giant%20phallic%20drill%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYgzy0IG27Hw-0k9bQnnsiR3yhkK8Lp0cyi1iuxEvZ9p9KgZEk-4vVh3C67nVyhxOLBzz81rrPrp0y8TLcsmzGAkfMMaQiCX4XWZZOjcxDFE6T57RhoWSW52P1G361AK0XqNCZ-jcqyhQn3MkzjfRqauWoI58pL1UFvcS46LXiL24TeoVMxL9FiJIfxfo/w400-h300/handyman%20giant%20phallic%20drill%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">While the big picture may seem cloudy or unfocussed, the individual elements are striking. Trent's struggle with being masculine enough to satisfy Hank is as frightening as it is comical. It leads him, and the reader, to some very dark places with a climactic set piece involving an arm in a drain (blatant symbolism) that is more shocking and gorily grotesque than an actual castration. Morty the turtle meets a, no surprise, horrific fate involving symbolic colours. One's heart aches for Milo as he is pulled into the supernatural while simultaneously suffering from his father's concerns about his son's lack of machismo. Further unbalancing the novel is an insistence on identifying with Trent even as he becomes a home repair obsessed version of Jack Torrance. It is unusual, enough so to be disconcerting, for a novel in 2024 to focus on the plight of a cisgendered heterosexual male. What was a standard—Roth, Updike, Laymon—is now a novelty. When the Cutter and Sullivan finally flip tradition on its head, there is still a faint whiff of misogyny and homophobia that lingers. I am sure, I hope, that wasn't what the authors intended, and is just a result of our unrelenting heritage of being indoctrinated.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_jfBjbGTWhLklov23yyzvXo_DWboQovsVQngqnGdGczKvSlFMXF9NsDgoKQxXh4YRBZ7IJTtfmDBt7XCf3fbQZBGYl6uZh3YComh1axc-gRle1Vq8LflsJLL-BrjMpo5ZSwxWUqsMGPSwAekOYXcKVnbTyFnpZQ7UBkiycD29SU8_7NAEGYNppCrPHvz/s220/handyman%20bottome%20line%20guys%20g.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="124" data-original-width="220" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_jfBjbGTWhLklov23yyzvXo_DWboQovsVQngqnGdGczKvSlFMXF9NsDgoKQxXh4YRBZ7IJTtfmDBt7XCf3fbQZBGYl6uZh3YComh1axc-gRle1Vq8LflsJLL-BrjMpo5ZSwxWUqsMGPSwAekOYXcKVnbTyFnpZQ7UBkiycD29SU8_7NAEGYNppCrPHvz/w400-h225/handyman%20bottome%20line%20guys%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>The Handyman Method</i> is a compulsive if occasionally frustrating read. The inconsistent tone makes it feel a little padded, while the final twists beg for more fleshing out. The writing is stunning, with sentences that crawl under one's skin and Trent's inner trauma brought vividly to life. Rita, by necessity, remains more of a cipher, while Milo and Morty are often reduced to plot devices. But this is Trent's story. Until it isn't and we launch into a Lovecraftian dystopia that is horrific but also comic, paralleling Trent's, paralleling every man's, attempts to be masculine enough to be secure in the face of unrelenting evil and horror. Evil and horror aided by conniving women, soul sucking children, and houses that refuse to become homes, that insist on draining one of one's soul, sanity and sexual dominance. A handyman can fix almost anything but the horrors of the nuclear family's demands on a man is apparently beyond repair.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdG87qQ98eY3agQl7SHOcGUTd66Rx8z0ozamifHhHEKe0slDHjJVIXAFLVDkzTIuCcvLVH8hq0WHUuBBmXNuAMLP9C1SxRAZkftBPhOTMr-V8jPREvbDEQBSnA-Q9RBu4tCuPGPYhQbw7zCYpYK9kAff6b9PjlMVh8a6EFXRckJzrUOiMSxeKry5TZ1WZ5/s600/Nick%20Cutter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="600" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdG87qQ98eY3agQl7SHOcGUTd66Rx8z0ozamifHhHEKe0slDHjJVIXAFLVDkzTIuCcvLVH8hq0WHUuBBmXNuAMLP9C1SxRAZkftBPhOTMr-V8jPREvbDEQBSnA-Q9RBu4tCuPGPYhQbw7zCYpYK9kAff6b9PjlMVh8a6EFXRckJzrUOiMSxeKry5TZ1WZ5/w400-h263/Nick%20Cutter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><br /></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>The series</b>:<br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/horror-in-personal-context-i-novels-and.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror I</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/influential-horror-ii-novels-and-few.html" target="_blank">Influential Horror II</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/01/funland-under-boardwalk-lurks-heavily.html" target="_blank"><i>Funland</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/02/chuck-palahniuks-haunted-is-indeed.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted</i> by Chuck Palahniuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/03/banquet-for-damned-two-unrequited.html" target="_blank"><i>Banquet for the Damned</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/the-house-that-dripped-gore-doesnt-draw.html" target="_blank"><i>The House That Dripped Gore</i> by Dan West</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/04/twilight-eyes-dean-koontzs-carnies-vs.html" target="_blank"><i>Twilight Eyes</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/john-dies-at-end-is-more-humour-than.html" target="_blank"><i>John Dies at the End</i> by David Wong</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/hell-house-gory-gothic-tale-of-sexual.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell House</i> by Richard Matheson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/05/the-scarlet-gospels-clive-barker-kills.html" target="_blank"><i>The Scarlet Gospels</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-hellbound-heart-clive-barker-mixes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hellbound Heart</i> by Clive Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/night-creatures-vampire-in-80s-bathhouse.html" target="_blank"><i>Night Creatures</i> by Jeremy Jordan King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-girl-next-door.html" target="_blank"><i>The Girl Next Door</i> by Jack Ketchum</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/07/red-rain-r-l-stine-for-adults.html" target="_blank"><i>Red Rain</i> by R L Stine</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh36ki3OEgsE6lgoYRgtDG0ZLGfj0ixxoBJRRpRwntCoyUw_ZXOzym3XZs4DqjbJs6gf2yKnE8SwZgLSF2s_ytD0EW31GZ4snlLW4o1uo4rMueEBpvsZ4rfjF09mmMzSzzeJAEb6k8Mu-wWQREMAUFc-iRTC4FZ8dr0rNPjkYRP1GF02PFqHZ0JQYfI7faR/s3040/Andrew%20Sullivan.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3040" data-original-width="2999" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh36ki3OEgsE6lgoYRgtDG0ZLGfj0ixxoBJRRpRwntCoyUw_ZXOzym3XZs4DqjbJs6gf2yKnE8SwZgLSF2s_ytD0EW31GZ4snlLW4o1uo4rMueEBpvsZ4rfjF09mmMzSzzeJAEb6k8Mu-wWQREMAUFc-iRTC4FZ8dr0rNPjkYRP1GF02PFqHZ0JQYfI7faR/w395-h400/Andrew%20Sullivan.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-troop.html" target="_blank"><i>The Troop</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/pages-torn-from-travel-journal-edward.html" target="_blank"><i>Pages Torn From a Travel Journal</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-funhouse-book.html" target="_blank"><i>The Funhouse</i> by Dean Koontz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/09/scared-stiff-tales-of-sex-and-death.html" target="_blank"><i>Scared Stiff </i>by Ramsey Campbell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/a-choir-of-ill-children.html" target="_blank"><i>A Choir of Ill Children</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/10/flesh-gothic-edward-lee-ratchets-sex.html" target="_blank"><i>Flesh Gothic</i> by Edward Lee</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/slade-house-david-mitchell-goes-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>Slade House</i> by David Mitchell</a><br />
<div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/the-bazaar-of-bad-dreams-body-weakens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bazaar of Bad Dreams</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/11/horrorstor-retail-is-hell-and-lust-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Horrorstör </i>by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/trigger-warning-warning-neil-gaimans.html" target="_blank"><i>Trigger Warning</i> by Neil Gaiman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2015/12/the-gunslinger-dark-tower-i-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gunslinger</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/the-summer-is-ended-and-we-are-not-yet.html" target="_blank"><i>The Summer is Ended and We Are Not Yet Saved </i>by Joey Comeau</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/01/haunted-tales-of-grotesque-joyce-carol.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque</i> by Joyce Carol Oates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/04/the-dark-tower-ii-drawing-of-three-dark.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drawing of the Three</i> & <i>The Wastelands</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/05/goldenland-past-dark-chandler-klang.html" target="_blank"><i>Goldenland Past Dark</i> by Chandler Klang Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/the-fireman-joe-hill-writes-epic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Fireman</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/end-of-watch-stephen-king-on-horrors-of.html" target="_blank"><i>End of Watch</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/06/a-head-full-of-ghosts-paul-tremblay.html" target="_blank"><i>A Head Full of Ghosts</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/the-elementals-camp-comedy-horror-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Elementals</i> by Michael McDowell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/07/nos4a2-have-yourself-scary-little.html" target="_blank"><i>NOS4A2</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-iv-wizard-and-glass.html" target="_blank"><i>Wizard and Glass</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUn7hLPvZ4DZ4aS6Az8RC6MNWl5dorVFWTs08r_dU4y8W9-mRUiS33ym3_s6y08kkKI87B8kFX9CFxe1V65YT7RH-TPKp1iZ-73E3KQbyreHFMPO_0uCNIribc1TEAwYYqDeFEhZ4Sk9W7qwONlUDRbH5p0XMAOXW1m6llvNJ-hpM4-KiNvxucwTnYGnkW/s400/handyman%20chooses%20drill%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUn7hLPvZ4DZ4aS6Az8RC6MNWl5dorVFWTs08r_dU4y8W9-mRUiS33ym3_s6y08kkKI87B8kFX9CFxe1V65YT7RH-TPKp1iZ-73E3KQbyreHFMPO_0uCNIribc1TEAwYYqDeFEhZ4Sk9W7qwONlUDRbH5p0XMAOXW1m6llvNJ-hpM4-KiNvxucwTnYGnkW/w400-h300/handyman%20chooses%20drill%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-v-wolves-of-calla.html" target="_blank"><i>Wolves of the Calla</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dark-tower-vi-song-of-susannah.html" target="_blank"><i>Song of Susannah</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/the-dark-tower-vii-dark-tower-climactic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dark Tower</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/circus-of-damned-meeting-laurell-k.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus of the Damned</i> by Laurell K Hamilton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/09/tell-my-sorrows-to-stones-christopher.html" target="_blank"><i>Tell My Sorrows to the Stones</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/10/dark-carnival-haunted-circus-kills-just.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Carnival</i> by James A Moore</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/clown-in-moonlight-alienation-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Clown in the Moonlight</i> by Tom Piccirilli</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/father-gaetanos-puppet-catechism-tasty.html" target="_blank"><i>Father Gaetano's Puppet Catechism</i> by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2016/11/snowblind-christopher-golden-gives.html" target="_blank"><i>Snowblind</i> by Christopher Golden</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/01/little-heaven.html" target="_blank"><i>Little Heaven</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/02/the-acolyte-nick-cutters-gory-dystopian.html" target="_blank"><i>The Acolyte</i> by Nick Cutter</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/06/gwendys-button-box-stephen-king-gets.html" target="_blank"><i>Gwendy's Button Box</i> by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-traveling-vampire-show-richard.html" target="_blank"><i>The Traveling Vampire Show</i> by Richard Laymon</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/philip-fracassi-altar-and-sacculina-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Altar</i> and <i>Sacculina</i> by Philip Fracassi</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Children</i> by Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEl425VZFfqccV_YCEVLjZ5j9DGJJARUeyHZ7MEKCztIm412LKzeyk9uZSD2ZReFhtbWIsL7XOsvnpy32G1pA-BMpr5UN54kcfBI1s-spxrgBIx_pUYoIElXRYCuqOUNH0q_jS1-5H6bBlN9BLTte2M_QlcW654r65cvgDIWen2VCTmwNb1RtDpA2XWzz/s546/tutorial%20fix%20big%20hole.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="546" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEl425VZFfqccV_YCEVLjZ5j9DGJJARUeyHZ7MEKCztIm412LKzeyk9uZSD2ZReFhtbWIsL7XOsvnpy32G1pA-BMpr5UN54kcfBI1s-spxrgBIx_pUYoIElXRYCuqOUNH0q_jS1-5H6bBlN9BLTte2M_QlcW654r65cvgDIWen2VCTmwNb1RtDpA2XWzz/w400-h258/tutorial%20fix%20big%20hole.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/08/the-halloween-children-and-odd.html" target="_blank"><i>Odd Adventures with Your Other Father</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/it-stephen-kings-masterpiece-of-novel.html" target="_blank"><i>It</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>Life in a Haunted House</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dungeon of Count Verlock</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/09/life-in-haunted-house-norman-prentiss.html" target="_blank"><i>The Lake Monster</i> by Norman Prentiss</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-bone-mother-david-demchuk-creates.html" target="_blank"><i>The Bone Mother</i> by David Demchuk</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/sleeping-beauties-stephen-and-own-king.html" target="_blank"><i>Sleeping Beauties</i> by Stephen King and Owen King</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-only-child-andrew-pyper-pens.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Child</i> by Andrew Pyper</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampire's Kiss</i> by Sonny Barker</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/10/vampires-kiss-and-gay-vampire-vintage.html" target="_blank"><i>Gay Vampire</i> by Davy S</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/remember-why-you-fear-me.html" target="_blank"><i>Remember Why You Fear Me</i> by Robert Shearman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/october-michael-rowe-pens-classic-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>October </i>by Michael Rowe</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/strange-weather-joe-hills-quartet-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Strange Weather</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2017/11/the-house-edward-lee.html" target="_blank"><i>The House</i> by Edward Lee</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYzJQD4iq8Rw5PTAsGEwAvt1i-IEqPJNgt5X4BcFPjVHo0G0m79V7_oucK2GtBalnCNV68vsAn9MP-5m3SdP6ekMGLL6Fad-3FX8d9aNoPrVUVsMQBZ-_Mn6m7hLxia52YEcPCs2Va0X6XGtOsxZ-TYRJevMNp3l98snR8gFHSeZjZ42PZshJQPUpcXKp/s450/handyman%20giant%20drill%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYzJQD4iq8Rw5PTAsGEwAvt1i-IEqPJNgt5X4BcFPjVHo0G0m79V7_oucK2GtBalnCNV68vsAn9MP-5m3SdP6ekMGLL6Fad-3FX8d9aNoPrVUVsMQBZ-_Mn6m7hLxia52YEcPCs2Va0X6XGtOsxZ-TYRJevMNp3l98snR8gFHSeZjZ42PZshJQPUpcXKp/w400-h400/handyman%20giant%20drill%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/01/lovecraft-country-matt-ruffs-multi.html" target="_blank"><i>Lovecraft Country</i> by Matt Ruff</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/fat-vampire-prolific-johnny-b-truant.html" target="_blank"><i>Fat Vampire</i> by Johnny B Truant</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/chords-for-dead-two-men-one-love-ghost.html" target="_blank"><i>Chords for the Dead</i> by Sarah Luddington</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolores Claiborne</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/02/dolores-claiborne-and-thinner-stephen.html" target="_blank"><i>Thinner</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/03/the-ballad-of-black-tom-victor-lavalles.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ballad of Black Tom</i> by Victor LaValle</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/dr-potters-medicine-show.html" target="_blank"><i>Dr Potter's Medicine Show</i> by Eric Scott Fischl</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/the-door-keepers-graham-masterton-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Doorkeepers</i> by Graham Masterton</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/04/floppy-shoes-apocalypse-introduction-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Floppy Shoes Apocalypse</i> edited by John Ledger</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/ghostwritten.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostwritten</i> by David Mitchell</a></div>
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/the-pilo-family-circus.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pilo Family Circus</i> by Will Elliott</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.ca/2018/05/house-of-large-sizes-voodoo-sex-and.html" target="_blank"><i>House of Large Sizes</i> by Ian Graham Leask</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-outsider-stephen-king.html" target="_blank"><i>The Outsider</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Tilt</i> by Neal Shusterman</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/carnivals-of-terror-full-tilt-and.html" target="_blank"><i>A Nightmare on Clown Street</i> by R L Stine</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-hollow-man-dan-simmons-on-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Hollow Man</i> by Dan Simmons</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/ushers-passing-riffing-on-poe-to-turn.html" target="_blank"><i>Usher's Passing</i> by Robert R McCammon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/dolly-ghost-story-creepy-literary.html" target="_blank"><i>Dolly</i> by Susan Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/nightwing-killer-vampire-bats-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightwing</i> by Martin Cruz Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/07/wildwood-bizarro-beach-read-of-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Wildwood</i> by John Farris</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/hex.html" target="_blank"><i>HEX</i> by Thomas Olde Heuvelt</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/coulrophobia-sparklez-clowns-for-chaos.html" target="_blank"><i>Coulrophobia</i> by Tim Miller</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-cabin-at-end-of-world-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cabin at the End of the World</i> by Paul Tremblay</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZu5PJv0uQBE3VOg82yjvya78YhzVsd_ZAwV9GMe7V_tscn6s0ShwYpoPiDcRBClY85ApiWkElDSbYLj2EfBU4skUA1va2sTepBa718-z74LRDHkGHRym0ddET7hwSoZ9yFbDEwoNzCRN0LgKGK1sgstCF2CHDAbWchL-HYEMpmh759wL_7YRnsmB-qeq9/s900/sexy%20handyman%20toon.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="610" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZu5PJv0uQBE3VOg82yjvya78YhzVsd_ZAwV9GMe7V_tscn6s0ShwYpoPiDcRBClY85ApiWkElDSbYLj2EfBU4skUA1va2sTepBa718-z74LRDHkGHRym0ddET7hwSoZ9yFbDEwoNzCRN0LgKGK1sgstCF2CHDAbWchL-HYEMpmh759wL_7YRnsmB-qeq9/w271-h400/sexy%20handyman%20toon.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-loney-creepy-moody-gothic-chiller.html" target="_blank"><i>The Loney</i> by Andrew Michael Hurley</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-saturday-night-ghost-club-craig.html" target="_blank"><i>The Saturday Night Ghost Club</i> by Craig Davidson</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-legacyjohn-coyne-pens-fun.html" target="_blank"><i>The Legacy</i> by John Coyne</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-house-of-small-shadows-adam-nevills.html" target="_blank"><i>The House of Small Shadows</i> by Adam Nevill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-mailman-neither-rain-nor-snow-nor.html" target="_blank"><i>The Mailman</i> by Bentley Little</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/disappearance-at-devils-rock-paul.html" target="_blank"><i>Disappearance at Devil's Rock</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-cartoonist-conceptual-coincidence.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cartoonist</i> by Sean Costello</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-vampire-de-sade-wonderful-premise.html" target="_blank"><i>The Vampire de Sade</i> by Mary Ann Mitchell</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-infinite-douglas-clegg.html" target="_blank"><i>The Infinite</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/dark-rainbow-queer-erotic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Rainbow: Queer Erotic Horror</i> edited by Andrew Robertson</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-halloween-man-bit-of-trick-but.html" target="_blank"><i>The Halloween Man</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/elevation-stephen-king-fable-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Elevation</i> by Stephen King</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>For Fear of the Night</i> by Charles L Grant</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/11/for-fear-of-night-and-grimscribe.html" target="_blank"><i>Grimscribe</i> by Thomas Ligotti</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/fantasticland-horror-is-human.html" target="_blank"><i>Fantasticland</i> by Mike Bockoven</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/carter-lovecraft-commercialization-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Carter & Lovecraft</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-night-of-moonbow.html" target="_blank"><i>The Night of the Moonbow</i> by Thomas Tryon</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/witching-hour-theatre-nostalgia-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>Witching Hour Theatre</i> by Johnathan Janz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Nobody Was Here</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2018/12/nobody-was-here-and-hoppers-dark-comic.html" target="_blank"><i>Hoppers</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/terror-by-moonlight-critter-catchers.html" target="_blank"><i>Terror by Moonlight (Critter Catchers Book 1)</i> by Hank Edwards</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Nightmare House</i> by Douglas Clegg</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVF0i1nZvJ93D45K48-q0vZmgBi6mX3O44EiVBNG8DtebCdCCZZPUd08W4WCwwh5nE23TKLGJalpqKIzum9VWU9bUUCOrN6NLEweCiCFQCG6HFH8slp4H9_2RsWhSs395gKQR6s_yLcHtt3mc4DiVvDReb7anTpcuqXiGNrZZgidbwOclW2tWAjJwBmHh/s350/sexy%20handyman%20flash%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVF0i1nZvJ93D45K48-q0vZmgBi6mX3O44EiVBNG8DtebCdCCZZPUd08W4WCwwh5nE23TKLGJalpqKIzum9VWU9bUUCOrN6NLEweCiCFQCG6HFH8slp4H9_2RsWhSs395gKQR6s_yLcHtt3mc4DiVvDReb7anTpcuqXiGNrZZgidbwOclW2tWAjJwBmHh/w400-h400/sexy%20handyman%20flash%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/nightmare-house-and-mischief.html" target="_blank"><i>Mischief</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/road-kills-issac-thornes-collected.html" target="_blank"><i>Road Kills</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-passage-epic-absorbing-chronicle-of.html" target="_blank"><i>The Passage</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The Twelve</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-twelve-city-of-mirrors-page-turner.html" target="_blank"><i>The City of Mirrors</i> by Justin Cronin</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/house-beneath-bridge-vivid-and-vicious.html" target="_blank"><i>House Beneath the Bridge</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-gordon-place-isaac-thorne-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>The Gordon Place</i> by Isaac Thorne</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/03/johannes-cabal-necromancer.html" target="_blank"><i>Johannes Cabal the Necromancer</i> by Jonathan L Howard</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/hellfire.html" target="_blank"><i>Hellfire</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/circus-tarot-cards-and-clowns-will.html" target="_blank"><i>Circus Tarot</i> by Charles W Jones</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/colony-of-lost-derik-cavignanos.html" target="_blank"><i>Colony of the Lost</i> by Derik Cavignano</a><br />
<a href="http://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/while-industriously-working-away-on.html" target="_blank"><i>Second Child</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-darkness-david-b-silvas-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Darkness</i> by David B Silva</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/04/child-of-demons-possession-loose-morals.html" target="_blank"><i>Child of Demons</i> by Mason Burgess</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/drag-thing-more-camp-than-horror-or.html" target="_blank"><i>Drag Thing</i> by Victor J Banis</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/bubba-ho-tep-elderly-elvis-soul-sucking.html" target="_blank"><i>Bubba Ho-Tep</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/05/dark-ride-iain-rob-wright-delivers.html" target="_blank"><i>Dark Ride</i> by Iain Rob Wright</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/see-them-dance-cranch-clown-and-zirkus.html" target="_blank"><i>See Them Dance</i> by Freder</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-drive-in-b-movie-with-blood-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Drive-in</i> by Joe R Lansdale</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-nest-and-roaches-shall-inherit-earth.html" target="_blank"><i>The Nest</i> by Gregory A Douglas</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/06/coyote-songs-gabino-iglesias-writes.html" target="_blank"><i>Coyote Songs</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/boys-life-revisiting-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>Boy's Life</i> by Robert R McCammon</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xCKyqZ_4ZcugDrjWp3v2kqrU9zNra0MU-_FflUD687BUGmtdi1uIqRYn4GDW6QwLhyL-96xqqXj_7uKNsoFih11Xc99CxySwm-rGwf3yfpMRwsLZg3DIQe308bwnDE4lLhpfHWxlVU2X4TrS2UBw9DS6nC_MLFFMEWarogQZHK6Un0OBD1bnKKiCutoV/s479/tutorial%20fix%20drywall.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="479" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xCKyqZ_4ZcugDrjWp3v2kqrU9zNra0MU-_FflUD687BUGmtdi1uIqRYn4GDW6QwLhyL-96xqqXj_7uKNsoFih11Xc99CxySwm-rGwf3yfpMRwsLZg3DIQe308bwnDE4lLhpfHWxlVU2X4TrS2UBw9DS6nC_MLFFMEWarogQZHK6Un0OBD1bnKKiCutoV/w400-h220/tutorial%20fix%20drywall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/07/growing-things-and-other-stories-book.html" target="_blank"><i>Growing Things and Other Stories</i> by Paul Tremblay</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-freakshow-bryan-smiths-extreme.html" target="_blank"><i>The Freakshow</i> by Bryan Smith</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/08/clownflesh-horror-author-tim-curran.html" target="_blank"><i>Clownflesh</i> by Tim Curran</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-manhattan-hunt-club.html" target="_blank"><i>The Manhattan Hunt Club</i> by John Saul</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/craven-manor-dary-coates-gothic-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Craven Manor</i> by Darcy Coates</a><br />
<i><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-institute-stephen-kings-conspiracy.html" target="_blank">The Institute by Stephen King</a></i><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-dollmakers-daughters-where.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dollmaker's Daughters</i> by Abigail Padgett</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/carnival-of-fear-jg-fahertys-explosion.html" target="_blank"><i>Carnival of Fear</i> by JG Faherty</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/final-girls.html" target="_blank"><i>Final Girls</i> by Riley Sager</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/ninth-house-leigh-bardugo-conjures-up.html" target="_blank"><i>Ninth House</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/11/angel-of-abyss-ed-kurtzs-noir-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Angel of the Abyss</i> by Ed Kurtz</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/a-naughty-boy-for-krampus-or-two.html" target="_blank"><i>A Naughty Boy for Krampus or Two</i> by Quinn D'Angelo</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/ghoul-brian-keenes-despair-over.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghoul</i> by Brian Keene</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/queen-of-blood-bryan-smith-catalogues.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Blood</i> by Bryan Smith</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ayVK-_YAZyrnxos1USVeJw66VJstF-VGD4I9Nynnw-WksQ25x6ym_DhUINkllEmYFMGdjFj7piWHdjABsCwKTLlZiCkWau94fpjXcCGcO2n6gbCRW40VjVR2e5Cf5Y_ZpfFhde6M36OqqrHL0dMgNgyzD5c5GvzK8Ud-VEo00aDlNoDPSIAlzY1lvnao/s467/handyman%20drill%20as%20gun%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="467" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ayVK-_YAZyrnxos1USVeJw66VJstF-VGD4I9Nynnw-WksQ25x6ym_DhUINkllEmYFMGdjFj7piWHdjABsCwKTLlZiCkWau94fpjXcCGcO2n6gbCRW40VjVR2e5Cf5Y_ZpfFhde6M36OqqrHL0dMgNgyzD5c5GvzK8Ud-VEo00aDlNoDPSIAlzY1lvnao/w400-h349/handyman%20drill%20as%20gun%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/neverland-childhood-ends-in-dilapidated.html" target="_blank"><i>Neverland</i> by Douglas Clegg</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/noon-spell-something-evil-shines-under.html" target="_blank"><i>Noon Spell</i> by J N Williamson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2019/12/salvage-duncan-ralstons-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Salvage</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-necronomnomnomicon-cookbook-of-dead.html" target="_blank"><i>The Necronomnomnomicon: Cookbook of the Dead</i> by Felix Galvan</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/phantom-rage-big-horror-in-small-town.html" target="_blank"><i>Phantom Rage</i> by William Blackwell</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-haunted-forest-tour-copious-gore.html" target="_blank"><i>The Haunted Forest Tour</i> by James A Moore and Jeff Strand</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/ghostland-duncan-ralstons-killer-thrill.html" target="_blank"><i>Ghostland</i> by Duncan Ralston</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-auctioneer-prescient-or-tragically.html" target="_blank"><i>The Auctioneer</i> by Joan Samson</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/full-throttle-cohesive-coming-of-age.html" target="_blank"><i>Full Throttle</i> by Joe Hill</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-window-when-man-in-mirror-is-pair.html" target="_blank"><i>The Window</i> by Glenn Rolfe</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/island-of-dolls-murders-observed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>Island of the Dolls</i> by Jeremy Bates</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-southern-book-clubs-guide-to.html" target="_blank"><i>The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires</i> by Grady Hendrix</a><br />
<a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-boys-on-mountain-intoxicating.html" target="_blank"><i>The Boys on the Mountain</i> by John Inman</a><br />
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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzZUQHgR8DAru6e0wPPHa70pyoJNMDBGSgmBS6mf5y5HC1JKh4Nd1lnhxlBTfwLkogbut3YcrURVOHyhSvMmjp0vmj2g4LrPofn6t5dHOWP0Fs-fBjyDtBMJePdObeTCp4blYrIZbHpztWD1KzuW4v_QeXBnTV8z4DplJrTnzzhgjjPLNFH3t_KFZIycB/s400/changing%20drill%20bit%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHzZUQHgR8DAru6e0wPPHa70pyoJNMDBGSgmBS6mf5y5HC1JKh4Nd1lnhxlBTfwLkogbut3YcrURVOHyhSvMmjp0vmj2g4LrPofn6t5dHOWP0Fs-fBjyDtBMJePdObeTCp4blYrIZbHpztWD1KzuW4v_QeXBnTV8z4DplJrTnzzhgjjPLNFH3t_KFZIycB/w400-h300/changing%20drill%20bit%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-wakening-jg-faherty-explores.html" target="_blank"><i>The Wakening</i> by JG Faherty</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/02/a-night-in-lonesome-october-dog.html" target="_blank"><i>A Night in the Lonesome October</i> by Roger Zelazny and Gahan Wilson</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-ii.html" target="_blank"><i>Tales From the Typewriter</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-artistry-of-mark-allan-gunnells-ii.html" target="_blank"><i>When it Rains</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/03/incarnate-innocence-vs-very-haunted.html" target="_blank"><i>Incarnate</i> by Steve Stred</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/scary-stories-to-tell-in-dark-worms.html" target="_blank"><i>Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark</i> by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/gross-out-woom-splatterfest-attendees.html" target="_blank"><i>Woom</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/04/gross-out-woom-splatterfest-attendees.html" target="_blank"><i>Gross Out</i> by Duncan Ralston</a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/05/lot-lizards-ray-garons-pulpy.html" target="_blank"><i>Lot Lizards</i> by Ray Garton</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/06/straight-chuck-tingle-tingles-with-gay.html" target="_blank"><i>Straight</i> by Chuck Tingle</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-inhuman-condition-cleansed-by.html" target="_blank"><i>The Inhuman Condition</i> by Clive Barker</a></div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/queen-of-teeth-body-horror-vagina.html" target="_blank"><i>Queen of Teeth</i> by Hailey Piper</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/welcome-to-smileyland-and-sister.html" target="_blank"><i>Welcome to Smileyland</i> by Spencer Hamilton</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/welcome-to-smileyland-and-sister.html" target="_blank"><i>Sister Funtime</i> by Spencer Hamilton</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/07/hell-spring-isaac-thorne-unleashes-soul.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell Spring</i> by Isaac Thorne</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/twentieth-anniversary-screening-even.html"><i>Twentieth Anniversary Screening</i> by Jeff Strand</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG_yntdVWEfMHup7N0hENu-kzw2-0jlAbvukIkElwmcm4kt06ppGImti70ENjWmkrisOoaURqjq1M2iguffda4A1SzkvB5-Lgly7xivlDxEFbFdCXnb5OniSq4K030V5FLn8mbXV2_I6pLIdFCJAidKUljko2_Y717follJ2nIR-dFLgUmqV3isrim32l/s709/sexy%20handyman%2003.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="485" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG_yntdVWEfMHup7N0hENu-kzw2-0jlAbvukIkElwmcm4kt06ppGImti70ENjWmkrisOoaURqjq1M2iguffda4A1SzkvB5-Lgly7xivlDxEFbFdCXnb5OniSq4K030V5FLn8mbXV2_I6pLIdFCJAidKUljko2_Y717follJ2nIR-dFLgUmqV3isrim32l/w274-h400/sexy%20handyman%2003.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-devil-takes-you-home-black-magic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Devil Takes You Home</i> by Gabino Iglesias</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-pallbearers-club-terrifying.html" target="_blank"><i>The Pallbearers Club</i> by Paul Tremblay</a> </div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-right-hand-of-evil-john-saul.html" target="_blank"><i>The Right Hand of Evil</i> by John Saul</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/montagues-carnival-of-delights-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Montague's Carnival of Delights and Terror</i> by Jamie Stewart</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/09/they-thirst-robert-r-mccammons.html" target="_blank"><i>They Thirs</i>t by Robert R McCammon</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/fairy-tale-stephen-king-and-theres-no.html" target="_blank"><i>Fairy Tale</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/10/queer-little-nightmares-anthology-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Queer Little Nightmares</i> edited by David Ly & Daniel Zomparelli</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/11/dearly-departed-sephera-giron-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Dearly Departed</i> by Sephera Giron & Andrew Robertson</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-sleeping-car-porter-underside-and.html" target="_blank"><i>The Sleeping Car Porter</i> by Suzette Mayr</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/lucid-when-dreams-become-nightmare.html" target="_blank"><i>Lucid</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/goblin-small-town-full-of-wonder-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Goblin</i> by Josh Malerman</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/01/horror-show-b-movies-become-real-horror.html" target="_blank"><i>Horror Show</i> by Greg Kihn</a></div></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/haunted-attractions-with-your-other.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted Attractions with Your Other Father</i> by Norman Prentiss</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-ghost-that-ate-us-tragic-true-story.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ghost That Ate Us</i> by Daniel Kraus</a></div></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-exorcists-house.html" target="_blank"><i>The Exorcist's House</i> by Nick Roberts</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/02/a-ghost-of-chance-horror-slash-mystery.html" target="_blank"><i>A Ghost of a Chance</i> by Josh Lanyon</a></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/03/autumn-gothic-deadpan-extreme-violence.html" target="_blank"><i>Autumn Gothic</i> by Brian Bowyer</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/04/hell-bent-alex-stern-goes-to-hell-few.html" target="_blank"><i>Hell Bent</i> by Leigh Bardugo</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/05/septic-novella-of-suspense-trapped-in.html" target="_blank"><i>Septic</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/05/house-of-illusions-at-first-children.html" target="_blank"><i>House of Illusions</i> by Ruby Jean Jensen</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/gothic-dangers-of-horror-writing-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Gothic</i> by Philip Fracassi</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/blood-kiss.html" target="_blank"><i>Blood Kiss</i> by J Daniel Stone</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckVEBRYesOyqqYeGnhZmxVc7KkJCKimk9lcVBciEnva3GZnHBDWpFHJWx7p-XvjpJPt4sfqzSiKgNrvssBRJ68cWyNHFiV-r1VEDtxted-7mNkZE_ebtYkd4J8u8xd8XzCAfcIKl5vZBZuPXfbD9Z1us6rX0GTTkyESC3ftjmsQpZsQybEAXsfswUw-pH/s450/handyman%20false%20smile%20g.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="450" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckVEBRYesOyqqYeGnhZmxVc7KkJCKimk9lcVBciEnva3GZnHBDWpFHJWx7p-XvjpJPt4sfqzSiKgNrvssBRJ68cWyNHFiV-r1VEDtxted-7mNkZE_ebtYkd4J8u8xd8XzCAfcIKl5vZBZuPXfbD9Z1us6rX0GTTkyESC3ftjmsQpZsQybEAXsfswUw-pH/w400-h279/handyman%20false%20smile%20g.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-rising-tropes-invented-as-they-rise.html" target="_blank"><i>The Rising</i> by Brian Keene</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/suburban-gothic-inner-lives-of-meat-for.html" target="_blank"><i>Suburban Gothic</i> by Brian Keene and Bryan Smith</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/07/wedding-day-massacre-disgusting-gore.html"><i>Wedding Day Massacre</i> by Aron Beauregard</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/08/anais-nin-at-grand-guignol-creating-art.html" target="_blank"><i>Anais Nin at the Grand Guignol</i> by Robert Levy</a></div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/mexican-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>Mexican Gothic</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a></div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/09/holly-stephen-king-and-horror-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Holly</i> by Stephen King</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/all-hollows-supernatural-slashers.html" target="_blank"><i>All Hollows</i> by Christopher Golden</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/10/vampires-anonymous-gay-will-forever-be.html" target="_blank"><i>Vampires Anonymous</i> by Jeffrey N McMahan</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/daubed-in-darkness-when-arty-throuple.html" target="_blank"><i>Daubed in Darkness</i> by J Daniel Stone</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/haunted-places-and-other-stories-ghosts.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted Places and Other Stories</i> by Mark Allan Gunnells</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-only-safe-place-left-is-dark-lean.html" target="_blank"><i>The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark</i> by Warren Wagner</a></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-handyman-method-horrors-of-nuclear.html" target="_blank"><i>The Handyman Method</i> by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/01/old-too-soon-innocence-lost-in-sea-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Old Too Soon</i> by Brian Bowyer</a></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-daughter-of-doctor-moreau-gothic.html" target="_blank"><i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/furnace-real-evil-wears-tailored-pink.html" target="_blank"><i>Furnace</i> by Muriel Gray</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/02/progeny-of-adder-hard-bitten-detective.html" target="_blank"><i>Progeny of the Adder</i> by Leslie H Whitten</a></div></div><div><a href="https://drewrowsome.blogspot.com/2024/03/something-wicked-something-dark-french.html" target="_blank"><i>Something Wicked Something Dark</i> by Jamie Stewart</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
Drew Rowsomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12907967624230919373noreply@blogger.com0