Michael Arnzen, assiciate professor of English at Seton Hill University (SHU), was recently honored with the Bram Stoker Award by the Horror Writers Association (NWA) for his fiction collection Proverbs for Monsters.
By Stephanie Wytovich,
Contributor
Michael Arnzen, assiciate professor of English at Seton Hill University (SHU), was recently honored with the Bram Stoker Award by the Horror Writers Association (NWA) for his fiction collection Proverbs for Monsters.
Originating in 1987, the association began to present the award yearly to superior achievement in memory of Bram Stoker, the creator of Dracula. Being a work of art in itself, “the award is an eight-inch replica of a fanciful haunted house, designed specifically for HWA by sculptor Steven Kirk. The door of the house opens to reveal a brass plaque engraved with the name of the winning work and its author.”
One might say that his love of horror went back to his childhood when his dad would take him to horror movies. Even at a young age, he had a taste for the dark side, despite the fact that his father would cover his eyes during the gory scenes.
“Covering my eyes made me use my imagination. It censored me, and eventually corrupted me and turned me into a horror writer!” he said.
Proverbs for Monsters was inspired by some of Arnzen’s earlier work, ranging from short fiction pieces, to gruesome poetry.
“I just need to be in my office with a couple cups of coffee. When the world is looking over my shoulder, I need to be in my cave. It might just be a man thing,” he said.
When the HWA chose Proverbs for Monsters, Arnzen said “it was like playing the lottery and hitting the jackpot!” Despite his initial reaction, and the fact that he has achieved three previous Stoker awards, he says he still doesn’t feel as if he has become famous.
“If I walked into an elevator and was standing next to Stephen King, I would be speechless! I just don’t think of myself that way, but it does feel validating,” he said.
Even though the award came as a shock to him, others at SHU weren’t quite as surprised.
“I’ve read a number of his stories from his anthologies. His work is outstanding for its originality and so very offbeat view of the world,” said Albert Wendland, associate professor of English. “You don’t read him with a quiet titter in the dark, but a guffaw — followed by your walls crashing down. I was not surprised at all to hear he won the award. He deserves it.”
“I suppose someone’s bound to specialize in stoking the homicidal rage of embittered social misfits by exposing all that ought to remain secret in the darkest recesses of our souls,” said Dennis Jerz, associate professor of English. “I can’t imagine a nicer guy for the job of hauling us all shrieking into the daylight.”
Leaving future writers with a bit of advice, Arnzen said, “Read a lot, and don’t get caught! Write the horror that the movies aren’t giving us. Write the horror that can only be in a book.”