Give it Up for the Women in Horror!

Despite all the efforts women made to choose their careers, that damn glass ceiling keeps getting in the way. This month is to recognize women of the horror genre. Be it directors, writers, actors, playwrights, etc they deserve their time in the spotlight. Which brings me to Women in Horror Month.

Damsel Cannibal and I stumbled on this while goofing around on twitter and discussing how women aren’t getting the proper recognition within the industry. It’s infuriating. Trust me I can get on my soap box and talk about how Hollywood holds women back or how the literary industry can’t bare the thought of a strong heroine. But I’m not going to do that. I’d rather focus on what we, as artists or consumers, can do to change this way of thinking.

So take a chance to to browse the website womeninhorrormonth.com and make a donation. The purpose of the site is to give exposure and other opportunities for women within the Horror community. You can also follow this site on Twitter or Facebook which I will provide at the bottom. Again, take a moment, educate yourself, and make a difference.

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/WomenInHorrorMonth

https://www.twitter.com/WiHMonth

https://www.womeninhorrormonth.tumblr.com

60 Black Women in Horror Writing

Sixty Black Women in Horror Writing compiled by Sumiko Saulson

February is my favorite month to discover new authors. It is both Black History Month and Women In Horror Month (WiHM). Woohoo, double win! Sumiko Saulson’s unique compilation, 60 Black Women In Horror Writing is celebrates both holidays in grand style.

Some of the women profiled in this book are literary geniuses you’ve read before (Octavia E. Butler, Zora Neale Hurston, and Toni Morrison) but Saulson also introduces us to talented women we’ve never never heard of, too. This book is comprised of interviews, essays, and short stories from the author, herself, and Crystal Connor and Eden Royce. Of the short stories I liked Crystal Connor’s “Amber’s New Friend” the best. I’m a sucker for southern gothic ghost stories, however all of the stories presented are worth a read.

Who Fears Death written by Nnedi Okorafor

 

All 60 women profiled at the beginning of the book are intriguing but I enjoyed Saulson’s seven author interviews most. I’m looking forward to reading Nnedi Okorafor’s “Who Fears Death.” No doubt influenced by two Nigerian (Igbo) parents, Okorafor’s novel combines magical realism and traditional African storytelling with a speculative, post apocalyptic edge. The main character is a shaman, Onyesonwu, whose name means “who fears death” in English. I adore speculative fiction of all stripes, but I especially go weak for marginalized narratives set outside of the West. Women of color are a rare sight in horror and by god we need to see more of them on the shelves! I say that as a woman of color who writes horror and as an unabashed lover of the genre. Neil Gaiman and Stephen King are great but there are other incredible horror sf/f authors out there, too. Let’s uplift them.

I know what cool books I’ll be adding to my To-Be-Read list this year. 60 Black Women in Horror is a welcome addition to any to-be-read list, don’t you think? Tell your friends, share, and please support these horror authors.

Women in horror unite!

 

Filminute Contest Deadline!

Above is a video that won an award for the Filminute contest in 2014 and was directed by Ignacio F. Rodo.

This one is going to be a quickie. For all the filmmakers, animators, artists, writers or whoever-the-fuck is out there you should really check this out contest. All you have to do is make a minute long film, but watch yourself. You’ll be competing against people from all around the world!

Submissions are due on August 20th and the film festival is September 1-30th and the awards will be given October 7th.

Please check out the website and add your submissions: http://www.filminute.com/pages/about