A profile on my writing and teaching career, called "Horror Writer Does his Best Work Having Fun" was just published in the newsletter of the Textbook & Academic Authors Association. Their web site is for members only but they've kindly shared a .pdf file of the feature story that the public can read.
Here's a short excerpt:
Arnzen also credits his success with taking creative risks. “This is another way of saying I don’t mind embarrassing myself,” he said. “Genres rely on conventions and expectations, so many writers err on the side of repeating what’s been done before.” Arnzen said he’s “always thrown caution to the wind and tried to be as weird and experimental as I can. I try not to censor myself too much.” Horror itself can be taken too seriously at times. Arnzen balances this seriousness with humor. “I don’t hold back the humor. To me, a lot of the appeal of horror is its absurdity,” he said. “I find much of what I’ve read or seen in horror quite laughable.”
Anyone who writes instructional books will find the TAA organization a useful hub of information. Their introductory membership rates are reasonable. Check them out.
Cool article, Mike! And great PR for Seton Hill's creative writing programs. I'm so impressed that you are writing two hours each morning--what a great example for our students.
Congrats, Dr. A! What a great piece on an awesome guy. Reading about stuff you iterated to us in class helps me remember myself as a writer. Thanks :)
Dear Dr. Arnzen,
As a former Bronx educator I really love your blog and I wanted to
let you know about my organization which I think you will find
interesting. I'm writing to see if you might be willing to put a post
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heading which expands opportunities for kids in low-income
communities-win $10,000 without anybody having to donate a dime.
Starting Friday, we'll be finalists in a contest on ideablob.com, and
we'll win $10,000 if we receive the most votes through August 31st.
I'd love it if you could put up some copy and a link to the ideablob
page on your site on Friday morning. I can definitely write it if you
like. Here's the link:
http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/2889-Share-YOUR-passion-with-kids-T
Now, about us:
The Generation Project is a new charity aimed at
1) Expanding the breadth of opportunities available to high-need students
2) Drawing more people, particularly young people, into educational
philanthropy, and
3) Building lasting relationships between professionals from all
fields and low-income communities.
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Sorry for the lengthy email, but I really wanted to let you know about
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My best,
Jessica Rauch
Co-Founder and President
The Generation Project
www.thegenerationproject.org
The Generation Project: Empower YOUR Vision for the Future