Horror Author and Poet Sara Tantlinger #AuthorInterview
Sara Tantlinger Interview
Sara Tantlinger is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes. She is a poetry editor for the Oddville Press, a graduate of Seton Hill’s MFA program, a member of the SFPA, and an active member of the HWA. Along with being a mentor for the HWA Mentorship Program, she is also a co-organizer for the HWA Pittsburgh Chapter. Her other books include Love for Slaughter, The Devil’s City, and To Be Devoured (nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in Long Fiction), and she edited the anthology Not All Monsters, out with Strangehouse Books. She embraces all things macabre and can be found lurking in graveyards or on Twitter @SaraTantlinger and at saratantlinger.com
1. Congratulations on your poetry collection Cradleland of Parasites! Can you please tell us a little about it?
Thank you so much! The collection draws most of its inspiration from the Black Death and other ancient plagues, and also from the rumors that have surrounded Plum Island (a federal research facility that has sparked controversy and conspiracy over the years). I started the collection last year before the current pandemic, so while the timing feels weird and spooky, I hope people will give the collection a chance. I love historical horror and meshing fact with speculation, so the poems play a lot with those blurred lines and with storytelling.
2. Without giving away spoilers, do you have a favorite poem from the collection?
One that I’m pretty fond of is titled “Princess Joan”. It’s based off the real story of Joan of England, a daughter of Edward III, who was betrothed to Peter of Castile. The Black Death hadn’t really made its mark in England when Joan travelled to Castile to be married, so she embarked on the journey with such a grand entourage and such a gorgeous wedding gown that I knew I needed to use those details to write a poem for her. She died so young, so unaware of the plague and how it would destroy her. I really wanted to write a poem for Princess Joan -- I had hoped to celebrate the details of her royalty, but the poem turned into a warning song, a plea for her to stay at home and not take the voyage that would end her young life. The plague spared no one, youth and royalty were no exception.
3. Congratulations on your Bram Stoker Award for The Devil’s Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes! Can you tell us a little about this book as well as how you celebrated your win?
Thank you so much! The Devil’s Dreamland really paved the way to show me how much I love historical horror. Researching Holmes is something I’ve talked about a lot, so in an effort not to repeat myself too much here, I will say that the book challenged me to do something entirely different than my first poetry collection, Love For Slaughter, and I am really humbled and grateful for the excellent responses The Devil’s Dreamland has received! I celebrated my Stoker win at StokerCon in Grand Rapids with some excellent friends and my publisher (and a few vodka cranberries). It was the absolute best night, and the whole experience was truly unforgettable.
4. When did your love of poetry develop?
It’s a bit of cliché answer, but reading Edgar Allan Poe in middle school was honestly my gateway into poetry, particularly dark poetry. Reading so much of his work inspired me to write, but my love for writing poetry developed the most while studying creative writing in college.
5. You were nominated for a Bram Stoker award for your novella To Be Devoured. Do you have a different research/writing process for developing poetry versus a novel?
I love research, so I am always utilizing it no matter what I write. When I studied literature in college, my favorite part of the process was always gathering my sources, engaging with critics, and using the research to make my essays stronger, so I’ve found that love carries over well into my fiction writing. With The Devil’s Dreamland and Cradleland of Parasites (both poetry collections), historical horror really captured my soul and dominated the process. With a current project I’m working on (prose), I’ve been doing more scientific research and doing my best to study entomology, so I think research is bound to follow me wherever I go.
For poetry, to borrow a phrase from the great Linda Addison, it comes more “organically.” It never feels forced, and I don’t have to create as strong of a plan or outline when I dive into poems as I do for prose -- but I am learning to enjoy outlining for novels/novellas more and more these days!
6. What are you currently reading?
I just finished Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which was an excellent work of literary horror. I think it would be such a strong book to teach in the classroom. I’m always reading way too many books at once, so right now I’m reading poetry (Cries to Kill the Corpse Flower by Ronald J. Murray) and Worst Laid Plans, an anthology of vacation horror edited by Samantha Kolesnik!
7. Let’s have a little fun. Would you rather watch the tape from The Ring or have to say ‘Candyman’ in front of a dark mirror?
Oh definitely Candyman. Children terrify me in general, especially vengeful ghost children, so living in The Ring is something I would not handle well.
8. What’s next for you? Any projects you can discuss?
I am currently working on some short stories and a very vague outline for my next novella! There’s always a lot going on behind the scenes, so I am hopeful I will have some new projects out before the year is over.
9. Where can people find you online?
My website and Twitter -- you can also find me on Instagram . My Amazon author profile has all my books listed here: https://www.amazon.com/Sara-Tantlinger/e/B06X6GBXZB
10. Last chance! Anything else you’d like to say?
To my fellow writers, embrace the writing community and support each other! Remember to celebrate the success of others and that anyone else’s success does not negate your own hard work.