In our next to last Dark Dozen interview, we are truly excited to have R.J. Joseph here with us. Her story, INHERITANCE, will be featured in the upcoming FULL THROTTLE anthology at the end of this month.
Enjoy her interview below and be sure to pre-order FULL THROTTLE now!
R.J. JOSEPH
If you had three sentences to pitch your most recent book to a new reader, what is your pitch?
You don’t see these horrors coming because they’ve always been there. Once awareness hits, they go straight for the throat. Don’t worry—you’ll be lulled into pliancy with beautiful words before you’re hit.
Do you have a favorite book or story of your own that you talk about more than others? What makes it your favorite?
I talk a lot about my short story “Bettina”. I love that it’s a solid homage to Poe’s work delivered through a Black feminine perspective that brings a freshness to the historical background. I thought about writing that story for years and years, so it marinated in my creative spirit. Once I actually wrote it, it said much more than I originally thought it would. I’d love to see it on film.
Have you ever experienced a natural disaster? If so, what was the scariest moment for you?
I’m right outside of Hurricane City, also known as Houston, Texas. Hurricanes are terrible, and I’ve hunkered down for several. The most frightening thing about those storms is the sounds. The wind and the harsh rainfall create these tunnels through which the other sounds vibrate. They sound like literal monsters thrashing about, gnashing their teeth, waiting to gobble us all up. I’m talking roaring, howling, throwing stuff, tearing things up—a cacophony of destruction.
Has there been a disaster-based movie or book that has stuck with you since you first watched/read it? What was it and why did it stick?
I re-watch the movie 2012 often. The idea that we should help each other, and everyone should have a chance to thrive and survive is intrinsic to my beliefs, and that movie displayed this perfectly. At the end of the day, any of us who aren’t rich will have to rely on each other to make it through tough times. The special effects are also awe inspiring.
What’s the one thing that scares you the most in this world and have you ever written about it?
I’m terrified of something happening to my children. When they were young, I worried about kidnappings and sicknesses and societal slights. I walked the floor all night to check on them in their beds. Although they’re all now young adults, I still worry about them. A lot. I often write about this fear because I must. If I don’t exorcise these thoughts, they fester, and I become That Mom who’s calling and texting and worrying—bugging the heck out of my babies.
Is there an author that you would like to work with that would be a dream partnership for you?
I’m fortunate to have had such opportunities several times throughout my career, and I’m grateful for that. One dream collaboration I have yet to get to would be working with Beverly Jenkins on a historical horror with romantic elements. That would be amazing with her on the romance and me on the creepy stuff.
If you had one hour to speak to any living author, who would it be and why?
It would be a dream to chat with Angela Davis. I’d love to just sit and listen to her. I want to learn about her life, her writing inspirations, and what keeps her going and using her voice even during times when that voice is purposely hushed. Many of us have been required to take up the mantle of activism through our art and it would be beautiful to learn from a master such as Davis.
What has been one of the proudest moments of your writing journey?
I was super excited when my collection, Hell Hath No Sorrow like a Woman Haunted was nominated for a Shirley Jackson award. That wasn’t a goal I thought to set for myself or my work. The nomination was unexpected and I felt that meant the book had more of an impact than I would have imagined it could have.
Who are you outside of being an author, meaning do you have other hobbies or interests that are your methods of relaxing or for refreshing creative inspiration?
Although I’m still improving, I love to make wreaths and home décor items. Those activities give me something to do with my hands while my brain wanders everywhere. During the shutdowns, I made curtains for every room of the house and made wreaths for every month of the year. It pays off when I don’t have to purchase these same things, so the learning curves are totally worth it.
Do you think the horror industry is having a surge of new authors and new readers and if so, do you see this as a good thing?
The horror business is booming with both new authors and new readers. It’s exciting because that means more to read and more people reading. I hope the new readers will continue to expand their reading experiences and read widely and deeply, rather than just in small, bite sized snippets. There’s so much a variety of stories can teach us, and those lessons aren’t always placed upfront and easily found in surface explorations.
Where do you see the industry in ten years with regards to the evolution of tropes, diversity and inclusion, and readers, flourishing or floundering? Explain why.
The horror industry is making slight progress with evolution all the way around. I’ve been here long enough to witness this growth and it’s exhilarating. I would expect even more voices to be allowed to tell their stories and give us their nuanced perspectives, but the genre will have to consistently and unequivocally denounce discrimination within its boundaries for that to happen. Sitting on the sidelines of this war and being “apolitical” won’t help us grow—retaining the same old same will have the industry cannibalizing itself in a few short years.
What is a piece of advice that you WISH someone had given you early in your career?
I wish someone would have told me the fight towards the inclusivity we talked about in the previous question would be a lifelong thing. I’m not sure I understood I’d always have to outperform, outwrite, and outlast prevailing obstacles to continue doing what I enjoy. I mean, I hear our predecessors talk about their journeys and it sounded to me like they’d already fought and conquered the worst things. I hadn’t expected that those of us coming behind them would have to do the same thing, against the same obstacles. Staying in for the long haul has a completely different meaning in this context. It’s a lifelong commitment. A worthy one, but lifelong.
BIO for R.J. Joseph:
R. J. Joseph is an award winning, Shirley Jackson and Stoker Award™ nominated Texas based writer/speaker/editor. Her creative and academic work examines the intersections of race, gender, and class in the horror genre and popular culture. Rhonda is an instructor at The Speculative Fiction Academy and a co-host of the Genre Blackademic podcast. She has most recently been at work with Raw Dog Screaming Press on their new novella line, Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena.
She occasionally peeks out on various social media platforms from behind @rjacksonjoseph or at her website listed below.
Author headshot photo credit: Sam Allen, SDA Media Company
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