ALTOONA, Pa. — Penn State Altoona faculty members Brian Onishi, associate professor of philosophy, and Jeff Stoyanoff, assistant professor of English and of women's, gender and sexuality studies, have released a new episode of their "Horror Joy" podcast. In the latest “Meet Your Maker” episode, the hosts welcome author Chris Dileo to discuss his new book “Empty Devils” and his deeply personal relationship with horror.
Dileo emphasizes that reading is a process of cooperation between the reader's imagination and the writer's world. He discusses how he used “Empty Devils” to distill the national tragedy at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017 into a horror narrative. Stoyanoff and Dileo also chop it up over teaching Shakespeare and how the Bard shows up in the story. Ultimately, all three find joy in the project of reading, writing and celebrating how the horror genre allows us to work through difficult and sometimes violent political and ideological activity in the real world.
The full episode can be accessed on podcast providers or on Red Circle. Learn more about the "Horror Joy" podcast online.