ALTOONA, Pa. — Penn State Altoona faculty members Brian Onishi, associate professor of philosophy, and Jeff Stoyanoff, associate professor of English and of women's, gender and sexuality studies, have released a new episode of their "Horror Joy" podcast. In the latest episode, Stoyanoff interviews horror author Josh Hanson (“King’s Hill,” “The Woodcutters,” “Fortress,” “Marshbank” and “Minotaur Stories”) about the relationship between horror and joy, which Hanson links to story-driven pleasure, safe transgression and chasing the intensity of childhood fear.
Hanson recounts discovering writing in college, burning out after an master of fine arts at the University of Montana amid anti-genre attitudes and market-focused training, then returning to fiction around age 50 and establishing a daily routine that led to his debut. Stoyanoff and his guest discuss why haunted houses resonate as violations of domestic safety, and Hanson’s upcoming novel “Calliope Street” — out July 29 — a triptych about Jack and Avery, a fixer-upper with a basement collage “altar” that functions as a portal, identity misrecognition and threat and suspicion after Avery’s disappearance. Hanson cites Dario Argento’s vibe-first approach as inspiration and discusses recent horror that is bringing him joy.
The full episodes of "Horror Joy" can be accessed on podcast providers or on Red Circle.