Nicole Wolverton takes time out of her writing, studying, and editing schedule to discuss (and recommend!) women in horror.
“If you think Carrie’s scary, think about a woman who has five to six decades to foment this awful feeling of rage.”
You may have seen a lot of horror stories about puberty (Carrie) and childbirth (Rosemary’s Baby), but what about another important milestone in the life of anyone with ovaries—menopause? That’s what horror author Nicole Wolverton lamented on Twitter one day. And wouldn’t you know it? Something good came out of that bird app.
The owner of Sliced Up Press (for whom Nicole had previously written a cake-themed horror story) offered her the job of editing a menopause-themed anthology. Emily interviewed Nicole after accepting the very first short story for Bodies Full of Burning: An Anthology of Menopause-Themed Horror.
To honor Women in Horror Month, we discuss her premature introduction to the world of horror as a child (via what else but The Exorcist), the sleep habits of astronauts, and the agony of having to choose between a number of amazing short stories to comply with an anthology’s vision.
You can submit your contribution to Bodies Full of Burning here on Sliced Up Press’s website.
Guest Bio
Nicole M. Wolverton is a Philadelphia-based writer of fiction and nonfiction; she predominantly writes horror for adults and young adults. Her short fiction has been published in a variety of literary magazines and anthologies, including the upcoming The Half That You See anthology from Dark Ink Books. She is also the author of the psychological thriller The Trajectory of Dreams (Bitingduck Press, 2013). A full list of her publications can be found on www.nicolewolverton.com. Nicole was recently chosen as editor of Bodies Full of Burning, a menopause-themed anthology of short horror fiction to be published in September 2021 by Sliced Up Press. She is a member of SCBWI and the Horror Writers Association, and she is represented by Anne Tibbets at the Donald Moss Literary Agency.
Aside from Nicole’s preoccupation with faceless things waiting in the dark and other terrors, she is a gin enthusiast and obsessed with travel. She has visited approximately 21 countries and is eagerly looking forward to the pandemic easing so she can get back on a plane. She is an assistant coach of a dragon boat team for people who have had cancer and their care-givers and is running for Judge of Elections in her borough this year. She earned her B.A. in English from Temple University when she was 40 and is currently pursuing a Masters of Liberal Arts with a creative writing concentration from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been married for 20 years, and she and her husband have two cats.
Mentioned on the Episode
- Nicole’s book: The Trajectory of Dreams
- Slashertorte: An Anthology of Cake Horror
- The first gothic hit—The Mysteries of Udolfo by Ann Radcliffe
- A Phantom Lover and Other Dark Tales by Vernon Lee
- The Cipher by Kathe Koja
- Kandisha Press: a woman-owned publishing house that specializes in horror
- Nicole also recommends the writing of Jemiah Jefferson
You can find Nicole Wolverton on her website and on Twitter @nicolewolverton.
