Who is the Monster Professor?
FSW is honored to welcome one of the most talented up-and-coming horror writers in the country, Josh Woods. His reading and craft talk will take place on Tuesday, April 13 from 12:15-1:30 p.m. on Zoom with a live audience viewing the webinar from Rush Auditorium (J-103).
Professor Josh Woods is celebrated for both his fiction and his acclaimed podcast, The Monster Professor. He is also a Professor of English, editor of multiple anthologies and literary journals, and often serves as a consultant for novel and short story manuscripts.
O Monstrous World!
His debut book of stories, "O Monstrous World!" won the International Book Awards for Fiction: Short Story. This highly competitive award helps to promote the work of both famous and beginning writers around the world. Furthermore, his novel "The Black Palace" is an epic of gothic horror action-adventure. This novel has garnered high praise as an innovative, cerebral, and highly adventurous work.
According to fiction writer Pinckney Benedict, “This utterly original novel expertly blends profound supernatural terror, swashbuckling action, honest human emotion, brutal violence, and blunt good humor. The smartest, scariest, and most surprising book I've read in ages.” Woods’s other awards include Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Member of the Year and Press 53 Open Awards for Genre Fiction. He has received multiple Pushcart Prize nominations as well as nominations for The Best of the Net and the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection, among others.
In addition to his reputation as a fiction writer, Woods is well-known for his podcast, The Monster Professor, which explores the role of monsters in literature, myth, film, folklore, and pop-culture. Some podcast favorites include “Nosferatu” with poet, Dana Gioia, winner of countless writing awards and honors, including the American Book Award, Laetare Medal, and Presidential Citizens Medal, and “Monstrous Nature: Ocean and Earth” with Dr. Joe van Gaalen, FSW’s own oceanography professor and Asst. VP of Institutional Research, Assessment, & Effectiveness. You might also want to check out “Fairies and Demons” with two more of FSW’s professors—Chair of the English Department and C.S. Lewis Scholar, Dr. Amy Trogan, and writer and Florida Book Award winner, Dr. Brandi George.
Why Should You Attend?
Whether you’re an aspiring writer, a booklover, or a fan of horror and action-adventure, the Woods reading will inspire and entertain you. Every great writer is a great reader first, and literary events open our minds to new stories, styles, and techniques that enhance our own creativity and help us to connect to literary communities. We hope to see you on April 13th at 12:15 p.m. for an hour of action, adventure, suspense, and horror!
For links to the podcasts and to purchase Woods’s books, please visit https://joshwoodsauthor.com/.
When? April 13th, 12:15-1:30 p.m.
Where? The event will take place digitally on Zoom: https://fsw.zoom.us/j/87890443768pwd=cmQ5ME5ob3VXMVRpQ2hKRGZ1a0x0dz09
If you prefer to watch the webinar with a live audience from Rush Auditorium (J-103), then please remember to wear a face covering and follow social distancing guidelines in all buildings on FSW’s campus.
Dr. Brandi George is the author of "Gog" (Black Lawrence Press, 2015) and the play in verse, "Faun" (Plays Inverse, 2019). She teaches creative writing, composition, and literature at FSW.
