TOD 015 The Outer Dark Symposium, Part 4: Readings by Mike Allen, Damien Angelica Walters, and Eric Schaller; “The Dark Forward: The Weird and the Word as Resistance” Panel

July 20, 2017
8 mins to read

In this podcast The Outer Dark presents the fourth and final installment of The Outer Dark Symposium, including readings by Mike Allen, Damien Angelica Walters, and Eric Schaller, as well as the panel ‘The Dark Forward: The Weird and the Word as Resistance’, moderated by Balogun Ojetade and featuring Selena Chambers, Milton Davis, Scott Nicolay, and Grafton Tanner. These segments were recorded live on Saturday March 25, 2017.

This broadcast is brought to you by The Outer Dark Symposium sponsors Pseudopod, Word Horde, and NecronomiCon Providence, with Arch-Director Niels Hobbs joining Scott for an exclusive new interview about this year’s con (August 17-20, 2017). Thank you to all the sponsors and Indiegogo supporters who helped make something Weird happen in Atlanta.

Show Notes

This episode starts with a spotlight on The Outer Dark Symposium Drinks Sponsor Pseudopod (0:00:35), VIP Party Drinks Sponsor Word Horde (00:01:11) and VIP Party Sponsor NecronomiCon Providence, including an exclusive new interview with Arch-Director Niels Hobbs (00:01:57). Niels and Scott discuss shared community-building goals in the Weird, some of the guests of honor, secrets of behind-the-scenes planning, the Ars Necronomica exhibition, and a sneak preview of special programming featuring Stories from the Borderland, Scott’s collaborative project with Michael Bukowski, Jeanne D’Angelo, and Anya Martin….and The Outer Dark Live!

Then Part Four of The Outer Dark Symposium on the Greater Weird, Saturday March 25 at Decatur CoWorks commences with a reading by Mike Allen that could inspire arachnophobia (00:19:25). Next the panel, ‘The Dark Forward: the Weird and the Word as Resistance’ (00:33:04), was moderated by Balogun Ojetade and features Selena Chambers, Milton Davis, Scott Nicolay, and Grafton Tanner. What happens when reality itself gets Weird? That’s how many people are describing the day-to-day dissonance of Trump’s America. For those who define the Weird as cosmic horror, it’s hard not to see a parallel between an indifferent or hostile universe and a government bereft of empathy. The Weird Fiction Renaissance predates this election, but the panelists explore the notion that the Weird may be uniquely positioned to be the literature of our time, as well as the role of writing in a Fascist Dystopia. The episode concludes with readings by Damien Angelica Walters (1:16:05) and Eric Schaller (1:33:48).