Article from Barrow Journal December 2011 | |
File Size: | 88 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
And now the nightmare begins: The Horrorzine:
My favorites were the darkly humorous poems of Dennis Bagwell, particularly “If Frankenstein’s Monster Were Alive Today” and “The Itch,” about a terrible itch that leads to psychosis and mutilation. (The Fright Site)
________________________________________________________
Twice the Terror: The Horrorzine
Onto the poetry. Dennis Bagwell, the Horror Zine’s apparent poet in residence (he was amply represented in the previous anthology), is back with four snazzy poems, including the irresistible “Even Serial Killers Need A Vacation” (whose title is self-explanatory).
_________________________________________________________
“Dennis Bagwell is really damn good.” – Joe R. Lansdale, writer of Bubba Ho Tep and Vanilla Ride
_________________________________________________________
Dennis Bagwell can be bracingly acerbic and also just plain hilarious - Ramsey Campbell, Horror Legend and Lifetime President of the British Fantasy Society
_________________________________________________________
Dennis Bagwell's poetry is humorous, yet relevant to the times. His descriptions flow smoothly, and like a sword, his ideas cut with a sharp edge. Dennis' poetry is highly original and highly recommended.
Jeani Rector, Editor of The Horror Zine, author of "We All Fall Down" and "Around A Dark Corner"
_________________________________________________________
What Fears Become
"Bugs," by Dennis Bagwell features ten stanzas. Each line is short, carrying punch, not only creating a sense of squittering like a bug, but by bringing urgency to the exasperation the character feels about dealing with bugs. Readers will squirm themselves with this poem.
Christina F. Kennison - Dunkirk NY Observer
_________________________________________________________
I think my favorite out of everything included in What Fears Become is Dennis Bagwell’s Jason’s Lament. This is an extremely entertaining and comical rant by Jason Voorhees as he complains to his agent about being type cast. It is absolutely brilliant.
Shawn Oetzel
Tails of the Talisman-Volume 7, issue 4
_________________________________________________________
“Jason’s Lament” by Dennis Bagwell was so awesome I giggled until my sides hurt and my eyes watered.
Heather Royston, Minion/Reviewer She Never Slept online magazine
________________________________________________________
The poetry selections from Dennis Bagwell blend horror elements with heavy satire and will leave you grinning once you’ve read them.
Zombie Coffee Press
________________________________________________________
A Feast of Frights
And for the ultimate in maladjustment, there are poems by Dennis Bagwell. In “If Frankenstein’s Monster Lived Today” Bagwell extrapolates on how lawsuits, media, and the proverbial 15 minutes of fame, would play into The Creature’s assimilation into today’s world. The poet also addresses the conceit of what constitutes a vampire in the equally humorous “You’re Not a Vampire.” The difference between style and substance is succinctly pointed out in the poem.
Hell notes magazine
_______________________________________________________
Article from Barrow Journal December 2011
Local poet publishes in third horror literature anthology By Blair Spiva Rivkin
Dennis Bagwell is not afraid to embrace the darker side of literature.
His latest publication comes in the third anthology of “The Horror Zine,” a literary magazine based in Sacramento, Calif. Bagwell, a frequent performer at 106 West’s Open Mic Nights in Winder, has three poems in this most recent collection entitled “What Fears Become.”
Bagwell grew up in North Orange County in California, an area that he described as the mainly blue collar, working class section of the county. He and his wife moved to Georgia in 2007.
“We were tired of the rat race in California and looking for a lifestyle change,” he said. “It was the smartest thing that we’ve done, though it has been a very difficult adjustment for us in some aspects.”
The poet has been writing in one genre or another since the age of 15.
“While my friends were getting into trouble, I locked myself in my room, discovered punk rock and taught myself to play guitar and write songs and poetry,” he said. “I just never stopped.”
According to Bagwell, that new love affair with punk rock was a driving force in his development as a poet.
“Because of that punk rock experience growing up in California, I’ve never gone with what’s cool or popular,” he explained. “Poetry is relegated to the ghetto of art. It’s kind of the underdog of the literary world and appeals to a certain niche, which I think is why it appeals to me.”
Bagwell said that, though he doesn’t have a particular style that he categorizes himself in as a writer, he does draw similarities between the quick, concise expression of most punk rock songs and the way by which he communicates in his written work.
“I like to express my thoughts quickly in clear language and be done with it,” he said. “Punk rock is what attracted me to writing. I loved how bands said something relevant and intelligent in under two minutes and nothing has ever inspired me more to express myself. Anyone who thinks of it as violent and dismisses it as three-chord nonsense doesn’t understand it and never will.”
Bagwell has been published in various literary magazines over the years, but he said that “The Horror Zine” has become his “literary home,” having accepted his work in all three anthology volumes. The horror genre in particular appeals to him, though he writes poetry “about anything and everything.”
“Horror seems to come most natural to me,” he said. “I see werewolves behind every tree and zombies in every shadow, everywhere I go, day or night! People love gore, so I’m happy to oblige. Because of that, I have found it much easier to get my horror poetry in print than more traditional poetry.”
Despite the darkness that the genre may exhibit, Bagwell said that he likes to weave humor into his poetry as much as he can. For example, “Jason’s Lament,” one of the poems published in the current anthology, focuses on Jason from the Friday the 13th film series and his frustration with being typecast for any future movie roles. As a result, he begs his agent to get him a spot on “Dancing With the Stars,” Law and Order” or a part in a romantic comedy.
Bagwell is deeply appreciative of the support that he’s received from “The Horror Zine,” particularly its founder and editor, Jeani Rector.
“When I stumbled on “The Horror Zine” website, I felt like a freak who had found his circus,” he said. “Jeani is very nurturing of unknown writers and artists who are trying to establish ourselves. I was thrilled that she saw something in my writing and gave me an opportunity. She has never lost sight of the excitement of seeing your work in print, whether it’s your first time or your 10th time.”
However appealing horror writing is to the poet, he said that it’s actually only a third of his creative output. After releasing CDs, one reviewer labeled him as an “angry punk rock beat poet.”
“Whatever that means,” he laughed.
Bagwell’s passion for music is as much a necessity to him as writing. When he lived in California, he performed and recorded with several bands from 1990 to 2000.
“Punk rock changed my life and kept me out of trouble at a time when I absolutely could have gone down that road,” he said. “I’m not currently in a band, but I still play guitar all the time.”
Today, Bagwell’s inspiration comes from something beyond music: his wife and daughters.
“They have inspired me to reach into places I didn’t know were within me and pull out something beautiful,” he said.
Although the poet has experienced a considerable amount of publishing and recording success, he admitted that it’s not always an easy task to gain recognition. That hasn’t stopped him, though, and he said that it shouldn’t stop anyone else who aspires to be an artist of any kind.
“You can’t always work within your comfort zone,” he said. “Art is not always safe. Scare people. You might find an audience simply because your work is not cool.
“Artistic boundaries should be trampled to death under the boot of non-conformity,” he added.
Never one to harness his own individuality, Bagwell said that one of the most important aspects of expression is to create art that makes one happy first and foremost.
“I’m happy to fly the punk rock flag, the horror flag or the freak flag,” he said. “As long as someone continues to enjoy my work or find it relevant. I’ll write whether people like it or not.”
Readers can find Bagwell’s poetry and videos on his main Web site www.dennisbagwell.weebly.com “The Horror Zine” anthologies are also available at www.amazon.com in either print or electronic versions.
________________________________________________________
Click the paper article February 21, 2012
Local poet published in Horror Zine By Ramona Evans
With dark fantasy fiction on the rise, Jefferson resident and father of two, Dennis Bagwell has harnessed his creativity through poetry.
His works have recently been published in What Fear Becomes, an anthology that features fiction, poetry and art of the horror genre.
The anthology stems from submissions to the well-awarded Horror Zine website that produces a monthly electronic magazine.
This is the third time he has appeared in the publication.
As the Editor’s Pick Poet for January, Bagwell’s poetry successfully approaches graveyard characters with humor.
In “Jason’s Lament” he creates a dialog between the actor who played Jason Voorhees, popular movie horror character, and his would-be agent, relaying his distress over being constantly type-cast in that genre.
The poem ends comically as the reader discovers that the actor has become a manifestation of his fictional character.
Bagwell’s strengths are in humor and clever imagery.
Editor Jeani Rector says, “[Bagwell] is a very talented poet and is highly prized here at the Horror Zine.”
The anthology is a must-read for chiller fans and locals alike. For more information on Dennis Bagwell and the publication visit www.thehorrorzine.com.
Dennis Bagwell responded to the following questions about his writing and other interests:
Q: Where do you find inspiration for your horror genre poetry?
A: I’ve been a fan of the horror genre for a long time. I see monsters and zombies behind every shadow and tree every where I go, day or night! Horror seems to come the most natural to me. When the inspiration hits, I just try to recognize it and grab it and start writing it down and try to make some sense out of my madness. I like to infuse humor in a lot of my writing, because horror can be very cheesy and low budget. I like to put well known horror personas into contemporary situations. Like my poem “Jason’s Lament.” It’s about Jason from the Friday the 13th series complaining to his agent. He’s hoping to star in a chick flick or land some coveted TV roles. Another is “If Frankenstein’s Monster were alive today.” He’d be a celebrity, go to rehab, and then no one would care about him.
Q: How did you find out about the Horror Zine and its publishing potential?
A: I did a random search online and stumbled on it. I felt like a freak who had found my circus. It has become my literary home. Jeani is very nurturing of unknown writers and artists and does everything she can to support them while they try to establish a name for themselves. She has never lost sight of the excitement of seeing your work in print whether it’s your first time or your 10th time. It’s been a real honor and privilege to share paper in three volumes of these anthologies with both unknown and very well known writers and artists. Volume 4 is currently in the works. All three volumes are available on Amazon in print or Kindle.
Q: What else are you currently involved in?
A: I’m currently considering trying to put together street poets collective. Going out into the world on street corners and bringing bad poetry to the masses with out the stuffy arrogance that academia has infected poetry with. It’s time to bring back easy to understand poetry to the common man, and just have fun.
Other than that, I’m very active with the Fort Yargo Living History society in Winder as well as the Crawford Long museum inJefferson. I’m a re-enactor guy, so I’m very passionate about history.Fort Yargo’s annual Colonial Market Faire starts on March 30.
Q: Do you look to different mediums (i.e. a novel) of writing in the same genre or perhaps in a different genre?
A: I write whatever inspires me when the inspiration hits. Horror is only about one-third of my writing output. My wife and daughters have inspired me to write some of my personal favorite poems. People love blood and gore, so I have found it much easier to get that published. I give the people what they want and that blood and guts seems to be it. But I don’t condemn myself to one thing.
Q: Do you have any advice for any aspiring writers or fans of the genre?
A: Regardless of what type of art you choose, don’t give up. Every artist that you love has been rejected and told their art sucks at some point. Make art for yourself first and foremost. Don’t always work within your comfort zone. Art isn’t always safe. Scare people. You might find an audience simply because your art is so off the wall. Artistic boundaries are meant to be trampled to death under the boot of non conformity. Embrace your inner freak and fly your freak flag proudly.
My favorites were the darkly humorous poems of Dennis Bagwell, particularly “If Frankenstein’s Monster Were Alive Today” and “The Itch,” about a terrible itch that leads to psychosis and mutilation. (The Fright Site)
________________________________________________________
Twice the Terror: The Horrorzine
Onto the poetry. Dennis Bagwell, the Horror Zine’s apparent poet in residence (he was amply represented in the previous anthology), is back with four snazzy poems, including the irresistible “Even Serial Killers Need A Vacation” (whose title is self-explanatory).
_________________________________________________________
“Dennis Bagwell is really damn good.” – Joe R. Lansdale, writer of Bubba Ho Tep and Vanilla Ride
_________________________________________________________
Dennis Bagwell can be bracingly acerbic and also just plain hilarious - Ramsey Campbell, Horror Legend and Lifetime President of the British Fantasy Society
_________________________________________________________
Dennis Bagwell's poetry is humorous, yet relevant to the times. His descriptions flow smoothly, and like a sword, his ideas cut with a sharp edge. Dennis' poetry is highly original and highly recommended.
Jeani Rector, Editor of The Horror Zine, author of "We All Fall Down" and "Around A Dark Corner"
_________________________________________________________
What Fears Become
"Bugs," by Dennis Bagwell features ten stanzas. Each line is short, carrying punch, not only creating a sense of squittering like a bug, but by bringing urgency to the exasperation the character feels about dealing with bugs. Readers will squirm themselves with this poem.
Christina F. Kennison - Dunkirk NY Observer
_________________________________________________________
I think my favorite out of everything included in What Fears Become is Dennis Bagwell’s Jason’s Lament. This is an extremely entertaining and comical rant by Jason Voorhees as he complains to his agent about being type cast. It is absolutely brilliant.
Shawn Oetzel
Tails of the Talisman-Volume 7, issue 4
_________________________________________________________
“Jason’s Lament” by Dennis Bagwell was so awesome I giggled until my sides hurt and my eyes watered.
Heather Royston, Minion/Reviewer She Never Slept online magazine
________________________________________________________
The poetry selections from Dennis Bagwell blend horror elements with heavy satire and will leave you grinning once you’ve read them.
Zombie Coffee Press
________________________________________________________
A Feast of Frights
And for the ultimate in maladjustment, there are poems by Dennis Bagwell. In “If Frankenstein’s Monster Lived Today” Bagwell extrapolates on how lawsuits, media, and the proverbial 15 minutes of fame, would play into The Creature’s assimilation into today’s world. The poet also addresses the conceit of what constitutes a vampire in the equally humorous “You’re Not a Vampire.” The difference between style and substance is succinctly pointed out in the poem.
Hell notes magazine
_______________________________________________________
Article from Barrow Journal December 2011
Local poet publishes in third horror literature anthology By Blair Spiva Rivkin
Dennis Bagwell is not afraid to embrace the darker side of literature.
His latest publication comes in the third anthology of “The Horror Zine,” a literary magazine based in Sacramento, Calif. Bagwell, a frequent performer at 106 West’s Open Mic Nights in Winder, has three poems in this most recent collection entitled “What Fears Become.”
Bagwell grew up in North Orange County in California, an area that he described as the mainly blue collar, working class section of the county. He and his wife moved to Georgia in 2007.
“We were tired of the rat race in California and looking for a lifestyle change,” he said. “It was the smartest thing that we’ve done, though it has been a very difficult adjustment for us in some aspects.”
The poet has been writing in one genre or another since the age of 15.
“While my friends were getting into trouble, I locked myself in my room, discovered punk rock and taught myself to play guitar and write songs and poetry,” he said. “I just never stopped.”
According to Bagwell, that new love affair with punk rock was a driving force in his development as a poet.
“Because of that punk rock experience growing up in California, I’ve never gone with what’s cool or popular,” he explained. “Poetry is relegated to the ghetto of art. It’s kind of the underdog of the literary world and appeals to a certain niche, which I think is why it appeals to me.”
Bagwell said that, though he doesn’t have a particular style that he categorizes himself in as a writer, he does draw similarities between the quick, concise expression of most punk rock songs and the way by which he communicates in his written work.
“I like to express my thoughts quickly in clear language and be done with it,” he said. “Punk rock is what attracted me to writing. I loved how bands said something relevant and intelligent in under two minutes and nothing has ever inspired me more to express myself. Anyone who thinks of it as violent and dismisses it as three-chord nonsense doesn’t understand it and never will.”
Bagwell has been published in various literary magazines over the years, but he said that “The Horror Zine” has become his “literary home,” having accepted his work in all three anthology volumes. The horror genre in particular appeals to him, though he writes poetry “about anything and everything.”
“Horror seems to come most natural to me,” he said. “I see werewolves behind every tree and zombies in every shadow, everywhere I go, day or night! People love gore, so I’m happy to oblige. Because of that, I have found it much easier to get my horror poetry in print than more traditional poetry.”
Despite the darkness that the genre may exhibit, Bagwell said that he likes to weave humor into his poetry as much as he can. For example, “Jason’s Lament,” one of the poems published in the current anthology, focuses on Jason from the Friday the 13th film series and his frustration with being typecast for any future movie roles. As a result, he begs his agent to get him a spot on “Dancing With the Stars,” Law and Order” or a part in a romantic comedy.
Bagwell is deeply appreciative of the support that he’s received from “The Horror Zine,” particularly its founder and editor, Jeani Rector.
“When I stumbled on “The Horror Zine” website, I felt like a freak who had found his circus,” he said. “Jeani is very nurturing of unknown writers and artists who are trying to establish ourselves. I was thrilled that she saw something in my writing and gave me an opportunity. She has never lost sight of the excitement of seeing your work in print, whether it’s your first time or your 10th time.”
However appealing horror writing is to the poet, he said that it’s actually only a third of his creative output. After releasing CDs, one reviewer labeled him as an “angry punk rock beat poet.”
“Whatever that means,” he laughed.
Bagwell’s passion for music is as much a necessity to him as writing. When he lived in California, he performed and recorded with several bands from 1990 to 2000.
“Punk rock changed my life and kept me out of trouble at a time when I absolutely could have gone down that road,” he said. “I’m not currently in a band, but I still play guitar all the time.”
Today, Bagwell’s inspiration comes from something beyond music: his wife and daughters.
“They have inspired me to reach into places I didn’t know were within me and pull out something beautiful,” he said.
Although the poet has experienced a considerable amount of publishing and recording success, he admitted that it’s not always an easy task to gain recognition. That hasn’t stopped him, though, and he said that it shouldn’t stop anyone else who aspires to be an artist of any kind.
“You can’t always work within your comfort zone,” he said. “Art is not always safe. Scare people. You might find an audience simply because your work is not cool.
“Artistic boundaries should be trampled to death under the boot of non-conformity,” he added.
Never one to harness his own individuality, Bagwell said that one of the most important aspects of expression is to create art that makes one happy first and foremost.
“I’m happy to fly the punk rock flag, the horror flag or the freak flag,” he said. “As long as someone continues to enjoy my work or find it relevant. I’ll write whether people like it or not.”
Readers can find Bagwell’s poetry and videos on his main Web site www.dennisbagwell.weebly.com “The Horror Zine” anthologies are also available at www.amazon.com in either print or electronic versions.
________________________________________________________
Click the paper article February 21, 2012
Local poet published in Horror Zine By Ramona Evans
With dark fantasy fiction on the rise, Jefferson resident and father of two, Dennis Bagwell has harnessed his creativity through poetry.
His works have recently been published in What Fear Becomes, an anthology that features fiction, poetry and art of the horror genre.
The anthology stems from submissions to the well-awarded Horror Zine website that produces a monthly electronic magazine.
This is the third time he has appeared in the publication.
As the Editor’s Pick Poet for January, Bagwell’s poetry successfully approaches graveyard characters with humor.
In “Jason’s Lament” he creates a dialog between the actor who played Jason Voorhees, popular movie horror character, and his would-be agent, relaying his distress over being constantly type-cast in that genre.
The poem ends comically as the reader discovers that the actor has become a manifestation of his fictional character.
Bagwell’s strengths are in humor and clever imagery.
Editor Jeani Rector says, “[Bagwell] is a very talented poet and is highly prized here at the Horror Zine.”
The anthology is a must-read for chiller fans and locals alike. For more information on Dennis Bagwell and the publication visit www.thehorrorzine.com.
Dennis Bagwell responded to the following questions about his writing and other interests:
Q: Where do you find inspiration for your horror genre poetry?
A: I’ve been a fan of the horror genre for a long time. I see monsters and zombies behind every shadow and tree every where I go, day or night! Horror seems to come the most natural to me. When the inspiration hits, I just try to recognize it and grab it and start writing it down and try to make some sense out of my madness. I like to infuse humor in a lot of my writing, because horror can be very cheesy and low budget. I like to put well known horror personas into contemporary situations. Like my poem “Jason’s Lament.” It’s about Jason from the Friday the 13th series complaining to his agent. He’s hoping to star in a chick flick or land some coveted TV roles. Another is “If Frankenstein’s Monster were alive today.” He’d be a celebrity, go to rehab, and then no one would care about him.
Q: How did you find out about the Horror Zine and its publishing potential?
A: I did a random search online and stumbled on it. I felt like a freak who had found my circus. It has become my literary home. Jeani is very nurturing of unknown writers and artists and does everything she can to support them while they try to establish a name for themselves. She has never lost sight of the excitement of seeing your work in print whether it’s your first time or your 10th time. It’s been a real honor and privilege to share paper in three volumes of these anthologies with both unknown and very well known writers and artists. Volume 4 is currently in the works. All three volumes are available on Amazon in print or Kindle.
Q: What else are you currently involved in?
A: I’m currently considering trying to put together street poets collective. Going out into the world on street corners and bringing bad poetry to the masses with out the stuffy arrogance that academia has infected poetry with. It’s time to bring back easy to understand poetry to the common man, and just have fun.
Other than that, I’m very active with the Fort Yargo Living History society in Winder as well as the Crawford Long museum inJefferson. I’m a re-enactor guy, so I’m very passionate about history.Fort Yargo’s annual Colonial Market Faire starts on March 30.
Q: Do you look to different mediums (i.e. a novel) of writing in the same genre or perhaps in a different genre?
A: I write whatever inspires me when the inspiration hits. Horror is only about one-third of my writing output. My wife and daughters have inspired me to write some of my personal favorite poems. People love blood and gore, so I have found it much easier to get that published. I give the people what they want and that blood and guts seems to be it. But I don’t condemn myself to one thing.
Q: Do you have any advice for any aspiring writers or fans of the genre?
A: Regardless of what type of art you choose, don’t give up. Every artist that you love has been rejected and told their art sucks at some point. Make art for yourself first and foremost. Don’t always work within your comfort zone. Art isn’t always safe. Scare people. You might find an audience simply because your art is so off the wall. Artistic boundaries are meant to be trampled to death under the boot of non conformity. Embrace your inner freak and fly your freak flag proudly.