Join J.V. Sadler, a Cincinnati-based dark fiction writer, poet, and graduate of Oberlin College, for a book signing and conversation about Licking, her debut collection of horror short stories. We recently talked to Sadler about her writing journey, what inspires her, and what she hopes for the future.
Midwest BSFA: How did you get into writing?
Sadler: I’ve always been a writer but I started writing seriously in high school beginning with the high school literary magazine and then the school newspaper. I was an extensive reader growing up too. The two books that influenced me the most growing up were Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley.
Midwest BSFA: Who are your favorite authors?
Sadler: Nowadays I tend to read more political nonfiction but I did read Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler whom I love. Of course, Toni Morrison is one of my favorites since her work first opened me to the possibilities of the literary artform. Then, I’ll throw in William Shakespeare because he made up words and phrases that didn’t exist back then but now we use to this day and that’s inspiring.
Midwest BSFA: Were there any particular book that inspired you?
Sadler: A book that inspires me today is actually one I’ve never read but have only seen pages from and I consider it a comparative title to Licking. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is a trippy ride into a mystery-filled abyss. Some of the pages purposefully have to be rotated to read or are completely illegible. I guess I need to get a copy of it soon!
Midwest BFSA: Why write horror?
Sadler: I consider horror to be the shadow side of society. For those unfamiliar with the term, shadow work refers to the inner recognition and acceptance of those darker parts of ourselves that we want to hide. Horror brings those emotions, feelings, and thoughts to the surface so that we must deal with them head on. Horror has been an outlet for me to pour all my darkness into.
Midwest BSFA: Why did you choose the name Licking?
Sadler: When one thinks of Licking, there’s an “ewwy-goey” feeling—perversion, invasion, and corruption. But there’s also an allure and eroticism to the word. Those are the feelings I want to invoke with my book: An intimate wonder but also the thought that there’s something very, very wrong here. It’s about twisting the mundane into something utterly wrong.
Midwest BSFA: What’s the thread that holds all of the stories together in Licking?
Sadler: Power and powerlessness are themes that I play with within every story. In some ways, the characters gain power and also lose it in very . . . interesting . . . ways. Perverted or corrupted desire is something that I explore as well. It’s a surreal-nightmarish ride that will certainly make you cringe but also question what we consider the “everyday.”
Midwest BSFA: What are your thoughts on the current state of Black horror (books, films, etc.)?
Sadler: I’d like to see us do more. I’d like to see us go further with the genre, especially Black women and other marginalized genders. I also think we sometimes hinder ourselves and our imaginations when we don’t explore genres such as horror, speculative fiction, and sci-fi/fantasy—all genres once seemed as white. Some of our folks reduce horror to that “devil stuff” unknowing that white supremacy has our imaginations in a chokehold. Lastly, I think we put too much on the shoulders of Jordan Peele. All respect to him, but we need more than just one person running the horror show.
Midwest BSFA: Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
Sadler: My next work will be a book of poetry. It is very different from what I’m doing now. But, don’t worry, I will certainly return to the horror and speculative genre to see how far I can go with it.
Check out J.V. Sadler from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, at Household Books (2533 Gilbert Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45206)
Midwest Black Speculative Fiction Alliance 