Book Wrangler

November 28, 2005

By Bob Patterson

Dennis Etchison will teach a short story class, titled "Writing Suspense and Horror Fiction," at the Mystery & Imagination Bookstore in Glendale starting December 1, 2005.

Classes will cover style, structure, atmosphere and members of the class will be able to submit an original story to receive criticism and suggestions for revision.  Classes will run from 7 to 9:30 p.m.  The class will be similar to one Etchison has taught in the past at a large University in the Westwood Section of Los Angeles.

In the past, Etchison's courses have featured guest lecturers.  On one occasion, in the past, Etchison's friend Robert Bloch spoke to one of Etchison's classes and revealed aspects of his career that his friend Etchison had never heard before.  Unfortunately, no one made a tape recording of that particular evening.

The fact that the list of potential visitors includes only authors who are still living, might suggest a plot for a Twilight Zone episode and that is topic about which Etchison has a plentiful supply of material because one of his current projects includes adapting the scripts used by the TV shows for use as hour long radio versions.  Some of his recent assignments involved the stories that had been purchased for use on the TV series, but were abandoned when the series was canceled.  Twilight Zone fans will be anxious to hear about the "lost" episodes.

[A list of all the projects that demand his time and attention might prompt some of his friends to call him "Dennis Etchison Industries."]

The course at the Glendale location will run for ten weeks.  There are no prerequisites. Further information is available by calling the Mystery & Imagination bookstore at (818) 545-0206.

Edgar Allan Poe wrote: "Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." 

Now, if the disk jockey will play Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys' 1969 hit Can You Dance to It? we'll disappear out of here.  Have a week that's worth recording on tape.

Text and Photo, Copyright © 2005 - Robert Patterson

Email the author at worldslaziestjournalist@yahoo.com