13 Ominous Questions
with Dark Fiction POEt/Halloween guru Rich Orth
You
have a poem, ‘My Night as Poe’ hanging in the Poe Cottage in the Bronx, New
York. Very impressive! Tell us how that came about?
The POEm is contained
in a time capsule within the walls of the Cottage. This was the home in which his beloved,
Virginia, succumbed to consumption. Words cannot express the honor of my name
even mentioned in the same breath as Poe.
As for how it came to be, I came across mention of the contest…I sent in
2 entries. I was told City By The Sea
was a 1st place winner. What
a thrill to visit another Poe House(been to Philly’s many times and Baltimore’s
once) and to share the moment with Cait was amazing. When my daughter Cait and I arrived there was
a twist...I am asked if I want to read my poem aloud. I agree to this(hate reciting)and they hand
me the copy and it is My Night as Poe..I state quickly that this is not the
winner..I was then told both were chosen and either one was a 1st
place finisher…very cool! I made many
friends that day and have collaborated with 3 since…Juan Borona , Berenice
Wakefield and Levi Lionel Leland. Juan
is a choreographer, Berenice, an author and poet and Levi, an amazing young
artist!
You
have your own compilation book out, POEtry Girls. What inspired you to bring
this to life?
I have written
forevermore and finally met the right person to bring the project to
fruition! James Ward Kirk has a
publishing company…JWK Publishing. We worked together on several Splatterpunk
Saints projects and since he was a fan and an accomplished writer himself, it
was a no-brainer. I chose poems from
1983 til literally 2 days prior to publication...and it seems to have worked
very well…Thanks also to Alexander Kautz for his original artwork on the cover
and within the pages, Mike Jansen for his editing..William Cook for cover graphics....Eric Roth for his photo…Erica
Schneider for her artwork..and lastly my LoraLee and Caitie for taking so many
cool photos over the years and putting up with me!
We
both share a love of Edgar Allan Poe. Is he your main inspiration for writing
dark poetry?
Poe is what inspired me…EAP is the Gothic
God….all other pale in comparison! His
darkness too often causes many to delve
into the Romanticism. Ok, maybe that is
just me! Also kudos to Hammer, AIP,
Amiscus & Universal Films and James Douglas Morrison.
There
are many great old movies inspired by Poe. I love them, especially the ones
done with Vincent Price. Some stray far from the original story though. As a
Poe fan, do you think these give an honest representation of his work?
As a Poe fan…anything Poe that brings
someone into the fold is worthwhile. I
have heard many Poe aficionados hated Cusack as Edgar, but I saw it as many getting
to live Poe for the first time. By doing
so I hope they revisit EAP’s work!
You’ve
done some work with an upstart Heavy Metal band called Demon Boy. How did you
hook up with them and what’s that experience been like?
DemonBoy and I have been friends for a
few years. He liked my poem Cemetery
Girl! After some time DB asked me to do
some work on the tune he had come up with for my 2 poems..The Lonely and
Cemetery Girl……………….We have since written Zombie Dance and This Halloween..and
have at least 7 others in the works…DB is a perfect storm for me..He is in the
“vein” of Cooper & Rob Zombie..Manson & Wednesday 13…He’s been spit out of heaven…kicked out of HELL!!
Do
you get to perform with them at all?
I am merely a lyricist …..but I have gotten to introduce them on stage..what a
RUSH!!
Your
day job is District Manager for Halloween Adventure. That sounds like a great
job. Did you start at the bottom and work your way up?
This year they expunged
the DM role. I did get a superstore in
NJ. I had worked for them from 97-99.
Then I worked for a company that was all about corporate insanity..I got a
concussion and was fired for non performance..Halloween Adventure brought me
back..they realized what my true capabilities were..after my respite that took
many months I was ok except for permanent vertigo! And to my past company.. &^#$ you!
What’s
the craziest costume request you’ve seen over the years?
I talked a stripper
into being a clown….She asked what to be..all the usual suspects were
taken..and apparently the clown idea worked!
When
is the best time to buy a Halloween costume, when the season first starts,
closer to the actual holiday or after it’s over and the markdowns happen?
Always buy early…………but we do our best to
have as much stock as possible till the end!
Markdowns depend on companies!
Your
wife, the lovely Loralee, lists Photographer/Creative Consultant at Orth
Chronicles Poetry on her Facebook page. Is she the one responsible for all the
cool pics we see of you?
Lora, my daughter Cait
and I take most pics! Without their
support, I am nothing!
It
must be great to have that kind of support.
Is she the ‘Sharon’ to your ‘Ozzy’?
She is there to keep me
on the straight and narrow! Lora is the
inspiration for a majority of my writes!
You
seem to be a big dog lover. How many do you have?
I have 2 rescues… My Siberian is Sobe..Sobe is God..he survived
a stroke..we rehabilitated him..Truly Sobe did it all…God I love
him,,,,,,,,,Ligeia is a German Shepherd,
she was found by me last year. We
call her Gia and she is a huge part of the family now. And a deepest Thank you to my love of my
life..TAZ, our Chow, whom we brought home on our honeymoon in 1988…Taz was with us till liver cancer stole him in
2002..We miss him always…….
What
are you going to be for Halloween this year?
I shall be a retail manager… but love making others happy ..for this tis
the Real Season………… Thank you so much
for allowing me to be shared to your masses
Want to give a final shout out to my
literary agent Wednesday Corey! Also,
thanks to Alexander Kautz, DemonBoy,
Todd Card, James Ward Kirk and so many more…the list has become nearly
infinite…and to all that have purchased my book, POEtry Girls!!! Your support keeps me going!
Thanks
for taking the time to do this Rich!
City by the
Sea! ©Rich Orth 09/23/10 07:12pm
In a city by the sea
She captured my heart
Placed it in a jar
With it she dare
not part
In a city by the sea
She taketh my soul
Locked it away
Piece by piece she
owns my whole
In a city by the sea
She doth devour me
Savoring every bit
Consuming all, refusing
my reprieve
In a city by the sea
I drown in her wares
Am lost forever..and
then forevermore
Resuming only if I dare
Whilst
Waiting on the Sun! ©Rich Orth 10/13/2013 09:10pM
Within blackened forest...
Wherest
beauty frolics
Palette of Nature
...oh how
beautifully...dutifully
Renovating
dreams.....
Wherest pool's reflection
Captures the captivating
extremes
Enraptured at Nature's
beauty
Even as finality rears
Darkest of fears.....
Summarily,
Winter....
Splinters into springtime
as undecided
...said winter
unstated divides ...
Too
soon..too soon
Reconsidered in my mind
Tag a long misfortunate tunes
Compose
disposable thought
Decompose ...
Whilst waiting on the sun........
Whilst waiting on the sun........
My Night as Poe! ©Rich Orth
On this moonless night
You could catch your death
Draft so chilling
Straight to the bone
...Gnawing to the marrow
Stars cower in fear
Aware of the night's events
Lamplight needed
Candle flames extinguish
Snuffed ominously
By nature's unseen fingertips
In my solitary confinement
Resolute in my cause
Decanter nearby
Snifter at hand
The spectres do frolic
Spirits of the dead
House it doth speak
Visions Guide me
Form words with the quill
The ink may fade
Memories, however,
quite permanent
My Ligeia, My Lenore,
And yes...Annabel Lee
All, though you see
Are my Virginia
My love for evermore
Forming nightmares
Haunting me till death
Escaping only...
Only, when I expunge
Or expel my demons
Empty the asylum
Let them loose
Loose upon...
an unsuspecting world
While all I long for
Is my, my Virginia
My lost little girl
My ethereal love
Aquarium of
Souls! ©Rich Orth 9/21/2013 10:55PM
Guided by Miss Guidance
Gated passages...
Into the mist...
Forward
we're fooled
Onward we persist
Aquarium of Souls
Within Devil's pool
