Yes, THAT Grady Hendrix. New York Times Bestselling Horror Author Grady Hendrix. Writer of Horrorstor, My Best Friend's Exorcism, Paperbacks from Hell, We Sold Our Souls, Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, Final Girl Support Group, and most recently How to Sell a Haunted House Grady Hendrix!
We sit down with Grady (over Google Meet) to discuss his books, all of which make us shrivel in fear, laugh, and cry (only because we finish them). Of course, his latest book, How to Sell a Haunted House, was a big topic of conversation, but we promise, no spoilers.
But perhaps most importantly, we changed up our standard beer paradigm, this time eschewing local/high-quality/craft beers for some American college classics. Classics like Bud Light, Rolling Rock, Coors, PBR, and Heineken. Why? Because we can. That's why. Well actually, it was because Grady has a nostalgic soft spot for those beers and we thought it would be fun to drink them out of little beer tasters. Something that no one in the history of beer culture has probably ever done. So there's that.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the podcast with one of the best horror and horror/comedy writers of our day. I know we sure as hell did!
Yes, THAT Grady Hendrix. New York Times Bestselling Horror Author Grady Hendrix. Writer of Horrorstor, My Best Friend's Exorcism, Paperbacks from Hell, We Sold Our Souls, Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, Final Girl Support Group, and most recently How to Sell a Haunted House Grady Hendrix!
We sit down with Grady (over Google Meet) to discuss his books, all of which make us shrivel in fear, laugh, and cry (only because we finish them). Of course, his latest book, How to Sell a Haunted House, was a big topic of conversation, but we promise, no spoilers.
But perhaps most importantly, we changed up our standard beer paradigm, this time eschewing local/high-quality/craft beers for some American college classics. Classics like Bud Light, Rolling Rock, Coors, PBR, and Heineken. Why? Because we can. That's why. Well actually, it was because Grady has a nostalgic soft spot for those beers and we thought it would be fun to drink them out of little beer tasters. Something that no one in the history of beer culture has probably ever done. So there's that.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the podcast with one of the best horror and horror/comedy writers of our day. I know we sure as hell did!
Okay, you're ready, and rock and roll. So, Derrick, today, we have a guest that I'm really excited about. I know you're really excited about two. I'm super excited. We've got a few of his books sitting right here. Yes. Although I did forget my favorite. We'll talk about that later at home. But But regardless, you know, we had we had an author on a couple of months ago, which was really cool. He's our first one. It was our first one. Brian Asman. Yeah. And it made us think like, why don't we have more authors on our show is about beer and horror. And a lot of novelists like beer. Yeah. Although, you know, some don't but regardless, yeah. So today, we are super excited. Because we have Grady Hendrix, New York Times Best Selling horror author, probably one of the best horror, comedy novelists of our time. And for some reason he made time for beer freaks. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know why. But
Derek Krueger:it's it's pretty wild. Man. When you told me he was coming on. I was like, yeah, come on. You're like, no, no, seriously, you sent me. You know, the email. I was like, Dude, no way.
Stu Haack:It's real. And it's happening. So you know what, let's, let's get straight to it. Because I do have a little bit of time. Let's go. And we're back. We're back. We're back. Grady. Thank you so much for joining, man. Thank you so much.
Grady Hendrix:Hey, y'all know thanks for having me. I'm psyched to dive into a giant pool of of domestic swill full of floating body parts.
Stu Haack:You know what that is perfect? And by the way, so I just want to jump straight into this point. So for any of our listeners, normally what we do is we find really great craft beers, local beers, regional beers. And when we when I when I emailed Grady, and I was, I mean just so excited that he emailed me back. Not only was he like just very, you know, clever and witty in who he was and how he responded, but he also had this great idea that I'm really excited for because if you're watching this live, we're not live. But if you're watching the video version of this podcast, what you'll see is we don't have craft beer in front of us today, we have some American favorites, right? We have the old
Derek Krueger:OG's that started everything.
Stu Haack:Great. Grady, can you tell us why we chose these beers today?
Grady Hendrix:Yeah, well, you know, craft beer is great. It's always exciting. But I gotta tell you, my tastes were formed a college and high school, mostly college, and man, you're drinking whatever is cheap. And I found that that's where I still gravitate to, to this day. Cheap, domestic domestic, so it's profanity allowed, and I'll show 100% It's actually it's not craft beer. It's craft beer. But it gets the job done.
Stu Haack:It's amazing. So if you're not watching the video, in front of us, we have Miller Highlife Bud Light Coors and Coors Light and Grady. I imagine you have probably some similar little bit, maybe a few different ones
Grady Hendrix:as I've gotten three beers, I'm throwing some curveballs in there. I've got some choice commentary about some of your choices. I don't know what what should we say? I'd like though, if it's okay with you guys to start with. I think this is a 2022 bottle of Bud Light.
Stu Haack:22 was a good year.
Derek Krueger:Like, yeah,
Grady Hendrix:I can never twist off with twist lids
Stu Haack:Okay, well, let's, let's jump straight into it. I like your style Grady. So we actually just so you know, Grady. We actually got some little tasting glasses, which we thought were Oh, nice. sure that you know, we had just the true tasting experience. So here we go, Derek. A little taste.
Derek Krueger:Thank you, man.
Stu Haack:I don't know that Bud Lights, the bouquet. You gotta smell you gotta get the aroma.
Derek Krueger:Look at that head on that that's beautiful.
Stu Haack:To have the full tasting experience for a Bud Light. Now 2022 Probably not as good as 2018 for Bud Light, but but I believe it's still a good year.
Grady Hendrix:The smell of smell of barley some hops there.
Stu Haack:Yeah. Oh, you know what? What you can smell That's America. That's Main Street America.
Derek Krueger:That is America.
Grady Hendrix:But mainstream America that's concerned with its waistline.
Stu Haack:Indeed. Yeah, cuz we're not drinking the red can we're drinking the blue can here.
Grady Hendrix:No. And I'll tell you I wanted to do Bud Light. Because for me, every bar smells like Bud Light. I grew up with three older sisters. And so we never had coke in the house. We always had Diet Coke, and we always had. So I've always had that taste for the more watery light version of drinks. And I fell in love with Bud Light. There used to be my go to bar in New York on St. Mark's place was there since about 1978 or 79 called the grassroots tavern. Old Man bar, all wooden creaky and during the happy hour. It was $2 draft Bud Light and $1 popcorn and three books do you are set,
Stu Haack:you're set. You're good to go. Now we actually just got back from Flagstaff. We did it. We did a little tour there. And that's where I did my alma mater back in back in the college days. So Northern Arizona University Go Jacks. Now when I went to school, and this was, gosh, 15 years ago now, boy, anyway, we had a we had a bar called the Museum Club. Now we had dime beers. So very similar. They're all wood, you know, all just that it was a cowboy style bar it's Arizona, right? Yeah, have a little bit of that cowboy thing going on. But dime beers and what you got was a little 10 ounce plastic cup full of what probably whatever shitty beer they were about to, you know, go bad or something like that. Yeah, you know, but as a college kid, you don't care. And this is exactly you know, that's why again, I think when you pitch this idea, I was like, this is brilliant. I don't know why we haven't done this before. We're going to taste test and enjoy some of our college favorites. And we
Derek Krueger:got a cheers it up. Right here. Yeah. Cheers. Great, buddy.
Grady Hendrix:And now the problem is for me. Oh, I can't taste Bud Light because it's got so many associations and memories with it. I don't know what I'm paid. To me. It tastes like bar beer or it tastes like grassroots tavern. But honestly, I have no idea. I couldn't give you tasting notes. Because it's so wrapped up with nostalgia for me.
Stu Haack:Well, I think there's truth to that too. Because I also think that literally, Bud Light just tastes like the baseline beer. Like everything else is just based on Bud Light. So if you get a floral note from another beer, it's because you are comparing it to Bud Light in your head. You know, or if you're getting a citrus note, because Bud Light doesn't have the citrus note. So So to your point. You're exactly right. I think it's just it's the baseline.
Grady Hendrix:Yeah, it really is. And it's and there's something you know, I don't know, man, it's got this seal that Anheuser Busch love. And it's just it just says everything to me. I prefer the red and white label. But you know, this is this is this still says quality to make well, and
Stu Haack:you know what? We got our most patriotic holiday right around the corner. You put a Budweiser next to a Bud Light. It just looks like the American flag.
Grady Hendrix:It does. Yeah, absolutely. No, absolutely.
Stu Haack:Speaking of patriotism, though, you know, I wanted to just ask you a couple of questions about yourself. So you you now live in New York City, but you're by way of South Carolina,
Grady Hendrix:South Carolina. Yep. come from South Carolina,
Stu Haack:Which comes through a ton in your books, right? I mean, a lot of them are based in the south and they come through in your characters. So I mean, honestly, I can pick any of your books, but like, you know, one of the ones that sticks out the most to me in terms of the South coming through is a southern book clubs guide to slaying vampires.
Grady Hendrix:Sure.
Stu Haack:So you know, obviously without any spoilers or anything like that all The Books been out for a while people catch up. Okay. But without too many spoilers. You know, can you describe a little bit about how your southern influence impacts some books like like that one?
Grady Hendrix:Sure. Well, you know, I mean, Southern book clubs guide to slaying vampires could really be set anywhere because the real conceit is. It's a book club. And versus a vampire, right? These ladies have a book club, vampire moves in the neighborhood. But one of the reasons I wanted to do it is I feel like there's a thing in publishing this real snobbery where people talk about book club books and book club, ladies. And it's really snobby and dismissive. And it's sort of like, these are lightweight books. These are lightweight readers. And it's weird to me that an industry will slit its own throat like that, because A, these are readers, these are book clubs, will hoover up some books, man, and be Why be so dismissive to people who want to make reading a major part of their social life. I don't get it. But I was definitely a snob like that when I was a teenager and probably, you know, in my 20s, and then I grew up and sort of like my mom's book clubs been around. Gosh, I think it's like 46 years now. So they've been a part of my life. I'm 50. So I, they've been a part of my life since I was a kid, remember, and these women, you know, I used to be very dismissive towards them, but they really are, you know, they've really been through the wringer together, and they've really stuck together. And so I wanted to write a book about people who get dismissed. And I think making them southern makes them even more dismissible. Because immediately you're thinking of big old brassy blondes who are drinking a lot of Chardonnay. And actually probably Pinot Grigio and, you know, just just kind of dumb and Middle America. And and, and that's not my experience with book club women at all, and especially my mom's book club. And so I wanted this vampire who's a cool, sexy guy, to run up against the least cool people on earth and get his ass handed to him. And so that's sort of where that came from. And it's interesting I'm working on I'm one of the writers, I will not write this minute because there's the WGA strike, but I'm one of the writers on the TV show for it. That's being done by Danny McBride out of Charleston, he does righteous gemstones, a bunch of other stuff. Yeah, yeah. And we've updated it to make it take place contemporary, and because the book set in the 90s, and it's really been fun to update it. Because, you know, I mean, there's no one I'd rather hang out with, and a bunch of Southern women, you know, they're all they've all got their gummy routines figured out. And they're vaping. And they're on the boat, and they got a cooler, and you know, in the back of their golf cart, and they're living large, they're living their best lives. So it's been really, really fun to work on this thing. And it's kind of a bummer. We got to put it on pause at the moment, but it's been a blast. And it's funny. Putting it together, we've realized how, how much there is. And so it's like we we've been working on the pilot before the strike. And we're all so psyched. There's only three of us writing it. But we're so psyched to dive into like the other episodes just like to really get into like, what, what sort of the nicey nicey touristy? Charleston East South looks like at 23
Stu Haack:Yes, I mean, I love it. And I'm glad you brought that up because it was gonna be one of my questions is, obviously they've they've already turned my best friend's exorcism into a movie, which was an amazing movie. I really, I mean, I enjoyed it. Oh, thanks. In so I mean, there's got to be a lot more on the docket for you. I've read multiple rumors about stuff happening. Yeah. And so you know, I just I can't wait to hear about what else you have going on.
Grady Hendrix:So the short version is horror story is going to be a feature film and the screenplays done right before the strike. I was out in LA for about a week with the director who hasn't been announced yet just sort of fine tuning things. And, you know, like I said, there's a monkey wrench and everything but that is ready to rumble and I think it's his next movie Fingers crossed. How to Sell a haunted house. We've got a director attached. Sam Raimi is producing I'm doing the screen again, in the draft within. Yeah, I was really psyched. Well, you know, it's funny. Do you guys remember this thing called Kwibi?
Derek Krueger:Yes, yeah, it
Stu Haack:was the movie was happening. It was just a phone. It was Metro phones, right
Grady Hendrix:super, the super micro like five minute movies 10 minute movies. I think like Katzenberg or thought it was Jeffrey Katzenberg or thought was gonna be the next big thing and it really flamed out but Sam Raimi had an anthology show on there called 50 states of fear and I had an episode in there. And so I had done a zoom call, doing a table read with him and a bunch of people. And like the notes Sam Randy gave are so freaking good. They're the best notes I've ever gotten from someone and so I was so psyched. Like I really pushed hard to get him involved with how to sell a haunted house because just as he's so good man,
Stu Haack:like Sam Raimi seems perfect for your style. I mean, because yeah, you do you have, obviously, your your your books, by the way, there are several scenes that still stick with me to this day, the parking lot or the rest stop scene from Oh, are souls. That I mean, there are some that was such a bummer to write. But you're so Paul Tremblay, another acclaimed horror author right now called the best horror comedy writer of our time. I mean, I don't know if you heard that very
Grady Hendrix:nice at all. Yeah, it's, it's super nice to Paul and considering how mean I am to him on a regular basis. I'm like, I'm very grateful. Yeah. But ya know, so So horror store how to sell a haunted house southern Book Club is a series and then final girls support groups, also a series from HBO max. And so the Danny McBride one's gonna be an HBO for southern book club, and then HBO max. And that's got Charlie's throne producing and then Barbara and Andy machete who did the flash and the movies are directing the pilot, or doing the pilot and they've got a writer attached and they got a pilot script and they're doing it. They were doing notes and going back and forth on that when the strike happened. So so everything except we sold our soul seems to be teed up somewhere somehow.
Stu Haack:Which, which is funny, because to be quite honest, I mean, I love all of your books. And I hope that this doesn't get tight, taken the wrong way at all. We sold our souls is my favorite of all. It's my favorite two hands down. It's incredible. And one of the things that I was wondering, obviously, it's all about a heavy metal band. And your references to heavy metal are deep cuts. I mean, we're talking deep tracks and stuff like that. So are you is that your genre? Like, are you a heavy metal listener?
Grady Hendrix:No. And I was one of those jerks in high school in college who like, I looked, I thought heavy metal was for idiots. And when I did the it came time to do the book. I was like, you know, I want to write about a really dismissible band. And I just seen that documentary anvil, which is so good about the Canadian metal band that sort of like never quite made it. And that was really on my mind. And I was like, you know, metal is like, the only genre of music it's just not cool. Like, you say, I'm into like, dank gangster rap, at least on street cred. You say you're into metal, people assume you live in your mom's basement, watch a lot of porn, like. And
Stu Haack:through it, it's true. So I started, I'm just kidding.
Grady Hendrix:So I started listening to metal to sort of get into it and like, I took me a while to find my way in which turned out to be like, Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath on their album, Black Sabbath, like doing like back to the first band, the first album, The first big track should have started there. And then man, the sky was the limit. And I'm like, there's so many metal bands I listen to now that my life would be poor without them. I mean, you know, it's like, the idea that I got through this much of my life without listening to Metallica or Slayer or, you know, you know, I listen to sleep dope smoker, relentlessly writing that book. Devin Townsend project. So much stuff. Lovato, mastodons, Leviathan, albeau wolves in the throne room. You know, what woods of eats? You know, it just like so much stuff. And like, one of the two things really saved me one was that metal heads are the nicest people on Earth. And so you'd be at a club or a bar or a show and you'd say to someone, oh, you know, what should I be listening to? And oh, like, I have so many cocktail napkins and coasters and scraps of paper with like bands and albums written on it. Like metal heads are the most welcoming people I ever met. In any fandom.
Stu Haack:It's so it's Yeah, and I will tell you, like I was I was probably an alt rock for most of my life. You know, I grew up in San Diego as a whole thing. But but my wife was super into metal. And I was like, that's weird. You know, I didn't you know, Oh, that's awesome. And so she got me into into metal and and I was like, and she one of the first shows we went to, and you could argue it's more pop metal, but like Rob Zombie, we went to go see him in Las Vegas. And I was like, I was a little nervous. You know, I'm like a 25 year old dude. And I'm like, you know, what, are they gonna beat me up? You know, because I'm not wearing all black or something. They are just people in the world. You know? That is it? Yeah, it's a phenomenal group of people.
Grady Hendrix:And it's funny. I know some folks who've worked with Rob Zombie before and they're like, say what you will about his movies. He is the sweetest dude you will ever meet in your life. Yep. Yep. So what Yeah, and then the other thing that really saved me is my next door neighbor growing up, is married to a guy named Tom Youngblood who is the head lead guitarist and sort of the guy who runs a band called melodic metal band called Camelot with the K. And they're sort of like, they never charted or anything, but they're like a really working class, hardcore touring band. That's what they do. They tour South America, they do Asia, they do Europe, and that's their bread and butter, you know, they don't have day jobs. And he was super nice in terms of giving me time and access and letting me come see shows and come back stage, which was really great. And, and, you know, it's funny, COVID really messed him up, it really hurt his arm. And he's back on the road again, but it was like a long recovery process. But so yeah, so I had some insiders and then I had fans, and they just really steered me through and, and I don't know, man, I love that book. That's, that's my favorite on my books, to be honest. So
Stu Haack:I mean, and again, all of your books are just incredible. I, I get, you know, scared, sometimes I have to turn all the lights on, you know, when I go to the bathroom at night, because I'm thinking of, you know, Grady Hendrix book, but also, I mean, some of the some of your thoughts in the books are profound, you know, there was a, there was a, I'm gonna butcher this line from we sold. But it was something I think it was something like basically, a song is not a bullet. It is like a Breaker of Chains or something like that. And it was something along those lines. And, and it was like, but but because I think he really delved into the depths of these people who listen to this kind of heavy metal music and stuff like that. And it's not meant to be, you know, this violent thing. It's actually meant to feel freeing, which I was just like, God, it's like, it's like, you've just figured out this thing. And so, so is it. Are those the experiences that you had that you just talked about? Are those the kinds of things that allowed you to get, like, dive into that psyche?
Grady Hendrix:Yeah, I mean, you know, I really, I wish I wrote faster, but I sort of like really go into my books deep, you know. And so when I'm writing them, I am a true believer. It's funny, I was listening to this metal band, this Swedish metal band called zeal and ardour. And, man, they're great. But their whole, it's a black guy is the songwriter and the singer and the lead guitarist. And his whole thing is, they base their use, and it's it's some dank metal, but it's like, they base it on slave spirituals. But the thing is, they're like, they're about Satan. And so they're like, you know, because he's like, what were you looking for? You're, you're enslaved. Everyone despises you, everyone's turned their back on you, the only person they're offering you hope is Satan. And, and I've always loved that I've always sort of felt like, you know, Satan's there for the little guys. And, and the songs are great, but it really got me thinking about the connection, because a lot of these metal guys, especially the early ones, come out of blues, you know, and that's so liberation music, you know, I mean, it's like, it's so there's a real line running from early spirituals and blues through rock and metal. And, you know, it's, it's the music that's there, when everyone's turned their back on you. I feel like you know, it's the one that like, if you're in pain, if you're angry, if you're alone, that's where you hear your echoes, you know, that's when you feel like someone else feels like I do. And so that really pinged for me, you know, it really pulled the trigger.
Stu Haack:Yeah. It's amazing. I love it. And I love I mean, it's just, it's really cool that you and I assume that were You were you dive into these depths, because you just said, you don't write fast and you'd like to dive deep into these things. That's got to come from your reporting background, right? Because obviously, you've written Yeah, major publications.
Grady Hendrix:And so that's, yeah, for a long time. Yeah. For a long time, I was a journalist in quotation marks. I did cultural coverage, so like celebrity profiles and reviews and things. But I love doing research. And one of the nice things about books is like, it gives you an excuse just to call people and ask questions. Yes. And that's been so much fun. I did that a lot with we sold our souls. I did that. I'm doing that a huge amount with the book I'm working on now which is set in a home for unwed mothers in 1970. And like I am it's a book where every character is pregnant and I am a middle aged man with no children. It's way out of my depth and like, Man, I am having some profound use his conversations with a lot of women who've had kids and a lot of OBS and stuff. And it's been, it's been a blast. You know, I'm one of the things that's been really interesting. And I don't want to harp on this too much, because I'm sort of like wrapping this book up, or at least the first draft. But I'm there, there's this really wild strain historically in feminism from the 19th century and into the early 20th century, of what was called satanic feminism, where a lot of these early suffragettes and things saw Satan as this liberation figure, as like, hey, everyone tells us to go to church and to worship God, and to be good. And that means we have no rights. And we're basically our husband's property, and we can't vote. But then you got this guy who rebels against all that, and like, breaks the chains and gets thrown out of heaven for like, you know, flipping God, the bird, and Satan, and you have all these sort of feminist books, a lot of which have been forgotten. But this real use of Satan is like a superhero. And actually, a lot of the early suffragettes, Susan B, Anthony, and those guys, they helped write something called a satanic or sorry, the feminist Bible, which was a feminine of female centered version of the Bible, like a translation. And Satan has a huge, really like heroic role in it, which is way feminine. It's like these 90s, the feminist Bible, and like, it's, it was like, I think it's called the feminists Bible. Hold on. Transpower, a women's Bible. But like, the women's Bible, I think, is what it's called. Yeah, Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1885. And like, it's like metal is basically the, these early suffragettes, really metal heads, they're like, hey, we'll say,
Stu Haack:the counterculture, you know, like, you just, you root for the little, if you're the little guy, you kind of root for the little guy. And that's kind of like what's going on.
Grady Hendrix:And also, I gotta say, satanic feminism sounds badass, like so badass.
Derek Krueger:And gritty, I got a question for you. As far as kind of the process of how you work, you said, you work slow, like, as far as you know, do research and stuff like that. But give me kind of a look into when you think of an idea from conception to. I don't even want to say first draft to win. All right, the book is out. Like, what would you say? Like how long of a process is that? And what's like a data life of writing it?
Grady Hendrix:So I used to be able to, yeah, oh, yeah, I used to be able to do it in about 10 months. And now it takes me a year to a year and a half to write a book. And basically, it's usually an idea I've had for a long time, like, final girl support group, I think the first draft was like 2014, or southern book club, I found a document with the opening paragraph of that book that I wound up not using, but like written from 2009. Like, it's, you know, I sit with this stuff. And like it just sort of, like, if it sticks around, I'm like, maybe there's a book there. And then I sort of start doing a lot of research reading stuff in the field, like doing southern book club, I was like reading a bunch of books, like they were about, quote, unquote, housewives. And I was really appalled by a lot of them, because a lot of them are literary fiction. And they take a really dim view, they're like, oh, housewife, so frustrated, life sucks. I just want to die. And I'm like, this is not the experience of women I know who you know, don't have a nine to five job. Like, I mean, it's part of it, but it's not all of it. Right? Um, and usually, what I hope happens is kind of the characters start to bubble up. And, and I try to stick with them. And what happens is I'll write a draft, that I'm like, I know what's going to happen. I know what's gonna happen this draft. And it's terrible. And I usually run out of steam about two thirds of the way through and just sort of like, drag my stinking corpse over the finish line just to have it done. Because you can't fake something unless you've got it start to finish done. Yeah. And then I go back and I'm like, Okay, let me figure this out. And I start outlining it. And I usually give up on that. And then what will usually happen is around a second draft, I'll stop and do huge character backgrounds like big biomes like for how to sell a haunted house, which is about a family. I wound up writing. I think it was like a 16,000 word. Year by year history of the family starting from in the mountains met each other because I've had to families are all backstory. It's all inside jokes. It's, I mean, I'm sure it's happened to y'all where you're dating someone or you're involved with someone and you go to have dinner with their family for the first time and you like leave and you're like, that was nice, and they're like, Are you kidding? Yeah, but you hear it all just goes over your head. You don't know the references, you don't know the backstory. So I had to get that backstory even though it's not on the page. And so like, so then it's just a matter of like, getting out of my own way, like, trying to like, I wind up taking out a lot of the cool stuff I thought I wanted in the book and just focusing on the characters and usually the one main character. And I've realized, like, I'm not a great stylist, but what I can do is kind of try to be a clear my writing to be like a clear pane of glass between me, between the reader and the story. Like they're just looking right through me to the story. And that's what I want. Like, some people are greatly like Stephen Graham Jones is a really great sentence by sentence right? Or Paul is a super, he loves playing like really complicated and interesting structural games, right? And for me, it's like, I just want to be invisible. I just want the story. You know, you know?
Stu Haack:Sorry, I didn't mean to
Grady Hendrix:get out of my own way. Sorry, what'd you say?
Stu Haack:No, I didn't mean to cut you off. I mean, but it's so interesting, because I think that's a really, really good point is when I read your books, I don't feel like there's a narrative structure happening around like, I'm not conscious. Oh, good. Like, I'm not conscious of someone writing this book. I'm just in it, you know, and I just feel it. And then I think to your point, you know, it's interesting that you say that you wrote that backstory for the family in how to sell a haunted house. Happy to say I just finished the book last night. I was, you know, I, I wanted to make sure it was done before I got here today. I tried to get it done earlier. But then my son's birthday, all kinds of stuff. Regardless, I finished it. And one of the things that I found is seems to be a consistent theme is a, you do a really good job of writing characters that you can hate for a little while, but then somehow end up liking Mark. Yeah, I didn't want to give anything away. I'm not going to say too much. But like, but it's very interesting to see that. But I don't think you can do that without understanding a backstory or really having that depth of feeling for that character.
Grady Hendrix:Well, it also I write a lot of women so Mark was so much fun to write because I know those dudes man, big, messy, loud, Southern guys who are just, there's so much fun to be around. But God you don't want to live with them, you know? Okay, I'm opening up my second year here. And I'm gonna say, and I do not mean this to sound judgy. But one of the beers two of the beers y'all have chosen brings, brings back a nostalgia story. So you got two cores products there. And my first year in college, I went to college in the early 90s. So it was sort of like trying to come into the end of the big first burning of AIDS and I, I was in New York, and I was working with a theatre company that was there was a lot of drag queens and trans people and queer performers. Yeah. And they would not touch course products. And, and the reason was course, the family behind it was really, really historically very conservative, and donated to a lot of like, you know, focus on the family groups. But back in the day, there was a huge boycott, of course. And it was this alliance between the teamsters who were on strike against cores, and the gay community, so you could not find cores in a gay bar anywhere. And it was this amazing alliance between teamsters who you know, you don't think of with gay rights ever, and gay rights activists. And so it was just beaten him to be at an early age, do not drink course.
Stu Haack:And now and now Bud Light is embroiled in the whole thing where they've had. What's her
Derek Krueger:I know. Yeah, they're transgender. But she was
Stu Haack:actually good Trent. Yeah. And Kid Rock shot up a bunch of bugs, like, way to go, Debbie, you still bought a bunch of bras. So you know, I mean, good for you, buddy.
Grady Hendrix:It's funny, you know, there was a draft that we sold our souls were Woodstock. 99 was in there because Kid Rock famously was one of the artists there. And it was like Woodstock. 99 was a black mass to rain out the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the soul is 21st century. And I haven't seen much behavior by Limp Biscuit or Kid Rock. It would make me want to take walk that back. No, not at all. So I'm going for my next year, which is so my next fear is I went to NYU and I was not in film school. I did like religious history, but all my roommates were in film school and I knew a lot of audio engineering, so I was always recording sound of their movies, and all of them drank Heineken, because of blue velvet, where Frank asked Kyle MacLachlan put a beer you drink says Heineken that shit not Blue Ribbon and for some reason all these school students didn't drink pass Blue Ribbon. They all went for Heineken, which let me see if my memories right.
Stu Haack:I know exactly how that's gonna taste. See that's one that I got. I
Grady Hendrix:hate Heineken. It's
Stu Haack:got that skunky skunky flavor. Yeah, like I Yeah, we get into Heineken because
Grady Hendrix:it tastes like the beer has gone bad. Yeah, it really is terrible. It's reminds me a little of Rolling Rock, which I wanted to find, but I couldn't because Rolling Rock was what every bar has. Oh, Pabst Blue Ribbon. Bands beer.
Stu Haack:Yeah, that's right. What was the exact quote from him again? I just want to make sure I've got this in case
Grady Hendrix:I think it was what what kind of beer you drink Heineken? That ship have blue ribbon. That's a man's beer. Fuck that shit.
Stu Haack:Amazing. Now now,
Grady Hendrix:like, you know, I wanted to find Rowlings So wait, how does Pabst Blue Ribbon taste?
Stu Haack:Okay, so let me yeah, let's take a quick sip, because I'm pretty sure it's gonna taste very similar to
Derek Krueger:Bud Light. Honestly, I'm a bigger fan of PBR than I am a Bud Light. I think it's a little bit more. It's got more gravity. Yeah, it's just got gravity. I can't
Stu Haack:I use that word. Just like not that barely knowing what it means. Right? It feels right. It feels right. Yeah, it's heavy. Sounds like the fancier version of heavier. Yes, exactly. There you go. Yeah, because it's not a light beer.
Derek Krueger:Yep. All right, waiting
Grady Hendrix:for me. The big one was rolling rock because that was when he because everyone's in college. All your friends are in a band. And every venue always sold Rolling Rock but that was also a skunky beer like like Heineken. Yeah,
Stu Haack:yeah, probably not as bad as Heineken but very similar in terms of total flavor, but I for me, I felt like Rolling Rock looked cooler was sounded sounded way cooler. And I think yeah, I'd find a Rolling Rock 24 Just to have consistency of look here and I could just
Derek Krueger:couldn't find I was trying to find a Mickey's hand grenade. I couldn't find that.
Stu Haack:Oh, my gosh, so much. What was Mickey's Wait a second Grady. Wait a second. Can we introduce you to what a Mikis is? Have you never
Grady Hendrix:had an MC? What is Mickey? Yeah, yeah, hold on. I
Derek Krueger:think they call it what do they call it? The
Stu Haack:it's a it's a malt liquor. Right? It's uh, they got the hand grenade version. Versus just like a little 12 ounce but it's like thicker than a normal kid. Oh, it's
Grady Hendrix:that little short swag. green bottle one. Yep. And never had one of those.
Stu Haack:It's awful. You didn't miss anything. But the
Derek Krueger:lid always. It had like a factor. It had something on the lid. Man, it was great. Had
Grady Hendrix:something. Yeah. We had it when I went in when you in the early 90s. Our malt liquor of choice was crazy horse. Because a 40 of that costs $2.50. Now,
Stu Haack:did you did you It was awful. Did you ever do what's called an Edward 40 hands? Have you have you heard? Oh, it's it's Yeah, wildly dangerous. Because it's, you know, you have no control of your hands for you know, however long it takes to do 40s.
Grady Hendrix:Well, and also that was early 90s was when porno chic was sort of starting. And so like everyone was watching porn, ironically. And living with adult students. It was like, you know, but Edward penis hands was the big one that came out. And, man that was funny for about three and a half minutes, you know? And then then you're just sort of sitting there miserably watching porn in a room full of film students, which is just anti life. The
Stu Haack:awkwardness is just on an exponential curve. Just like no Yeah,
Grady Hendrix:exactly. But it is weird to think that porn used to be a 60 minute movie what?
Stu Haack:Now that was said it wasn't a three minute clip. You know, I tell the story. I've got a grievance against the porn and there used to be cinema used to be you know, Majesty.
Derek Krueger:I like the pizza guy that showed up, you know, and then she didn't have money for it. Yeah, that's right. Exactly. Okay, great. So we gotta we gotta ask you, because I know we're getting tight on time with you. We do have to hit kind of the fear. That's true that you have that, like yours. A very deep fear of yours.
Stu Haack:Which Which, by the way, not that we're trying to but there is a little extra pressure on you as a horror author. Yeah, yeah. Now to come up with a really good what's your, what's your existential fear?
Grady Hendrix:Well, the problem is, if you write horror, you kind of develop a capacity to be scared of anything. You know what I mean? Like Like, you can convince yourself anything scary if you think about it enough. But I will say two fears that have really stuck with me all my life. One is it's very boring, but the dark I'm really scared that it's not boring at all. Yeah, it's terrible. I I don't like it. I don't like walking around outside in the dark. I don't like it when the house is dark. I get sleep paralysis sometimes and I don't like waking up alone in the dark and you're shouting at something that no you can't. It's just awful. I hate it.
Stu Haack:The dark times you're in hotels probably alone quite a bit. Yeah, that's terrible. How
Derek Krueger:do you do it by yourself? Because I'm right there with you, man. Me and you like, I get sleep paralysis really bad to where like, Yeah, cuz had to wake me up because I've been screaming. And it's it's embarrassing, dude. Like you do when you're by yourself, because I gotta have everything on all lights on TV on sound on just enough to where I can hear something.
Grady Hendrix:Yeah, see, my hotel ritual is I come in and I put the locks on the door. And then I searched the room I do behind the curtains under the bed behind the shower, like and once I've searched it, I'm like, nothing's gonna materialize. I'm okay. And then I can do the dark. But I have had a couple of sleep paralysis incidents on the road. And I just I don't go back to bed after that. I just turn everything on and watch a movie. I'm like, I'm done. Like, I because because you get such a visual of someone being in that room with you. It's like after that uncooked, like I'm like, this sucks. I'm done. I hate animals. So
Derek Krueger:I'm kind of curious about this. It made me think so all the books you've written? You. There's nothing about sleep paralysis? Is it that do not want to even touch that like with your own kind? Well,
Grady Hendrix:but there's lots and lots of things in my book where something someone is trapped in a tight space or unable to move. And that to me is is the sleep paralysis? Or, you know, like on the note, what about
Stu Haack:what about in a horror store? Where they don't know. I forget the main character's name, but she doesn't know where she's looking. Yes, yeah. And she doesn't, but they can use the video camera to see where she's where they're actually yeah. Is that kind of a manifestation of that?
Grady Hendrix:Well, that's a little bit. But that's something I've had for a long, I mean, that goes all the way back to the 90s. Where I was like, I developed this thing where it's like being lost, like thinking you're going left and you're really going right and thinking you're going up when you're really going down would be so terrifying. Yeah. And that was really based on on on dropping acid a couple of times. So really once in high school, where it was just like, not knowing where you were and where you were going was it was like the most terrifying thing I ever did. Because you can't rely on any No, you can't. And it was awful. And so that being last thing that they do in horror store comes right out of that, like that was
Stu Haack:that stuck with me honestly, that that part of it was just like, oh my gosh, what if you're What if you couldn't rely on your senses? That's wild. Yeah. Wild thoughts. Yeah. Yeah. But we do that all the time. You get drunk, you get high, like you can't rely on your senses. It's recreational.
Grady Hendrix:Within the other thing, really. The other thing I really don't like is stuff living under my skin bought flies and parasites. There was a bunch of videos going around recently of, of, there's a parasite called a hare worm. That's like a long black worm. And it would get inside praying mantises and things and you It hates water. And so the people would pour water on a praying mantis, and this thing would come out. It's been around furious, and it would be like four times as long as the mantis. It was just horrible to watch.
Derek Krueger:I literally have goosebumps. Yeah, this is like this is because that stuff you can't even see by yourself.
Grady Hendrix:You know?
Stu Haack:Now now it's gonna be your fault, though, that Derek stays up all night.
Derek Krueger:Now I'm gonna have to sleep on this in the dark and then bugs with worms.
Grady Hendrix:Well, the other thing that was so horrible is like when you're little and you give the dog pills, and you're like, what are the pills? And they're like, oh, it's worm worm, medicate heartworm. And you're like, what's a heartworm and then you realize it worms in their heart and you're like, why is my dog just a big bag of worms shaped like a dog? Like this is horrifying
Derek Krueger:to ever google anything?
Stu Haack:Yeah, that's exactly right. Oh, I mean, they're like as you're growing up, you just there are things that you don't understand. I still remember that stupid scary was a scary stories that keep you up in the darker. Oh, yeah. Oh, Alvin Schwartz illustrations. Yeah, there were just some things in there. Like as you're growing up, you're like is the spider egg? I don't remember. Do you know that one where the girl wore the rings around her neck or she wear a scarf around her neck? And eventually, like, she always wore it and this this kid became friends with her. And eventually he was like, hey, you know, take that scarf off. Like, you know, you don't have to wear the scarf all the time and she took it off in real Like head fell off or something like that. Oh, that was
Grady Hendrix:an art that is such a famous ghost story to like that always works, you know? So
Stu Haack:it's classic, but it's classic for a reason kind of thing. Oh, yeah.
Grady Hendrix:Yeah, totally. Well, it's also you know, there's that one in there this like the girl she's got like the pimple and she eventually pops and it was a spider egg and all these spiders come out. Yes. Yeah, okay,
Stu Haack:you're right. Yep.
Derek Krueger:Yeah, there's there's too many scary things to do. Life is scary.
Stu Haack:For kids, especially so like we live stories growing up. Okay, what's actually that leads me to another question that I have. I mean, were there any obviously you know, you have influences in your in your adult life. But were there any things that like you grew up with that scared like that taught you to love horror? I know you love horror films about horror books, you know, like, like, Yeah, well, and aural. Oh, yeah. You know,
Grady Hendrix:yeah, yeah. So I was a little old for goosebumps. I came to that late and like reading it for a project. And I developed a deep hatred of RL Stein and a deep love of Christopher Pike. Because I was like, Who, because RL Stein's all jumpscares. It's like so many chapters in like, and he was there was a man standing in her room in the dark. And in the next chapter, she turns on the light and it's a shirt on the back of a chair. But, but Christopher Pike is deeply messed up, and I have so much admiration, and also say, as a person, I have a lot of admiration for RL Stein. I've met him a couple of times at events, and he's so nice and like smoke good with his fans. He gives you 100% Stein notice, he's, he's really he's a trooper, man. I got nothing but nice things to say about it. But so growing up, I didn't read much harder because I thought it was way too creepy. To be honest. It kind of grossed me out. I read King and Barker young, but I think everyone does. The thing that really got me was in carpool. And first, second and third grades. When Rhett Thurman drove one of my Michael Thurman's mom, she would tell ghost stories, because as a way of keeping a powerful a kid's quiet. And the classics, you know what I mean? Like it was stuff that she'd gotten out of like, you know, ghost story books, scarf around the neck, all that stuff, and a bit every now and then there'd be a weird one she threw in or a self referential one. Sometimes she changed the names to be like names and locations we knew. Then we'd like there were ones that were our favorites that we'd ask for again. And like, sometimes she'd let one of us tell it go story, and you realize how hard it was. And like, no one liked it. And so like, it really taught me at an early age that like, telling a story could really hold people's attention. Yeah, you know what I mean? Like, it could really keep people riveted. And, you know, the payoff had to be good. And, and, you know, just just, it was really kind of a fabulous thing. I don't think she knows what an impact she had. But I just saw her actually at my dad's funeral. And like it was in you know, and I think she has no idea. But those I've talked to other people who have carpal and they just stuck with all of us this, this idea that you couldn't really hold people's attention by telling a story, as long as the story was good enough.
Stu Haack:I mean, that's amazing. And and you're right. I mean, not only is it you know, scary stories, or any good story can definitely hold your attention. That's why they've been passed down for millennia. Yeah, so it's hard to tell a good story. And, you know, so learning that lesson, I think, from a young age.
Grady Hendrix:Yeah. Well, and also like, just the basic principles, you know, have the have the people listening have questions? Why? Why does? Oh, no, we know what's going on. They buried the guy and stole his golden arm shit, that's not going to grow well. Oh, my God, He's coming. He's asking for it. He's on this floor. He's on the steps. You don't need just those basic tension and asking questions. And, you know, for shadowing, it was really good to get that kind of three years of getting that kind of once a week ingrained. And you you know,
Stu Haack:amazing, amazing now, and I'm really sorry to hear about your father, by the way. I mean, no, thanks. Was that the funeral that you were at recently? Yeah, it was, uh,
Grady Hendrix:I still haven't processed it. I mostly what I realized was like, mostly I'm just tired. Like, I'm just exhausted. So yeah. So you know, it's, it's, Oh, thanks. We'll also even worse, I don't want to use any names, but I found out because my aunt died right before my dad, like, like a week before. And at her funeral, I learned that one of my cousin's had one of his testicles bit off by a brown recluse spider. which
Stu Haack:was not what that is not.
Grady Hendrix:It's a good horror is amazing because it's like, it makes your tissue die and like it basically killed his testicle and his wife had to get a big old chunk of her stomach removed because if she got bitten by a brown recluse and it went necrotic it's good god he's as opposed to food. What? Insects are disgusting. Well, spiders aren't insects, but
Stu Haack:well, they're close enough. And spiders are my least favorite thing in the world, which is why Yeah, I guess it's actually pretty good. Got
Grady Hendrix:those dead eyes?
Stu Haack:Well, they in the weird eight legs is moving. But there are very few spiders here. They can't survive the 115 degrees.
Derek Krueger:They get they come inside a lot. But
Stu Haack:I mean, so So but it's cool to hear where you're where you're sort of inspiration came from, I guess at an early age. Now my question the reason I you know, as I was asking you about your father is, did your parents know that she was telling you these horror stories when you? Oh, yeah.
Grady Hendrix:Oh, yeah. They were like, great. She keeps them shut up. No one fights when she drives car.
Stu Haack:She was just, she was brilliant. She had all figured out that's, it's awesome.
Grady Hendrix:Oh, yeah. Well, and it's also like, I mean, they were a ghost stories around the campfire. It's a tradition, you know, like, like, alright, it's wholesome.
Derek Krueger:It's it is Alright, great. So we're gonna get into the third and final beer. And I got to ask about because I'm really big into I love character development. I love to act, I love to do all that stuff. So that's like, a big thing for me. And I saw and read that you do, like one man shows instead of like, kind of signings. And so that I was like, Dude, I got to ask him about this, but I want to hear about it after we touched on this third.
Grady Hendrix:Okay, so beer, so you guys, I think are going for the Miller Highlife. Next which I'll be very curious because I'm not sure it's the champagne of beers. i i It's got such great packaging. And every time I open a miller I'm a little disappointed. I think it's a little too sweet. A little too frothy. But I went to I had to go to what was available my deli and so I have a big history with Qingdao which is like the chill look. It's basically the Budweiser of China and in college, your your big meal when you're broke was the Chinese meal. And so like and then you'd be like Oh, and Qingdao beer and it's only like $4 This is like a fancy foreign beer. And then I lived in Hong Kong for a little while and like Qingdao was but and I gotta say I actually like it a lot. Let me see if memory serves
Stu Haack:Okay, yeah, let's let's see it now we need to get the review as well like does it still hold up in the way that you hope it does and
Derek Krueger:when was the last one had that?
Grady Hendrix:So I haven't had a chain down in probably four years. So it's been a while but not too long. You know, it's it's goes in that skunky kind of Rolling Rock Heineken green bottling but it stops just short of being unpleasant. It's a little more mellow, Super stinky. I actually got to say chain down. I wouldn't go Bud Light Qingdao leave out the Heineken Rolling Rock. Okay, there
Stu Haack:you go. So go with the baseline. Yep, stick with the sing or Qingdao. So by the way, it's just funny because I had a buddy who loved that beer but he was called a single out.
Grady Hendrix:I have no idea like, Oh, see I'm being pretentious and calling it Qingdao. But you know. I'm sure same Tao is probably just as just as good.
Stu Haack:I have you know what? Okay, so I gotta
Grady Hendrix:hear. I gotta hear the tasty notes from the Miller High Life. Yeah, Derek Well, this
Derek Krueger:is this a big one established? 1903. Okay, Miller highlights champagne of beers.
Stu Haack:Which by the way, do you know that Miller Highlife can not be distributed in the EU? Because on its can and bottles? It says champagne of beers. And they take that champagne? Seriously? Yes. Literally in shampoo. 1000 cans. Some guy ordered it for a private party in Germany. And they got crushed at the port in Belgium. Because Oh, you cannot have this beer in this country.
Grady Hendrix:Well, I gotta say it's a classy beer, but I'm not sure let me know what you think.
Stu Haack:But cheers again, Grady. Gears. I just got mostly foam. Yeah. It's funkier than I like light. It's a little funkier than the Bud Light. Like again, the Bud Light you go back to that's like a very baseline. That is what beer is what a basic beer should be.
Derek Krueger:I think we are. I think PB PBR is my jam right now. That's it that Yeah, yeah. With you
Stu Haack:actually, you know, I'd probably I probably go PBR, I may even go to be honest. And this has nothing to do with the cultural references greater that you mentioned earlier, because I fully support the LGBTQ community. But I grew up on course like that was like my college Sure. I had no idea about the whole problematic you know, side of it. But that was just like sort of a course because, you know, I went to school in Arizona and it's kind of close to Colorado and you know that hole for sure. But, but yeah, PBR. This, actually this this Highlife tastes like shit.
Derek Krueger:Yeah, it does. There's no There's no weight to it. There's no I mean, the flavor. Yeah, I've been there. It's just kinda like, I remember being a little sharp and accurate. Yeah, it's a little accurate is a very good, a very good term. Yeah, I don't and that's why you're the writer and
Grady Hendrix:I'm very happy with my my Qingdao over here. I think you
Stu Haack:you've chosen why, in the words of Indiana Jones. Was it wasn't the Temple of Doom. It was Last Crusade. You have chosen wisely. We have chosen poorly.
Derek Krueger:Alright, great. Man Show. We got to talk about it.
Grady Hendrix:Yeah. So not when I did horror store. I was doing book tour. You know, you read from the book, you do a q&a. And it sucked. It was so boring. I was bored. The people there were bored. No, it was just awful. And after that, I was like, I'm never doing that again. Like it was terrible. And so I started doing
Stu Haack:your show so so don't even know exactly what we do, guys just kind of let it let it roll.
Grady Hendrix:And so I on my best friend's exorcism, I started experimenting with doing something a little extra. And I wasn't quite there yet. I was figuring out. But then when I did paper x from hell, I did a full on show. It's a history of the horror paperback boom and ran 60 minutes. It had two completely stupid songs in it. It had slides and it
Stu Haack:moves songs. Did you see the song? Oh, yeah. Oh, my gosh, that's amazing. Do you I do anywhere that we can find.
Grady Hendrix:I hope not. I ask people not to put it up online because I really want it to be a I don't want anyone to be subjected to my singing fee. I wanted to be like an experience. You know, like, Hey, we're doing this in this place alive humans in a room. But it was also like so so now I do those with every book. So when I did, we sold our soul to show was like a history of heart heavy metal and horror. When I did how to sell a haunted house. It's about the history of haunted houses. It always runs in our haunted houses doesn't have songs in it. But the other ones all do final girls has songs in it. They all have slides. So I like run the slides during the show. And usually it's about 120 to 170 slides, and it's a 60 minute show. So it really moves fast. And what am I touchstones for it is, I'm a big 19th century history buff. And in the 19th century, and even into the 20th century, public lectures were a thing. And you had people like Robert Benchley and stuff who would do comic public lectures, and you had people who would do you know, people would 1000s of people would come out to hear a lecture on glaciers and it would be entertaining and exciting and, and the person giving it would be a showman and, and I really love that format. And so, so yeah, so I do this. And I've actually got one I did for a while that I'm trying to find a good venue for, again to bring it back, called Summerland last, which is sort of a history of K, Kate Maggie Fox, who are the two teenage girls who started the spiritualism craze in the 19 century, which is not connected to any bulk, but I love doing that show. And so it's just, it's just fun. And it's, it's really nice. It's different than performing apart in the sense that you're talking to people and sort of connecting with people live. And I really enjoy that it's the closest you can get to like telling people a ghost story to really, you know, work on a thing where there's no plot, there's no story, it's nonfiction, but I'm gonna have foreshadowing I'm gonna have setups and payoffs. I'm gonna have you asking questions that don't, I'm gonna have callbacks to stuff after you've forgotten about it. And it's so I find them so much fun. It's usually my treat when I finished doing the book, like I turn in the book. And then I do start doing the reading and the research for the show, and write the show. And that's usually kind of my reward to myself.
Stu Haack:That's, that's amazing. You know, you know, what, you, your, your, what you just said, has given me an idea. And we can go in on this together, you know, because I think we've got an idea here. So it's like Ted, it's like TED Talks. Oh, yeah. But yeah, like stories, right? And so we create a platform where people can go and pitch their books, talk about their books, all that kind of stuff. And it's more for entertaining. And then for saving the world, although I do believe fiction saves the world, not always.
Grady Hendrix:Yeah. Well, it's also people like people, especially Americans, were always a little suspicious of entertainment. Like, where's the spinach? Like, where's the vitamin? And so people really love learning something, you know? So like when I did the final girl support group show, it's sort of a history of murder books, but it's also like, Okay, why is there this character in Psycho and Silence of the Lambs, and so many of the books, it's like, a scary trans killer, like, where's that come from? And it was actually really fun to trace that back, not just to Ed Dean, but also to realize that, again, was not a crossdresser that that was something that was inserted in his story by a polygraph technician. And it comes out of this whole scary thing in the 40s, about how criminals all had, like were sissified by their mothers, like this really crazy, like sort of like Hot Topic thing hotcakes. So that
Stu Haack:even goes back again to this whole house y thing being the bearer of all the problems and having a terrible life. Yeah. Again, somehow it relates back.
Grady Hendrix:Well, you know, it's amazing that even now, people look at our dean, and they're like, Oh, the short version of Ed Dean is that he was like a mama's boy who was obsessed with his mother and his mother punished him and you know, all this stuff. None of that's true. And gain says several times in his in his post rest interviews, that the bane of his existence was his alcoholic, physically abusive father who like beat he and his brother relentlessly. Same with the Boston Strangler, who talks about his alcoholic abusive father. But both of them have been tarred with this, like, well, they had these mothers who were really overwhelming and wreck their lives. And it's like, Is mom just to blame for everything? Is that just like, what we've decided as a culture? Like, it's mom's fault?
Stu Haack:Yeah, of course. I mean, it's like, just the classic, whoever's in power gets to write what the history you know. And that's, and that's what's happened. Yeah. And now finally, hopefully, we're getting to a place where we can have an equality of voice where actually, it's a lot of times the men stole the men did. They're not so great. Yeah, yeah.
Grady Hendrix:Yeah. So it's really good. Like, people really love hearing where this stuff comes from. And sort of the history I mean, if you can make it fun and entertaining, and throw in some stupid songs, like, it's, it's a blast, I love doing it.
Stu Haack:Do you ever come to Vegas for any of these events?
Grady Hendrix:I have not. And you know, it's funny, I can't. So with how to sell a haunted house, I was doing a book tour. And at this point, I done the shows enough and tours enough that like there's bookstores and a lot of states I work with and have a history with me. And most of them have realized at this point that the show's attract people, and we've gotten too big for the store. So oftentimes, they'll get an off site venue, often a bar with a stage. And frankly, the more people drink, the better my singing gets going. So like, I really encourage that. But when we tried to do go out last this year, like even bookstores that had worked with me, just no one was no one was willing to go off site. And so for the next book that's coming out in 2020, for the unwed mothers one, I'm determined to do the west coast and like the southwest, because I haven't done it since 2016, or 2017. But I gotta find bookstores that are willing to like because now it's been a year since I've been out there. So like, let's get a bar. Let's get a let's get some beer in there. Let's let's not just do 30 chairs in the back of your store liquids. Well, let's go so my kids have a part of this
Stu Haack:Derek and I can make that we
Derek Krueger:will make that happen in Vegas. We know that that area very well.
Stu Haack:That is our what's the big indie bookstore in Vegas. So copper cat is probably one of the cool events in Vegas. It's actually out in Henderson, but you know, it's all connected. Yeah. Okay, it's a great local bookstore. But also, I mean, if you want to open it up to a bigger venue to, you know, there, there are plenty of small local bars breweries that Derek and I are very good friends with that we can make that we can make it work.
Grady Hendrix:I've got a few brewery shows and those are great. Oh, heck yeah. Absolutely.
Derek Krueger:And we'd like to stick in local so like, breweries and you know, writers and all that stuff. I mean, we fantastic mix.
Stu Haack:You let us know. Yeah, we'll make we'll make that man. Happy to.
Grady Hendrix:Also I haven't been to Vegas and forever. It's such a weird city man. Such
Stu Haack:a weird city and it only gets weirder every year. Yeah, it's amazing.
Derek Krueger:No, no sports teams here. Yes, it's wild.
Stu Haack:It's just changing every year. But I do know you have a draft due very soon and we don't want to hold you back from that. No, I
Grady Hendrix:appreciate it. I'm sorry to have to bail after an hour and change but I gotta get this thing written man. I'm just I'm I'm in the middle of a bathroom ghost.
Stu Haack:Oh, well, you know, if in a few weeks or months you can give us any insight information, I can't wait for your next book. We're uh, Derek and I love your stuff. The only one that I haven't read is the nonfiction one. That one the Bram Stoker Award, which I really need to get to, but I just love your fiction so much. That's all gone for one day.
Derek Krueger:All right now Well, real quick, ready? Favorite bar in New York. Me and my wife are going there. I've never been, we're going there for the Back to the Future Broadway play coming out. In Okay, so give me give me a good bar.
Grady Hendrix:Okay, so a lot of dive bars are long gone, which is such a bummer. So I'm going to give you let's see, hold on. So there's a couple of bars I like that are super weird. And diapers are sort of done. Hold on. Okay, so
Derek Krueger:I'm gonna go back to the Bud Light, going back to PBR already finished.
Grady Hendrix:Okay, so that two bars, actually, there's three bars, I would really say are worth it. If you want to do like, actually two bars that I think you should, that are worth going out of your way. But one is Grand Central oyster bar. It's a restaurant but they have a huge saloon and a bar. And I gotta say, man, it is an Old School New York institution. The martinis are still great. It is really really worth the time for anything Grand Central Station. Love it for a dive. There's not much left these days. But I will say I think they call it cloud social rooftop bar. And it's a rooftop bar that is in on the top of I think a Red Roof Inn or some kind of like cheesy hotel. And it is as bare bones as they get man. It is like a rooftop. And if you want food, you get a delivery to the rooftop like a pizza. So that's actually I actually haven't been there in a few years, but it used to be great. K town has some great bars. Oh, and actually, if you want a really really good view
Derek Krueger:in what's K town, I'm sorry. Koreatown. Oh, Korean.
Grady Hendrix:Oh, Korean. Yeah, it's in the 30s.
Stu Haack:Probably good karaoke there. Okay. I have to imagine. Yeah. Is that accurate?
Grady Hendrix:Yes. Okay, a lot of time. So there's actually two really good bars that hold on, that are both one's Japanese and one's Korean. And they were both deeply unpopular restaurants. But they're way up in skyscrapers with beautiful views. So the Korean moved is around Cape Town. It's called gown Newari. Gao in in you are I and you go out there and have a drink at the bar. No one's in the restaurant. It's pretty much almost always empty. And it's like on the 50th or 60th floor and the view is stunning. And then there's a place called Saki, Saki no hana. And it is they tried. It's in the Moxie hotel down on the Lower East Side. And they try being in that hotel. So they tried to make this thing happen is like hit club. And during the week, no one's there. They've got a doorman and a bouncer and all this stuff. And they're just like, go up. And the 30th or 40th floor, floor to ceiling windows. And the last time I was there, there were six other people in the entire bar play again. It's a great view.
Stu Haack:Incredible,
Grady Hendrix:so yeah, so but yeah, definitely though if you're going to do one of those Grand Central Oyster Bar man, a martini and some oysters, it's so great.
Derek Krueger:Okay, awesome, man. Thank you so much before that's yeah, thank you very much and I know you gotta go So real quick, five seconds. best area to stay in New York City. That is not touristy, but that we can leave our hotel for this and get to you know, some good wine bars or restaurants and stuff.
Stu Haack:I told him Brooklyn but i don't know i don't know very well.
Grady Hendrix:Yeah, no, I think you're right like honestly staying in Williamsburg or somewhere like that is actually like going to be your your friend. But also I can say I really liked my neighborhood which is sort of the East 20s And there's a ton of hotels around here. It's not downtown enough to be hip. It's not uptown enough to be expensive, but you can get anywhere super fast. So yeah, a flat iron I would say flat iron grammer See ya Murray Hill or Williamsburg are both like probably the better areas or Dumbo better areas to
Derek Krueger:stay It's awesome
Grady Hendrix:little off from everywhere else but like it's a fun neighborhood.
Derek Krueger:Cool. Awesome man. Thank you thank you so much
Grady Hendrix:awesome. Really good to see you guys thank you let me know when this is going up so I'll do like social media stuff
Stu Haack:now would you like us to send you version before it goes live would that be your fine okay, I don't think I said anything that anything I untoward but so I just want to say before we go Grady Hendrix amazing. One of the best horror authors horror comedy authors of our time. books include horror store my best friend's exorcism paperbacks from hell, which he won the Bram Stoker award for. We sold our souls southern book clubs guide to selling vampires final girl support group and most recently how to sell a haunted house which just came out this year and it's amazing Grady thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you so much
Grady Hendrix:dudes. Thank you so much for having me and take care Yep, don't drink Miller highlights again. Never thanks again man
Stu Haack:boom Amazing. Amazing. No, you got it man. Okay, so I think I can just end the call and the recording will be sent to me.
Derek Krueger:See
Stu Haack:this recording will be saved to Stu Hawkes Google Drive