Dallas author Robert E. Stahl just launched his first book, Show Me Where It Hurts
(Photo courtesy of Robert Stahl)
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
Halloween is still more than three months away, but Robert E. Stahl (he/him) is getting his scares in early with the launch of his debut book, Show Me Where It Hurts from JournalStone. The book is a collection of horror shorts mixing prose and poetry along with a touch of queerness.
Hurts came out in June, but Stahl’s been gearing up for his area appearances this month to introduce his haunting works to readers.
“I’m kind of all over the place in this book, but I liked playing in different territories for this,” Stahl said. “There are different levels of horror here: a love story with dark undertones, playful horror, some psychological. I’m not big into blood and gore, but there are a lot of people behaving very badly in these stories.”
Ultimately, the themes that radiate across the book include abuse, addiction, masochism and, ultimately, redemption. Those aspects paint his fragmented characters and stories where darkness may reign supreme as they confront their unsettling fears.
And sometimes, that fear is just the horror of a dead-end job — which is part of the author’s own story.
“I put writing on the backburner when I was younger. I found myself working these jobs where I just wasn’t happy,” he said. “I decided in my 30s that I need to pursue this properly.”
Stahl got serious about writing some 15 years ago while he was bartending on The Strip. Writing wasn’t just about putting pen to paper (or finger to key); he had to hone his craft. He said he spent years simply learning how to structure his stories.
But along the way, he was building his future compilation.
It was about five years ago, Stahl said, that he began to feel confident that he knew what he was doing. “It’s a learning process, and you improve daily, no matter what,” he explained.
Along the way, he even contributed to the Dallas Voice.
Stahl said, “I knew I wanted to be a writer since I was a kid, but I just had to go for it.” He said his deep love for horror also stemmed from his youth, when he read Stephen King novels, horror-based comic books and even sided with the ghosts and monsters while watching Scooby-Doo.
Thus, he found his inspiration in his own experiences and preferences.
“Horror always appealed to me, and I idolized Stephen King. But the good thing about writing is, it can work out some unresolved issues,” he said. “I get to use my experiences as a launching pad, and situations I’ve been through are on those pages.
“It’s almost like therapy and it’s helped me get a handle on my own life,” he continued. “If I hadn’t written these, I would be a much bigger mess than I am today.”
But even though he worked as a bartender on The Strip, there is no real dish in these pages.
Dang it. But …
“Ok, one of them is based in a bar which may or may not draw from my bartending days,” Stahl admitted.
There might not be any queer dish, but the book certainly has its share of queer characters, whether they are found in the bar scene or at some gay campgrounds.
Still, although he is himself openly queer, Stahl doesn’t default to a queer-centric narrative in every story. He lets the stories take shape organically.
“Some situations may not always live in that space, but it’s all me,” he said.
Stahl makes his first appearance this weekend at Texas Author and Reader Con book festival, happening July 19-20 at the Irving Convention Center.
And for his proper full circle moment, he’s taking it back to where he started: “I’m having a launch party in August at Woody’s — the first bar I worked at,” he said. “I’m inviting people to come by, talk about the book and get a signed copy.”
The launch party is Aug. 2, from 4-6 p.m. at Dallas Woody’s on Cedar Springs. To learn more about the author and his book, visit RobertEStahl.com.