Poetic Portals

This episode’s story appears in the Strange Wisdoms of the Dead poetry collection from Mike Allen with Charles M. Saplak.Mike Allen wears many creative hats, at least one of them tailor-made by his wife and partner-in-crime Anita.An author, editor and publisher of science fiction, fantasy and horror, Mike has written, edited, or co-edited thirty-nine books, among them his forthcoming dark fantasy novel TRAIL OF SHADOWS, his sidearms, sorcery, and zombies sequence THE BLACK FIRE CONCERTO and THE GHOULMAKER’S ARIA, and his newest horror collection, SLOW BURN.UNSEAMING and AFTERMATH OF AN INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT, his first two volumes of horror tales, were both finalists for the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Story Collection, and his dark fable “The Button Bin” was a nominee for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story. Another collection, THE SPIDER TAPESTRIES, contains experiments in weird science fiction and fantasy.As an editor and publisher, Mike has been nominated twice for the World Fantasy Award: first, for his anthology CLOCKWORK PHOENIX 5, the culmination of the Clockwork Phoenix series showcasing tales of beauty and strangeness that defy genre classification; and then, for MYTHIC DELIRIUM, the magazine of poetry and fiction he edited for twenty years.He’s a three-time winner of the Rhysling Award for poetry. His six poetry collections include STRANGE WISDOMS OF THE DEAD, a Philadelphia Inquirer Editor’s Choice selection, and HUNGRY CONSTELLATIONS, a Suzette Haden Elgin Award nominee.With Anita, he runs Mythic Delirium Books, based in Roanoke, Virginia. Their cat Pandora assists.Welcome to THE WEIRD LIBRARY, a horror anthology podcast featuring modern voices in weird fiction.Learn more at www.weirdlibrary.comThe Weird Library is produced by Dark Side of the Bridge Studios, LLC.https://www.darksideofthebridgestudios.com/IG @dark_side_of_the_bridge Get full access to The Weird Library at theweirdlibrary.substack.com/subscribe

Charlie Willett, my old partner slash mentor when I was on the carnival circuit, used to say that a man who can do cold readings will never starve. I didn’t realize how right he was until after the Donohue séance, but the Donohue séance convinced me to give up cold readings forever. Starvation’s not the worst thing that can happen to a person.Narration and music by the librarian, Bridgette Brenmark—-Max D. Stanton is a bookish, morbid Dungeons & Dragons nerd who lives in Philadelphia with his common-law wife, their hound, and an ever-growing collection of cats. An unexpected meeting with the Devil inspired Max to take up writing. His first short story collection, A Season of Loathsome Miracles, is available from Trepidatio Publishing.———Welcome to THE WEIRD LIBRARY, a horror anthology podcast featuring modern voices in weird fiction.Learn more at www.weirdlibrary.comSubscribe to THE WEIRD LIBRARY:Substack: The Weird Library is produced by Dark Side of the Bridge Studios, LLC. Get full access to The Weird Library at theweirdlibrary.substack.com/subscribe

We all love our furry friends.  They keep us company, let us feed them, and grace us with their presence.  But, sometimes they look off into corners where we don’t see anything there.  It’s quite possible that they are more familiar with the unseen universe than ourselves and knowing what we do not, may have the tools to either save us or outlive us all.The Godfall Taproom by Cassandra CeliaThe Cat Alone Remembers, a poem by Holt KeystoneNarration and music by the librarian, Bridgette Brenmark—-Cassandra Celia (they/them) is a Maryland bookseller turned author who writes dark, weird, and horrific lit fiction. Their work includes The Elric Undoing and their newest release, House of Harrow. They’re obsessed with stories that blur the lines between love and death, beauty and rot, and endings that don’t feel like endings at all. Cassandra finds inspiration in haunting art, unsettling media, and has a particular fondness for angry, scorned women clawing their way through the dark.Holt Archambaud Keystone was born in the fall of 1901 on a plantation manor in the Appalachian foothills of Georgia’s legend-haunted Red Wolf River Valley. After convalescing from injuries sustained as a soldier in WWI, he limped his way across Europe, the Middle East, and much of Asia, all while honing his skills as a writer. Though true fame and critical praise only came posthumously, Keystone was hailed by his contemporaries for his prose and poetry, particularly in the genres of weird fiction, dark fantasy, and “sword and sorcery”. The darkly irreverent cosmic nihilism he displayed in much of his work saw him affectionately referred to as The Gentleman Blasphemer by none other than Samuel “Skipper” Clemens. In his controversial biography of Keystone, author Lymon W. Lyon described the man as “what might have happened had Lovecraft grown up in the Jim Crow South, traveled the world by foot, and bothered actually getting to know the various races and cultures the Old Man from Providence feared and despised.” Due to the eerily prescient nature of some of his work, Keystone also earned the moniker of Great Prophet of the South. This and other aspects of his life led to rumors of psychic abilities or even divination via the same dark forces about which he wrote. This reputation has only grown since his untimely death and purported cannibalism at the hands of his murderously insane mother in 1930. All of the preceding facts are true. Just not in our universe.  Get full access to The Weird Library at theweirdlibrary.substack.com/subscribe

Poetic PortalsA dimensional anomaly is occurring in the library this week.  Though the library itself fluctuates in time and space, our portals within have suddenly become active.  Locations that poets have described are suddenly glitching in and out of existence.  There is some sort of cosmic soundtrack underneath it all…POEMS:A Dream of the Abyss - Clark Ashton SmithPangaloor - Holt KeystoneThe Nightmare Lake - H.P. LovecraftCassilda’s Song - Robert W. ChambersZothique - Clark Ashton SmithLocations in Fungi From Yoggoth - H.P. LovecraftThe Castle of Dreams - Clark Ashton SmithNarration, music and episode art by the Librarian, Bridgette Brenmark———Welcome to THE WEIRD LIBRARY, a horror anthology podcast featuring modern voices in weird fiction.Learn more at www.weirdlibrary.comThe Weird Library is produced by Dark Side of the Bridge Studios, LLC. Get full access to The Weird Library at theweirdlibrary.substack.com/subscribe

Ghosts of the Pantal by Daniel BraumRio may be a modern town, but it holds forces much older.  Money and privilege can’t save you from your own misdeeds.Daniel Braum writes short stories that explore the tensions between the psychological and the supernatural. He intentionally adopts the term “strange tales” for his Twilight Zone-like stories in homage to Robert Aickman and the international ambiguities of his work.  His stories have appeared in places ranging from The Best Horror of the Year Volume 12 edited by Ellen Datlow to Shivers 8 edited by Richard Chismar along with his own collections.  He is the host of the Night Time Logic reading and interview series.  Find him at bloodandstardust.wordpress.com. You can read Ghosts of the Pantal and more in Daniel’s latest collection, Phantom Constellations from Cemetery Dance publishing.———Welcome to THE WEIRD LIBRARY, a horror anthology podcast featuring modern voices in weird fiction.Host and music by the librarian, Bridgette BrenmarkLearn more at www.weirdlibrary.com———The Weird Library is produced by Dark Side of the Bridge Studios, LLC.https://www.darksideofthebridgestudios.com/ Get full access to The Weird Library at theweirdlibrary.substack.com/subscribe

Pickman’s Model by H.P. LovecraftDo you ever wonder where an artist gets their inspiration? Our dear journalist is about to find out…**This episode’s story is another favorite of mine by H.P. Lovecraft.  I find this story particularly intriguing, being an artist myself, and in typical Lovecraft fashion, it is being told through the recollection of an observer.  You can read this story and more by H.P. Lovecraft in the archive at https://www.hplovecraft.com/———Welcome to THE WEIRD LIBRARY, a horror anthology podcast featuring modern voices in weird fiction.Host, narration and music by the librarian, Bridgette BrenmarkLearn more at www.weirdlibrary.com Get full access to The Weird Library at theweirdlibrary.substack.com/subscribe

To close out Women in Horror Month, I am bringing to you a story by C.M. Rosens, which features a woman named Charlie.  Charlie is a photographer, living life behind the safety of her lens.  When she meets a man whose image cannot be committed to memory, either in person or in a photograph, she becomes dangerously obsessed with what he looks like.*C.M. Rosens is a genre-bending hybrid author of Gothic Horror, New Weird, and dark Sci-fi and Fantasy, based in the U.K.  Find her traveling by rail, wandering among lonely ruins and ancient megaliths, and lost in worlds of fiction, music and folklore.She is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and British Fantasy Society, and her fiction is published with Canelo (which is owned by Penguin Random House), Black Hare Press, and Red Cape Publishing, among other places.  She is a multiple Indie Ink Awards nominee.  Find out more at cmrosens.comThis story is produced with permission from the author. ———Welcome to THE WEIRD LIBRARY, a horror anthology podcast featuring modern voices in weird fiction.Host, narration and music by the librarian, Bridgette BrenmarkLearn more at www.weirdlibrary.com———Subscribe to THE WEIRD LIBRARY:Substack: https://theweirdlibrary.substack.com/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weird-library/id1761076604Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a60f056b-8344-4b56-b365-f32817885ab0/the-weird-librarySpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ENkdzI11EnnfBg1qtODWwYouTube: @theweirdlibrary Podbean: https://theweirdlibrary.podbean.com/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/weird.library ———The Weird Library is produced by Dark Side of the Bridge Studios, LLC.https://www.darksideofthebridgestudios.com/IG @dark_side_of_the_bridge———#horrorstories #horrorstory #weirdfiction #horrorfiction Get full access to The Weird Library at theweirdlibrary.substack.com/subscribe

Today is the spring equinox, a time of equal day and night, a transitional space between the seasons.  In this vain, I have selected two stories for a special double feature that will bring you to an opening in the forest, a magical place for transformations. Our first story, The Bride of Starfire Hallow, is by Cassandra Celia.  Cassandra Celia (they/them) is a Maryland bookseller turned author who writes dark, weird, and horrific lit fiction. Their work includes The Elric Undoing and their newest release, House of Harrow. They’re obsessed with stories that blur the lines between love and death, beauty and rot, and endings that don’t feel like endings at all. Cassandra finds inspiration in haunting art, unsettling media, and has a particular fondness for angry, scorned women clawing their way through the dark.Our second story, The Beast of Villanor, is by Max D. Stanton.Max D. Stanton is a bookish, morbid Dungeons *& Dragons nerd who lives in Philadelphia with his common-law wife, their hound, and an ever-growing collection of cats. An unexpected meeting with the Devil inspired Max to take up writing. His first short story collection, A Season of Loathsome Miracles, is available from Trepidatio Publishing.———Welcome to THE WEIRD LIBRARY, a horror anthology podcast featuring modern voices in weird fiction.Host, narration and music by the librarian, Bridgette BrenmarkLearn more at www.weirdlibrary.comSubscribe to THE WEIRD LIBRARY Get full access to The Weird Library at theweirdlibrary.substack.com/subscribe

A journal can be a great way to process our feelings, remember where we’ve been, and what we’ve done.Welcome to our thirteenth episode on this Friday the 13th!Host, narration and music by the librarian, Bridgette BrenmarkJeremiah Dylan Cook is a horror writer whose debut collection, A Mythos of Monsters of Madness, was released in September 2025. His short stories have been published by The NoSleep Podcast, Castle Bridge Media, Tales to Terrify, Ghost Orchid Press, Scary Dairy Press, Cabbit Crossing Publishing, Timber Ghost Press,  The Lovecraft eZine, Hippocampus Press, Necronomicon Press, and Eye Contact. He won Purple Wall Stories February 2021 Writing Competition, and the Ligonier Valley Writers 2018 Flash Fiction Contest. While pursuing his bachelor’s degree at St. John’s University, Jeremiah received the Mario Mezzacappa Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Poetry and Prose. He completed his Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. Jeremiah is the Managing Editor of New Pulp Tales. You can find him on most social media platforms, where he loves to discuss David Bowie, Resident Evil, and the works of John Langan. Learn more at www.jeremiahdylancook.com————-Welcome to THE WEIRD LIBRARY, a horror anthology podcast featuring modern voices in weird fiction.Learn more at www.weirdlibrary.comSubscribe to THE WEIRD LIBRARY:YouTube: @theweirdlibraryPodbean: https://theweirdlibrary.podbean.com/Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weird-library/id1761076604Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a60f056b-8344-4b56-b365-f32817885ab0/the-weird-librarySpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ENkdzI11EnnfBg1qtODWwSubstack: https://theweirdlibrary.substack.com/ The Weird Library is produced by Dark Side of the Bridge Studios, LLC.https://www.darksideofthebridgestudios.com/———#horrorstories #horrorstory #weirdfiction #scary #scarystories #horrorfiction Get full access to The Weird Library at theweirdlibrary.substack.com/subscribe

There is something unnatural about the color of the sky. Perhaps, that was the worst part.In celebration of Women in Horror month, this episode's story is: The Ever After by L. Marie Wood.  This story appeared in the Stoker nominated anthology, Sycorax's Daughters.Host, narration and music by the librarian, Bridgette BrenmarkA celebrated psychological horror author, L. Marie Wood is the winner of multiple awards including the Bram Stoker Award, the Golden Stake Award for Literature, and the International Impact Book Award.  She is also a MICO Award-winning screenwriter, an Elgin Award finalist poet, an accomplished essayist, and a playwright.  Wood is the President of the Horror Writer’s Association, the founder of the Speculative Fiction Academy, an English and Creative Writing professor as well as a horror scholar.  Learn more at www.lmariewood.com————-Welcome to THE WEIRD LIBRARY, a horror anthology podcast featuring modern voices in weird fiction.Learn more at www.weirdlibrary.comSubscribe to THE WEIRD LIBRARY:YouTube: @theweirdlibraryPodbean: https://theweirdlibrary.podbean.com/Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weird-library/id1761076604Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a60f056b-8344-4b56-b365-f32817885ab0/the-weird-librarySpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ENkdzI11EnnfBg1qtODWwSubstack: https://theweirdlibrary.substack.com/ The Weird Library is produced by Dark Side of the Bridge Studios, LLC.https://www.darksideofthebridgestudios.com/———#horrorstories #horrorstory #weirdfiction #scary #scarystories #horrorfiction Get full access to The Weird Library at theweirdlibrary.substack.com/subscribe