Grady Hendrix is Afraid of the Dark & We Drink Cheap College Beer

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!

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Episode Transcript

Stu Haack (00:15):
Okay, you're ready, and rock and roll.

(01:48):
So, Derrick, today, we have aguest that I'm really excited
about. I know you're reallyexcited about two. I'm super
excited. We've got a few of hisbooks sitting right here. Yes.
Although I did forget myfavorite. We'll talk about that
later at home. But Butregardless, you know, we had we
had an author on a couple ofmonths ago, which was really

(02:09):
cool. He's our first one. It wasour first one. Brian Asman.
Yeah. And it made us think like,why don't we have more authors
on our show is about beer andhorror. And a lot of novelists
like beer. Yeah. Although, youknow, some don't but regardless,
yeah. So today, we are superexcited. Because we have Grady

(02:33):
Hendrix, New York Times BestSelling horror author, probably
one of the best horror, comedynovelists of our time. And for
some reason he made time forbeer freaks. Yeah, I don't know.
I don't know why. But

Derek Krueger (02:46):
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. Youknow, the email. I was like,
Dude, no way.

Stu Haack (02:55):
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 bitof time. Let's go.
And we're back. We're back.
We're back. Grady. Thank you somuch for joining, man. Thank you
so much.

Grady Hendrix (03:14):
Hey, y'all know thanks for having me. I'm
psyched to dive into a giantpool of of domestic swill full
of floating body parts.

Stu Haack (03:28):
You know what that is perfect? And by the way, so I
just want to jump straight intothis point. So for any of our
listeners, normally what we dois we find really great craft
beers, local beers, regionalbeers. And when we when I when I
emailed Grady, and I was, I meanjust so excited that he emailed
me back. Not only was he likejust very, you know, clever and

(03:51):
witty in who he was and how heresponded, but he also had this
great idea that I'm reallyexcited for because if you're
watching this live, we're notlive. 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 (04:11):
OG's that started everything.

Stu Haack (04:14):
Great. Grady, can you tell us why we chose these beers
today?

Grady Hendrix (04:19):
Yeah, well, you know, craft beer is great. It's
always exciting. But I gottatell you, my tastes were formed
a college and high school,mostly college, and man, you're
drinking whatever is cheap. AndI found that that's where I
still gravitate to, to this day.
Cheap, domestic domestic, soit's profanity allowed, and I'll

(04:39):
show 100% It's actually it's notcraft beer. It's craft beer. But
it gets the job done.

Stu Haack (04:48):
It's amazing. So if you're not watching the video,
in front of us, we have MillerHighlife Bud Light Coors and
Coors Light and Grady. I imagineyou have probably some similar
little bit, maybe a fewdifferent ones

Grady Hendrix (05:01):
as I've gotten three beers, I'm throwing some
curveballs in there. I've gotsome choice commentary about
some of your choices. I don'tknow what what should we say?
I'd like though, if it's okaywith you guys to start with. I
think this is a 2022 bottle ofBud Light.

Stu Haack (05:19):
22 was a good year.

Derek Krueger (05:21):
Like, yeah,

Grady Hendrix (05:22):
I can never twist off with twist lids

Stu Haack (05:24):
Okay, well, let's, let's jump straight into it. I
like your style Grady. So weactually just so you know,
Grady. We actually got somelittle tasting glasses, which we
thought were Oh, nice. sure thatyou know, we had just the true
tasting experience. So here wego, Derek. A little taste.

Derek Krueger (05:40):
Thank you, man.

Stu Haack (05:41):
I don't know that Bud Lights, the bouquet. You gotta
smell you gotta get the aroma.

Derek Krueger (05:46):
Look at that head on that that's beautiful.

Stu Haack (05:48):
To have the full tasting experience for a Bud
Light. Now 2022 Probably not asgood as 2018 for Bud Light, but
but I believe it's still a goodyear.

Grady Hendrix (05:58):
The smell of smell of barley some hops there.

Stu Haack (06:02):
Yeah. Oh, you know what? What you can smell That's
America. That's Main StreetAmerica.

Derek Krueger (06:06):
That is America.

Grady Hendrix (06:08):
But mainstream America that's concerned with
its waistline.

Stu Haack (06:13):
Indeed. Yeah, cuz we're not drinking the red can
we're drinking the blue canhere.

Grady Hendrix (06:16):
No. And I'll tell you I wanted to do Bud Light.
Because for me, every bar smellslike Bud Light. I grew up with
three older sisters. And so wenever had coke in the house. We
always had Diet Coke, and wealways had. So I've always had
that taste for the more waterylight version of drinks. And I

(06:40):
fell in love with Bud Light.
There used to be my go to bar inNew York on St. Mark's place was
there since about 1978 or 79called the grassroots tavern.
Old Man bar, all wooden creakyand during the happy hour. It
was $2 draft Bud Light and $1popcorn and three books do you
are set,

Stu Haack (07:01):
you're set. You're good to go. Now we actually just
got back from Flagstaff. We didit. We did a little tour there.
And that's where I did my almamater back in back in the
college days. So NorthernArizona University Go Jacks. Now
when I went to school, and thiswas, gosh, 15 years ago now,

(07:21):
boy, anyway, we had a we had abar called the Museum Club. Now
we had dime beers. So verysimilar. They're all wood, you
know, all just that it was acowboy style bar it's Arizona,
right? Yeah, have a little bitof that cowboy thing going on.
But dime beers and what you gotwas a little 10 ounce plastic
cup full of what probablywhatever shitty beer they were

(07:42):
about to, you know, go bad orsomething like that. Yeah, you
know, but as a college kid, youdon't care. And this is exactly
you know, that's why again, Ithink when you pitch this idea,
I was like, this is brilliant. Idon't know why we haven't done
this before. We're going totaste test and enjoy some of our
college favorites. And we

Derek Krueger (08:00):
got a cheers it up. Right here. Yeah. Cheers.
Great, buddy.

Grady Hendrix (08:04):
And now the problem is for me. Oh, I can't
taste Bud Light because it's gotso many associations and
memories with it. I don't knowwhat I'm paid. To me. It tastes
like bar beer or it tastes likegrassroots tavern. But honestly,
I have no idea. I couldn't giveyou tasting notes. Because it's

(08:26):
so wrapped up with nostalgia forme.

Stu Haack (08:28):
Well, I think there's truth to that too. Because I
also think that literally, BudLight just tastes like the
baseline beer. Like everythingelse is just based on Bud Light.
So if you get a floral note fromanother beer, it's because you
are comparing it to Bud Light inyour head. You know, or if
you're getting a citrus note,because Bud Light doesn't have
the citrus note. So So to yourpoint. You're exactly right. I

(08:51):
think it's just it's thebaseline.

Grady Hendrix (08:53):
Yeah, it really is. And it's and there's
something you know, I don'tknow, man, it's got this seal
that Anheuser Busch love. Andit's just it just says
everything to me. I prefer thered and white label. But you
know, this is this is this stillsays quality to make well, and

Stu Haack (09:13):
you know what? We got our most patriotic holiday right
around the corner. You put aBudweiser next to a Bud Light.
It just looks like the Americanflag.

Grady Hendrix (09:21):
It does. Yeah, absolutely. No, absolutely.

Stu Haack (09:25):
Speaking of patriotism, though, you know, I
wanted to just ask you a coupleof questions about yourself. So
you you now live in New YorkCity, but you're by way of South
Carolina,

Grady Hendrix (09:33):
South Carolina.
Yep. come from South Carolina,

Stu Haack (09:36):
Which comes through a ton in your books, right? I
mean, a lot of them are based inthe south and they come through
in your characters. So I mean,honestly, I can pick any of your
books, but like, you know, oneof the ones that sticks out the
most to me in terms of the Southcoming through is a southern
book clubs guide to slayingvampires.

Grady Hendrix (09:55):
Sure.

Stu Haack (09:56):
So you know, obviously without any spoilers
or anything like that all TheBooks been out for a while
people catch up. Okay. Butwithout too many spoilers. You
know, can you describe a littlebit about how your southern
influence impacts some bookslike like that one?

Grady Hendrix (10:09):
Sure. Well, you know, I mean, Southern book
clubs guide to slaying vampirescould really be set anywhere
because the real conceit is.
It's a book club. And versus avampire, right? These ladies
have a book club, vampire movesin the neighborhood. But one of
the reasons I wanted to do it isI feel like there's a thing in
publishing this real snobberywhere people talk about book

(10:30):
club books and book club,ladies. And it's really snobby
and dismissive. And it's sort oflike, these are lightweight
books. These are lightweightreaders. And it's weird to me
that an industry will slit itsown throat like that, because A,
these are readers, these arebook clubs, will hoover up some

(10:53):
books, man, and be Why be sodismissive to people who want to
make reading a major part oftheir social life. I don't get
it. But I was definitely a snoblike that when I was a teenager
and probably, you know, in my20s, and then I grew up and sort
of like my mom's book clubs beenaround. Gosh, I think it's like

(11:15):
46 years now. So they've been apart of my life. I'm 50. So I,
they've been a part of my lifesince I was a kid, remember, and
these women, you know, I used tobe very dismissive towards them,
but they really are, you know,they've really been through the
wringer together, and they'vereally stuck together. And so I
wanted to write a book aboutpeople who get dismissed. And I

(11:35):
think making them southern makesthem even more dismissible.
Because immediately you'rethinking of big old brassy
blondes who are drinking a lotof Chardonnay. And actually
probably Pinot Grigio and, youknow, just just kind of dumb and
Middle America. And and, andthat's not my experience with
book club women at all, andespecially my mom's book club.

(11:56):
And so I wanted this vampirewho's a cool, sexy guy, to run
up against the least cool peopleon earth and get his ass handed
to him. And so that's sort ofwhere that came from. And it's
interesting I'm working on I'mone of the writers, I will not
write this minute becausethere's the WGA strike, but I'm
one of the writers on the TVshow for it. That's being done

(12:16):
by Danny McBride out ofCharleston, he does righteous
gemstones, a bunch of otherstuff. Yeah, yeah. And we've
updated it to make it take placecontemporary, and because the
book set in the 90s, and it'sreally been fun to update it.
Because, you know, I mean,there's no one I'd rather hang

(12:37):
out with, and a bunch ofSouthern women, you know,
they're all they've all gottheir gummy routines figured
out. And they're vaping. Andthey're on the boat, and they
got a cooler, and you know, inthe back of their golf cart, and
they're living large, they'reliving their best lives. So it's
been really, really fun to workon this thing. And it's kind of
a bummer. We got to put it onpause at the moment, but it's

(12:59):
been a blast. And it's funny.
Putting it together, we'verealized how, how much there is.
And so it's like we we've beenworking on the pilot before the
strike. And we're all sopsyched. There's only three of
us writing it. But we're sopsyched to dive into like the
other episodes just like toreally get into like, what, what

(13:23):
sort of the nicey niceytouristy? Charleston East South
looks like at 23

Stu Haack (13:29):
Yes, I mean, I love it. And I'm glad you brought
that up because it was gonna beone of my questions is,
obviously they've they'vealready turned my best friend's
exorcism into a movie, which wasan amazing movie. I really, I
mean, I enjoyed it. Oh, thanks.
In so I mean, there's got to bea lot more on the docket for
you. I've read multiple rumorsabout stuff happening. Yeah. And
so you know, I just I can't waitto hear about what else you have

(13:52):
going on.

Grady Hendrix (13:55):
So the short version is horror story is going
to be a feature film and thescreenplays done right before
the strike. I was out in LA forabout a week with the director
who hasn't been announced yetjust sort of fine tuning things.
And, you know, like I said,there's a monkey wrench and
everything but that is ready torumble and I think it's his next
movie Fingers crossed. How toSell a haunted house. We've got

(14:17):
a director attached. Sam Raimiis producing I'm doing the
screen again, in the draftwithin. Yeah, I was really
psyched. Well, you know, it'sfunny. Do you guys remember this
thing called Kwibi?

Derek Krueger (14:28):
Yes, yeah, it

Stu Haack (14:30):
was the movie was happening. It was just a phone.
It was Metro phones, right

Grady Hendrix (14:33):
super, the super micro like five minute movies 10
minute movies. I think likeKatzenberg or thought it was
Jeffrey Katzenberg or thoughtwas gonna be the next big thing
and it really flamed out but SamRaimi had an anthology show on
there called 50 states of fearand I had an episode in there.
And so I had done a zoom call,doing a table read with him and

(14:57):
a bunch of people. And like thenotes Sam Randy gave are so
freaking good. They're the bestnotes I've ever gotten from
someone and so I was so psyched.
Like I really pushed hard to gethim involved with how to sell a
haunted house because just ashe's so good man,

Stu Haack (15:13):
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 severalscenes that still stick with me
to this day, the parking lot orthe rest stop scene from Oh, are
souls. That I mean, there aresome that was such a bummer to
write. But you're so PaulTremblay, another acclaimed

(15:37):
horror author right now calledthe best horror comedy writer of
our time. I mean, I don't knowif you heard that very

Grady Hendrix (15:43):
nice at all.
Yeah, it's, it's super nice toPaul 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 horrorstore how to sell a haunted
house southern Book Club is aseries and then final girls
support groups, also a seriesfrom HBO max. And so the Danny
McBride one's gonna be an HBOfor southern book club, and then

(16:06):
HBO max. And that's gotCharlie's throne producing and
then Barbara and Andy machetewho did the flash and the movies
are directing the pilot, ordoing the pilot and they've got
a writer attached and they got apilot script and they're doing
it. They were doing notes andgoing back and forth on that
when the strike happened. So soeverything except we sold our
soul seems to be teed upsomewhere somehow.

Stu Haack (16:30):
Which, which is funny, because to be quite
honest, I mean, I love all ofyour books. And I hope that this
doesn't get tight, taken thewrong 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 thethings that I was wondering,
obviously, it's all about aheavy metal band. And your
references to heavy metal aredeep cuts. I mean, we're talking

(16:52):
deep tracks and stuff like that.
So are you is that your genre?
Like, are you a heavy metallistener?

Grady Hendrix (16:57):
No. And I was one of those jerks in high school in
college who like, I looked, Ithought heavy metal was for
idiots. And when I did the itcame time to do the book. I was
like, you know, I want to writeabout a really dismissible band.
And I just seen that documentaryanvil, which is so good about
the Canadian metal band thatsort of like never quite made

(17:21):
it. And that was really on mymind. And I was like, you know,
metal is like, the only genre ofmusic it's just not cool. Like,
you say, I'm into like, dankgangster rap, at least on street
cred. You say you're into metal,people assume you live in your
mom's basement, watch a lot ofporn, like. And

Stu Haack (17:41):
through it, it's true. So I started, I'm just
kidding.

Grady Hendrix (17:48):
So I started listening to metal to sort of
get into it and like, I took mea while to find my way in which
turned out to be like, BlackSabbath by Black Sabbath on
their album, Black Sabbath, likedoing like back to the first
band, the first album, The firstbig track should have started
there. And then man, the sky wasthe limit. And I'm like, there's

(18:09):
so many metal bands I listen tonow 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 lifewithout listening to Metallica
or Slayer or, you know, youknow, I listen to sleep dope
smoker, relentlessly writingthat book. Devin Townsend

(18:30):
project. So much stuff. Lovato,mastodons, Leviathan, albeau
wolves in the throne room. Youknow, what woods of eats? You
know, it just like so muchstuff. And like, one of the two
things really saved me one wasthat metal heads are the nicest
people on Earth. And so you'd beat a club or a bar or a show and

(18:53):
you'd say to someone, oh, youknow, what should I be listening
to? And oh, like, I have so manycocktail napkins and coasters
and scraps of paper with likebands and albums written on it.
Like metal heads are the mostwelcoming people I ever met. In
any fandom.

Stu Haack (19:11):
It's so it's Yeah, and I will tell you, like I was
I was probably an alt rock formost of my life. You know, I
grew up in San Diego as a wholething. 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 intometal and and I was like, and
she one of the first shows wewent to, and you could argue
it's more pop metal, but likeRob Zombie, we went to go see

(19:31):
him in Las Vegas. And I waslike, I was a little nervous.
You know, I'm like a 25 year olddude. And I'm like, you know,
what, are they gonna beat me up?
You know, because I'm notwearing all black or something.
They are just people in theworld. You know? That is it?
Yeah, it's a phenomenal group ofpeople.

Grady Hendrix (19:48):
And it's funny. I know some folks who've worked
with Rob Zombie before andthey're like, say what you will
about his movies. He is thesweetest dude you will ever meet
in your life. Yep. Yep. So whatYeah, and then the other thing
that really saved me is my nextdoor neighbor growing up, is
married to a guy named TomYoungblood who is the head lead

(20:10):
guitarist and sort of the guywho runs a band called melodic
metal band called Camelot withthe K. And they're sort of like,
they never charted or anything,but they're like a really
working class, hardcore touringband. That's what they do. They
tour South America, they doAsia, they do Europe, and that's
their bread and butter, youknow, they don't have day jobs.

(20:30):
And he was super nice in termsof giving me time and access and
letting me come see shows andcome back stage, which was
really great. And, and, youknow, it's funny, COVID really
messed him up, it really hurthis arm. And he's back on the
road again, but it was like along recovery process. But so

(20:51):
yeah, so I had some insiders andthen 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 myfavorite on my books, to be
honest. So

Stu Haack (21:03):
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 thesome of your thoughts in the
books are profound, you know,there was a, there was a, I'm

(21:24):
gonna butcher this line from wesold. But it was something I
think it was something likebasically, a song is not a
bullet. It is like a Breaker ofChains or something like that.
And it was something along thoselines. And, and it was like, but
but because I think he reallydelved into the depths of these
people who listen to this kindof heavy metal music and stuff

(21:45):
like that. And it's not meant tobe, you know, this violent
thing. It's actually meant tofeel 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. Arethose the experiences that you
had that you just talked about?
Are those the kinds of thingsthat allowed you to get, like,
dive into that psyche?

Grady Hendrix (22:05):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I really, I wish I wrote
faster, but I sort of likereally go into my books deep,
you know. And so when I'mwriting them, I am a true
believer. It's funny, I waslistening to this metal band,
this Swedish metal band calledzeal and ardour. And, man,
they're great. But their whole,it's a black guy is the

(22:29):
songwriter and the singer andthe lead guitarist. And his
whole thing is, they base theiruse, and it's it's some dank
metal, but it's like, they baseit on slave spirituals. But the
thing is, they're like, they'reabout Satan. And so they're
like, you know, because he'slike, what were you looking for?

(22:51):
You're, you're enslaved.
Everyone despises you,everyone's turned their back on
you, the only person they'reoffering you hope is Satan. And,
and I've always loved that I'vealways sort of felt like, you
know, Satan's there for thelittle guys. And, and the songs
are great, but it really got methinking about the connection,
because a lot of these metalguys, especially the early ones,

(23:12):
come out of blues, you know, andthat's so liberation music, you
know, I mean, it's like, it's sothere's a real line running from
early spirituals and bluesthrough rock and metal. And, you
know, it's, it's the musicthat's there, when everyone's
turned their back on you. I feellike you know, it's the one that

(23:34):
like, if you're in pain, ifyou're angry, if you're alone,
that's where you hear yourechoes, you know, that's when
you feel like someone else feelslike I do. And so that really
pinged for me, you know, itreally pulled the trigger.

Stu Haack (23:52):
Yeah. It's amazing. I love it. And I love I mean, it's
just, it's really cool that youand I assume that were You were
you dive into these depths,because you just said, you don't
write fast and you'd like todive deep into these things.
That's got to come from yourreporting background, right?
Because obviously, you'vewritten Yeah, major
publications.

Grady Hendrix (24:12):
And so that's, yeah, for a long time. Yeah. For
a long time, I was a journalistin quotation marks. I did
cultural coverage, so likecelebrity profiles and reviews
and things. But I love doingresearch. And one of the nice
things about books is like, itgives you an excuse just to call
people and ask questions. Yes.
And that's been so much fun. Idid that a lot with we sold our

(24:35):
souls. I did that. I'm doingthat a huge amount with the book
I'm working on now which is setin a home for unwed mothers in
1970. And like I am it's a bookwhere every character is
pregnant and I am a middle agedman with no children. It's way
out of my depth and like, Man, Iam having some profound use his

(24:57):
conversations with a lot ofwomen 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 beenreally interesting. And I don't
want to harp on this too much,because I'm sort of like
wrapping this book up, or atleast the first draft. But I'm
there, there's this really wildstrain historically in feminism

(25:22):
from the 19th century and intothe early 20th century, of what
was called satanic feminism,where a lot of these early
suffragettes and things sawSatan as this liberation figure,
as like, hey, everyone tells usto go to church and to worship
God, and to be good. And thatmeans we have no rights. And

(25:46):
we're basically our husband'sproperty, and we can't vote. But
then you got this guy who rebelsagainst all that, and like,
breaks the chains and getsthrown out of heaven for like,
you know, flipping God, thebird, and Satan, and you have
all these sort of feministbooks, a lot of which have been
forgotten. But this real use ofSatan is like a superhero. And

(26:07):
actually, a lot of the earlysuffragettes, Susan B, Anthony,
and those guys, they helpedwrite 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 heroicrole in it, which is way

(26:28):
feminine. It's like these 90s,the feminist Bible, and like,
it's, it was like, I think it'scalled the feminists Bible. Hold
on. Transpower, a women's Bible.
But like, the women's Bible, Ithink, is what it's called.
Yeah, Elizabeth Cady Stanton in1885. And like, it's like metal

(26:51):
is basically the, these earlysuffragettes, really metal
heads, they're like, hey, we'llsay,

Stu Haack (26:56):
the counterculture, you know, like, you just, you
root for the little, if you'rethe little guy, you kind of root
for the little guy. And that'skind of like what's going on.

Grady Hendrix (27:04):
And also, I gotta say, satanic feminism sounds
badass, like so badass.

Derek Krueger (27:09):
And gritty, I got a question for you. As far as
kind of the process of how youwork, you said, you work slow,
like, as far as you know, doresearch and stuff like that.
But give me kind of a look intowhen you think of an idea from
conception to. I don't even wantto say first draft to win. All
right, the book is out. Like,what would you say? Like how

(27:31):
long of a process is that? Andwhat's like a data life of
writing it?

Grady Hendrix (27:36):
So I used to be able to, yeah, oh, yeah, I used
to be able to do it in about 10months. And now it takes me a
year to a year and a half towrite a book. And basically,
it's usually an idea I've hadfor a long time, like, final
girl support group, I think thefirst draft was like 2014, or
southern book club, I found adocument with the opening

(28:00):
paragraph of that book that Iwound 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. Andthen I sort of start doing a lot
of research reading stuff in thefield, like doing southern book
club, I was like reading a bunchof books, like they were about,

(28:22):
quote, unquote, housewives. AndI was really appalled by a lot
of them, because a lot of themare literary fiction. And they
take a really dim view, they'relike, oh, housewife, so
frustrated, life sucks. I justwant to die. And I'm like, this
is not the experience of women Iknow who you know, don't have a
nine to five job. Like, I mean,it's part of it, but it's not

(28:43):
all of it. Right? Um, andusually, what I hope happens is
kind of the characters start tobubble up. And, and I try to
stick with them. And whathappens is I'll write a draft,
that I'm like, I know what'sgoing to happen. I know what's
gonna happen this draft. Andit's terrible. And I usually run

(29:03):
out of steam about two thirds ofthe way through and just sort of
like, drag my stinking corpseover the finish line just to
have it done. Because you can'tfake 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 Iusually give up on that. And
then what will usually happen isaround a second draft, I'll stop
and do huge characterbackgrounds like big biomes like

(29:26):
for how to sell a haunted house,which is about a family. I wound
up writing. I think it was likea 16,000 word. Year by year
history of the family startingfrom in the mountains met each
other because I've had tofamilies are all backstory. It's
all inside jokes. It's, I mean,I'm sure it's happened to y'all

(29:46):
where you're dating someone oryou're involved with someone and
you go to have dinner with theirfamily for the first time and
you like leave and you're like,that was nice, and they're like,
Are you kidding? Yeah, but youhear it all just goes over your
head. You don't know thereferences, you don't know the
backstory. So I had to get thatbackstory even though it's not
on the page. And so like, sothen it's just a matter of like,

(30:09):
getting out of my own way, like,trying to like, I wind up taking
out a lot of the cool stuff Ithought I wanted in the book and
just focusing on the charactersand usually the one main
character. And I've realized,like, I'm not a great stylist,
but what I can do is kind of tryto be a clear my writing to be

(30:29):
like a clear pane of glassbetween me, between the reader
and the story. Like they're justlooking right through me to the
story. And that's what I want.
Like, some people are greatlylike Stephen Graham Jones is a
really great sentence bysentence right? Or Paul is a
super, he loves playing likereally complicated and
interesting structural games,right? And for me, it's like, I

(30:53):
just want to be invisible. Ijust want the story. You know,
you know?

Stu Haack (30:57):
Sorry, I didn't mean to

Grady Hendrix (30:59):
get out of my own way. Sorry, what'd you say?

Stu Haack (31:01):
No, I didn't mean to cut you off. I mean, but it's so
interesting, because I thinkthat's a really, really good
point is when I read your books,I don't feel like there's a
narrative structure happeningaround like, I'm not conscious.
Oh, good. Like, I'm notconscious of someone writing
this book. I'm just in it, youknow, and I just feel it. And
then I think to your point, youknow, it's interesting that you

(31:23):
say that you wrote thatbackstory for the family in how
to sell a haunted house. Happyto 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. Itried to get it done earlier.
But then my son's birthday, allkinds of stuff. Regardless, I
finished it. And one of thethings that I found is seems to

(31:45):
be a consistent theme is a, youdo a really good job of writing
characters that you can hate fora little while, but then somehow
end up liking Mark. Yeah, Ididn't want to give anything
away. I'm not going to say toomuch. But like, but it's very
interesting to see that. But Idon't think you can do that
without understanding abackstory or really having that

(32:05):
depth of feeling for thatcharacter.

Grady Hendrix (32:08):
Well, it also I write a lot of women so Mark was
so much fun to write because Iknow those dudes man, big,
messy, loud, Southern guys whoare just, there's so much fun to
be around. But God you don'twant to live with them, you
know? Okay, I'm opening up mysecond year here. And I'm gonna
say, and I do not mean this tosound judgy. But one of the

(32:29):
beers two of the beers y'allhave chosen brings, brings back
a nostalgia story. So you gottwo cores products there. And my
first year in college, I went tocollege in the early 90s. So it
was sort of like trying to comeinto the end of the big first
burning of AIDS and I, I was inNew York, and I was working with

(32:52):
a theatre company that was therewas a lot of drag queens and
trans people and queerperformers. 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 alot of like, you know, focus on

(33:15):
the family groups. But back inthe day, there was a huge
boycott, of course. And it wasthis alliance between the
teamsters who were on strikeagainst cores, and the gay
community, so you could not findcores in a gay bar anywhere. And
it was this amazing alliancebetween teamsters who you know,

(33:38):
you don't think of with gayrights ever, and gay rights
activists. And so it was justbeaten him to be at an early
age, do not drink course.

Stu Haack (33:47):
And now and now Bud Light is embroiled in the whole
thing where they've had. What'sher

Derek Krueger (33:52):
I know. Yeah, they're transgender. But she was

Stu Haack (33:55):
actually good Trent.
Yeah. And Kid Rock shot up abunch of bugs, like, way to go,
Debbie, you still bought a bunchof bras. So you know, I mean,
good for you, buddy.

Grady Hendrix (34:05):
It's funny, you know, there was a draft that we
sold our souls were Woodstock.
99 was in there because Kid Rockfamously was one of the artists
there. And it was likeWoodstock. 99 was a black mass
to rain out the end of the 20thcentury and the beginning of the
soul is 21st century. And Ihaven't seen much behavior by
Limp Biscuit or Kid Rock. Itwould make me want to take walk

(34:25):
that back. No, not at all. SoI'm going for my next year,
which is so my next fear is Iwent to NYU and I was not in
film school. I did likereligious history, but all my
roommates were in film schooland I knew a lot of audio
engineering, so I was alwaysrecording sound of their movies,

(34:46):
and all of them drank Heineken,because of blue velvet, where
Frank asked Kyle MacLachlan puta beer you drink says Heineken
that shit not Blue Ribbon andfor some reason all these school
students didn't drink pass BlueRibbon. They all went for
Heineken, which let me see if mymemories right.

Stu Haack (35:08):
I know exactly how that's gonna taste. See that's
one that I got. I

Grady Hendrix (35:12):
hate Heineken.
It's

Stu Haack (35:13):
got that skunky skunky flavor. Yeah, like I
Yeah, we get into Heinekenbecause

Grady Hendrix (35:20):
it tastes like the beer has gone bad. Yeah, it
really is terrible. It's remindsme a little of Rolling Rock,
which I wanted to find, but Icouldn't because Rolling Rock
was what every bar has. Oh,Pabst Blue Ribbon. Bands beer.

Stu Haack (35:37):
Yeah, that's right.
What was the exact quote fromhim again? I just want to make
sure I've got this in case

Grady Hendrix (35:43):
I think it was what what kind of beer you drink
Heineken? That ship have blueribbon. That's a man's beer.
Fuck that shit.

Stu Haack (35:55):
Amazing. Now now,

Grady Hendrix (35:57):
like, you know, I wanted to find Rowlings So wait,
how does Pabst Blue Ribbontaste?

Stu Haack (36:02):
Okay, so let me yeah, let's take a quick sip, because
I'm pretty sure it's gonna tastevery similar to

Derek Krueger (36:07):
Bud Light.
Honestly, I'm a bigger fan ofPBR 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 (36:17):
I use that word. Just like not that barely knowing
what it means. Right? It feelsright. It feels right. Yeah,
it's heavy. Sounds like thefancier version of heavier. Yes,
exactly. There you go. Yeah,because it's not a light beer.

Derek Krueger (36:29):
Yep. All right, waiting

Grady Hendrix (36:30):
for me. The big one was rolling rock because
that was when he becauseeveryone's in college. All your
friends are in a band. And everyvenue always sold Rolling Rock
but that was also a skunky beerlike like Heineken. Yeah,

Stu Haack (36:43):
yeah, probably not as bad as Heineken but very similar
in terms of total flavor, but Ifor me, I felt like Rolling Rock
looked cooler was soundedsounded way cooler. And I think
yeah, I'd find a Rolling Rock 24Just to have consistency of look
here and I could just

Derek Krueger (36:58):
couldn't find I was trying to find a Mickey's
hand grenade. I couldn't findthat.

Stu Haack (37:03):
Oh, my gosh, so much.
What was Mickey's Wait a secondGrady. Wait a second. Can we
introduce you to what a Mikisis? Have you never

Grady Hendrix (37:11):
had an MC? What is Mickey? Yeah, yeah, hold on.
I

Derek Krueger (37:14):
think they call it what do they call it? The

Stu Haack (37:17):
it's a it's a malt liquor. Right? It's uh, they got
the hand grenade version. Versusjust like a little 12 ounce but
it's like thicker than a normalkid. Oh, it's

Grady Hendrix (37:24):
that little short swag. green bottle one. Yep. And
never had one of those.

Stu Haack (37:29):
It's awful. You didn't miss anything. But the

Derek Krueger (37:31):
lid always. It had like a factor. It had
something on the lid. Man, itwas great. Had

Grady Hendrix (37:36):
something. Yeah.
We had it when I went in whenyou in the early 90s. Our malt
liquor of choice was crazyhorse. Because a 40 of that
costs $2.50. Now,

Stu Haack (37:47):
did you did you It was awful. Did you ever do
what's called an Edward 40hands? Have you have you heard?
Oh, it's it's Yeah, wildlydangerous. Because it's, you
know, you have no control ofyour hands for you know, however
long it takes to do 40s.

Grady Hendrix (38:05):
Well, and also that was early 90s was when
porno chic was sort of starting.
And so like everyone waswatching porn, ironically. And
living with adult students. Itwas like, you know, but Edward
penis hands was the big one thatcame out. And, man that was
funny for about three and a halfminutes, you know? And then then
you're just sort of sittingthere miserably watching porn in

(38:28):
a room full of film students,which is just anti life. The

Stu Haack (38:35):
awkwardness is just on an exponential curve. Just
like no Yeah,

Grady Hendrix (38:38):
exactly. But it is weird to think that porn used
to be a 60 minute movie what?

Stu Haack (38:45):
Now that was said it wasn't a three minute clip. You
know, I tell the story. I've gota grievance against the porn and
there used to be cinema used tobe you know, Majesty.

Derek Krueger (38:54):
I like the pizza guy that showed up, you know,
and then she didn't have moneyfor it. Yeah, that's right.
Exactly. Okay, great. So wegotta we gotta ask you, because
I know we're getting tight ontime with you. We do have to hit
kind of the fear. That's truethat you have that, like yours.

(39:15):
A very deep fear of yours.

Stu Haack (39:17):
Which Which, by the way, not that we're trying to
but there is a little extrapressure on you as a horror
author. Yeah, yeah. Now to comeup with a really good what's
your, what's your existentialfear?

Grady Hendrix (39:31):
Well, the problem is, if you write horror, you
kind of develop a capacity to bescared of anything. You know
what I mean? Like Like, you canconvince yourself anything scary
if you think about it enough.
But I will say two fears thathave 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.

(39:57):
Yeah, it's terrible. I I don'tlike it. I don't like walking
around outside in the dark. Idon't like it when the house is
dark. I get sleep paralysissometimes and I don't like
waking up alone in the dark andyou're shouting at something
that no you can't. It's justawful. I hate it.

Stu Haack (40:17):
The dark times you're in hotels probably alone quite a
bit. Yeah, that's terrible. How

Derek Krueger (40:21):
do you do it by yourself? Because I'm right
there with you, man. Me and youlike, I get sleep paralysis
really bad to where like, Yeah,cuz had to wake me up because
I've been screaming. And it'sit's embarrassing, dude. Like
you do when you're by yourself,because I gotta have everything
on all lights on TV on sound onjust enough to where I can hear

(40:42):
something.

Grady Hendrix (40:44):
Yeah, see, my hotel ritual is I come in and I
put the locks on the door. Andthen I searched the room I do
behind the curtains under thebed 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 thedark. But I have had a couple of
sleep paralysis incidents on theroad. And I just I don't go back

(41:07):
to bed after that. I just turneverything on and watch a movie.
I'm like, I'm done. Like, Ibecause because you get such a
visual of someone being in thatroom with you. It's like after
that uncooked, like I'm like,this sucks. I'm done. I hate
animals. So

Derek Krueger (41:22):
I'm kind of curious about this. It made me
think so all the books you'vewritten? You. There's nothing
about sleep paralysis? Is itthat do not want to even touch
that like with your own kind?
Well,

Grady Hendrix (41:33):
but there's lots and lots of things in my book
where something someone istrapped in a tight space or
unable to move. And that to meis is the sleep paralysis? Or,
you know, like on the note, whatabout

Stu Haack (41:47):
what about in a horror store? Where they don't
know. I forget the maincharacter's name, but she
doesn't know where she'slooking. Yes, yeah. And she
doesn't, but they can use thevideo camera to see where she's
where they're actually yeah. Isthat kind of a manifestation of
that?

Grady Hendrix (42:03):
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, Ideveloped this thing where it's
like being lost, like thinkingyou're going left and you're
really going right and thinkingyou're going up when you're
really going down would be soterrifying. Yeah. And that was
really based on on on droppingacid a couple of times. So

(42:26):
really once in high school,where it was just like, not
knowing where you were and whereyou were going was it was like
the most terrifying thing I everdid. Because you can't rely on
any No, you can't. And it wasawful. And so that being last
thing that they do in horrorstore comes right out of that,
like that was

Stu Haack (42:46):
that stuck with me honestly, that that part of it
was just like, oh my gosh, whatif you're What if you couldn't
rely on your senses? That'swild. Yeah. Wild thoughts. Yeah.
Yeah. But we do that all thetime. You get drunk, you get
high, like you can't rely onyour senses. It's recreational.

Grady Hendrix (43:03):
Within the other thing, really. The other thing I
really don't like is stuffliving under my skin bought
flies and parasites. There was abunch of videos going around
recently of, of, there's aparasite called a hare worm.
That's like a long black worm.
And it would get inside prayingmantises and things and you It

(43:26):
hates water. And so the peoplewould pour water on a praying
mantis, and this thing wouldcome out. It's been around
furious, and it would be likefour times as long as the
mantis. It was just horrible towatch.

Derek Krueger (43:42):
I literally have goosebumps. Yeah, this is like
this is because that stuff youcan't even see by yourself.

Grady Hendrix (43:49):
You know?

Stu Haack (43:50):
Now now it's gonna be your fault, though, that Derek
stays up all night.

Derek Krueger (43:54):
Now I'm gonna have to sleep on this in the
dark and then bugs with worms.

Grady Hendrix (43:59):
Well, the other thing that was so horrible is
like when you're little and yougive the dog pills, and you're
like, what are the pills? Andthey're like, oh, it's worm
worm, medicate heartworm. Andyou're like, what's a heartworm
and then you realize it worms intheir heart and you're like, why
is my dog just a big bag ofworms shaped like a dog? Like
this is horrifying

Derek Krueger (44:17):
to ever google anything?

Stu Haack (44:19):
Yeah, that's exactly right. Oh, I mean, they're like
as you're growing up, you justthere are things that you don't
understand. I still rememberthat stupid scary was a scary
stories that keep you up in thedarker. Oh, yeah. Oh, Alvin
Schwartz illustrations. Yeah,there were just some things in
there. Like as you're growingup, you're like is the spider
egg? I don't remember. Do youknow that one where the girl

(44:42):
wore the rings around her neckor she wear a scarf around her
neck? And eventually, like, shealways wore it and this this kid
became friends with her. Andeventually 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 shetook it off in real Like head
fell off or something like that.
Oh, that was

Grady Hendrix (45:02):
an art that is such a famous ghost story to
like that always works, youknow? So

Stu Haack (45:07):
it's classic, but it's classic for a reason kind
of thing. Oh, yeah.

Grady Hendrix (45:11):
Yeah, totally.
Well, it's also you know,there's that one in there this
like the girl she's got like thepimple and she eventually pops
and it was a spider egg and allthese spiders come out. Yes.
Yeah, okay,

Stu Haack (45:23):
you're right. Yep.

Derek Krueger (45:24):
Yeah, there's there's too many scary things to
do. Life is scary.

Stu Haack (45:29):
For kids, especially so like we live stories growing
up. Okay, what's actually thatleads me to another question
that I have. I mean, were thereany obviously you know, you have
influences in your in your adultlife. But were there any things
that like you grew up with thatscared like that taught you to
love horror? I know you lovehorror films about horror books,
you know, like, like, Yeah,well, and aural. Oh, yeah. You

(45:53):
know,

Grady Hendrix (45:53):
yeah, yeah. So I was a little old for goosebumps.
I came to that late and likereading it for a project. And I
developed a deep hatred of RLStein and a deep love of
Christopher Pike. Because I waslike, Who, because RL Stein's
all jumpscares. It's like somany chapters in like, and he
was there was a man standing inher room in the dark. And in the

(46:14):
next chapter, she turns on thelight and it's a shirt on the
back of a chair. But, butChristopher Pike is deeply
messed up, and I have so muchadmiration, and also say, as a
person, I have a lot ofadmiration for RL Stein. I've
met him a couple of times atevents, 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

(46:38):
trooper, man. I got nothing butnice things to say about it. But
so growing up, I didn't readmuch harder because I thought it
was way too creepy. To behonest. It kind of grossed me
out. I read King and Barkeryoung, but I think everyone
does. The thing that really gotme was in carpool. And first,

(47:00):
second and third grades. WhenRhett Thurman drove one of my
Michael Thurman's mom, she wouldtell ghost stories, because as a
way of keeping a powerful akid's quiet. And the classics,
you know what I mean? Like itwas stuff that she'd gotten out
of like, you know, ghost storybooks, scarf around the neck,

(47:20):
all that stuff, and a bit everynow and then there'd be a weird
one she threw in or a selfreferential one. Sometimes she
changed the names to be likenames and locations we knew.
Then we'd like there were onesthat were our favorites that
we'd ask for again. And like,sometimes she'd let one of us
tell it go story, and yourealize how hard it was. And

(47:43):
like, no one liked it. And solike, it really taught me at an
early age that like, telling astory could really hold people's
attention. Yeah, you know what Imean? Like, it could really keep
people riveted. And, you know,the payoff had to be good. And,
and, you know, just just, it wasreally kind of a fabulous thing.

(48:07):
I don't think she knows what animpact she had. But I just saw
her actually at my dad'sfuneral. And like it was in you
know, and I think she has noidea. But those I've talked to
other people who have carpal andthey just stuck with all of us
this, this idea that youcouldn't really hold people's
attention by telling a story, aslong as the story was good

(48:29):
enough.

Stu Haack (48:32):
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 yourattention. That's why they've
been passed down for millennia.
Yeah, so it's hard to tell agood story. And, you know, so
learning that lesson, I think,from a young age.

Grady Hendrix (48:50):
Yeah. Well, and also like, just the basic
principles, you know, have thehave the people listening have
questions? Why? Why does? Oh,no, we know what's going on.
They buried the guy and stolehis 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 thesteps. You don't need just those
basic tension and askingquestions. And, you know, for

(49:12):
shadowing, it was really good toget that kind of three years of
getting that kind of once a weekingrained. And you you know,

Stu Haack (49:20):
amazing, amazing now, and I'm really sorry to hear
about your father, by the way. Imean, no, thanks. Was that the
funeral that you were atrecently? Yeah, it was, uh,

Grady Hendrix (49:29):
I still haven't processed it. I mostly what I
realized was like, mostly I'mjust 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 touse any names, but I found out
because my aunt died rightbefore my dad, like, like a week

(49:50):
before. And at her funeral, Ilearned that one of my cousin's
had one of his testicles bit offby a brown recluse spider. which

Stu Haack (50:01):
was not what that is not.

Grady Hendrix (50:05):
It's a good horror is amazing because it's
like, it makes your tissue dieand like it basically killed his
testicle and his wife had to geta big old chunk of her stomach
removed because if she gotbitten by a brown recluse and it
went necrotic it's good god he'sas opposed to food. What?

(50:27):
Insects are disgusting. Well,spiders aren't insects, but

Stu Haack (50:31):
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 (50:38):
those dead eyes?

Stu Haack (50:39):
Well, they in the weird eight legs is moving. But
there are very few spiders here.
They can't survive the 115degrees.

Derek Krueger (50:46):
They get they come inside a lot. But

Stu Haack (50:49):
I mean, so So but it's cool to hear where you're
where you're sort of inspirationcame from, I guess at an early
age. Now my question the reasonI you know, as I was asking you
about your father is, did yourparents know that she was
telling you these horror storieswhen you? Oh, yeah.

Grady Hendrix (51:03):
Oh, yeah. They were like, great. She keeps them
shut up. No one fights when shedrives car.

Stu Haack (51:09):
She was just, she was brilliant. She had all figured
out that's, it's awesome.

Grady Hendrix (51:13):
Oh, yeah. Well, and it's also like, I mean, they
were a ghost stories around thecampfire. It's a tradition, you
know, like, like, alright, it'swholesome.

Derek Krueger (51:23):
It's it is Alright, great. So we're gonna
get into the third and finalbeer. And I got to ask about
because I'm really big into Ilove character development. I
love to act, I love to do allthat stuff. So that's like, a
big thing for me. And I saw andread that you do, like one man

(51:44):
shows instead of like, kind ofsignings. And so that I was
like, Dude, I got to ask himabout this, but I want to hear
about it after we touched onthis third.

Grady Hendrix (51:54):
Okay, so beer, so you guys, I think are going for
the Miller Highlife. Next whichI'll be very curious because I'm
not sure it's the champagne ofbeers. i i It's got such great
packaging. And every time I opena miller I'm a little
disappointed. I think it's alittle too sweet. A little too
frothy. But I went to I had togo to what was available my deli

(52:18):
and so I have a big history withQingdao which is like the chill
look. It's basically theBudweiser of China and in
college, your your big meal whenyou're broke was the Chinese
meal. And so like and then you'dbe like Oh, and Qingdao beer and
it's only like $4 This is like afancy foreign beer. And then I

(52:40):
lived in Hong Kong for a littlewhile and like Qingdao was but
and I gotta say I actually likeit a lot. Let me see if memory
serves

Stu Haack (52:48):
Okay, yeah, let's let's see it now we need to get
the review as well like does itstill hold up in the way that
you hope it does and

Derek Krueger (52:54):
when was the last one had that?

Grady Hendrix (52:57):
So I haven't had a chain down in probably four
years. So it's been a while butnot too long. You know, it's
it's goes in that skunky kind ofRolling Rock Heineken green
bottling but it stops just shortof being unpleasant. It's a
little more mellow, Superstinky. I actually got to say
chain down. I wouldn't go BudLight Qingdao leave out the

(53:20):
Heineken Rolling Rock. Okay,there

Stu Haack (53:23):
you go. So go with the baseline. Yep, stick with
the sing or Qingdao. So by theway, it's just funny because I
had a buddy who loved that beerbut he was called a single out.

Grady Hendrix (53:34):
I have no idea like, Oh, see I'm being
pretentious and calling itQingdao. But you know. I'm sure
same Tao is probably just asjust as good.

Stu Haack (53:46):
I have you know what?
Okay, so I gotta

Grady Hendrix (53:49):
hear. I gotta hear the tasty notes from the
Miller High Life. Yeah, DerekWell, this

Derek Krueger (53:53):
is this a big one established? 1903. Okay, Miller
highlights champagne of beers.

Stu Haack (53:58):
Which by the way, do you know that Miller Highlife
can not be distributed in theEU? Because on its can and
bottles? It says champagne ofbeers. And they take that
champagne? Seriously? Yes.
Literally in shampoo. 1000 cans.
Some guy ordered it for aprivate party in Germany. And

(54:19):
they got crushed at the port inBelgium. Because Oh, you cannot
have this beer in this country.

Grady Hendrix (54:27):
Well, I gotta say it's a classy beer, but I'm not
sure let me know what you think.

Stu Haack (54:33):
But cheers again, Grady. Gears. I just got mostly
foam. Yeah. It's funkier than Ilike light. It's a little
funkier than the Bud Light. Likeagain, the Bud Light you go back
to that's like a very baseline.
That is what beer is what abasic beer should be.

Derek Krueger (54:51):
I think we are. I think PB PBR is my jam right
now. That's it that Yeah, yeah.
With you

Stu Haack (54:57):
actually, you know, I'd probably I probably go PBR,
I may even go to be honest. Andthis has nothing to do with the
cultural references greater thatyou mentioned earlier, because I
fully support the LGBTQcommunity. But I grew up on
course like that was like mycollege Sure. I had no idea
about the whole problematic youknow, side of it. But that was

(55:20):
just like sort of a coursebecause, you know, I went to
school in Arizona and it's kindof close to Colorado and you
know that hole for sure. But,but yeah, PBR. This, actually
this this Highlife tastes likeshit.

Derek Krueger (55:30):
Yeah, it does.
There's no There's no weight toit. There's no I mean, the
flavor. Yeah, I've been there.
It's just kinda like, I rememberbeing a little sharp and
accurate. Yeah, it's a littleaccurate is a very good, a very
good term. Yeah, I don't andthat's why you're the writer and

Grady Hendrix (55:47):
I'm very happy with my my Qingdao over here. I
think you

Stu Haack (55:50):
you've chosen why, in the words of Indiana Jones. Was
it wasn't the Temple of Doom. Itwas Last Crusade. You have
chosen wisely. We have chosenpoorly.

Derek Krueger (56:01):
Alright, great.
Man Show. We got to talk aboutit.

Grady Hendrix (56:04):
Yeah. So not when I did horror store. I was doing
book tour. You know, you readfrom the book, you do a q&a. And
it sucked. It was so boring. Iwas bored. The people there were
bored. No, it was just awful.
And after that, I was like, I'mnever doing that again. Like it
was terrible. And so I starteddoing

Stu Haack (56:30):
your show so so don't even know exactly what we do,
guys just kind of let it let itroll.

Grady Hendrix (56:36):
And so I on my best friend's exorcism, I
started experimenting with doingsomething a little extra. And I
wasn't quite there yet. I wasfiguring out. But then when I
did paper x from hell, I did afull on show. It's a history of
the horror paperback boom andran 60 minutes. It had two
completely stupid songs in it.
It had slides and it

Stu Haack (57:00):
moves songs. Did you see the song? Oh, yeah. Oh, my
gosh, that's amazing. Do you Ido anywhere that we can find.

Grady Hendrix (57:07):
I hope not. I ask people not to put it up online
because I really want it to be aI don't want anyone to be
subjected to my singing fee. Iwanted to be like an experience.
You know, like, Hey, we're doingthis in this place alive humans
in a room. But it was also likeso so now I do those with every
book. So when I did, we sold oursoul to show was like a history
of heart heavy metal and horror.
When I did how to sell a hauntedhouse. It's about the history of

(57:31):
haunted houses. It always runsin our haunted houses doesn't
have songs in it. But the otherones all do final girls has
songs in it. They all haveslides. So I like run the slides
during the show. And usuallyit's about 120 to 170 slides,
and it's a 60 minute show. So itreally moves fast. And what am I
touchstones for it is, I'm a big19th century history buff. And

(57:56):
in the 19th century, and eveninto the 20th century, public
lectures were a thing. And youhad people like Robert Benchley
and stuff who would do comicpublic lectures, and you had
people who would do you know,people would 1000s of people
would come out to hear a lectureon glaciers and it would be
entertaining and exciting and,and the person giving it would
be a showman and, and I reallylove that format. And so, so

(58:20):
yeah, so I do this. And I'veactually got one I did for a
while that I'm trying to find agood venue for, again to bring
it back, called Summerland last,which is sort of a history of K,
Kate Maggie Fox, who are the twoteenage girls who started the
spiritualism craze in the 19century, which is not connected

(58:42):
to any bulk, but I love doingthat show. And so it's just,
it's just fun. And it's, it'sreally nice. It's different than
performing apart in the sensethat you're talking to people
and sort of connecting withpeople live. And I really enjoy
that it's the closest you canget to like telling people a

(59:03):
ghost story to really, you know,work on a thing where there's no
plot, there's no story, it'snonfiction, but I'm gonna have
foreshadowing I'm gonna havesetups and payoffs. I'm gonna
have you asking questions thatdon't, I'm gonna have callbacks
to stuff after you've forgottenabout it. And it's so I find
them so much fun. It's usuallymy treat when I finished doing

(59:25):
the book, like I turn in thebook. And then I do start doing
the reading and the research forthe show, and write the show.
And that's usually kind of myreward to myself.

Stu Haack (59:36):
That's, that's amazing. You know, you know,
what, you, your, your, what youjust said, has given me an idea.
And we can go in on thistogether, you know, because I
think we've got an idea here. Soit's like Ted, it's like TED
Talks. Oh, yeah. But yeah, likestories, right? And so we create
a platform where people can goand pitch their books, talk
about their books, all that kindof stuff. And it's more for

(59:59):
entertaining. And then forsaving the world, although I do
believe fiction saves the world,not always.

Grady Hendrix (01:00:04):
Yeah. Well, it's also people like people,
especially Americans, werealways a little suspicious of
entertainment. Like, where's thespinach? Like, where's the
vitamin? And so people reallylove learning something, you
know? So like when I did thefinal girl support group show,
it's sort of a history of murderbooks, but it's also like, Okay,

(01:00:27):
why is there this character inPsycho and Silence of the Lambs,
and so many of the books, it'slike, a scary trans killer,
like, where's that come from?
And it was actually really funto trace that back, not just to
Ed Dean, but also to realizethat, again, was not a
crossdresser that that wassomething that was inserted in

(01:00:48):
his story by a polygraphtechnician. And it comes out of
this whole scary thing in the40s, about how criminals all
had, like were sissified bytheir mothers, like this really
crazy, like sort of like HotTopic thing hotcakes. So that

Stu Haack (01:01:07):
even goes back again to this whole house y thing
being the bearer of all theproblems and having a terrible
life. Yeah. Again, somehow itrelates back.

Grady Hendrix (01:01:17):
Well, you know, it's amazing that even now,
people look at our dean, andthey're like, Oh, the short
version of Ed Dean is that hewas like a mama's boy who was
obsessed with his mother and hismother punished him and you
know, all this stuff. None ofthat's true. And gain says
several times in his in his postrest interviews, that the bane

(01:01:38):
of his existence was hisalcoholic, physically abusive
father who like beat he and hisbrother relentlessly. Same with
the Boston Strangler, who talksabout his alcoholic abusive
father. But both of them havebeen tarred with this, like,
well, they had these mothers whowere really overwhelming and
wreck their lives. And it'slike, Is mom just to blame for
everything? Is that just like,what we've decided as a culture?

(01:02:00):
Like, it's mom's fault?

Stu Haack (01:02:01):
Yeah, of course. I mean, it's like, just the
classic, whoever's in power getsto write what the history you
know. And that's, and that'swhat's happened. Yeah. And now
finally, hopefully, we'regetting to a place where we can
have an equality of voice whereactually, it's a lot of times
the men stole the men did.
They're not so great. Yeah,yeah.

Grady Hendrix (01:02:19):
Yeah. So it's really good. Like, people really
love hearing where this stuffcomes from. And sort of the
history I mean, if you can makeit fun and entertaining, and
throw in some stupid songs,like, it's, it's a blast, I love
doing it.

Stu Haack (01:02:31):
Do you ever come to Vegas for any of these events?

Grady Hendrix (01:02:34):
I have not. And you know, it's funny, I can't.
So with how to sell a hauntedhouse, I was doing a book tour.
And at this point, I done theshows enough and tours enough
that like there's bookstores anda lot of states I work with and
have a history with me. And mostof them have realized at this
point that the show's attractpeople, and we've gotten too big

(01:02:55):
for the store. So oftentimes,they'll get an off site venue,
often a bar with a stage. Andfrankly, the more people drink,
the better my singing getsgoing. So like, I really
encourage that. But when wetried to do go out last this
year, like even bookstores thathad worked with me, just no one
was no one was willing to go offsite. And so for the next book

(01:03:16):
that's coming out in 2020, forthe unwed mothers one, I'm
determined to do the west coastand like the southwest, because
I haven't done it since 2016, or2017. But I gotta find
bookstores that are willing tolike because now it's been a
year since I've been out there.
So like, let's get a bar. Let'sget a let's get some beer in
there. Let's let's not just do30 chairs in the back of your

(01:03:38):
store liquids. Well, let's go somy kids have a part of this

Stu Haack (01:03:43):
Derek and I can make that we

Derek Krueger (01:03:44):
will make that happen in Vegas. We know that
that area very well.

Stu Haack (01:03:49):
That is our what's the big indie bookstore in
Vegas. So copper cat is probablyone of the cool events in Vegas.
It's actually out in Henderson,but you know, it's all
connected. Yeah. Okay, it's agreat local bookstore. But also,
I mean, if you want to open itup to a bigger venue to, you
know, there, there are plenty ofsmall local bars breweries that

(01:04:10):
Derek and I are very goodfriends with that we can make
that we can make it work.

Grady Hendrix (01:04:14):
I've got a few brewery shows and those are
great. Oh, heck yeah.
Absolutely.

Derek Krueger (01:04:18):
And we'd like to stick in local so like,
breweries and you know, writersand all that stuff. I mean, we
fantastic mix.

Stu Haack (01:04:25):
You let us know.
Yeah, we'll make we'll make thatman. Happy to.

Grady Hendrix (01:04:29):
Also I haven't been to Vegas and forever. It's
such a weird city man. Such

Stu Haack (01:04:33):
a weird city and it only gets weirder every year.
Yeah, it's amazing.

Derek Krueger (01:04:37):
No, no sports teams here. Yes, it's wild.

Stu Haack (01:04:40):
It's just changing every year. But I do know you
have a draft due very soon andwe don't want to hold you back
from that. No, I

Grady Hendrix (01:04:50):
appreciate it.
I'm sorry to have to bail afteran hour and change but I gotta
get this thing written man. I'mjust I'm I'm in the middle of a
bathroom ghost.

Stu Haack (01:05:00):
Oh, well, you know, if in a few weeks or months you
can give us any insightinformation, I can't wait for
your next book. We're uh, Derekand I love your stuff. The only
one that I haven't read is thenonfiction one. That one the
Bram Stoker Award, which Ireally need to get to, but I
just love your fiction so much.
That's all gone for one day.

Derek Krueger (01:05:20):
All right now Well, real quick, ready?
Favorite bar in New York. Me andmy wife are going there. I've
never been, we're going therefor the Back to the Future
Broadway play coming out. InOkay, so give me give me a good
bar.

Grady Hendrix (01:05:33):
Okay, so a lot of dive bars are long gone, which
is such a bummer. So I'm goingto give you let's see, hold on.
So there's a couple of bars Ilike that are super weird. And
diapers are sort of done. Holdon. Okay, so

Derek Krueger (01:05:58):
I'm gonna go back to the Bud Light, going back to
PBR already finished.

Grady Hendrix (01:06:05):
Okay, so that two bars, actually, there's three
bars, I would really say areworth it. If you want to do
like, actually two bars that Ithink you should, that are worth
going out of your way. But oneis Grand Central oyster bar.
It's a restaurant but they havea huge saloon and a bar. And I

(01:06:26):
gotta say, man, it is an OldSchool New York institution. The
martinis are still great. It isreally really worth the time for
anything Grand Central Station.
Love it for a dive. There's notmuch left these days. But I will
say I think they call it cloudsocial rooftop bar. And it's a

(01:06:46):
rooftop bar that is in on thetop of I think a Red Roof Inn or
some kind of like cheesy hotel.
And it is as bare bones as theyget man. It is like a rooftop.
And if you want food, you get adelivery to the rooftop like a
pizza. So that's actually Iactually haven't been there in a

(01:07:10):
few years, but it used to begreat. K town has some great
bars. Oh, and actually, if youwant a really really good view

Derek Krueger (01:07:22):
in what's K town, I'm sorry. Koreatown. Oh,
Korean.

Grady Hendrix (01:07:25):
Oh, Korean. Yeah, it's in the 30s.

Stu Haack (01:07:27):
Probably good karaoke there. Okay. I have to imagine.
Yeah. Is that accurate?

Grady Hendrix (01:07:33):
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 bothdeeply unpopular restaurants.
But they're way up inskyscrapers with beautiful

(01:07:55):
views. So the Korean moved isaround Cape Town. It's called
gown Newari. Gao in in you are Iand you go out there and have a
drink at the bar. No one's inthe restaurant. It's pretty much
almost always empty. And it'slike on the 50th or 60th floor
and the view is stunning. Andthen there's a place called

(01:08:17):
Saki, Saki no hana. And it isthey tried. It's in the Moxie
hotel down on the Lower EastSide. And they try being in that
hotel. So they tried to makethis thing happen is like hit
club. And during the week, noone's there. They've got a

(01:08:38):
doorman and a bouncer and allthis stuff. And they're just
like, go up. And the 30th or40th floor, floor to ceiling
windows. And the last time I wasthere, there were six other
people in the entire bar playagain. It's a great view.

Stu Haack (01:08:54):
Incredible,

Grady Hendrix (01:08:55):
so yeah, so but yeah, definitely though if
you're going to do one of thoseGrand Central Oyster Bar man, a
martini and some oysters, it'sso great.

Derek Krueger (01:09:03):
Okay, awesome, man. Thank you so much before
that's yeah, thank you very muchand I know you gotta go So real
quick, five seconds. best areato stay in New York City. That
is not touristy, but that we canleave our hotel for this and get
to you know, some good wine barsor restaurants and stuff.

Stu Haack (01:09:22):
I told him Brooklyn but i don't know i don't know
very well.

Grady Hendrix (01:09:25):
Yeah, no, I think you're right like honestly
staying in Williamsburg orsomewhere like that is actually
like going to be your yourfriend. But also I can say I
really liked my neighborhoodwhich is sort of the East 20s
And there's a ton of hotelsaround here. It's not downtown
enough to be hip. It's notuptown enough to be expensive,

(01:09:46):
but you can get anywhere superfast. So yeah, a flat iron I
would say flat iron grammer Seeya Murray Hill or Williamsburg
are both like probably thebetter areas or Dumbo better
areas to

Derek Krueger (01:09:59):
stay It's awesome

Grady Hendrix (01:10:01):
little off from everywhere else but like it's a
fun neighborhood.

Derek Krueger (01:10:05):
Cool. Awesome man. Thank you thank you so much

Grady Hendrix (01:10:08):
awesome. Really good to see you guys thank you
let me know when this is goingup so I'll do like social media
stuff

Stu Haack (01:10:14):
now would you like us to send you version before it
goes live would that be yourfine okay, I don't think I said
anything that anything Iuntoward but so I just want to
say before we go Grady Hendrixamazing. One of the best horror
authors horror comedy authors ofour time. books include horror

(01:10:35):
store my best friend's exorcismpaperbacks from hell, which he
won the Bram Stoker award for.
We sold our souls southern bookclubs guide to selling vampires
final girl support group andmost recently how to sell a
haunted house which just cameout this year and it's amazing
Grady thank you so much forbeing on the show. Thank you so
much

Grady Hendrix (01:10:54):
dudes. Thank you so much for having me and take
care Yep, don't drink Millerhighlights again. Never thanks
again man

Stu Haack (01:11:10):
boom Amazing.
Amazing. No, you got it man.
Okay, so I think I can just endthe call and the recording will
be sent to me.

Derek Krueger (01:11:41):
See

Stu Haack (01:11:48):
this recording will be saved to Stu Hawkes Google
Drive