J. A. W. McCarthy for Women in Horror Month
1. Introduce yourself. What do you want people to know about you and your work?
I’m the author of Sleep Alone, a sex, drugs, and rock & roll queer succubi body horror novella, and the collection Sometimes We’re Cruel and Other Stories. Both books were Shirley Jackson Award finalists, and Sleep Alone was also a Bram Stoker Award finalist. My short fiction can be found in numerous publications, including Vastarien, PseudoPod, and The Best Horror of the Year Volume 13.
I’m of Thai and Slovak descent and enjoy exploring Thai folklore and the effects of being othered in my work. I love monstrous women, visceral descriptions, and decadent prose.
2. Who or what were your earliest horror influences?
Like many horror fans, I read a lot of Stephen King and Anne Rice growing up. I think the first time I encountered horror media, though, was watching movies like Poltergeist and The Shining way too young. I also loved Zilpha Keatley Snyder as a kid; my favorites by her were The Egypt Game and Eyes in the Fishbowl. They’re not considered horror, but these books involved child murders and ghosts—pretty intense for little kid lit! I was also raised Catholic and went to Catholic school, so I spent my childhood terrified of being possessed by a demon, among other religious horrors.
3. I’ve seen you speak on your experience of not feeling Asian enough as a person of Thai and Slovak descent. What role, if any, does your Thai identity play in your work? Do you think the horror genre, and society in general, is becoming more understanding of the diaspora experience?
I’ve always been drawn to outsider stories, people who’ve been othered and are misunderstood, viewed as monstrous. It took me a while to realize that these themes relate directly to my own identity as a biracial woman. Growing up, I got squinted at and asked “what are you?” a lot. People didn’t see me as Asian or white, but something they couldn’t quite identify and that othered me right away. Once people found out I was Asian, there were suddenly certain expectations, and when I didn’t fulfill those expectations, I was a bitch or a freak. I was not studious, aside from loving to read. I hated school. I wanted to be a rock star, an artist, a writer. I was also shy. People get very frustrated when you don’t fit in the box they want to force you into.
It took me a long time to embrace my Thai identity. I grew up witnessing the prejudice my Thai mother faced, and she often told me I was lucky I could pass as white. My white father encouraged me to be proud of my Thai heritage. It was confusing. All those conflicting feelings came out in my writing. Then I got interested in Thai folklore and saw how the themes in those stories related to my own life. It’s always a woman deemed monstrous when she lashes out at those who misunderstand and seek to control her. It’s always a woman in these stories, wandering and destroying and so endlessly hungry. I love taking pieces from Thai folklore and setting the story in the US, where I was raised, and changing the POV so that the demonized woman is centered and heard.
I think the horror genre has become more understanding and even embraced the diaspora experience. Much more than society. I see so many diverse voices in horror finally getting seen and celebrated. Our visibility is growing. We reflect society: the good, the bad, the complicated and uncomfortable. Horror is uniquely positioned to showcase marginalized voices—we’ve lived it, we know it. And there is no horror without empathy.
4. Take us through a day-in-the-life of J. A. W. McCarthy.
It’s not very exciting, which is fine with me! I’m unemployed due to a layoff, so I spend my mornings job searching and applying. Between that and chores, errands, and cat care (hello, babies!), I write and blurb read. I’m usually juggling something long form, short form, nonfiction, and author admin stuff like website upkeep, emails, interviews, etc. I wish I had a little more glamour in my life, but I think it’s important for people to know how mundane and lonely it often is on this side of the page. We’re scrambling to keep our heads above water.
5. Imagine you're standing in front of a crowd of every horror creative—authors, filmmakers, podcasters, journalists, etc. What would you want them to know about your experience as a woman in the genre?
I appreciate the spotlight, interest, and emphasis on us during Women in Horror Month, but we don’t just crawl back into some shadowy corner for the other eleven months. Queer women, women of color, disabled women—we’re out here every day doing the work. I promise you we are creating some of the most unique, exciting, boundary-pushing art, and what we need is for people to see it. I think the indie horror community is doing a good job of recognizing us right now, but I’m not so sure about the mainstream. The big names—as much as we love them—don’t need you uplifting them. Shout about the work of those in the margins, those who are under attack all over the world right now. I implore those big names—those with a sizable platform—to shout loud, every month, all year. We’re trying to survive under a regime that is determined to suppress and destroy us. Don’t you want to read the work of those they most fear?
J.A.W. McCarthy is a two-time Bram Stoker Award and two-time Shirley Jackson Award finalist and author of Sometimes We’re Cruel and Other Stories (Cemetery Gates Media, 2021) and Sleep Alone (Off Limits Press, 2023). Her short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including Vastarien, PseudoPod, Split Scream Vol. 3, Apparition Lit, Tales to Terrify, and The Best Horror of the Year Vol 13. She is a second generation immigrant of Thai and Slovak descent and lives with her spouse and assistant cats in the Pacific Northwest. You can call her Jen on most platforms @JAWMcCarthy, and find out more at www.jawmccarthy.com.
Check out her latest story on PseudoPod: https://pseudopod.org/2025/03/07/pseudopod-965-the-ecstasy-of-the-saints/#more-12160