Andrew Jensen’s short story, “The Homeless Special,” references folklore and modern culture, leading the reader through a tightly-plotted story that seems almost familiar in a disturbing way, yet contains light touches to make you chuckle even as the story gets darker and darker. Check out what he has to say about the story!
Q: What draws you to the genre of horror/dark fiction? What do you find there that you don’t find anywhere else?
A (Andrew Jensen): As clergy, this is a good question. I guess you can only appreciate the light once you’ve experienced the darkness. I have worked with enough people to have no illusions about what kinds of darkness exist.
Q: What inspired your story in this anthology? Tell us the “story behind the story.”
A: There was a challenge to write horror stories about pizza. I remembered a Halloween when we bought a pizza at half price because it had been a joke order. It wasn’t too bad, and I began to wonder what might happen if it were more than a joke . . .
Q: There are a number of subgenres/tropes/flavors of horror. Where does your story fit? What drew you to this particular category?
A: I like my horror with a dose of dark humor. Stories that make me laugh while scaring me are great.
Andrew Jensen
Andrew Jensen lives in Braeside, Ontario. He is the minister at Knox United Church, Nepean. His speculative short stories have been published in over a dozen magazines and anthologies: most recently two issues of Mad Scientist Journal, and the cover story in Dreamforge Issue 2. Andrew is also the author of a book of Church humor called God: The Greatest User of Capital Letters, published by Wood Lake Books. When not writing or ministering, Andrew plays trumpet, impersonates Kermit the Frog, and performs in musical theater. You should have seen him as Henry Higgins . . .
To read Andrew Jensen’s story, pick up a copy of Coppice & Brake. And if you’ve already gotten one, please consider leaving us a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Thanks for stopping by!
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