Will Christopher Baer
Encyclopedia
Will Christopher Baer is an American author of noir
fiction, often delving into sex
, violence
, mystery
and erotica
. Currently published works include Kiss Me, Judas
, Penny Dreadful
and Hell's Half Acre
, all of which have since been published in the single volume Phineas Poe
. His long-awaited fourth novel, Godspeed
, was originally set to be published in 2006, but saw several delays before publisher MacAdam/Cage
finally announced a release date of July 2009. The novel has since been delayed indefinitely. He shares a fan base with fellow authors Craig Clevenger
and Stephen Graham Jones
.
in 1966. As a child, he lived in Montreal
and Italy
. He attended highschool in Memphis, TN and moved on to attend Tulane University
in New Orleans, LA but he soon dropped out. However, he received a B.A. at Memphis State. He then headed west in 1990 and lived in Portland
& Eugene
Oregon
for several years. He received an MFA in 1995 from Jack Kerouac School
at Naropa Institute in Boulder, CO. He has lived in California
since 1996, primarily in the Bay Area and L.A.
In college, he primarily studied Shakespeare, Faulkner
, and James Joyce
. He has worked as a homeless counselor, taxi driver, bartender, video store clerk, screenwriter, journalist and as a college professor at Evergreen State, Olympia, WA.
Short stories of his have been published in numerous places, notably Nerve
and Bomb. First of the Phineas Poe novels, Kiss Me, Judas
originally published in 1999, was selected as Barnes & Noble
best new voice, and was translated into five languages. Penny Dreadful
was published in 2000.
He is married and has two children, one child by previous marriage. He has one brother, and his parents are still living.
Via the online community Welcome to the Velvet, he shares a fan base with fellow authors Craig Clevenger
and Stephen Graham Jones
.
Hardboiled
Hardboiled crime fiction is a literary style, most commonly associated with detective stories, distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex. The style was pioneered by Carroll John Daly in the mid-1920s, popularized by Dashiell Hammett over the course of the decade, and refined...
fiction, often delving into sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
, mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
and erotica
Erotica
Erotica are works of art, including literature, photography, film, sculpture and painting, that deal substantively with erotically stimulating or sexually arousing descriptions...
. Currently published works include Kiss Me, Judas
Kiss Me, Judas
Kiss Me, Judas is the first published novel by American author Will Christopher Baer. The plot uses an urban legend, with protagonist Phineas Poe waking up in a hotel bathtub full of ice to discover that somebody has removed one of his kidneys...
, Penny Dreadful
Penny Dreadful (novel)
Penny Dreadful, is the second novel by American novelist Will Christopher Baer. It is written in the grim style of hardboiled fiction...
and Hell's Half Acre
Hell's Half Acre (novel)
Hell's Half Acre is Will Christopher Baer's third novel.-Plot summary:Kidnapping, snuff films, amputee geeks and a requiem of lost love... Cast adrift after the blood symphony of Penny Dreadful, Poe is looking for answers in the form of a woman...
, all of which have since been published in the single volume Phineas Poe
Phineas Poe
Phineas Poe is a novella collection by Will Christopher Baer. It contains three stories, Kiss Me, Judas, Penny Dreadful & Hell's Half Acre and was first published in 2005...
. His long-awaited fourth novel, Godspeed
Godspeed (Baer novel)
Godspeed, is the forthcoming novel by American novelist Will Christopher Baer. There is currently no set publication date.-Plot summary:According to Milton, heaven and hell are but a hand's breadth apart. In Godspeed, there is no heaven or hell...
, was originally set to be published in 2006, but saw several delays before publisher MacAdam/Cage
MacAdam/Cage
MacAdam/Cage is a small publishing firm located in San Francisco, California. It was founded by David Poindexter in 1998. As of 2003, it published around 30 to 45 titles per year, primarily fiction, short story collections, history, biography, and essays, and had twelve employees...
finally announced a release date of July 2009. The novel has since been delayed indefinitely. He shares a fan base with fellow authors Craig Clevenger
Craig Clevenger
Craig Clevenger is an American author of contemporary fiction. Born 1964 in Dallas, Texas, he grew up in Southern California where he studied English at California State University, Long Beach. He is the author of two novels, The Contortionist's Handbook and Dermaphoria, both released by MacAdam/Cage...
and Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones is a Blackfeet Native American author of experimental fiction, horror fiction, crime fiction, and science fiction. He shares a fan base with fellow authors Will Christopher Baer and Craig Clevenger known as . November 16, 2010 Stephen will have a collection of short stories...
.
Biography
Born in MississippiMississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
in 1966. As a child, he lived in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He attended highschool in Memphis, TN and moved on to attend Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans, LA but he soon dropped out. However, he received a B.A. at Memphis State. He then headed west in 1990 and lived in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
& Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
for several years. He received an MFA in 1995 from Jack Kerouac School
Jack Kerouac School
The Jack Kerouac School was founded at Naropa University in 1974 by Chögyam Trungpa, and Beat Generation poets Allen Ginsbergand Anne Waldman. The school consists of the Summer Writing Program and the Department of Writing and Poetics, which administers the Master of Fine Arts in Writing and...
at Naropa Institute in Boulder, CO. He has lived in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
since 1996, primarily in the Bay Area and L.A.
In college, he primarily studied Shakespeare, Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
, and James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
. He has worked as a homeless counselor, taxi driver, bartender, video store clerk, screenwriter, journalist and as a college professor at Evergreen State, Olympia, WA.
Short stories of his have been published in numerous places, notably Nerve
Nerve (magazine)
Nerve is a free magazine published by Catalyst Media in Liverpool, North West England. Combining features on social issues with artist profiles, it runs to 32 pages and is published about three times a year...
and Bomb. First of the Phineas Poe novels, Kiss Me, Judas
Kiss Me, Judas
Kiss Me, Judas is the first published novel by American author Will Christopher Baer. The plot uses an urban legend, with protagonist Phineas Poe waking up in a hotel bathtub full of ice to discover that somebody has removed one of his kidneys...
originally published in 1999, was selected as Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
best new voice, and was translated into five languages. Penny Dreadful
Penny Dreadful (novel)
Penny Dreadful, is the second novel by American novelist Will Christopher Baer. It is written in the grim style of hardboiled fiction...
was published in 2000.
He is married and has two children, one child by previous marriage. He has one brother, and his parents are still living.
Via the online community Welcome to the Velvet, he shares a fan base with fellow authors Craig Clevenger
Craig Clevenger
Craig Clevenger is an American author of contemporary fiction. Born 1964 in Dallas, Texas, he grew up in Southern California where he studied English at California State University, Long Beach. He is the author of two novels, The Contortionist's Handbook and Dermaphoria, both released by MacAdam/Cage...
and Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones is a Blackfeet Native American author of experimental fiction, horror fiction, crime fiction, and science fiction. He shares a fan base with fellow authors Will Christopher Baer and Craig Clevenger known as . November 16, 2010 Stephen will have a collection of short stories...
.
Novels
- Kiss Me, JudasKiss Me, JudasKiss Me, Judas is the first published novel by American author Will Christopher Baer. The plot uses an urban legend, with protagonist Phineas Poe waking up in a hotel bathtub full of ice to discover that somebody has removed one of his kidneys...
(1999) - Penny DreadfulPenny Dreadful (novel)Penny Dreadful, is the second novel by American novelist Will Christopher Baer. It is written in the grim style of hardboiled fiction...
(2000) - Hell's Half AcreHell's Half Acre (novel)Hell's Half Acre is Will Christopher Baer's third novel.-Plot summary:Kidnapping, snuff films, amputee geeks and a requiem of lost love... Cast adrift after the blood symphony of Penny Dreadful, Poe is looking for answers in the form of a woman...
(2004) - GodspeedGodspeed (Baer novel)Godspeed, is the forthcoming novel by American novelist Will Christopher Baer. There is currently no set publication date.-Plot summary:According to Milton, heaven and hell are but a hand's breadth apart. In Godspeed, there is no heaven or hell...
(forthcoming)