Linda D. Addison (born September 8, 1952) is an American poet and writer of horror,

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

, and science fiction. Addison is the first African-American winner of the

Bram Stoker Award The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing. History The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since 1 ...

, which she won five times. The first two awards were for her

poetry collections A poetry collection is often a compilation of several poems by one poet to be published in a single volume or chapbook. A collection can include any number of poems, ranging from a few (e.g. the four long poems in T. S. Eliot's ''Four Quartets ...

''Consumed, Reduced to Beautiful Grey Ashes'' (2001) and ''Being Full of Light, Insubstantial'' (2007). Her poetry and fiction collection ''How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend'' won the 2011 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection. She received a fourth HWA Bram Stoker for the collection ''The Four Elements'', written with

Marge Simon Marge Baliff Simon (born 1942) is an American artist and a writer of speculative poetry and fiction. Biography Early life Marge Simon was born in Bethesda, Maryland, but grew up in Boulder, Colorado. Education and career She received her B ...

Rain Graves Rain Graves is an author of horror, fantasy, science fiction and poetry. She is also a noted Wine Poet, commissioned and featured by winemakers and wineries, and the Creator and Hostess of the Haunted Mansion Writer's Retreat. She is the 2002 B ...

, and

Charlee Jacob Nell Anne 'Charlee' Jacob (June 2, 1952 - July 14, 2019) was an American author specializing in horror fiction, dark fantasy, and poetry. Her writing career began in 1981 with the publication of several poems under the name Charlee Carter Broach. ...

. Her fifth HWA Bram Stoker was for the collection ''The Place of Broken Things'', written with Alessandro Manzetti. Addison is a founding member of the CITH (Circles in the Hair) writing group.

Early life

Addison was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, on September 8, 1952. She is the eldest of nine children born to Janet Marie Webster (née Warrick) and J. Decarsta Webster. From an early age, Addison was inspired by the power of storytelling. Janet, a homemaker who never graduated from high school, nightly entertained her children with self-authored stories and tales, inserting her children as characters in her fantastical fables. The stories always ended on a note of mystery and intrigue, inspiring young Linda to further explore the mysterious and magical, light and dark, eventually she began to journal her feelings, stories and experiences laying the groundwork for her eventual career as a writer. Addison attended

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, from 1970 to 1975, graduating with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in Mathematics. She moved to New York City in 1975 with fiancé Ken Addison, and started working in the Foreign Royalty Accounting Department at

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

. The couple married in 1975 and their son Brian was born in 1982.

Career

In 1996, Addison's short story "Little Red in the Hood" was published in ''

Tomorrow Speculative Fiction ''Tomorrow Speculative Fiction'' was a science fiction magazine published in the United States from 1993 through 2000. Over this period, it had 24 bi-monthly issues as a print magazine from 1993 to 1997,. then transitioned to become one of the ...

'' and was listed as an Honorable Mention in the annual ''

Year's Best Fantasy and Horror ''Year's Best Fantasy and Horror'' was a reprint anthology published annually by St. Martin's Press from 1987 to 2008. In addition to the short stories, supplemented by a list of honorable mentions, each edition included a number of retrospective e ...

'' anthology (1997). During her time at Carnegie Mellon, Addison became a fan of science-fiction author

Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...

and began regularly submitting short stories for publication to ''

Asimov's Science Fiction ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy named after science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is currently published by Penny Publications. From January 2017, the publication ...

'' magazine. At the New York Is Book Country, she met influential science fiction author and editor

Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American science-fiction writer, editor, and fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first published work, the 1937 poem "Elegy to a Dead Satelli ...

. As their discussion turned to publication, Pohl advised that in order to get published in science fiction "everyone has to write a how the dinosaurs died story." Addison took the advice and from a short story drafted a poem entitled "Why the Dinosaurs Died"; it was published in ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' in 1997. She went on to be published four times in ''Asimov's'' magazine between 1997 and 1999. In 1997, she published her first science fiction, fantasy and horror collection of short stories, journal entries and poetry entitled ''Animated Objects'', which features an introduction by science fiction and fantasy writer

Barry N. Malzberg Barry Nathaniel Malzberg (born July 24, 1939) is an American writer and editor, most often of science fiction and fantasy. Biography Malzberg originated from a Jewish family and graduated from Syracuse University in 1960. He worked as an investi ...

. African-American editor

Sheree Thomas Sheree Renée Thomas is an African-American writer, book editor, publisher, and contributor to many notable publications. In 2020, Thomas was named editor of ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. Career Thomas is the editor of the '' ...

put the call out for African-American speculative fiction writers to submit for a collection that became the groundbreaking anthology: '' Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction From the African Diaspora''. Addison's work was featured along with that of

Octavia E. Butler Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction author and a multiple recipient of the Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowshi ...

Samuel Delaney Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ) (born April 1, 1942), is an American author and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays (on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society). His fic ...

Tananarive Due Tananarive Priscilla Due ( ) (born January 5, 1966) is an American author and educator. Due won the American Book Award for her novel '' The Living Blood''. She is also known as a film historian with expertise in Black horror. Due teaches a cours ...

and

Walter Mosley Walter Ellis Mosley (born January 12, 1952) is an American novelist, most widely recognized for his crime fiction. He has written a series of best-selling historical mysteries featuring the hard-boiled detective Easy Rawlins, a black private inv ...

. Addison went on to be included in ''Dark Dreams'' and ''Dark Thirst''. Inspired by transformation, a forced reevaluation of her core belief system following the breakdown of her marriage, like a phoenix Addison created the

-winning poetry collection ''Consumed, Reduced to Beautiful Grey Ashes''. Addison was the first African American to win this prestigious award. The first book signing for this collection was held on September 11, 2001, at the

Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...

Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco ...

. The first poem in the collection is entitled "Fire/Fight," although the collection came from Addison's personal journals and reflections previous to the events of 9/11, critics and fans of the book could not help but connect certain themes to current events, like loss, devastation in conjunction with rebirth, rebuilding and the resilience of the human spirit. In 2007, her third book of poetry and second Bram Stoker Award-winning collection was released: ''Being Full of Light, Insubstantial''. This emotional tour de force was inspired by events beyond Addison's control. Her beloved mother Janet was diagnosed with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

and Addison felt strangely pulled to her office on January 1, 2007. She describes the experience "as something she had never felt before, it was as if a voice came to her in meditation and gently whispered... 100 poems." The collection that poured from her was an amalgamation of reprints and new poetry. Addison completed her "100th poem" on March 14, 2007. Addison is a member of the

Horror Writers Association The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of Horror and Dark fantasy writers. Overview HWA was formed in 1985 with t ...

(HWA) and annually attends the Northeastern Writers' Conference (Camp Necon) and has participated in panels with

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...

Jack Ketchum Dallas William Mayr (November 10, 1946 – January 24, 2018), better known by his pen name Jack Ketchum, was an American horror fiction author. He was the recipient of four Bram Stoker Awards and three further nominations. His novels inclu ...

and

L. A. Banks Leslie Esdaile Banks ( Peterson; December 11, 1959 – August 2, 2011) was an American writer under the pen names of Leslie Esdaile, Leslie E. Banks, Leslie Banks, Leslie Esdaile Banks and L. A. Banks. She wrote in various genres, including Afri ...

. Addison was "Poet Guest of Honor" at The

World Horror Convention The World Horror Convention was an annual professional gathering of the World Horror Society and other interested parties that ran annually for 26 years, from 1991 through 2016, before being discontinued. Site selection The annual World Horror ...

in 2005. Her writing has been featured in ''

Essence Magazine ''Essence'' is a monthly lifestyle magazine covering fashion, beauty, entertainment, and culture. First published in 1970, the magazine is written for African-American women. History Edward Lewis, Clarence O. Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth and Jon ...

'', and she is currently poetry editor for ''Space and Time Magazine''. Addison has participated in

Ellen Datlow Ellen Datlow (born December 31, 1949) is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror editor and anthologist. She is a winner of the World Fantasy Award and the Bram Stoker Award (Horror Writers Association). Career Datlow began her career ...

's Fantastic Fiction Reading Series at KGB Bar in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. In March 2012, Addison won her third Bram Stoker Award for ''How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend'', a collection of reprints, new poems and short stories. In 2013, she won her fourth HWA Bram Stoker for ''The Four Elements'', a collection of poetry inspired by the

four elements Classical elements typically refer to earth, water, air, fire, and (later) aether which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances. Ancient cultures in Greece, Tibet, and India had simi ...

released in 2012, and published by

Bad Moon Books {{Infobox company , name = Bad Moon Books, foundation = 1992, founder = Roy K. Robbins , logo = , type = Publishing, location = Garden Grove, California, USA, key_people = , num_employees = ...

. The book was inspired by a discussion between Addison and Houarner about female Bram Stoker Award-winners. Addison contacted three Bram Stoker Award-winning female authors and asked them to choose their "element."

(Earth),

(Water),

(Fire) and Addison (Air). In 2020, she won her fifth HWA Bram Stoker for ''The Place of Broken Things'', a collection of poetry written with Alessandro Manzetti released in 2019, and published by Crystal Lake Publishing.

Personal life

Addison separated from Ken Addison in 1992, and her divorce was finalized in 1995. Addison started a relationship with horror fiction writer

Gerard Houarner Gerard Daniel Houarner (born 1955) is an American writer of horror, dark fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels. He has had over 300 stories published since 1973. He has been the fiction editor of ''Space and Time'' magazine since ...

in 1995; they married in 2004 but separated in 2010 and legally divorced in 2015. Addison is an avid practitioner of

T'ai chi Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. ...

. She currently resides in the

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, area.

Current projects

Her story, ''Shadow Dreams'', was published March 2021 by Titan Books in the anthology Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda.

Influences

Addison has cited numerous creative influences throughout her life including

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer. He garnered acclaim across various media, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. His first novel, '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'', was published in 1953; de ...

Toni Morrison Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, ''The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' So ...

Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was aw ...

Gil-Scott Heron Gilbert Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American jazz poet, singer, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jacks ...

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hug ...

, and

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

Awards

* Five-time winner of the HWA Bram Stoker Award. * In 2018, she was given the Horror Writers Association's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2017. * In 2020, she was designated SFPA Grand Master of Fantastic Poetry.

Partial bibliography

* ''Animated Objects'' (1997) * ''Consumed, Reduced to Beautiful Grey Ashes'' (2001),

Bram Stoker Award for Best Poetry Collection The Bram Stoker Award for Best Poetry Collection is an award presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in horror writing for a poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called ver ...

* ''Being Full of Light, Insubstantial'' (2007), Bram Stoker Award for Best Poetry Collection * ''How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend'' (2011), Bram Stoker Award for Best Poetry Collection * ''Dark Duet'' (2012), written with Stephen M. Wilson, finalist for Bram Stoker Award for Best Poetry Collection * ''The Four Elements'', written with Marge Simon, Rain Graves, Charlee Jacobs (2013), Bram Stoker Award for Best Poetry Collection * ''Sycorax's Daughters'' (2017), co-edited with Kinitra Brooks PhD and Susana Morris Phd, finalist for Bram Stoker Award for Best Anthology. * ''The Place of Broken Things'', written with Alessandro Manzetti (2019), Bram Stoker Award for Best Poetry Collection

References

External links

*
Complete bibliography
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Addison, Linda 1952 births American horror writers African-American poets American women short story writers 21st-century American women writers 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American poets 20th-century American poets 21st-century American short story writers 20th-century American short story writers American women poets Carnegie Mellon University alumni African-American women writers American science fiction writers Living people Poets from Pennsylvania Women science fiction and fantasy writers Women horror writers Black speculative fiction authors