The Second KARL EDWARD WAGNER
Fall Fear and Fantasy Festival

Planning Dinner

Wagner aficionados believe some sort of recognition of Knoxville’s greatest horror writer is long overdue, and we intend to conjure up a Wagner's Sabbat in his hometown.

In October of aught nine Wagner devotées residing in shadow-haunted Knoxville and dark pilgrims from cities and towns hundreds of miles distant, from Far Lands and Other Days, met at the ancient and notorious Patrick Sullivan’s Saloon in Knoxville’s Old City. Aboutt thirteen connoiseurs of eldritch literature were in attendance, and the mood was optimistic that a more ambitious event can br organized here. Since this meeting I have met with representatives at the University of Tennessee to discuss a joint effort on the part of an independent Wagner Festival Committee and UT library and bookstore personnel to host a horror literary event at UT with the work of Knoxville’s preeminent horror writer as centerpiece.

This year, along with a second meeting of what is now The Karl Edward Wagner Literary Society at Sullivan’s, there will, also, be a horror film festival in Knoxville that same weekend, that following the annirversary of Wagner’s death, and, essentially, throughout the month of Octobe. This will be the second year of the film festival, founded by William Mahaffey; it has proven to be quite successful. The university’s fiction festival must wait another year, but word is Neil Gaiman, among others, will be involved.

Unfortunately an untimely visitation of full employment has prevented my promoting this event in any significant way, so attendance may well be more sparse than last year. Still, if you’d like to meet a few of Karl’s old friends, his ex-wife, at least one of his nephews and some other fans of his work and discuss how we might prevail upon the city of Knoxville to take fantasy more seriously, join us for some hearty camraderie. And, if you think you could do a better job of furthering this festival... you’re almost certainly right. Let’s talk.    ~ John Mayer

P.S. I’d hoped to be able to provide T-shirts to attendees, but my printer said I didn't get the design to him fast enough (see below). If you’d like one – or two – we can take orders at the dinner and send them to you. I might be able to get a very few printed up at our one-hour T-shirt printing place if anyone would like to contact me via http://groups.yahoo.com/group/karledwardwagnerdm/ You can also write via the address on the homepage, if you can figure out the instructions (no one seems to have done so so far).

A Paranormal Vision: The Karl Edward Wagner Fall Fear and Fantasy Film & Fiction Festival

Patrick Sullivan’s Salloon (drawn by myself, John Mayer), after the manner of Lee Brown Coye (more or less), for the upcoming anthology Hex Code and Others, by myself, edited by Henrik Harksen. In our youth this building and the others in Knoxville’s Old City were given over to a few poolhalls and black clubs – Cab Calloway played here (I got to see him perform in Knoxville, at the Tennessee) – and a number of second-hand and junk shops where both Karl and I often bought old fantasy and horror books and magazines. There was also, in Big Don’s Bargain Barn, which is still there, a real skeleton in a real, antique coffin. Why? Who knows. It had just always been there.

Other Things to See and Do in Karlville

All within walking distance

Knoxville’s Marvelous Movie Palace
(an Acre of Seats, More Stars than there are in the Heavens. See the Mighty Wurlitzer organ rise from nether regions)

The Remarkable Bijou Theater

(Title structure of David Madden’s book of the same name. Some of the best acoustics of any theater, and the only full-drop theater remaining in the Southeastern US. Also the fourth oldest buillding in Knoxville - yes, it’s haunted - with a rich history. Needless to say, Knoxville tried to tear it down... )

The S&W Cafeteria Open House
(One of Knoxville’s Few Art Deco treasures, in its heyday this opulent eatery gave the lie to the notion of cafeteria food as declassé; completely restored and as elegant as ever. Still finding their way cuisine wise, and the least veggie friendly place in town)

More Restaurants, Clubs and Theaters, both Live and Film, than you can shake “Sticks” at.

About Knoxville

Learn Knoxville’s Dark Secrets
Knoxville’s Secret Historian writes of the lobotomy of Tennessee WIlliam’s sister Rose (in Knoxville?), the world-famous Huddle (now the site of a comics and gaming shop Organized Play, it was once a bar made famous by Comac Macarthy and the inspiration for a German band, Buddy and the Huddle, and more)

Knoxville: the Literary Cliff Notes

Knoxville: Spawn of Evil
Much of this history of “The Invisible Empire of Soulless Men,” by Manly Wellman’s brother, Paul, takes place in early Knoxville

Places of Arcane Interest Nearby

The Body Farm

The Lost Sea

The Town of Rugby

More events and details soon