The Madison College Writer’s Life Lecture Series will explore “horror” as a literary genre on Dec. 3 event featuring John Opel, a film and literature instructor who also writes horror short stories and novels.

The event “Horror: A Literary Genre” will be held from 3 pm to 4 pm in Room A2031 of the Truax Campus. It is free to the public.

Opel has worked full-time for Madison College since 2003 and currently teaches Intro to Literature, Intro to Film and History of World Cinema. His classes feature modules on horror film and literature.

He also writes short stories and novels in horror and science fiction. Some of his work includes American Evolution, a sci-fi novel about the aftermath of a strange event resulting in a mass cognitive impairment. He also has several works in progress, including The Yoga Murders, about a failed seminarian’s investigation into a multiple homicide, and The Catalog of Human Misery, about a bar owner’s search for his mother’s ashes.

Prior to teaching at Madison College, Opel worked for ten years as a private practice lawyer in Los Angeles after graduating with a Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California. Opel also has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The event’s co-moderators are Olivia Petersen, a creative writing student, and L. David Hansen, journalism and film instructor.

The college’s Event Production class, taught by Todd Bowie, a Video/Audio Design instructor, will film the event.

Madison College’s Writer’s Life Lecture Series allows professional writers to share their wisdom and experience at the college. Through these lectures, guests can share insight into their lives and work with the community. Previous guests included screenwriters, authors, journalists, poets, copywriters and playwrights, to name a few.

For more information, contact: L. David Hansen [email protected]