Clay McLeod Chapman Brings Down The House In Brooklyn! (EVENT RECAP)

If you were walking down Montague Street last night and heard random screams and shouts followed by cheers and applause, then you must have been near Books Are Magic in Brooklyn Heights. We hope you were curious enough to stick your head inside.

If you did, you were fortunate enough to witness bestselling author Clay McLeod Chapman, the hardest-working man in showbusiness (sorry, James Brown), perform 12 pages from his all-too-timely horror novel “WAKE UP AND OPEN YOUR EYES,” which follows Noah Fairchild, a man whose elderly parents become violently possessed by a demonic force that seems to be coming from repeated exposure to far-right cable news. He sets off on a journey to save his family as the population succumbs to this possession epidemic, forcing him to confront the terrifying reality of media manipulation and societal division.

At the event's start, the crowd was buzzing, the mood light, fun, and excited to see where Clay would take us. If you’ve never seen this madman (said lovingly) in person, you can’t quite prepare yourself for what might happen because anything can and often does. This past summer, Clay chased Emily Hughes around the Greenlight Bookstore, dressed as a psychotic hotdog, during her book launch for “HORROR FOR WEENIES.” In early fall, Clay gave an incredible live performance of his short story “NAILS,” about a rust-covered hammer that may not be covered in rust after all, at the “Brooklyn Books and Boos” Event at the Wild East Brewery. Trust us when we say that Clay is part Barnum, part Bradbury, and all Chapman. There’s never a dull moment; you’ll always leave his events lighter than you walked in. His energy and enthusiasm for horror, kindness, and community are infectious.

The evening began with Clay and moderator Sam Zimmerman, VP of Programming for SHUDDER and a powerhouse of cinematic horror knowledge, discussing the novel's origins and the danger of catastrophically ruining your social media algorithms while researching far-right conspiracy theories and talking points. The discussion soon turned to something so many of us have encountered over the last 8 years: the slow progression of loved ones down a rabbit hole of misinformation, often tearing families apart and creating irreparable fissures in lifelong relationships. Clay was thoughtful and sincere. There was no finger-wagging or righteous indignation, only a sense of curiosity and confusion about how we got here and how we will ever find our way out.

At this point, Clay began what would be a 20-minute monologue incorporating 10-12 pages from the new novel as he embodied the white-haired stalwart of CNN himself, Andreson Cooper, and delivered a mesmerizing account of what was happening on the streets around the country, perhaps the world. The performance was, at times, fantastically frantic, emotional, terrifying, and hilarious. It was an amalgam of Spalding Grey, David Sedaris, and Eric Bogosian, with a dash of Gallagher and a pinch of Klaus Kinski for good measure. It was utterly mesmerizing.

After the performance, there was a Q and A discussing what would be the perfect watch-along for the novel, the answer being “PONTYPOOL,” but there was a case made for “EVIL DEAD II” as well. The crowd discussed if horror should have hope. There were differing opinions about what lands hardest; the topic then turned to what one could watch after reading “WAKE UP AND OPEN YOUR EYES” to shake off the dread. Sam Zimmerman did a fantastic job moderating, keeping the momentum going, and asking insightful, fun, intelligent questions that sparked great conversation and interaction with the crowd. As the night came to a close, there was the most real and touching moment as Clay became emotional, telling the crowd how they, as friends and family within the horror community, give him strength and hope in what is a time of hopelessness for many. We’re not ashamed to say we’re among those in the crowd wiping away a tear.

As always, part of the fun of these events is spotting other superstar horror authors who have come out to support one of their own and have a great time with the rest of us. We were thrilled to see Erin E. Adams, Meg Ripley, Nat Cassady, and Ed Flora (who gets the award for best prop of the night) in the crowd. This will easily go down as one of the best events in recent memory. We strongly encourage everyone to see Clay live. You can find his events on INSTAGRAM @claymcleod and his website here.

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