Jim's Favorite Writers
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Jack KetchumThe Official Jack Ketchum Homepage
On the back flap of his latest release, Right To Life, appears the following: Jack Ketchum is the pseudonym for a Manhattan writer who has not yet been hung for his crimes like his namesake but who has suffered other indignities. The Village Voice titled their review of his first novel Off Season, simply "YECHH!" And Stephen King has said in his introduction to The Girl Next Door that "The only two sure things in life are death and taxes, the old saying goes, but I can add a third: Disney Pictures will never make a movie out of a Jack Ketchum novel."
He is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the novels Off Season, Hide And Seek, Cover, She Wakes, The Girl Next Door, Offspring, Joy Ride, (Road Kill in England), Strangehold (Only Child in England), Red and Ladies' Night. His first collection of short fiction has been published as The Exit At Toledo Blade Boulevard. He is still hoping Mr. King is wrong."
Jack Ketchum is a powerful writer, with the rare ability to grab you both on a level that remembers childhood and on a level that understands fear in all of its guises. He's never to my knowledge written a single story of the supernatural, but his suspense writing is among the very best. Reading The Girl Next Door is like doing a slow cruise past a terrible car accident: you might not really want to see what's there beneath the mangled ruins of the automobiles, but you're compelled to look anyway. Ketchum is amazing. I wish I had a tenth of his talent.
Now that I've pointed that out, I should also make clear that as a person, he's one of the best. He's funny, charming, energetic to the point of near mania, and disgustingly good looking to boot. As I understand it, he did a fair share of modeling in his day, and I have absolutely no problem believing it. I had the pleaure of sharing a table with him at a book signing at the World Horror Convention in Pheonix, Arizona a few years back. It was a humbling experience. I had a handful of people ask for my autograph - which is, just for the record, about five more than I'd expected, and I got to watch while a small ARMY of nubile young ladies waiting in line for the chance to meet Jack. Universally, each and every one of them looked upon him with hungry eyes. I don't know if I should chuckle or weep. Not only does he get more autographs for sheer talent, he gets the babes. Humbling, I tell you, absolutely humbling.
Now, if that wasn't enough, I'll let you in on another fact about Mr. Ketchum. He's also a mesmerizing performer. When he starts to read one of his stories in front of an audience, there's nothing in the world that can make me want to leave the room before he's finished. His voice is confident and almost hypnotic, even without the benefit of the stories he tells.
You'd think a man with that much going for him would develop an ego the size of Manhattan, where he lives. But, no, Jack is still a remarkably down to earth man. I am not only delighted every time I read one of Jack's stories--and I read them whenever the chance comes around--I am pleased to just know him. Luckily for him, I'm a guy, straight and happily married. Otherwise, I might feel obligated to get a crush on him myself (And how's THAT for a scary notion, Jack?).
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