In addition to being the author of the horror novels The Pines and the upcoming The Shore, Philadelphia's Robert Dunbar is a playwright, critic and expert on some nearby things that go bump in the night. He has graciously taken time away from his monstrous habits to chat with Phillyist via email:

Philly is a city full of ghosts, yet you turned to the Pine Barrens for inspiration. What is it about the Jersey Devil and legends of its ilk that continue to disturb our imaginations? Why does it excite yours?
This legend resonates. Do you really want to read about ghouls in the abandoned building around the block? There's very little pleasure to be milked from those monsters -- they're all too familiar. But The Pines...not just the actual place but what it represents -- the dark places of the earth, the dark places in our psyches -- that's what fascinates.

As an expert on the Jersey Devil, can you offer any advice on what our readers should do if they run into him?
In times of stress, I tend to fall back on the classics. Running and screaming are always good. On the other hand, people who bump into the Leeds Devil these days were probably out looking for him in the first place, what with all the devil tours and hunts and whatnot. I can't tell you how many TV shows have dragged me out to the woods with camera crews. How nervous this poor creature must be! The paparazzi are after him. Run!

You've taken on the Jersey Devil and B-movie scream queens. Are there any other legends or monsters you're planning on taking your pen to?

Scream Queens? Don't tell me you saw Bats! Weird how that play just keeps on flapping. Yes. Absolutely. There is no shortage of scary material here in Philly. In fact, I've been pitching a proposal for a show called "Local Haunts." And The Shore is being released later this year -- it's a sequel to The Pines and combines the myth of the Jersey Devil with another, almost as ancient. The Woman in White was often seen walking along the Jersey coast, some nights in the company of the devil. I mean, does it get any better than this? You've got an eerie setting, a monster and a blonde. Plus I don't limit myself to local lore. Last year I stayed overnight at the Lizzie Borden house in Massachusetts. Remember the song? "Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks." Well, she really did. I went with a group of psychics and horror writers for a night of séances. Scariest experience of my life, and my friends tell me at one point I was actually channeling Lizzie. I definitely intend to write something about that...just as soon as I'm out of therapy.

In addition to your novels, you have written for radio, television and theater. Which is more satisfying for you as a writer -- to have your work read or performed?
Television is a high-energy roller coaster -- very exciting -- but with so many people involved, the writer becomes a cog in a machine. I despise being a cog. Probably just not the right personality type. On the other hand, there's nothing in the world quite so wonderful as a book you're proud of. And -- not that it really matters what anybody else thinks -- but when critics start using words like "brilliant" and "masterpiece," it's an incredible thrill. That sounds awfully narcissistic, doesn't it? You have to understand what novelists go through -- the isolation, the endless toil, the self-doubt and...did I mention the isolation? And almost always for so little in the way of reward. The work itself has to sustain you. You have to love it that much. Damn few humans would ever choose the sort of lock-down that writers impose upon themselves. That's one of the reasons I'm so often drawn back to theater -- that sense of community and creative feedback. Plus few experiences compare with the excitement of sitting in an audience and watching a play you've written come to life. Of course they first have to duck tape me to the chair and get the gag in my mouth, so I'm not continually signaling the actors to pick up the tempo or hectoring the director and the lighting designer and the props mistress. Can you say 'control freak'?

I understand that you're a fan of the romanticized, Gothic horror genre; but when it comes to real life, what truly frightens you? (Besides having to answer the question "what scares you," yet again, since I'm sure you're asked that all the time.)
What scares me? Are you kidding? Honey, have you seen who's in the White House? These days, I think horror fiction plays a whole new role in people's lives. In a world so fraught with evil, isn't it comforting to think that the forces of darkness could be thwarted with a handful of wolfsbane or a sprinkling of holy water? Hell, we need some hope.

Are there any local resources you can recommend for Philly horror fans (favorite haunts, so to speak)?
Well, I'm doing a reading at the Rittenhouse Square Barnes & Noble on Friday, April 28 at 7:30pm. Then, let's see, PHILCON - the Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference - draws a lot of horror writers and fans every year. And there's the Beach Writers Conference in North Wildwood. That's a relatively new conference with a strong focus on genre work. In fact, I'll be a featured speaker there in June. (Can you even imagine a better platform for launching a book called The Shore?) There's always something new going on. Please feel free to direct your readers to my website -- it's www.DunbarAuthor.com. I'll keep it updated with events and listings and interesting links. And in the meantime, for heaven sakes stay out of the woods!

Robert Dunbar will be reading from his novels The Pines and The Shore at the Center City Barnes and Noble (1805 Walnut Street) this Friday at 7:30 PM.