Hungers as Old as This Land: Zachary Rosenberg on the Power of Horror Fiction
An in-depth look at how horror, law, and history intertwine in the eerie tales of a rising genre writer.
Zachary Rosenberg is known for his numerous short stories, often blending his day-to-day experiences as an attorney with a penchant for the supernatural. His work explores eerie and thought-provoking themes, frequently drawing inspiration from classic and contemporary horror influences.
Where are you from and when did you first start writing?
Originally, I’m from New York, though I’ve lived in Florida most of my life. I first started writing as a little kid, just scribbling incoherent ideas down!
How do you feel about the rise in Jewish horror (movies such as The Vigil 2019, The Offering 2022, and others)? I’ll be frank, I know very little about Judaism, but I do know that traditionally, Christians don’t seem to care for horror based on their beliefs. Also, Christians would not like their beliefs being put in a “Folklore” category. How do you feel about Jewish horror, and do Jewish people have a different view of folklore when it comes to certain aspects of the religion?
So, this’s a complex question and I’m glad you asked it. Honestly, I think the rise of Jewish horror is great. The Vigil is honestly probably the turning point, and an absolutely fantastic film that’s paved the way to helping to ‘mainstream’ Jewish horror in a sense. A film like the Offering I have some mixed feelings on. It’s definitely an effective horror film, but you can see in places where it fumbles. Still, it’s also a solid attempt and helping to proliferate Jewish horror.
I think in order to get Jewish horror right, you need Jewish people behind the cameras who know what they’re doing: writers, producers, and directors, with Jewish people in the cast. There’s also a lot more Jewish horror being written in prose where there wasn’t before, with writers like Emily Verona, Nat Cassidy, Richard Dansky, John Baltisberger and many others.
Regarding the second half, Judaism is interesting because while it’s a religion, it’s specifically a religion practiced by a people. Being a Diasporic people, Jews had proliferated to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and so forth where each group had differing traditions. I don’t object at all to the term “Folklore,” because so much isn’t only governed by the Hebrew Bible. The Talmud (the governing body of Rabbinical law) discusses all sorts of things, with many tales coming from different regions. There are so many diverse folktales and stories that were passed down orally that are part of the culture.
What drew you to the weird west genre?
Really, I’ve always loved horror, but I love westerns and historical fiction in general. Since I was young, I’d watched Spaghetti Westerns and Revisionist Westerns and love the idea of combining them with horror because it’s such an easy step. As a kid, some of the younger reader horror books also occasionally delved into Weird West, like one of the Strange Matter books. It definitely gets one thinking.
Was there any specific historical references to Jews in the old west you pulled from, or was it more of a chance to mesh genres… or both?
More a chance to mesh genres there! I didn’t have any specific events in mind when crafting Hungers, nor any specific or particular folkloric aspects. But it did get me a chance to research the history of Jews in the West. amd also to reference certain elements that went unexplored traditionally. There are nods to older Jewish history, particularly how one scene resembles a pogrom.
What kind of research goes into writing a weird west story?
I think that depends on the story you’re writing. The west is a very diverse place and life in California might be different than Utah or South Dakota. Researching the way people lived, the environments and economies and so forth helps a lot. But researching history can make a lot of difference, too as it makes the setting feel more alive.
When writing, do you find yourself pulling heavily from your own life, or do you find yourself trying to escape it and write something completely different?
I rarely pull from my own life or experiences. Some way find their way in, but I don’t usually consciously set myself to page
With sunch an enigmatic genre, do you feel the pressure of the “weird west” aficionados?
I think in any genre, we stand on the shoulders of giants no matter what it is. I think “Weird West” doesn’t have a single figure the way cosmic horror does (for better and worse), but there are a number of exemplary writers who have helped define it. There’s Joe Lansdale, of course. Robert E. Howard did so much for the genre as well. But the West is so varied that I don’t ever feel ‘tethered’ to other writers. Many inspire me, to be sure, and help define it as it is. Writers like Hailey Piper, Victor LaValle, Edward Erdelac…all doing something unique and different. So many Weird Wests feel so different because of how much there is to cover.
Your day job is a lawyer. Have you ever pulled inspiration in your stories from being a lawyer… or is that a breach of trust to even do it anonymously?
Oh, all the time actually. If I ever write crime stories or work in elements, my legal knowledge goes in there. I don’t consciously pull from specific cases I’ve been on or handled, at least not consciously. But I really enjoy writing characters who know their rights
“Hungers as Old as This Land” is a GREAT and enthralling title. It pulled me in the moment I saw it. Did you put a lot of thought into the title or did it just come to you?
The title took me a while! I came into it while writing the story itself. Though I think it just clicked when I first envisioned it. I’m thrilled to see it resonated.
What are you working on now and will we be seeing more weird west tales from you in the future?
I just finished a sequel to Hungers, so be looking for that in the future! I’m working on numerous shorts now and now a novella set in modern New York, plus a big fantasy book!
