By Judith Barroeta

East Texas is known for its never-ending plains, tradition and history, but it can sometimes be filled with horror, mystery and timeless stories.

Joe R. Lansdale, a creative writer from Gladewater, Texas, has been named as one of the leading horror writers to this day.

According to Lansdale's personal website, "Texas is so wrapped up in myth and legend, it's hard to know what know what the state and its people are really about," says Lansdale. "Real Texans, raised on these myths and legends, sometimes become legends themselves."

Lansdale started writing when he learned how to pick up a pencil. It was in his blood to write. Although his father could not read or write, he and his mother still encouraged Lansdale to write.

"I can't remember not ever wanting to be a writer," said Lansdale.

Lansdale truly began to write at the age of nine. At the age of 21, he sold his first work that he wrote with his mother, where it was published in the Farm Journal. It was a non-fiction piece about planting shrubs as a way of therapy. He said together, the article made them $15.

He kept writing and went on to sell several articles and novels. He then got a job as Stephen F. Austin State University as the head custodian. His work had begun to flourish and sell. He then quit his job and dropped out of school. It was then that his book selling started to dicline. In the late 80's his wife helped him with his
screenwriting and his business started to boom. Lansdale went from using small name publishing companies to big name companies.

According to an interview at infinityplus.co, when asked about what influences his writing Lansdale said, "Hearing the stories my parents and relatives told, and of course, my own experiences. Reading. Comics: I love comics. Films. Just about anything that crossed my path. I'm sure the odd jobs I've had, struggling to make a living, martial arts, all these things have influenced my work."

His environment and time period heavily influences his writing style and subject. During the sixties, Lansdale said there was a "sense of consciousness" that really got him started. Lansdale paints a picture of East Texas, which is essentially proud and reasonable, but also regarded with times of racism, the Civil Rights Movement, violence and the British music invasion.

Lansdale wrote a novel entitled Fine Dark Line that depicts the time of his parents' generation and the time of the Great Depression. Much of his work has parallels to his past and family.

"Writers have a selective memory," said Lansdale. "More so than others, writers have a great memory. We have a better long term memory, as opposed to remembering what happened five minutes ago."

Martial arts has also been one of Lansdale's passions. He began at the age of eleven when his father began training him and he took some classes at the local YMCA. Because he learned so many different styles of martial arts, he said it became a fruit salad of styles and techniques that helped him become a four-time inductee of the Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Martial arts has also influenced his writing. It gave him different styles of focus and motion. Lansdale borrowed these techniques from martial arts and used it to gear his writing.

"I think martial arts and my writing overlap, and I couldn't do one without the other, at least not comfortably. Martial arts taught me discipline, concentration and a work ethic," said Lansdale when asked about his two passions in an interview on infinityplus.co.

He became so involved and dedicated with the art, that he founded the Shen Chuan, Martial Science program. According to his personal website, Lansdale stated that his average day is six hours at the typewriter, three hours at the Lansdale's Self Defense System, the martial-arts studio which he owns and at which he teaches.

Lansdale said writing is a lifestyle. It is so important to him that it comes second after his family.

Lansdale has contributed so much since day one of his writing career. He has written for the Batman and Superman animated series, comic books, screenplays, and many novels. His recently published a book called Lost Echoes.

One of Lansdale's most famous stories, Bubba Ho-Tep, was moved to the big screen in 2002 and directed by Don Coscarelli. The film featured Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy.

Lansdale is the winner of the six Bram Stocker awards, British Fantasy Award, the MWA Edgar Award, the American Mystery Award, the Horror Critics Award, the "Shot in the Dark" International Crime Writer's award, the Booklist Editor's Award and the Critic's Choice Award. He has now been voted World Horror Convention 2007 Grand Master Award winner with the highest number of votes ever cast by members of the
convention in the history of the seventeen-year-old award. He's got the most decorated mantle in all of Nacogdoches, according to www.whc2007.org.

Lansdale said he would like to think that his writing is enjoyable. He continued to say that he doesn't have a method of writing.

"I just have a story I want to tell, and I do my best to tell it," said Lansdale. "One thing is I don't consider if others will like it. If they do, great. If they don't, that's the way the cookie crumbles. I'm trying to write a story that entertains me. That's about all the method there is," according to an interview on infinityplus.co.

Lansdale sat leaning over a desk, resting his arm and holding his glasses in his hand. He sat relaxed telling his story of how he began writing his own stories.

He still resides in Nacogdoches, where he continues to write and teach. He teaches screenwriting, comic writing and creative writing at Stephen F. Austin State University for those who wish to learn that a little bit of practice and history can make a good story.