Lynda Hilburn, a local author and psychotherapist based in the Boulder area, specializes in paranormal tales of romance with titles like Diary of Narcissistic Bloodsucker. Blending genre elements before such literary mash-ups were in vogue, Hilburn believes that escaping into literature is a vital coping mechanism. This week, Westword met up with Hilburn to discuss her love of disappearing into paranormal narratives, vampires and the erotic fiction business.

J.A. Kazimer is a Denver-based writer and fascinating human being with a wide spectrum of skills and interests. The author of books with such disparate titles as SHANK, Holy Socks and Dirtier Demons, and Froggy Style: A Fucked-Up Fairy Tale,Kazimer’s life and work have been uniquely influenced by the books she’s read. This week, Westword sat down with Kazimer to discuss books as well as her interesting work history.

In the year and change that followed noir has continued its literary renaissance, and anticipation for a second set of live authorial readings of red meat crime stories has grown. Sadly, the year also witnessed the passing of organizer Cortright McMeel, a promising writer whose career was cut tragically short.

This years event, dedicated to McMeel’s memory, features readings from authors Christa Faust, J.L. Abramo, Norb Vonnegut, and Micheal Lion, with a live acoustic performance from Kristina Murray.

Truth or Dare: A Play Date with Kidrobot, an eye-catching and puckishly irreverent exhibition, continues through April 14 at Next Gallery. Curated by local artists as well as Veronica and Dan Ma, Truth or Dare gleefully eschews the false dichotomy between fine art and toys while celebrating the ingenuity of…

Lucas Richards, creator of the Horndribbles, a line of plush toys based on his monster designs, is ready to take his project to the next level. Where before, the Horndribbles were labor-intensive and functioned like uniquely soft sculptures, Richards hopes to introduce his labor of love to a new generation.

Westword caught up with Richards in the days leading up to the “Return of the Horndribbles” Children’s museum exhibit, where Richards and his partner Devon Braun of Explorer’s Playground will debut a story book and a line of Horndribbles manufactured for sale as toys.

At some point during their comedy careers, every standup has to deal with a heckler. A truly annoying heckler can derail even experienced comedians as well as make audiences uncomfortable. While most hecklers think they’re being funny and can be shamed into silence with a pithy rejoinder from a talented comic, there are a few heckler sub-species that simply refuse to shut up, regardless of the comedian’s reaction.

Last night, during the grand opening of Colorado’s first Alamo Drafthouse movie theater, Pam Grier got personal with an audience of cinephile strangers. Grier, a Denver native, is a funny and engaging public speaker who spoke freely on a wide array of topics, ranging from moving accounts of her personal struggles and tragic early victimhood as well as lighter subjects like shooting women-in-prison exploitation films in the Philippines and famous exes such as Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Richard Pryor. Host Devin Faraci of Badass Digest guided the evening, screening clips and trailers from highlights in Grier’s filmography.

Since 2005, the CU Denver Iron Pour has been an “annual rite of spring,” with professional and student artists crafting tile sculptures carved with molten iron. Not only does the Iron Pour result in pieces that viewers can take home with the, but it also gives them an amazing look…

In honor of the release of Stoker, the English-language debut of Park Chan-Wook, the Sie FilmCenter is hosting a retrospective of the South Korean filmmaker’s revenge series, starting tonight with the first entry in Chan-Wook’s trilogy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. The series continues tomorrow with Oldboy; despite (or perhaps because…