Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Holbert.
Hi Steve, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I come from a long line of Carneys and sex workers. I grew up in the trailer parks of Georgia’s poorest town. I paid the bills by selling food stamps and tombstones. Then, I fled, becoming a first-generation college student. After graduating, I paid the bills hosting drag shows and doing wedding makeup. Then, I moved back to the trailer park when my dad became terminally ill. I was his caregiver until he died. Then, the state dropped two kids on my porch, and I became a foster parent to my younger cousins. We watched a lot of TV. The working-class and Appalachian American representation made me pissed, so I vowed fixing it from the inside. I fled again, studying TV writing at NYU. One professor really liked my work, and I became her assistant. We developed some shows for streamers, and that brought me to LA. While here, I took a workshop. The teacher really liked my work, and I became her assistant. That cycle kept repeating, and my life’s been in rewrites ever since.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m from a blue-collar world where rough roads are standard. When things run smoothly, I get suspicious. My aunt jokes I’m “a peacock born in a crow’s nest.” I live in two worlds, and neither want me. That’s always been the crux of my problems, but the older I get, the more it’s a superpower.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I write horror TV and features where the girls and gays stop running, pick up the ax, and start taking names. My work explores bi-ness, using queer teens, genre, and the South. Growing up, the media always portrayed Appalachian Americans as victims, so I try to make sure the next generation sees themselves as heroes. Then, life can imitate art. The South calls it “edgy.” The North calls it “sentimental.” The West Coast calls it “equal parts sweet and raunchy.” On the page, I’m proudest of my humor and uplifting endings. The world’s dark enough, so I always leave people with light at the end of a twisted tunnel.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
When not writing, I’m a ghost hunter, Ravenclaw, and grandpa. I can’t sing, so rap and musical theatre patter songs are my karaoke standards. If Pokémon were real, I will be an ice-type gym leader.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://writers.coverfly.com/profile/writer-159c76103-2684
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/steveisholbert?lang=en
