Classic horror meets modern media in the “Six Minutes and Sixty-Six Seconds with Michael Arnzen” podcast. It is hosted by Seton Hill English professor, Michael Arnzen. So far, the long-time horror fan and writer has released ten episodes of the podcast. Each episode explores different topics and most include writing excerpts from the four-time-Bram-Stoker-Award-winner’s repertoire. A recent episode, for example, features a theatrical reading of Arnzen’s piece “Brain Candy.”

Arnzen’s love for writing and the horror genre has made him the resident expert on the topic in Seton Hill’s Writing Popular Fiction (WPF) Program. This Program combines two on-campus residencies with online classes each year. In addition to benefiting from professors who are both scholars and published authors, every student in the Program receives one-on-one writing and mentorship support from a published author. Graduates of the program finish with a Master of Fine Arts degree and a novel-length manuscript. Arnzen has been a professor and a mentor in the program since 1999 and will be stepping into the Director position in January 2026. 

“Mentoring keeps me on my intellectual toes.”

The combination of mentoring students and expanding his own creativity is something Arnzen cherishes. “Mentoring keeps me on my intellectual toes,” he says. “Students teach me by sharing their research, trying new experiments, and simply talking about what means the most to them as readers.”

Arnzen takes pride in his work and credits the WPF program for supporting students’ success. “A few of our mentors, alums, and students almost always appear on the Stoker final ballot each year, and I think that's a great testament to our program's success in teaching people not only how to write a book, but how to write one well,” he says.

Arnzen has found a new outlet for his creativity with his 6:66 podcast. It also gives him the opportunity to explore a variety of topics. He discusses things such as education politics, the writing process, and personal reflections of his father’s influence on his life.

“I aim to keep it light and even goofy, even if the material can bend toward the dark and twisted at one moment, and serious issues the next,” he explains.

You can find “Six Minutes and Sixty-Six Seconds with Michael Arnzen” on YouTube, Spotify, its website, and other podcast streaming platforms.