Not only does Nightcharm have a new face, we’ve got a new editor-in-chief as well.

Meet Shawn Baker. Of course regulars to NC and the humor site Lurid Digs have been reading Shawn’s irascible entries for awhile now. Proof positive that consistently interacting with your favorite site can land you a job. (Yep, we discovered Shawn after taking note of his cogent comments to our articles, several years ago.)

Once NC’s longtime editor John Calendo decided to step down to focus on his new novel, it was a no-brainer that the site’s editorial mantle would pass to Shawn. He’s feisty, funny and willing to poke at the tender (or taboo) belly of a story. Shawn also brings discipline and concentration to his writing, qualities often lacking in the slap-dash and sloppy world of ‘blogging.’

Here are some insights from my recent interview with the new chief:

David K.: Tell me about your education and influences.

Shawn: I went to Fordham (good ol’ F.U.), the Jesuit University of New York, which was a bust even though I graduated top of my class. I didn’t really need to learn to write, though. I’d always had it in me. I have whole words and casts of people in my mind, all of the time. Book-wise I like H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, L. Frank Baum, Robert E. Howard. Definitely a cult movie buff: Dario Argento, Russ Meyer, David Lynch, to name a view.

David K.: What are the pros and cons of being a smart young gay male in today’s tumultuous socio-political climate?

Shawn: Well, smarts are not valued. We know this. If they were, I’d be loved, well-employed, and famous. We live in a populist world, and “populist” is just like “popular”: you either camouflage, or you pay the price, and even the good decisions come with a price tag. It’s not particularly heartening to live in a time where something like segregation is considered a better alternative to simply resolving yourself to the fact that others exist. For a segment of the U.S., intelligence, sophistication, and worldliness are “evils” because they diminish the common man. It’s better to react than think. And yeah, it makes me worry that being “intense” is a flaw — but that’s me in a word.

David K.: What’s your approach to writing and now editing for Nightcharm?

Shawn: When I write for the site, I like to see how many obscure references to things I like I can insert for my own enjoyment. I veer more toward cynicism, parody, iconoclasm — I’ve always been an outsider, though. I like a darker tone. Most other blogs are just too pat and generic. I want a beautiful loner, insomniac, or amnesiac to read something I’ve written, fall in love me, track me down, stalk me (in the hot way), run me to ground like a fleeing deer, and be in my nighttime world.

David K.: As Nightcharm’s new editor how are you going to make life better for our smart, porn loving readers?

Shawn: This deserves a beauty queen response: “Well, in my country…” I’ve got my goals: More content in place of the superficial, more wit instead of snark, class over crass, and satire not sass. Oh, and also my rakish looks, wordsmithery, and a sunny outlook on life.

So, now it’s your turn, dear readers — loners, insomniacs, and amnesiacs. Any comments or questions for Shawn? What would you like to see more of and less of on Nightcharm — speak to Shawn now, or forever hold you, uhm, piece.

© 2010, David K.. All rights reserved. Nightcharm.com