SamHirst

The Gothic Heroine’s Survival Guide

Have you suddenly realised that you’re in a Gothic novel? (Key signs to look out for: you’ve been kidnapped at midnight, you have moved to an echoing mansion full of secrets, your husband has this beady ‘loves to kill’ glint in his eye, a mysterious portrait dominates the ruined castle to which you’ve been removed,Continue reading “The Gothic Heroine’s Survival Guide”

Mysterious Influences: Religion, Empathy and Illness in Victorian Queer Gothic – Bibliography

Today’s post is a guest post! This is @BronteSchiltz biography from her amazing Sunday Gothic class with us. You can tell I didn’t do it because it is fully and correctly formatted! So many good sources here. This is an ‘influences’ bibliography so not everything in it was talked about directly or referenced in theContinue reading “Mysterious Influences: Religion, Empathy and Illness in Victorian Queer Gothic – Bibliography”

‘I never saw a ghost except once in a dream’: The History of Gothic Dreams

This is the Bibliography from today’s #romancingthegothic class. There are some links. Hope they’re useful. PRIMARY TEXTS Anon. – ‘Dreams’ in Dublin Literary Gazette, 23 – 1830 Anon. – ‘The Astrologer’s Prediction or the Maniac’s Fate’ – 1826 Charlotte Dacre – Zofloya – 1806 Daniel Defoe – The History of the Devil – 1724 DanielContinue reading “‘I never saw a ghost except once in a dream’: The History of Gothic Dreams”

The Guide to Becoming a Byronic Vampire

Welcome to the vampire life! Now, it may seem rather bewildering that I’m welcoming you to the life. ‘But I’ve been a vampire for so long already,’ you cry. But darling, that… that wasn’t being a vampire. That was being a shambolic cursed ravenous beast with the sex appeal of a bent spoon covered inContinue reading “The Guide to Becoming a Byronic Vampire”

Early Vampire Poetry

When you think famous literary vampires, your mind might dart to Dracula or the Sapphic reader’s might head straight for Carmilla. Your inner eye might also be suddenly beset by a horde of sexy, often shimmering, vampires from more recent media: Edward Cullen, Blade, Eric Northman, Akasha, Lestat, Damon Salvatore, Selene… It happens. Just letContinue reading “Early Vampire Poetry”

What is Romancing the Gothic?

Romancing the Gothic started (and is continuing) in the lock down. I started by offering a single free class and it went from there. What’s the idea? The idea is to share scholarship, discussion and the joy of Gothic and romance literature together. How does it work? We have Saturday lectures which are two hoursContinue reading “What is Romancing the Gothic?”