“[D]iscover a convergence of wonder and terror, romance and horror within its pages.” This is the introduction and invitation offered by Sara Crocoll Smith, publisher and editor-in-chief of Love Letters to Poe. In its first issue, the new gothic fiction magazine brings six short pieces together, each inspired by the life and works of Edgar… Read More Love Letters to Poe: A Convergence of Wonder and Terror
July is an ode to sunshine in the Gothic, it is a trip down south to the sweltering southern states of America, and to the effect of geography on horror. Under a Southern Spell, this month I am reading four short stories from the Southern Gothic canon, and invite you all to read along with… Read More Southern Gothic Foundations: ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’
With a headful of horrorsI pack sleeplessnessinto bags heavyserried in rows sagging,like Poe’s. Nightmares seep through the seamsroll over, romantically,the landscape of waking lifeto fancifully fog reality where I sit. Enrobed in blanketsin daylightenrobed in relentless memories inventedby nighttime blowing steam from hot tea.Dissipating particles finelyinto airI dilute fantastical flashbacks with reality weakened into nothingbut… Read More A SEPARATE WORLD | ‘Head Full of Horrors’
In the Middle Ages, medical physicians favoured academia and aristocracy, working at universities or in private residence for the castle-dwelling wealthy. They offered consultations, but turned their noses up at surgery. With Europe frequently in battle during this long era, however, soldiers required more than consultation. ππππππ-πΎπππππππ Out of necessity, barbers, with their steady hands… Read More Medical Men and Murderers: The Barber-Surgeons, Burke & Hare
As the world’s population becomes increasingly locked away indoors, many of us are feeling panic or anxiety in the face of change and uncertainty. Whilst we all strive to maintain our collective physical well-being, it’s important not to let our mental health slip. The Bookstagram community thrives on indoor activity and online connection, but it’s… Read More Generally Gothic Book Club Readalong: ‘The Masque of the Red Death’
Season 1 Analysis, Part 2 True Detective is an HBO anthology series made up, currently, of 3 seasons. The initial eight-part mini-series (now known as season 1), which aired in 2014, is set in Louisiana, USA. Season 1 follows a pair of homicide detectives, Rustin Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson), as they… Read More ‘True Detective’: The Eternality of the Gothic
Grandfather of the American Gothic, Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), is perhaps most well-known for his melancholic and musical ‘The Raven’ (1845). Many artists have and continue to illustrate the works of Poe, and this particular poem is an unsurprisingly popular choice. Having already brought the works of some of Europe’s finest authors to life, French… Read More Gustave DorΓ©’s Illustrated Poe
It all began with Edgar Allan Poe, the American grandfather of Gothic literature, who was born on this day (January 19th) in 1809. What I mean is that it all began for me; my interest in the Gothic started somewhere around the age of 7 or 8 when I happened to select “The Tell Tale… Read More Dissecting ‘The Tell Tale Heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe
1809 β Edgar Poe is born, to David and Elizabeth Poe, on the 19th of January. 1810 β His father abandons the family. 1811 β His mother dies of tuberculosis, aged 24. John and Frances Allen become guardians to Poe. His brother and sister are fostered elsewhere. 1815-20 β Moves to England, with the Allens,… Read More Edgar Allan Poe: A Brief & Tragic Biography
An Ongoing Attempt to Define the ‘Gothic’ In terms of the arts (particularly literature, but also film and music, as well as static visual art – you know, ‘art proper’), the gothic is commonly considered a trope, rather than a genre. A genre is a broad classification based on qualifiers such as subject matter, style,… Read More The Gothic: What?
Generally Gothic 