ENGL 378/001: Contemporary Literature
Vampires Among Us
Term 2 TTh 2:00-3:30 p.m.
“But the Countess herself is indifferent to her own weird authority, as if she were dreaming it. In her dream, she would like to be human; but she does not know if that is possible. The Tarot always shows the same configuration: always she turns up La Papesse, La Mort, La Tour Abolie, wisdom, death, dissolution.” – Angela Carter, “The Lady of the House of Love” (from The Bloody Chamber)
Despite their association with the Victorian Gothic and their implications of ancient lore, vampires’ longevity owes much to their enduring popularity, even among 21st century audiences. Their metaphorical possibilities remain vivid, potent, and diverse. When I decided to write a vampire novel, I set myself the limitations of its being contemporary in setting and secular in worldview, and one in which its creatures of the night might manage to integrate themselves without being quite so obvious as in many tales of their doings. That process has inspired the basis of this course, where we will examine, in fiction and film, representations of vampires produced in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. While our texts might reference the famous vampire texts of the past (and even engage with characters from them), their worldview is arguably closer to ours, and their settings and characters more familiar to us.
The text list will involve 3-4 novels (likely from though not necessarily limited to Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire; Jewelle Gomez, The Gilda Stories; Tannarive Due, My Soul to Keep; Rachel Klein, The Moth Diaries; and Helen Oyeyemi, White is for Witching), Angela Carter’s short story “The Lady of the House of Love” (from her collection The Bloody Chamber), and 1-2 films (again, likely from though not necessarily limited to Tony Scott’s The Hunger; Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, Catherine Hardwicke’s adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight; Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows). Our examination will be situated in critical and theoretical approaches to the Gothic as a contemporary area of representation.
Evaluation will tentatively be based on a midterm essay and a term paper (both requiring secondary academic research), a final reflection essay, and participation in discussion.
Keep checking this site for updates concerning texts and requirements.