Category: Literature

Film, Lifestyle, Literature

The 7 Most Iconic Goth Couples

by Jennifer Vasquez6 Comments on The 7 Most Iconic Goth Couples
Still from Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula" (© Columbia Pictures)
Still from Francis Ford Coppola’s “Dracula” (© Columbia Pictures)

Flowers, chocolates and anything and everything heart-shaped blissfully emerge when February 14th rolls around. For lovebirds, it’s all red, pink and sweet for Valentine’s Day, no? Well, for those that have a penchant for dark romance, there’s nothing more amorous than a bouquet of black roses, a moonlit picnic in the cemetery and perhaps even a keepsake in the shape of a real, bloody human heart.

To commemorate this holiday, I decided to pay homage to some of history’s most quintessential pairs that put an entirely different spin on the old adage “romance is dead.” For the following seven most iconic goth couples, romance is at its peak when in the grasp of passion and death. Continue reading “The 7 Most Iconic Goth Couples” →

Film, Lifestyle, Literature

The 10 Most Intriguing Vampires of Legend & Lore

by Jennifer Vasquez12 Comments on The 10 Most Intriguing Vampires of Legend & Lore

Vampire Collage

Some of you may have suspected by my website name, Vamp Jenn’s Corner, that I’m fascinated with vampires. I’ll admit my fascination borders on obsession. Although my initial introduction to these figures was Sesame Street’s Count von Count, it was Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles that had me spellbound by these undead creatures. They exude mystery and possess multifaceted natures. Although they have a voracious appetite for human blood, we mortals cannot help but be entranced. They’ve been presented in many lights, from ghastly to charming, cruel to caring, repellant to sexy.

So, I thought, why not share with you some of the vampires with whom I have fallen in love over the years. Following is a list of 10 that, in my opinion, have been influential in shaping the vampire image in both history and pop culture. But this is not a definitive list. Here they are presented in chronological order. Continue reading “The 10 Most Intriguing Vampires of Legend & Lore” →

Literature

Poe Pop Culture: A Birthday Tribute to Edgar Allan Poe

by Jennifer Vasquez10 Comments on Poe Pop Culture: A Birthday Tribute to Edgar Allan Poe

edgar-allan-poe

On January 19th, 1809, one of the most influential figures in Gothic literature was born—Edgar Allan Poe. The American writer is renowned for his terror-filled works, where death plays a major theme. His poetry and short stories have been categorized under the horror fiction umbrella, and they have also been associated with dark Romanticism, a subgenre of Romanticism that fixated on the grotesque and morbid. It should also be mentioned that he had a major impact on the development of the modern detective story.

More than two centuries later from the date of his birth, his words continue to stir the macabre spirit within us. I still have the research paper I wrote as an undergrad about The Black Cat. Since countless biographies have been published on the poet, I will not retell the details of his life. Instead, to commemorate this occasion, I thought I’d compile a brief, but amusing list of Edgar Allan Poe’s presence in pop culture. Happy Birthday Eddy! Continue reading “Poe Pop Culture: A Birthday Tribute to Edgar Allan Poe” →

Literature

Author of Honor Series: Part IV

by Jennifer Vasquez3 Comments on Author of Honor Series: Part IV

Book Stack and Tea Cup

The final week of National Novel Writing Month is here and that means this is the last Author of Honor blog post of the series. I knew from the beginning that I had to include this novelist. Besides Anne Rice, she is the only other writer who I can say I’ve read most of her works. She has also been a great inspiration to me. So, without further ado, allow me to introduce the author to conclude the series. Continue reading “Author of Honor Series: Part IV” →

Literature

Author of Honor Series: Part III

by Jennifer Vasquez5 Comments on Author of Honor Series: Part III

 

Noose

We are entering week three of the Author of Honor Series! I had a very difficult time choosing who I would feature and being an indecisive Libra does not help. I had narrowed my selection to two candidates, both with interesting backgrounds, but from different time periods. You might be wondering why I can’t just write about one this week and save the other for last. Well, that’s because I already have the final novelist picked, so I had to play the elimination game with this round. After much contemplation, I’ve decided to highlight a contemporary writer with a gruesome family history. Thus the reason for the preceding image. Read on to discover of whom I speak. Continue reading “Author of Honor Series: Part III” →

Literature

Author of Honor Series: Part II

by Jennifer Vasquez5 Comments on Author of Honor Series: Part II

 

Photo by Paul Numrich

The next Author of Honor sadly passed away 14 years ago on the date I am typing this — November 9. I had already planned to sit down and begin writing about this novelist before discovering that today marked this occasion. Strange coincidence? He died at the age of 50, before witnessing the significant imprint he would leave on the literary world. A somber note to start on, I admit, so let’s turn the mood around. This author penned an awesome crime fiction trilogy with a central female character that is fearless and, quite frankly, kicks ass! Have you guessed who it is? Continue reading “Author of Honor Series: Part II” →

Literature

Author of Honor Series: Anne Rice

by Jennifer Vasquez10 Comments on Author of Honor Series: Anne Rice
Aaliyah as Akasha in the film adaptation of “Queen of the Damned” (© Warner Bros.)

November is Novel Writing Month, so to commemorate this event and because writing is one of my passions, here is a blog post highlighting one of my favorite authors-Anne Rice!

Note: This blog post was originally part of a 2018 series I titled “Author of Honor.” I love to read and there are many writers I find influential, so I selected a few to introduce to readers to commemorate National Novel Writing Month. Anne Rice was the first in the series. Continue reading “Author of Honor Series: Anne Rice” →

Lifestyle, Literature

How to Throw a Frankenstein Day Bash

by Jennifer Vasquez9 Comments on How to Throw a Frankenstein Day Bash
Boris Karloff as Frankenstein
Boris Karloff as Frankenstein

August 30th is Frankenstein Day, a date that honors the classic novel by Mary Shelley, as well as her birthday. To commemorate this annual event, I thought it would be fun to share some ways we can all pay tribute. There may not be a time machine to transport us to 1818 (the year the book was released) to chat with the author, but why not use the imagination to bring to life our own monstrous creations! Here’s how you can celebrate Frankenstein Day. Continue reading “How to Throw a Frankenstein Day Bash” →