book review – Vamp Jenn's Corner

The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth Book Review

May 1, 2023June 5, 2023by Jennifer Vasquez9 Comments

John Robb (Photo credit: John Middleham)

“Nothing exists independently; goth was a kind of fever. It just seemed to seep in on a tide of black lace and black leather.”
–Nina Antonia quoted in The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth

Various books have been written attempting to unravel the mystery of the goth subculture and trace its roots. A new text has recently been added to the canon, The Art of Darkness: The History of Goth by John Robb who’s the frontman of the post-punk band The Membranes and head of the online media publication Louder Than War. His behemoth of a book takes a deep plunge into the musical origins of goth, and it’s quite an adventure.

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Literature

Spotlight On Rose Sinister: Vampire Scholar & Author

January 27, 2023March 8, 2023by Jennifer Vasquez13 Comments

Rose Sinister (Photo credit: Rachel Clinesmith, editor-in-chief Vampyre Magazine and owner of Vampyre Cosmetics) — Rose Sinister (Photo credit: Rachel Clinesmith, editor-in-chief of Vampyre Magazine and owner of Vampyre Cosmetics)

Author and content creator Rose Sinister has been on a mission to explore the question, “Why do we tell vampire stories?” This query laid the foundation for her podcast Rose Sinister: Vampires, which she launched in 2018. Since then, she’s branched off to work on multiple projects dedicated to enriching people’s knowledge of these creatures of the night, plus she’s just released her first novel within the vampire genre titled This Crimson Debt. I had the opportunity to interview the writer and read the story, and it’s fangtastic. Don’t worry; there won’t be any spoilers in the following review.

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Literature

The Vampira Diaries Book Review

March 28, 2022May 6, 2022by Jennifer Vasquez15 Comments

Before Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, there was Vampira, famously known as the original Glamour Ghoul. Her pale visage, raven-colored locks, crimson lips, and highly arched brows made her quite the image to behold on late-night television. While she’s revered today as an icon in the underground scene, her claim to fame was short-lived during her time.

In an all-new book called The Vampira Diaries: 1954-1956, author Jonny Coffin gives readers a closer look into the world of the queen of the night. Digging out archives from the grave, he presents a collection of unseen photographs, newspaper clippings and excerpts from her diaries, resurrecting the voice and presence of this dark soul. I recently finished the biography and want to share a bit of what lies on the pages.

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Literature

Midnight Light Book Review: A Poetic Exploration of Life & Death

October 20, 2021March 19, 2023by Jennifer Vasquez2 Comments

“The moon appears in the night sky
Casting our souls into dreams
Endlessly flowing streams of subconscious move over the land”
-Another Perspective
Midnight Light

Image accompanying the poem “Underneath Icicles” in *Midnight Light* (Photo credit: Brian Paglinco)

Verse and imagery entwine in Midnight Light, a book that illuminates darkness and uncovers life pulsating in the land of the dead. It is the creation of two dear friends—writer Michael Pace and photographer Brian Paglinco—who wanted to share their artistic vision with the world, as well as pay tribute to their enduring friendship. The pages contain a series of gothic-inspired poems and photos that transported me to different time periods and places as I explored the work.

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Literature

Richard Delgado’s New Vampire Book Series: The Ancient Chronicles

December 14, 2020August 9, 2021by Jennifer Vasquez5 Comments

The Ancient Chronicles: The Newborn by Richard A. Delgado

What would you do if you were forced to lead an existence that required you to forget your past and succumb to bestial instincts? Author Richard A. Delgado tackles this question in the first book of his new series The Ancient Chronicles: The Newborn. In it, readers meet Leonardo Le’ Muerte, a young man who’s suddenly turned into a fledgling vampire. Without fully realizing the implications of this transformation, Leonardo is forced to adjust to a darker side of life and confront many demons, inside and out.

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