New Years is the perfect opportunity for me to take stock, not only of my own life, but also of my blog and what direction I want it to be going in. This time last year, I posted my very first set of blog resolutions for the new year. Overall, I think I did fairly well with my first full year of blogging. I certainly read a wide range of books and engaged with some amazing authors. Some of the goals I made last year became less important to me as the year went on. For example, now that I’m working full time, posting multiple times a week became an impractical goal. Instead I focused on maintaining a steady schedule of high-quality weekly posts. Now it’s time to start thinking about the year ahead. Here are some of my goals for 2017:
Thanksgiving is just around the corner for me and my fellow American readers, and with this holiday usually comes cartoonish depictions of Native Americans feasting beside pilgrims at a banquet celebrating their friendship. But though most Americans will spend this time of year stuffing themselves with turkey and cranberry sauce, probably few could name the specific tribe the Pilgrims encountered, let alone anything about their culture.
“The Friendly Skeleton” Painting by Richard Hook (First People website. Copyright Richard Hook)
It’s important to remember that North America was inhabited by a variety of different peoples, each with their own rich culture and history long before the first European settlers arrived, though since that time they have faced discrimination and erasure. We also need to acknowledge that the stories and voices of these people are often left out not only from our history books, but also from our studies of literature. Oral story-telling has played a significant role in many of the cultures indigenous to America, and the folktales and legends passed down from generation to generation are part of a wide body of literature belonging to this underrepresented group. One of the things I hope to do with this blog is discuss the Gothic in wider terms than merely the most popular themes and works from the Western European tradition. A while back, I discussed some of the dark myths and monsters of the Jewish tradition. This week, I want to highlight some of the legends and tales from Native American folklore that I find most fascinating. Continue reading Dark Tales of Native American Folklore
Shana tova! to those of you celebrating the Jewish new year this past week. In case you don’t know, we’re currently in the midst of one of the most important times of the year for Jews. The days between the start of the new year (which began last Sunday night) and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (this Wednesday), are typically used as a period for deep reflection and introspection. In honor of this holiday, I decided to use this opportunity to reflect on some of the more gothic elements of Jewish folklore and tradition. Much of the monsters and boogeymen typically found in gothic fiction derive from a mostly Christian tradition, but Judaism has a rich array of creepy creatures, as well, that deserve their own turn in the spotlight. Continue reading Dark Tales of Jewish Folklore
Last weekend I went on my first ghost tour of New York City! Reading about ghosts and ghouls is all well and good, but sometimes you just have to get out there and experience their haunts and historical sites for yourself. Ghost tours are a great way to not only get some fresh air with your scares, but also to learn about some local history. And no one does this better than Boroughs of the Dead. Boroughs of the Dead is a local, independent, woman-owned boutique walking tour business that specializes in the darker side of New York history. They offer tours across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, and are looking to expand into the other two boroughs as well. Many of their tour guides are writers and are skilled in both research and storytelling. In fact, I first heard of the company because Gaslamp fantasy author Leanna Renee Hieber is one of their tour guides.
Happy bloggiversary! We’ve officially made it to one year. Back when I started, I had no idea if I could make it this far, but here we are! Thanks for coming along on this journey with me.
A while back, for my 6-month bloggiversary I shared some of my favorite posts I had written so far. This time I figured I’d do something a little different and celebrate some of the highlights from this year that I’m most proud of:
I successfully posted at least once a week for an entire year! Before starting this blog, I never wrote regularly or on any sort of deadline and didn’t know if I’d be able to. Now, a year later, I haven’t missed a single week!
I hosted my first author guest post by the lovely Leanna Renee Hieber, who spoke about the different types of female strength in gothic fiction.
Lastly, I hosted 3 giveaways and reviewed a total of 19 books!
What would you like to see more of here at The Gothic Library? What are your favorite types of posts? What new areas would you like to see me branch out into? Let me know in the comments!
A brand new Kickstarter just launched last week with the hopes of using technology to make classic literature fun and accessible for students. iClassics is a Barcelona-based company that works to create an “interactive, illustrated, digital library,” as they explain on their website. At present, they already have several interactive literature collections available as apps for iOS devices. With the Kickstarter, they hope to raise enough funds to make the apps available to Android users, make them available in more languages, create new content, and make them free for as many students as possible.
Some of you may know that I recently moved to New York City to begin my career in publishing. NYC is a great place to be a book nerd. Aside from the career prospects, it’s got amazing libraries, innumerable bookstores–including book-buyer’s heaven: Strand Bookstore, and constant opportunities to meet your favorite authors at book signings and events. The city is also a great place to be a goth, what with its diverse nightlife and themed bars and events. Since moving here, I’ve been looking for places where I can combine these two loves, and I discovered a surprising number of dark, literature-themed bars! Whether you’re specifically obsessed with gothic lit like me, or just a general literature nerd with a bit of a dark side, these bars provide the perfect atmosphere for indulging in languid literary musings over a decadent cocktail. I haven’t made it out to all of them yet, but I’m making my way down the list. If you’ve been to any of these before, let me know your thoughts in the comments! Continue reading The Best Bars for Gothic Lit Nerds (NYC Edition)
Happy New Year, dear readers! 2016 will be The Gothic Library’s first full year, and I couldn’t be more excited! I’ve got some big plans for the blog this year, and there’s a lot I want to do to really improve the site. I figured I would share some of my blogging goals for the year with you, so that you can help me stick to them! Without further ado, here are some of the things I’d like to do with the blog in 2016:
As of today, it has been exactly six months since I first launched this blog. Can you believe it? It seems like only a few weeks have gone by to me. I’d been dreaming of starting a blog forever, but back in June I could hardly imagine finding the time and inspiration to write once a week. I decided to plunge in anyway, and it’s all worked out so far!
I wrote some of my best stuff in my early days, since I had plenty of time to contemplate topics and save up the good ones. Since many of you are new to my blog, don’t forget to go back and look at some of my old posts! In honor of my six-monthiversary, I’ve rounded up six of my favorite posts that I’ve written since beginning my blog: Continue reading The Gothic Library is Six Months Old!
Congratulations to Emily on winning The Gothic Library’s very first giveaway! Emily, who has been contacted by email, will be the proud new owner of an advanced reader’s copy of the lovely new horror/fantasy novel Nightfall by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski.
For those of you that missed the giveaway, you can still check out my review of Nightfall and then head out to buy your own copy online or at your local bookstore on September 22nd.
Thank you to everyone who entered! And of course, keep an eye out for future giveaways on the site!
