Dark Academia—A New Literary Aesthetic

“Dark academia.” You may have seen this phrase being used by bookish influencers on TikTok or tagged onto writers’ mood boards on Twitter and Instagram. The phrase is generally accompanied by images in muted earthy tones and dark burgundy, often featuring cardigans with elbow patches and pleated skirts, dark wood furniture, hallowed halls of learning, and libraries full of cloth-bound tomes. Though the term has only come into popular use in recent years, perusing an image search is enough to quickly give you a sense of the vibe—a cohesive aesthetic that encompasses fashion, architecture, and personal paraphernalia. But is there something more to dark academia than just visually appealing imagery with which to decorate one’s social media presence?

Photo by Thomas Kelley on Unsplash

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See More of My Writing at VampireFreaks

Do you like my writing and wish you could see it more than once a week? Well you’re in luck, because I just became the main content writer for VampireFreaks! VampireFreaks is a social networking site for goths, created by NYC goth DJ, Jet (whom I interviewed back in March). The site uses a nostalgic forum-board format to connect goths around the world, allowing them to make friends, join “cults” based on their interests, and share photos and journals.


I’ll be posting content twice a week from the main VampireFreaks account, so make sure to follow @VampireFreaks if you’re on the site. Also feel free to friend my personal profile @TheGothicLibrarian.

My first post is on “5 Games for the Perfect Goth Game Night.” Not every night can be club night … sometimes you’ve just got to stay in, invite some friends over, and play board games. But just because you’re not at the club doesn’t mean you’ve got to turn in your goth card and play some Monopoly with the mundanes. Click the link to learn more!Goth the board game

Gothtrepreneur: Interview with Jet from VampireFreaks

Last week, I gave you all a preview of what I’m looking forward to at the new goth convention, Dark Side of the Con. This week, I got to chat with Jet, VampireFreaks founder and co-host of the convention, to ask him about goth, gothic events, and more. Jet has had a huge influence in the goth scene over the past two decades, both in New York City and world wide via his website, and I’m very excited to have had the chance to meet him and get his perspective on the goth scene.

Jet, founder of Vampire Freaks

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