Profs and Pints Alameda presents: “The Rise of Vampires,” on the folkloric origins and literary evolution of today’s fanged fiends, with Sara Hackenberg, professor of English at San Francisco State University and scholar of Victorian literature and literature’s vampire tradition.
In 1755, Dr. Gerard Van Swieten, a physician and scholar of medical history was sent to a small town in eastern Europe by Empress Maria Theresa of Hungary, to investigate a corpse. Apparently citizens believed sinister supernatural forces were at work.
Vampire stories have captivated people for centuries. Books, games, TV, and film have drawn audiences in with a mix of horror, sensuality, and the appeal of eternal life. The first mention of vampires was over a thousand years ago and since then their legend has become a part of the cultural legend and myth with Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Bela Lugosi’s interpretation of the character, and Anne Rice’s beguiling series of novels living long in the memory. But why have the tales of the undead endured? And what makes them so appealing in the modern day? This program explores the ongoing allure of these powerful creatures.
Vampire expert, Associate Professor Sam George, delves into the origins of the first vampire tale in English, John Polidori’s The Vampyre (1816) and takes you on a virtual tour of his unsettled resting place in St Pancras Old Church.
The New England vampire panic in the 18th and 19th centuries emerged years after the region’s more infamous Salem witch trials, and although Rhode Island was ostensibly the epicenter, it was a region-wide phenomenon throughout Connecticut, southern and western Massachusetts, Vermont, and other areas of the New England states. Recently, not only has exciting new information about one of New England’s vampires come to light, but an additional case has been found, adding to the mysterious history, lore, and culture of New England! Join Susan Jarek-Glidden for the intriguing story of Vampires of New England.
Profs and Pints Baltimore presents: “An Encounter with Early Vampires,” a scholarly look at what folklore, grave sites, and various records tell us about centuries-old Slavic beliefs concerning the undead, with Stanley Joseph Stepanic, who teaches a course on Dracula and vampire folklore.
