One of the most memorable, influential, and frightening vampire novels of the 20th century, Stephen King’s 1975 novel “Salem’s Lot” can be approached through many lenses.    Re-reading the novel in the midst of the largest global pandemic of the last 100 years revealed new insights to me that I did not anticipate discovering, when I first encountered the novel in my early 20’s.    Rose Sinister Vampires is now proudly sponsored by Endless Night Productions, connecting the vampire world through creative, immersive events, from virtual gahterings to intimate salons to the gra ..read more

Apologies for the less-than-stellar sound quality folks, we had a couple of last-minute snafus (which ought to be expected when one has put off uploading any new episodes for a yea), and we've got a slight delay in editing and polishing episode 1 of season 4.    Since I promised that the season would start today, the Ides of March (honestly, what was I thinking?), here's a rundown of what the season is going to look like.   In a lot of ways I'm starting from scratch here after a tumultuous year. We all know 2020 wasn't kind. In a few more hours, my episode on Salem's Lot will be ..read more

Polyamorous vampire communes from space. What makes a vampire a vampire? When vampires and their prey have a symbiotic relationship, who is addicted to who? Also, melanin is a vampire superpower in the 4th episode of season 2 of Rose Sinister: Vampires.    Join me as I examine the life of sci-fi writer Octavia Butler, her strange vampire novel Fledgling, and why I am so committed to going beyond the obvious on this podcast.    Spoiler alert: if the phrase "Black Lives Matter" makes you angry, you won't like this episode.   Halloween is fast approaching and if you're going to be coming to town ..read more

I'm back from a long, much needed, self-imposed hiatus, and excited to be in the thick of creating and publishing content again. This episode, lucky number 13 (!!!) is a bit on the long side, but it covers some important historical ground that I felt was really helpful in understanding this 2010 German film with the contextual nuance that I, a sometimes embarrassingly ignorant American, didn't grasp the first time, or even the first three times I watched this film.   Knowing what I know now about the German history and cultural identity alluded to by the filmmakers when creating this vampire m ..read more

1998's vampire hunting summer blockbuster, "Blade," actually has quite a bit more to say that simply, "vampires bad. Blade kill."   But yes, in this movie, vampires are unambiguously bad guys- but the why might surprise you.   Two online essays helped immeasurably when constructing this episode, and it is with gratitude that I share the links here.   "Daywalkin' Nightstalkin' Bloodsuckas: Black Vampires in Contemporary Film by Francis Gateward https://www.colorado.edu/gendersarchive1998-2013/2004/07/02/daywalkin-night-stalkin-bloodsuckas-black-vampires-contemporary-film   Some Vampires Are Rea ..read more

Rose Sinister: Vampires is back for season 2, and I'm so excited to feature local New Orleans author and bestselling indie author and Wattpad phenom Alys Arden's post-Katrina novel, "The Casquette Girls."   Borrowing heavily from folklore I, as a professional vampire tour guide am well acquainted with, Arden's novel weaves together real history, folklore, and a thoroughly modern approach to vampires among us.   On this episode, I mentioned a few books that curious listeners might wish to check out, so here are the links:   New Orleans Ghosts, Vampires and Voodoo by Kalila Smith: https://amzn.t ..read more

Rose Sinister:Vampires concludes its first season with the second half of the Dracula season finale two-parter. In this episode, the historical Vlad Dracula is examined, both as a source of inspiration for Bram Stoker, but also for the filmmakers creating Dracula adaptations across the 20th century and into the 21st. What role does religion play in understanding the life and legacy of Dracula, both historic and fictional? And what does the ebb and flow of religiosity in cinematic Dracula entries communicate about larger cultural patterns across that period of time ..read more

Part 1 of the season 1 finale of Rose Sinister: Vampires, this extra-long episode takes some time to point out things you may have missed about Bram Stoker's famous novel, by framing both the creator and his creation in the context of some of the political, artistic, and moral attitudes and aspirations of the late 19th century. Hint: it's about way more than the naughty stuff ..read more

Nearing the end of the first season of Rose Sinister: Vampires, episode 8 examines the impact of faith and culture on the creative process, representation versus appropriation, and the overall impact Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga has had on vampire stories ..read more

The latest installment of Rose Sinister: Vampires is a deeply personal reflection on a vampire story that had a huge impact on my life- and why sometimes, revisiting the magic of our youth can challenge us to re-examine the stories that shape us. One of the best, and most disturbing, vampire novels ever written, Poppy Z. Brite's shocking 1992 novel, Lost Souls has had a huge impact on the lives of many of its readers. It's not a novel for the faint of heart, and while this episode isn't explicit, it does come with a content warning for disturbing subject matter and, of course, spoilers. I'm pa ..read more