Essays

It’s time to press play on Bauhaus and dance around in sexy black leather outfits. Regardless of what folks might think, being goth isn’t new. So if you’re rather young…

As Umberto Eco said, “there is nothing more wonderful than a list,” especially a list full of death scenes. 1. Boromir in The Fellowship of the Ring (the movie) Boromir’s…

I am most keenly aware of the nearness of death when I’m on an airplane. I’m safe there; I know that in the logical sense. But the sensation of exposure…

Bootheels clacking on the sidewalk. Cloak or duster flying behind. Eyes shaded by the brim of a black hat or a pair of dark glasses…or maybe by the darkness of…

Nine depictions of Orpheus ranked in order of horniness. Featuring classical paintings, dances, a Bonnie and Clyde crossover and a Cat Valente novel.

“How would you feel about adopting a lab beagle?” my person asked me one night. My first thought was of some sort of Labrador/beagle mutt, but then it clicked: he…

Telling stories about life after death is a strange business. It’s possible we lean so often on the fantastical because it’s easier to talk about the lingering presence of death…

Fans of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff show Angel are well-versed in the concept of tragic character death. Folks watching one or both shows live didn’t have Tumblr to vent their pain, either. Both series are based in a horror/fantasy universe where almost anything is possible, including vampires, demons, and other creatures roaming around California. Therefore, the ways in which people meet their doom tend to be more tragic in nature. If you happen to be a horror fan, then death isn’t something you’re unfamiliar with, either.

When we’re inside our home, the walls create extensions of our bodily boundaries and demarcate where the self ends and where intrusion can begin. The house itself as a living…