No. 118 (2023): A QUEER GUIDE TO YA VAMPIRE MATERIALS
Vampires have been a popular staple of fiction for decades due largely in part to their fluidity. Able to serve as both hero and villain depending upon the author, vampires have a unique relatability to audiences due to their permanent status as an outsider, as the other, to an otherwise normal world. For teens trying to figure out their own identity, which often means pushing back against the norm, vampire fiction offers a way to feel powerful and to explore subject matter that may otherwise be considered taboo. In this hotline, we have provided articles examining the history and evolution of the vampire in fiction as well as a number of vamp-inspired resources including writing guides, work-out routines, book & movie reviews, and even a music playlist to help encourage both teens and adults follow their interests, no matter how ‘macabre’, and embrace the other.
