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The Unvampire-like Vampires of True Blood
So I just finished reading the book Dead Until Dark, by Charlene Harris. As a fantasy fiction writer, I try to keep up with the hot trends in books, movies, television etc. and True Blood (which is based on Dead Until Dark) has been getting quite a bit of press. If you’ve watched an episode, it’s easy to see why. You’ve got sex, you’ve got murder and you’ve got…well, more sex.But I have to admit, I’ve always liked a good vampire story. I’m the kid that grew up reading Stephen King and Anne Rice (I was actually forbidden to read Anne Rice, so I would sneak the books out of my mothers bedroom or read chapters at a time at the local bookstore). I plowed through Salem’s Lot while in grade school and then Dracula while on a family trip one heart-racing summer not long after. Dead Until Dark itself isn’t brilliant. It’s basic pop fiction fare: lots of dialog, little description, a fast-paced plot that ends in about 300 pages. What is brilliant is the world she creates. Because Harris departs from the traditional vampire lore in some very interesting ways:
Category: The Gnovis Blog
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My Tubeless Summer (In Context)
After having Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone” book referenced in nearly half of my class-related readings, I decided to take a closer look and make that one of my summer reads. And the timing could not have been better – coming in the midst of my television-less summer.
Category: The Gnovis Blog
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Social Networking and Public Grief: the Death of Michael Jackson and the End of an Era
In the past, opportunities for individual participation in public rituals of mass grieving were few and far between. Social networking technologies have allowed for a new form of public mourning to
Category: The Gnovis Blog
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Counter-to-what-culture?
This morning I started reading the Jameson classic, Post-Modernism. Five pages into the book — one of ten on my summer academic reading list — I realized that among other things my list is far too ambitious for a mere three months already dotted with work, school, and an often sacrificed social life.
Category: The Gnovis Blog
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Arlington: The Rap
It would not seem appropriate to have a blog based in Washington without drawing attention this brilliant video. This video has taken Washington by storm with this appearing on the local NBC, FOX and ABC stations (they do some pretty hard-hitting reporting here in the district).
This is an ode to Arlington, the side of the river where alot of Georgetown students live. Of course, there are also alot of students who live in the district. Do they live in the district for th reasons mentioned in this video? I can’t say for sure. But yes, probably.
Category: The Gnovis Blog