Gothic Literature Love

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I fell in love with Gothic literature the first time I read Edgar Allen Poe in 7th grade English class. There’s something addicting about that dark undertone that makes you glance into shadows while still not wanting to turn on the light. Poe isn’t the only writer who excels in this genre: H.P. Lovecraft writes bone-chilling horror; one of his stories spooked me so much when I was pregnant I had to set it down and still haven’t picked it up.  I’ll probably do that now that my hormones are back in check.

Elements typical of a gothic novel include decaying settings or mysterious architecture, supernatural beings, curses or prophecies, romance, and intense emotions. Books can include gothic elements and still not be considered gothic literature, and many books from the late 18th and 19th centuries do just that. So even if you’re not a big fan of horror in the traditional sense, you can still find those elements sprinkled throughout the romantic era.

I’m on a bit of a kick, reading any book I can get a digital copy of, so here’s a few I’ve dove into:

  • Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray
  • Dracula by Bram Stoker
  • Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre
  • Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights
  • Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
  • Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 
  • Edgar Allen Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher

These gorgeous hardcover books were purchased at Barnes and Noble

Originally posted on 15 November 2019

Nick 13: Album on Repeat

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Nick 13

In terms of genres, country isn’t one I automatically gravitate towards; but there’s something about the classic country and Americana sound that speaks to me. Psychobilly band Tiger Army has always been a favorite of mine, so when I came across the singer, Nick 13’s, solo album I was hooked. I wasn’t looking for it, but the dark country sound of “Carry My Body Down” showed up on my YouTube feed with the woody bass tone from the upright, the outlaw guitar twang, and Nick13 in a suit looking like a badass.

Every song on the album has its own character: from the upbeat drive on 101, and the elegant versions of Tiger Army’s In the Orchard and Cupid’s Victim, to the melancholic and mysterious All Alone. It’s one of the reasons this album has been on repeat for the past week. Nick 13 also does a fantastic job of storytelling on each track which is essential to a good country song.

Nashville Winter, my darling

Nashville Winter is a personal favorite of mine. It begins bright and hopeful, in a major key, where our narrator is anticipating the kind of journey you set on to find yourself. A bridge in minor begins to sprinkle some doubt when our narrator states he has no reason to leave, but that doubt quickly dissipates because it’s something that must be done. Our chorus chimes in and eases us into a sweet subdominant pocket as our narrator describes his journey. A solo section of surf-toned guitar and fiddle make us want to dance with our sweethearts as a pedal steel guitar segues us into the song’s uplifting conclusion where the narrator returns home to his darling.


Nick 13 is available for digital download and on vinyl, and can be found on all streaming platforms. It’s definitely one you want in your collection and I can’t wait for his next solo release.

Originally posted 17 October 2019