Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Vampires Go to College?

Serious about vampires? Looks like they are in the UK. Headlines from today's Telegraph say "University to Hold Vampire Conference." So does that mean vampires from all over the world will be at this conference? Wouldn't that be cool--a whole campus filled with bloodsuckers?

The title of the conference is Open Graves, Open Minds: Vampires and the Undead in Modern Culture. And what will they learn? Most likely they won't be studying calculus or philosophy. Although biology and anatomy classes might be of interest. Or maybe they'll choose from seminar topics. What do vampires need to learn? How to choose the proper victim? How to suck blood without leaving a trace? How to select the proper flatware and distinguish silver from platinum?

Sorry to disappoint you, but it's actually a literature conference about the new sexy teenage vampires in novels and why YAs find them so appealing.That's easy enough to understand: Who doesn't like hot guys, bloodsuckers or not?

So if you find them enticing, you'll want to check out Judith Graves' Under My Skin. Here's a snippet from the book:

    I shifted closer, entranced by the minty scent rising from his blood. Hunger pangs twisted my stomach as if I hadn’t eaten for weeks. I pressed myself against his body. My lips parted. I sighed against his warm skin. Wade turned his face up for me, like he wanted me to take his lifeblood, feed on his flesh.
    I almost fell for it.
    Vamp thrall.
    I gasped, fighting his seductive glamour. His grey eyes stared into mine. Mesmerizing. Inviting…
   Don’t forget devilish. The voice of reason brought me back from the brink.
   And evil.

And kudos to the University of Hertfordshire for coming up with such an appealing subject for a conference.

1 comment:

  1. Great post. I have to say the more I hear about Judith Graves book, the more inclinded I am to pick it up. I was distracted by the cover. She is a very funny lady though. Thanks for sharing this info..

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