ZITTAW PRESS

The Haunted Palace

2008-05-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Yorke's 1801 Gothic novel The Haunted Palace is almost ready!

Forthcoming Titles

2008-05-07T12:48:00.001-07:00

Zittaw Press is pleased to announce the forthcoming novels from prolific Victorian novelist Marie Corelli.

The Devil's Motor: A Fantasy edited by Curt Herr and Missy Coleman

Vendetta! edited by Curt Herr

Searching for Zombies

2008-04-08T19:12:00.001-07:00

I have a confession....I really dig zombie movies. I know, who doesn't? But I recently read that zombies or the living dead, have been in found in literature since the middle ages....consequently, I am now hunting for these elusive creatures in our beloved Gothic novels? Anyone know of one? I would love to publish a Gothic novel with zombies....any suggestions?

The Bravo of Venice

2008-03-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

Now Available

Remembering Fred Frank

2008-02-28T14:36:00.001-08:00

Earlier today my friend and mentor Fred Frank passed away. Fred's impact on my life and career is truly profound. When attending the University of Utah I stumbled upon a book intriguingly titled The First Gothics. I checked it out my Junior year and kept it with me until I graduated. I read every word, every entry over and over again. It proved to be my field guide to the first Gothic novels. It inspired me to spend hours searching for lost Gothic novels and ignited my passion. After graduating from the U of U I finally bought my own copy of The First Gothics which I still look at weekly.

Shortly after graduating I had the chance to attend my first Gothic conference in London at the home of Horace Walpole -- Strawberry Hill! In attendance was none other than Fred Frank. I introduced myself and told him how much I admired his work, particularly The First Gothics... without missing a beat he looked me in the eye and said "You know I wrote that book just for you." I replied, "I know, it saved me!" At that conference Serena and I got to know Fred and his wife Nancy as we wandered through Walpole's Gothic rooms, standing where he wrote The Castle of Otranto.

Later, Fred advised me on grad school....he encouraged me in my research, he shared his wealth of Gothic knowledge with me and for that I will be eternally grateful! Though we communicated regularly, the last time I saw Fred was in Florida at a SCSECS conference where in a twist I could never have anticipated, he came and asked me to sign my book for him.

While I will truly miss his knowledge, his friendship and his encouragement... he can now find those elusive authors and track down those lost novels.

R. I. P.

Varney is making the news

2008-02-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

From The Delaware Valley News

'Varney the Vampire' beats 'Dracula'

Thursday, February 14, 2008

By Kevin J. Guhl

Curt Herr, who lives in a Victorian house in Ferndale, Pa., teaches gothic fiction at Kutztown University. He has written the critical edition of what he said is considered the most notorious novel of the 19th century -- James Malcolm Rymer's, Varney the Vampire; or, The Feast of Blood. The book was originally published in weekly installments from 1845-1847. It littered the streets of London, sold at a penny a page, and kept England's working class readers enthralled. The story eventually became so popular, it was reprinted in 1847 and again in 1853. However, the last edition before Herr's was in 1972. Rymer also penned the better-known penny dreadful Sweeney Todd, also known as The String of Pearls, which found fame as the 1979 Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim and is now a Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp.

For the complete story go to http://www.nj.com/delawarevalleynews/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1203019517178170.xml&coll=12

A letter to our customers

2008-01-30T14:38:00.000-08:00

I hope this new year finds you all well. I want to take a few minutes to thank our loyal customers. In the four years that Zittaw Press has been around I have enjoyed, not only your support, but your understanding and sometimes even patience. My goal for Zittaw Press is simple: to resurrect forgotten Gothic novels. I don't claim to be an expert on publishing, I just think it is important to see these novel in print after 200 years. I don't have fancy equipment to typeset these books, an army of proofreaders or money for book designers. I am a professor full time with mounds of papers to correct, lectures to prepare and most importantly a family to support.

Recently Zittaw Press has been criticized for being well intentioned, but an unprofessional publisher, creating poor books. These remarks have appeared on Amazon and other websites. The criticism, while perhaps initially well intended, has become mean, pointing out Zittaw's mistakes, shortcomings and generally expressing dislike about how we do everything. We are not perfect nor have we ever claimed we are. I am a professor who wants to keep the Gothic alive, affordable and accecsible for students and scholars, not conquer the publishing world.

It is important to remember that historically Gothic novels were published fast and as cheaply as possible. If you read the originals you will see countless mistakes in typset, spelling, pagination and often even keeping characters names straight. We do try to fix these, but if we are off the mark at least we are in keeping with history.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

From everyone at Zittaw Press (well Serena and I) we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful Gothic filled New Year.
Best,
Franz, Serena, MaCall and Eloise Potter
Zittaw Press

Birthday Wishes

2007-12-14T08:42:00.000-08:00

Today Zittaw Press would like to remember Sarah Wilkinson who was born 228 years ago today. Although a marginalized author of sensational Gothic novels, she is, nonetheless, my favorite Gothic hack and will forever be remembered.

We would also like to wish Norbert Besch a happy birthday and many thanks for his passion and assistance in all things Gothic.

Finding Skeletons

2007-12-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

Well another year is coming to an end and here at Zittaw Press we have been a lot to be thankful for...We are excited by the recently released Varney the Vampire which is selling quite well. Thank you for all the support! Clearly it was time for a scholarly edition of that sensational work. By the end of the year we hope to have the two volume collection of chapbooks, Literary Mushrooms, at the printers with a new edition of Matthew Lewis's The Bravo of Venice following in early January.

As for 2008 we have some great novels in the pipeline including several by Sheridan Le Fanu, Mrs. Yorke's The Haunted Palace, George Walker's The Three Spaniards and Sarah Wilkinson's The Fugitive Countess. We also have several surprises up our sleeve which we are working diligently on.
I would personally like to thank everyone for their continued support of Zittaw Press. We could not have done anything without you.
best,
Franz Potter

After the fires

2007-11-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

We are back from evacuations and working hard to get out Mrs. Yorke's The Haunted Palace and fine tuning Varney the Vampire. It was unexpected and difficult being away from the house, work and Zittaw for a week, but we are back. Thank you for all the support.

Lake Arrowhead Fire

2007-10-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Zittaw Press has been evacuated as a fire descends down a ridge above our house. Varney the Vampire may be delayed as we cannot retrive the proof...hopefully everything will be saved and the Vampire will rise soon.
Best,
Franz Potter

Horrors and More: Zittaw News

2007-09-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

In celebration of Halloween next month Zittaw Press is planning a special release of Mrs. R. M. P. Yorke's 1801 Gothic masterpiece The Haunted Palace; or, The Horrors of Ventoliene. Fred Frank calls this novel the "highest of high Gothics...[this] is nothing more nor less than an encyclopedia of horror."

This week has been a busy week for us all. Curt Herr's brilliant scholarly edition of Varney the Vampire is almost ready for the printers and is on track for a Halloween release. Curt has worked tirelessly on this edition and it is stocked full of useful information and will be perfect for classroom use.

Varney the Vampire

2007-08-30T20:43:00.001-07:00

The first ever scholarly edition of Varney the Vampire, tirelessly edited by Curt Herr will hopefully be ready by Halloween. This MASSIVE 824 page 8.5x11 tome will be a wonderful (and hopefully affordable) addition to vampire studies. Curt has worked incredible hard on this volume and we would encourage all scholars to get this volume for their school's libraries and private collections.

The Abbot of Montserrat

2007-07-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce the forthcoming edition of William Child Green's The Abbot of Montserrat (1826). Coming this late Fall or early Winter!

New Podcast: Vampires before Dracula

2007-06-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

After a long pause and many angry emails we have finally resumed our podcasts. Find our new episode at http://readingthegothic.libsyn.com/

The Castle of Tynemouth

2007-06-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

Jane Harvey's 1806 Gothic tale The Castle of Tynemouth is now available on Amazon.com.

A harrowing tale of the beautiful Rossetta de Norton who suffers at the hands of her evil stepmother Lady Wooler, the lecherous O'Bryen adn the manipulative Major Shipperdson. But beneath the castle in the dark winding caverns a secret lies buried that will either set Rossetta free or condemn her to a living hell.

The Spectre of Lanmere Abbey

2007-06-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Sarah Wilkinson's The Spectre of Lanmere Abbey and The Child of Mystery are now available! This Zittaw edition brings together two of Sarah Wilkinson's forgotten novels: The Spectre of Lanmere Abbey and The Child of Mystery. Though long forgotten and marginalized as a purveyor of literary rubbish, Sarah Wilkinson's work nevertheless belongs to that body of work which is representative of female authors in the 19th century. The Spectre of Lanmere Abbey and The Child of Mystery illustrate the versatility of Wilkinson's pen: one a Gothic novel with decaying buildings and terrifying spectres, and the other, a domestic novel of high fashion based on recent events in London. This edition includes an introduction by Franz J Potter, Wilkinson's letters to the Royal Literary Fund and a complete list of her works.

Before the Count

2007-05-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

Before the Count, a collection of pre-Dracula tales, is now available, edited by Margo Collins. Good read, I suggest you purchase it!

Zittaw Press is back...

2007-04-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

After a prolonged absence Zittaw Press has finally returned. This break allowed me to re-evaluate Zittaw in light of my full time commitment to academia. The balance, needless to say, has at times been precarious as my commitment to my students (who want a timely response to their papers) and our readers (who expect good quality Gothic reproductions) pull me in two directions. After careful consideration we decided to continue Zittaw Press and keep the commitment we made to our readers to offer scholarly (and affordable) editions of rare Gothic novels. While we will never be able to offer the same number of novels as Valancourt Press, we do hope that we can contribute to this growing body of Gothic reproductions.

Before the Count: British Vampire Tales, 1732-1897 is at the printers as we speak and Sarah Wilkinson's The Spectre of Lanmere Abbey and The Child of Mystery are on their way next week.

Lastly, we have just relocated from Thousand Oaks/Camarillo to Crestline California (next to Lake Arrowhead), much to the distress of our kids, but are settling in nicely. Please note the new address if you have any correspondence with us: Zittaw Press PO Box 3157 Crestline CA 92325.

Forthcoming Titles

2007-03-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

Zittaw Press is pleased to announce the following forthcoming publications: Romance Readers and Romance Writers by Sarah Green and The Child of Mystery by Sarah Wilkinson.

Chapbook Reproductions

2007-01-31T11:22:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day to get your chapbook reproduction, get them while you can. Zittaw Press is in the process of gathering these tales into a collection which will appear later this spring.

But for the reproductions, they are coming to an end!

The Fugitive Countess

2007-01-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

Zittaw Press is pleased to announce that we will be publishing Sarah Wilkinson's The Fugitive Countess; or The Convent of St. Ursula in a special 200th anniversary edition.

Review of Bungay Castle in Dark Realms Magazine

2007-01-05T08:55:00.000-08:00

Bungay Castle by Elizabeth Bonhote Edited by Curt Herr Zittaw Press ($14.95) Trade Paperback

Editor Curt Herr invites readers to rediscover a 200-year-old treasure, as he guides us on an exploration of a lesser-known but no less classic tale of gothic romance and mystery in Bungay Castle. Herr, a teacher of gothic literature, explains in his eloquent introduction that this novel, like the castle for which it was named, was "built to last." Herr points out that author Elizabeth Bonhote's reversal of gender stereotypes concept for an 18th century female writer contemporary feminist roles. Herr also footnotes the text throughout for more academic study of its importance since the novel was first published in 1796. The lovely heroine of Bungay Castle is Roseline, a young woman who seeks more to life than what is expected of her. Accompanied by her brother Edwin, she sets out to investigate ghostly sounds emanating from the castle's ancient dungeons. There they discover a true horror from their family's past tragedy, and despair. A must-read for students and fans of gothic literature, Bungay Castle is a prime example of the subtle unease and suspense of the genre.

Christine Filipak
Dark Realms Magazine
http://www.monolithgraphics.com/darkrealms.html

The End of Gothic Chapbook Reproductions

2006-11-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

Zittaw Press sadly announces the end of the series of Gothic chapbook reproductions. For almost four years we have thoroughly enjoyed make reproductions of these rare tales of terror, but as interest in these little productions has waned, we must face reality and cease production. As of February 1st these handmade chapbooks will no longer be made.

There is no doubt that these tales of terror, though, are an important aspect of literary history and Zittaw Press is committed to ensuring that these chapbooks are preserved. Consequently we are looking into offering some of the titles as ebooks available for downloading, as well as the possibility of anthologies or collections, but at this time we are looking into all options.

We have appreciated all your support, patronage and insights. Zittaw Press will continue to publish rare 18th and 19th century Gothic fiction and hope to enable scholars and students of the Gothic access to these rare texts.

Best,
Franz and Serena Potter
Zittaw Press

The Abbess Now Available

2006-10-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

William Henry Ireland's The Abbess is now available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. Enjoy the Gothic!

Edith Birkhead's The Tale of Terror

2006-09-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Zittaw Press is pleased to announce that a new edition of Edith Birkhead's The Tale of Terror: A Study of the Gothic Romance will be published in spring 2007. With an updated introduction and notes, Birkhead's 1921 groundbeaking study will be available to all readers of the Gothic.

New Titles available

2006-09-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Horrors of Oakendale Abbey and Rayland Hall are both now available at online booksellers. Get them while they are hot and start enjoying the holloween buildup.

The demise of some bluebooks

2006-09-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

Effective October 31st, the following Gothic chapbook reproductions will NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE:

Albert of Werdendorf; or, The Midnight Embrace
The Bloody Hand; or, The Fatal Cup
Black Forest or the Cavern of Death
The Horrible Revenge
Maid of Lochlin
The Spectres
Chateau de Montville
The Wandering Spirit

New Chapbooks Now Available

2006-08-27T22:54:00.000-07:00

The following chapbooks are now available: The Mysterious Bottle of Old Hock (1825), Saint Anthony's Flask; or, The Devil's Wine! (1830) and Sarah Wilkinson's The Castle Spectre: An Ancient Baronial Romance (1820) Also now available are two Gothic dramas: Matthew Lewis's The Castle Spectre (1798) and Edward Fitzball's The Devil's Elixir (1829).

The Horrors of Oakendale Abbey is now at the printers and The Abbess and Rayland Hall are on their way soon.

Read More Gothic!

READING THE GOTHIC: The Forgotten Goth

2006-08-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

Our new installment of Reading the Gothic is now available, in this episode we are discussing the forgotten Goth, Francis Lathom.

READING THE GOTHIC: Blood and Morality

2006-08-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Our new installment of Reading the Gothic is now available, in this episode we are discussing Blood and Morality in William Child Green's The Abbot of Montserrat.

The Castle Spectre

2006-07-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Zittaw Press is pleased to announce a new series of reproductions beginning August 7th: Gothic Dramas. The Series will commence with the release of Matthew Lewis's drama The Castle Spectre which will be released together with the Sarah Wilkinson's chapbook adaptation of The Castle Spectre. Other forthcoming titles include the drama The Devil's Elixir; or, The Shadowless Man which will be released with the chapbook Saint Anthony's Flask, Edward Fitz-Ball's The Flying Dutchman; or, The Phantom Ship and Matthew Lewis's One O'Clock; or, The Knight of the Wood Demon. All titles will only be available through our website at www.zittaw.com.

Podcast

2006-07-25T23:02:00.000-07:00

This week's podcast will be slightly delayed as I am out of town. We are enjoying the great response from these casts and appreciate your feedback. Read more Gothic.

READING THE GOTHIC: Adapting Horror

2006-07-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

Our fifth installment of Reading the Gothic is now available, in this episode we are going to be looking at the adaptability and popularity of the Gothic novel. From Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto to Stephen King’s Cell, from James Whale’s Frankenstein to Eli Roth’s The Hostel, the Gothic continues to permeate fiction and film today. Why though? Its not as if the giant helmet that crushed the poor Conrad could illicit more than laughter from today’s readers, and it’s hard to imagine an eighteenth century reader understanding the Zombie effects of a cell phone in Stephen King’s dark wasteland. So how does the Gothic continue to hold its deathlike grip on us? Simple, it adapts, finding what the modern reader finds most horrific and holds it up to the light for us to see.

New German Gothic Series

2006-07-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Zittaw Press is proud to announce the launch of a new series of Ten German Gothic novels that have shaped and influenced their English counterparts. This unique series, under the direction of Norbert Besch and Franz Potter, will begin in 2007 with Matthew Lewis's The Bravo of Venice (1805); from the German of Johann Heinrich Daniel Zschokke.

The other titles will include:

Peter Will: The Victim of Magical Delusion (1795); from the German of Cajetan Tschink.

Joseph Trapp: The Genius; or, the Mysterious adventures of Don Carlos de Grandez (1796) from the German of Carl Grosse.

Anon.: Hermann of Unna (1794); from the German of Christiane Benedicte Eugenie Naubert.

Matthew Gregory Lewis: Feudal Tyrants (1806); from the German of Christiane Benedicte Eugenie Naubert.

John Hinckley: The History of Rinaldo Rinaldini; Captain of Banditti (1800); from the German of Christian August Vulpius.

D. Boileau: The Ghost-seer (1795); from the German of Friedrich von Schiller.

Robert Pierce Gillies: The Devil's Elixir (1824); from the German of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hofmann.

Three Gothic Novels from the German of Veit Weber (i.e. Leonhard Waechter)
Robert Huish: The Sorcerer
Anon.: The Black Valley
James Powell: Wolf; or, The Tribunal of Blood

Anon.: The Dwarf of Westerbourg (1827); from the German of Christian Heinrich Spiess.

A special thanks must go out to Norbert Besch for all his assistance in this forthcoming series as well as contributing to Zittaw Press as a whole. Through his diligent efforts, Zittaw Press has been able to obtain many of the texts republished thus far, and his guidance in this new series is greatly appreciated.

New Gothic titles

2006-07-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

Its wonderful to see the resurrection of the Gothic proceed with such speed suddenly. For years we have been confined to only a small number of non-canonical titles available and now there seems to be new titles finding their way to bookshelves and libraries. Its about time. We have recently added four new titles to our forthcoming list for 2007 including George Moore's Grasville Abbey, Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, Richard Warner's Netley Abbey and Matthew Lewis's The Bravo of Venice which we hope will add to the further study of the Gothic. As usual, if you have any suggestions or projects you would like to suggest, please drop me an email.

READING THE GOTHIC: Garish Supernatual Horrors of The Abbess

2006-07-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

Our fourth podcast of Reading the Gothic is now available, in this episode we discuss William Henry Ireland's The Abbess.

READING THE GOTHIC: Romances and Gothic Tales

2006-07-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Our third podcast of Reading the Gothic is now available, in this episode we discuss Gothic chapbooks.

READING THE GOTHIC: An overview of Zittaw Press

2006-06-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Our second podcast of Reading the Gothic is now available. In this episode we give a brief overview of Zittaw Press, our publications and forthcoming titles.

The Gothic Graphic Novel

2006-06-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Zittaw Press is pleased to announce a new series of Gothic graphic novels to compliment our chapbook reproductions and rare novel reprints beginning next year. The series will feature graphic adaptations of Gothic chapbooks as well as full length novels based on well-known Gothic novels such as The Monk. The concept of a Gothic graphic novel, of course, is not new as there are multiple 'gothic' publications available including Richard Moore’s Boneyard,Roman Dirge’s Lenore and Butch Adams’ Lily – When I Was Dead, but none based on original 18th and 19th century Gothic fiction. However, the idea of illustrating Gothic chapbooks or even novels is not new as this illustration from the chapbook Raymond and Agnes underscores. Simply laid out in an extra large fold out illustration the artist captured several of the most important scenes from the chapbooks and provided the reader with an intimate glance at the characters. Novels, like chapbooks, often contained a frontpiece illustration and latter editions, I am particularly thinking about The Mysteries of Udolpho, contained several illustrated scenes from the novel. Fundamentally, at Zittaw Press we see the adaptability of the Gothic, the way it changes with time. While our main interest in reprinting the Gothic is to allow students, scholars and general readers access to these rare novels, we also want to allow a large audience to participate in discovering the genre and, perhaps, realizing how much the Gothic has influenced modern literature.

Podcast: READING THE GOTHIC

2006-06-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Zittaw Press is now starting a weekly podcast, READING THE GOTHIC, previewing forthcoming titles, spotlighting authors and editors, discussing Gothic novels in the classroom, looking at contemporary Gothic trends and everything and anything Gothic.

Our first attempt, A Preview of The Horrors of Oakendale Abbey, is available here: http://www.zittaw.com/readings1.mp3

Please be kind as we are just learning what to do.

Teaching the Gothic

2006-06-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

It is staggering to think about the growing number of resources those of us who teach the Gothic now have available for our students. Between Zittaw and Valancourt numerous rare texts are now at our finger tips. I started Zittaw Press with the simple goal of making these rare available to students and scholars alike, but now that I am teaching graduate courses on the Gothic though, I am faced with the daunting question of what Gothic novels to utilize in the classroom. The choice is fundamentally between the canonical and the trade, between Radcliffe and Lewis and the mirad of newly published minor (albeit important) novels. So far I have opted for the middle ground with a careful blend of the canonical and the minor (including bluebooks) in an effort to give the students a balanced overview of the genre. Students have overall really enjoyed both Radcliffe and Lewis. The Monk has generally been the favourite with all the sensationalism and horror, not to mention the sex; Radcliffe is equally enjoyed, but the sex usually intrigues the students more. Chosing the right minor novel has been more difficult. Last year I taught two courses on the Gothic and used William Henry Ireland's Gondez the Monk each semester, but with two very different reactions. The first semester I had the students read Radcliffe, Lewis and then Ireland followed by bluebooks and short Gothic tales. The students generally loved both Radcliffe and Lewis, but when it came to Gondez they found the language difficult and the inset tales too labourious. They liked the novel, but could understand why it was considered a minor text. The bluebook and short tales of terror they thoroughly loved, but they were continually haunted by the difficulty of Gondez, which I admit surprised me. The second semester I taught the same novels, but changed the order. I taught short tales of terror and bluebooks first, Gondez second, followed by Lewis and Radcliffe, the simple change was amazing. The short tale and bluebooks were extremely popular as usual, so I was looking forward to Gondez with renewed hope in my students. I was not disappointed in my hopes. The students did in fact immensely enjoy Gondez. They found the historical note intriguing, the sexual politics engaging, it was a hit this time. They likewise found Lewis and Radcliffe fascinating and accessible. They were not haunted by Gondez, but found that it was a stepping stone from the short tales of terror to the canonical. I think I will try some new minor texts this coming semester, but as the list of forgotten Gothic grows the choice is becoming more difficult.

If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Isaac Crookenden/chapbooks

2006-06-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

I recently obtained a copy of Isaac Crookenden's The Horrible Revenge; or, The Monster of Italy which we plan to publish sometime this fall. It is an interesting tale and a wonderful example of how chapbookers utilised various plots from bestselling Gothic novels to create a sensational tale. Crookenden blends the plots of The Monk, The Demon of Sicily and The Mysteries of Udolpho into a cesspool of incest, depravity and filth, strangely attractive to 19th century readers as it is to modern readers.

Isaac Crookenden, along with Sarah Wilkinson, was a major producer of Gothic tales of terror. Nothing is really known about this author, or if that was even his name. He wrote numerous chapbooks including Fatal Secrets; or, Etherlinda de Salmoni, The Italian Banditti; or, The Secret History of Henry and Matilda, The Spectre of the Turret; or, Guolto Castle, The Skeleton; or, the Mysterious Discovery and The Mysterious Murder; or, The Usurper of Naples. His style though is distinctly different from Wilkinson. Where Wilkinson seeks to blend the supernatural with the didactic seamlessly, Crookenden enjoys piling supernatual terrors upon subterranean horrors, the erotic with the religious. The end though is the same, tales of terrors that excite and thrill the reader.

Gothic Mysteries

2006-06-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have been reading the letters of Sarah Wilkinson to the Royal Literary Fund with a mind to The Spectre of Lanmere Abbey. There are some fascinating mysteries that surround her life and I am determined to solve them. Literature, moreover, the Gothic, is full of mysteries. The author's lives are certainly intriguing and Wilkinson's is no different. Indeed, most of Wilkinson's works were autobiographical and therein lies some of the mysteries, what is real and what is an illusion. Perhaps it is the mysteries that surround the Gothic which make it still important.

Spectre of Lanmere Abbey

2006-06-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

I recently obtained a copy of Sarah Wilkinson's 1820 novel The Spectre of Lanmere Abbey; or, The Mystery of the Blue and White Bag; A Romance which Zittaw Press plans to publish. I first read the novel as I sat in the Rare Books reading room in the British Library several years ago. There was something amazing turning the yellowed paper and soaking in the simple, almost autobiographical nature of the novel. I only had two days to read it and take copious notes before returning to Norwich, but those hours are literally etched upon my memory. Why? It's not that the narrative is innovative, the prose magical, it is more, it was actually alive for me, the scenes that Wilkinson describes, the dirty streets of London, the lush Welsh countryside, the small school room. I had just finished researching Wilkinson's life. I had literally troved the archives and streets of London looking for clues to her mysterious life. I traced where she lived, where she was born and of course where she died. I was shocked to discover that every phyisical location of Wilkinson's life was gone, destroyed by war or progress. Wilkinson lived most of her life in Westminster London, down the street from the archives I searched was her circulating library, now a Victorian building. Several of the boarding houses she lived in are not large blocks of flats, the church where she was buried, destroyed in the war, the workhouse she died in, gone. All physical reminders of her life were gone, except the book that I held in my hands those two days, her legacy, if you could call it that, rested in unread, unresearched books. In the Rare Books room I remember making a vow, probably under my breath, that I would make sure she was remembered, that atleast her books, nearly 200 years after her death would live on. Cheesy as it may be, I will keep that vow. Zittaw Press will publish Lanmere Abbey and other novels as we have done with just a few of her chapbooks. She does need to be remembered, if not for her literary skills, for the hard work of being a female novelist and living by the pen.

The Baron's Daughter

2006-05-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

I have been working on the Zittaw website for the last few days. The semester has ended and I have two uninterupted months to devote to my own research and catching up with Zittaw material, so I finally turned my attention to updating the site. We also now have a preliminary cover for Isabella Kelly's The Baron's Daughter, but continue tweaking the edges. Covers, as I indicated in my last entry are so important, we do judge the content by them. I decided that the cover of this particular 19th century novel should be modern in its appearance rather than a painting, etching or such. The book really demands it as the characters are rather timeless in their behaviour and thoughts and why shouldn't we see these characters as everybodies, as the girl next door, the guy down the street, the people we see, but cannot be? The Gothic is really timeless, the fears they generate, the social norms they challenge, the questions they raise. Our last title, Bungay Castle by Elizabeth Bonhote is the perfect example of this balance. The heroes and heroine are typical teenagers, fighting the authority of their parents, looking for love, disappointed in love, finding adventure, and discovering their sexual awareness. These issues defy classification to one literary genre or another, they really tell the story of ourselves and it is precisely that point that makes them interesting.

Anyhow, I am including the new cover, if you have a response, let me know, its just an idea.

Pulp Covers

2006-05-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

I just read the most interesting article on Slate.com Pulp the Classics about pulp covers for classic literature. What a fantastic idea! The pulp and the Gothic, of course, are the perfect bedfellows. Lurid, sexual, garish and over-the-top, these 1950's covers still speak volumes about the modern reader. They highlight the sensual and the violent, the aspects most pleasing to readers looking for sensationalism rather than substance. This, of course, relates prefectly to the Gothic. Readers of the Gothic were likewise unsophisicated looking for the sensational and the horrific as well as the moralistic and didactic.

Perhaps Zittaw Press should think about the pulp as it republishes the Gothic. What does the modern readers want from the old Gothic novels? The lurid? The sexual? What does this tell us about readers two hundred years ago? What does this tell us about ourselves?