[The Green Hand] EVENT: Vampires of New England! MONDAY!

[Michelle Souliere]

WHAT:
Vampires of New England and Stoker on Stoker

WHERE:
Port City Music Hall, 504 Congress Street, Portland, ME
WHEN:
Monday, October 20 @ 8:00pm
COST:
$12.00 general admission
FMI:
www.portcitymusichall.com

So here we are at Halloweentime again, that most magical time of year for those in love with spooky things! You don't have to wait 'til Halloween night to get things going -- au contraire! The Green Hand Bookshop is pleased to announce that in less than a week, on Monday, October 20th, Port City Music Hall is hosting a Draculicious event which should appeal to those of you who are fans of Dracula and those of you who (like me) are very intrigued by the eerie history of New England. TWO FOR ONE!!!

First, you get a rare chance to experience Dacre Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Dracula’s author, Bram Stoker. He will be giving a presentation entitled “STOKER ON STOKER.” During the course of the evening, he will share his family’s perspective on the mysteries behind the writing of DRACULA. With him he brings seldom-seen historic images from his own collection. Dacre is also the co-author of Dracula the Un-Dead, a sequel to his great-granduncle's gothic masterpiece. I can attest that the book is a fast-paced, dramatic revisitation of the story, taking place as college-aged Quincey Harker begins to get the idea (perhaps a little too late) that his parents haven't been telling him everything about their past. If you'd like to get a copy of Dacre's book for yourself, I do have it here at the shop available for purchase.

Next on the menu is the latest production of Historical Haunts. Their award-winning documentary, Vampires of New England, directed by Alec Asten, explores the strange truths of New England’s undead. Those of you who have read my Strange Maine blog over the years know that Maine is among the New England states that had a strange outlook on vampirism in the 1800's, most notably in Penobscot County*. Perhaps this is one of the reasons Maine was chosen as the setting for the Dark Shadows dramatic franchise, and Stephen King's evil epic Salem's Lot...?

The film includes interview clips with many experts, including Michael Bell, author of the excellent Food for the Dead: On the Trail of New England's Vampires. Filmed in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, the documentary examines the folkloric roots of vampires in New England, and the responses of New England's early citizens to the idea (and reality?) of vampires residing alongside them in their newly settled land.

This is the second film by Historical Haunts, continuing their mission to produce films based on real characters and places from American folklore. Interwoven with supernatural or macabre elements, their engaging tales are anchored in history, and inspire and entertain family audiences. If you can't make this showing in Portland, Maine, there are a few others on their calendar of events! http://www.histhaunts.com/

Port City recommends that you bring garlic or vampire-repellant of your choice for this fun-filled event. Halloween attire welcome!

*: To read Christopher Dunham's Strange Maine post on medical cannibalism in Penobscot County, click here: http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/2005/11/medical-cannibalism-in-penobscot.html

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Posted By Michelle Souliere to The Green Hand at 10/17/2014 01:18:00 PM