Karen Graham's Avatar

Karen Graham

@kartook.bsky.social

PhD in myth, religious studies, and fantasy fiction. Expertise on Wicked, fairy tales, and transmedial adaptation. 1/3 of the Danse Macabre project on gothic dance. QA and Acreditations Manager in HE. Mum of 2 kids with additional needs.

102 Followers  |  46 Following  |  27 Posts  |  Joined: 03.10.2023  |  1.9268

Latest posts by kartook.bsky.social on Bluesky

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For Day 22 of #31DaysofMacbreDanse, we have the Danse Macabre crew on Romancing the Gothic (www.youtube.com/@RomancingTh...). The image is from our screening of Guy Maddin's 'Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary' (see Day 15) for Dracula in Derby conference.

21.10.2025 20:43 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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A belated day 20 of #31DaysofMacabreDanse with the classic novel of death, a young woman and dance: 'Bruges-la-Morte' (1892) by Georges Rodenbach. The narrative follows a widower haunted by his dead wife, and still living amongst her relics.
Image: Fernand Khnopff's cover design, 1892.

21.10.2025 20:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Our Dancing Dead Girl for Day 17 of #31DaysOfMacabreDanse is Monster High's Draculaura. Daughter of Dracula, our girl is harbouring a secret; she might be a Vampire but she's also a Witch and the two are mortal enemies.

17.10.2025 18:29 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Day 15 of #31DaysofMacabreDanse and it's Guy Maddin's 'Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary' (2002), a film of Royal Winnipeg's Baller adaptation of 'Dracula' (1897). Filmed in the silent film tradition, the addition of colours - golden, green and red - add depth and symbolism.

15.10.2025 20:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Still of the female dancers from season two of So You Think You Can Dance, dressed in zombie makeup and dance hall style costumes

Still of the female dancers from season two of So You Think You Can Dance, dressed in zombie makeup and dance hall style costumes

Day 9 of #31DaysOfMacabreDanse, and our dancing dead girls are stitching a seam across the eye. Season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance in 2006 gave us a zombie group number to Ramalama (Bang Bang) by Roรญsรญn Murphy

09.10.2025 19:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Day 8 of #31DaysofMacabreDanse and we wonder 'to sleep, perchance to dream' (Hamlet, 3:1) with 'La Sonnambula'. Premiering in 1946, at the City Center of Music and Drama, New York, it was created by George Balanchine.

08.10.2025 21:28 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

It took me ages to get those screenshots from the video. I'm rather pleased with myself for this one.

04.10.2025 21:34 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Over on the Danse Macabre socials, we are about to start our epic annual daily gothic dance post for the whole of October. Follow along on twitter, bluesky, or Instagram with #31DaysOfMacabreDanse for a whole month on Dancing Dead Girls.

01.10.2025 18:36 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Correction, the original had Ms McKenzie as 33.

20.09.2025 11:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Gearing up for reliving my youth with my baby sis at Busted v McFly in a couple of weeks. I can't decide how I feel about What I Go To School For 2.0 updating Ms Mckenzie's age from 23 to 53. But I am very much looking forward to hearing 3am with Charlie's love vocal.

20.09.2025 09:30 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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Gothic Selves/Artificial Others 18th Biennual Conference of the International Gothic Association: 28-31 July, 2026. Hull, UK

Heads up @igagoths.bsky.social - delighted to announce the CFP for IGA 2026: 'Gothic Selves/Artificial Others' hosted at the University of Hull 28-31 July! hullgothic.wordpress.com

18.09.2025 14:04 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 40    ๐Ÿ” 29    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 6

I have just seen someone post "I guess some of you do mourn the wicked" referencing Charlie Kirk and I cannot articulate how mad that makes me. Never mind media literacy and subtext is dead, this next generation can't even undersand the absolute surface reading of a text that's spoon fed to them.

11.09.2025 20:36 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

For those of you wondering if Im doing any better at knowing when it is: I have been convinced all morning that it is (still) Thursday.

05.09.2025 08:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

It also started pelting down and I only have my denim jacket cos gig. It's like the Universe doesn't want me to go out ๐Ÿ˜ญ

04.09.2025 16:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ah shit. So it is.

04.09.2025 16:08 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I have an old school pair of Mary Jane DMs in the real leather from before everything outsourced to China and I am ashamed that I haven't persevered with breaking them in despite know betting and having broken in 3 other pairs since they were bought. It's the ankles that are my downfall.

04.09.2025 15:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Scotrail it is August and 17ยฐ out. Why in the name of all that is holy is the heating on in this train?!? I worked hard on my make up, I do not want it melted off by the time I get where I'm going.

04.09.2025 15:48 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I'm so sorry, Dan.

09.08.2025 07:24 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Patrick McGrathโ€™s Gothic Fiction: An Introduction with Tatiana Farjado An introduction to the Gothic work of author Patrick McGraph

What's this?

An exciting talk introducing you to the Gothic work of Patrick McGrapth?

Free!? Online?

This Saturday at 10am and 7pm BST

10 - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1018472016...

7 - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1018513399...

31.07.2025 21:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 15    ๐Ÿ” 8    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

It doesn't matter if they are ever coming for you.

It was always ever already too much that they were coming for anyone.

10.07.2025 00:28 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 17585    ๐Ÿ” 4754    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 120    ๐Ÿ“Œ 123
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Israeli embassy 'deeply disturbed' by Bob Vylan's 'death to the IDF' Glastonbury chant The government and the Tories have condemned the outburst - which happened in front of thousands at the festival's West Holts Stage.

Itโ€™s exhausting thst our govt is quicker & more vociferous in condemning chants vs the indiscriminate murder of innocent civilians inc thousands of children. Whatever you think abiut the chanting, there must be a part of you that can see the IDFโ€™s actions are worse. ๐Ÿงต news.sky.com/story/israel...

29.06.2025 05:36 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 300    ๐Ÿ” 75    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 13    ๐Ÿ“Œ 11

You can try and tell me that representation doesn't make a difference, and we should concentrate on bigger things but my little girl is currently watching Spiritbox's set from Rock Am Ring and is blown away by Courtney LaPlante and that a girl can do that.

22.06.2025 12:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Well, Hull's got a lot to live up to if the IGA goth disco is to beat the Dracula Returns to Derby Monster Mash.

18.05.2025 00:27 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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a cup of tea is being poured from a teapot on a saucer ALT: a cup of tea is being poured from a teapot on a saucer

Join the @bavs-uk.bsky.social Early Career Reps today on Zoom at 2.30 - 3.30pm (BST) for Tea Time - an informal chat about all things Victorian and postdoc ๐Ÿซ– โ˜•๏ธ DM me for link ๐Ÿ”—

07.05.2025 08:06 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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An Open Letter of Solidarity With the Trans Community from UK Writers An Open Letter of Solidarity With the Trans Community from UK Writers The UK Supreme Court ruling of 16th April 2025 was the result of a coordinated and privately funded attack on the human rights an...

over 1500 UK writers including caryl churchill, hollie mcnish, michaela coel & max porter (pick your genre) signed this letter and call to action in support of the trans community. if youโ€™re a UK writer, sign. if you know a UK writer, send it to โ€˜em!

docs.google.com/document/u/0...

22.04.2025 23:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 200    ๐Ÿ” 134    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 4

Post your gender in gif form.

23.04.2025 06:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

If youโ€™re a cis woman in the UK and youโ€™re not now terrified that a male police officer has a ready excuse to take off all your clothes (โ€˜I thought she was trans!โ€™) then you donโ€™t understand how the erosion of trans rights is also the erosion of womenโ€™s rights.

19.04.2025 11:10 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 90    ๐Ÿ” 24    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Hereโ€™s a protest involving many thousands of people which will be met with total silence in the media, in stark contrast to the champagne popping photos of half a dozen vile bigots being plastered everywhere

19.04.2025 15:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 379    ๐Ÿ” 166    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 8    ๐Ÿ“Œ 4

Drinking half a bottle of tequila with your Hubs seems like a good idea until 7am the next morning when the kids want breakfast. I make a damn good margarita though.

06.04.2025 07:11 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Since this has come up today elsewhere I figured I'd share.

No human being is illegal. (To the tune of "Yes, its okay to punch nazis" by Cheap Perfume)

26.03.2025 15:38 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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