So tonight was Halloween. Amazingly, I had only one classic vampire ring my door bell ala Bela Lugosi or perhaps Frank Langella from the 1979 remake of Dracula. One mummy, a vacuum cleaner salesman, Guns N Roses rocker Slash, a couple of smurfs, a skeleton, a gorilla, a football player, several cheerleaders, four girls who called their costumes "Divas", a policeman, a fireman, a nurse, a gangster, a dog, a doctor--very few were fictional characters, let alone classic monsters. Amazed, I realized that the children trick -or-treating tonight are NOT part of the vampire craze; they are the next generation, a generation who seems to have a much more realistic focus...at least, for now.
It's well known that the tween-teen audience drives pop culture; USA Weekend published an article featuring Miley Cyrus early last fall saying much the same. Most of the children who rang my doorbell tonight were anywhere from 2-12, most were between 6-10. I had approximately 45 or so kids show up for the treats and thankfully, I suffered no tricks. Six bags of candy later, with less than one bag remaining, I began to wonder why there were no Bellas, no Edwards, no Jacobs. Is Twilight losing its foothold like its predecessor, Harry Potter? Is that why Chris Weitz (who's brother Paul directed the recent release, Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant), insisted on continuous shooting for the Twilight saga, knowing that all good things must come to an end, and Twilight, though about the pursuit of immortality, finds itself mortal after all?
Though there's still no date for Breaking Dawn, as decisions are made about splitting the book into two films, Eclipse already has a release date set for spring 2010. The Harry Potter film franchise rolls on but there is a decidedly less-excited audience for the films than when the wizard-craze first hit the States. Of course, Harry Potter had seven books while Meyer's saga is only four. But still, it is remarkable how quickly this literary phenom is burning out. Though perhaps it's less remarkable than I imagine, given the inconsustency in Meyer's writing in the first book, and the overall disappointment with what happens in the last book. What I saw tonight reflected in the children dressed up for Halloween, was that all the hype about Twilight, including the newly devised Twi-Con in the spirit of Comicon, is really just that--hype. One of my very good colleagues anfd friends recently said, "It is the time of the vampire..." and I don't doubt it with Twilight, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, The Vampire's Assistant, and a number of other new releases coming out in 2010 that have to do with the supernatural. But ultimately, we're seeing the results of work that started several years ago. Essentially, the time of the vampire is almost over. After all the buzz dies down and the dust settles, what will be left of the vampire-craze? Will vampires still be the reigning kings and queens of pop culture? Or, will the next new thing, already in process, render vamps toothless?
What always seems to drive storylines is a relatable hero. Among the costumed kiddies were several Super Girls and one young lady dressed as Bat Girl. While comic book superheroes have been enjoying the limelight since 9/11, geared for mostly male audiences, is it possible that a resurrgence is headed our way, and the young ladies portraying the female superheroes are the prophets of the next new thing in pop culture? I hope so. It would be refreshing to see female superheroes like the ones in Singer's X-Men, strong and independent, instead of the patriarchal pigeon-holing in examples like Catwoman and Elektra, where one saves the world from face cream (pathetic), the the other, becoming lost and disillusioned (disheartening to those who want to be strong and independent)--both left audiences feeling like female superheo flicks were not the ticket to relatable empowerment-escapism. Sad (because I love Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner--you go , Girls!), but still true. However, in the gold lame of Super Girl's cape, I saw a glint of the future, and the future is bright indeed with shades of independence and strength that willusher in the time of the girl-hero.
On that note, I bid you a hopeful good night...well, good morning at this point. Though Meyer refuses to finish Midnight Sun, it still rises for me!
Until the next time--take care,
Rebecca
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Wow! What a great night! The talk started at 6pm; we began with about 8 people and the crowd grew to 20 by the time we finished. The talk turned into a discussion with true Twilight fans in attendance. We talked about everything from why Victoria will be Bryce Dallas Howard in Eclipse, to why vampires are so hot in pop culture right now. The Buffalo fans are terrific! I was invited to come back in spring to sign books for the True Blood & Philosophy release by Dawn, Jim and the rest of the Amherst B&N staff, who were incredibly supportive. Special thanks to Dawn, who was really helpful. You can see a picture of Dawn & I on the Fan Photos page; Dawn is in an argyle orange sweater for the Halloween event the store had earlier in the day.
The Amherst B&N had a really eclectic group of bibliophile-patrons; there was an area, near the signing, with an indoor fireplace surrounded by wooden chairs where you could sit and read by the fire. I came to the store early and was amazed at how many people come to the store as a social outlet--people were meeting to study, do homework, discuss books, and of course, come see an author/editor give a talk! The Starbucks was right near the area set up for the talk/signing so as the talk continued, patrons were drawn to the sitting area. The atmosphere was wonderfully casual and comfortable; people came and went as time allowed. I found it a terrific venue for a talk, where I could really get to know Twilight fans better. Earlier in the day, I had opportunity to talk briefly at Niagara County Community College, located about 10 minutes or so from the Amherst B&N off of Niagara Falls Blvd. NCCC is a terrific school with a great English faculty; my thanks to Suzanne Buffamanti, Ian Stapley and Jim Murphy for their gracious hospitality. I love meeting fans and love learning what you want to read; if you get a chance, post a comment on the blog. It's a great way for me to hear from you! Quick True Blood & Philosophy Update: The Introduction is titled, "If a Tree Falls in the Woods, it's Still a Tree, Ain't it?" from one of the final episodes of Season 2, where Jason talks to Andy about their heroism during the Mary Anne debacle. The first sentence includes another Jason Stackhouse quote: "I just want to lick your mind....." :) And the rest of the book is just as delectable--I promise! Follow me on Twitter @DocHousel for more Twilight, True Blood and Undead updates. I also post about environmental issues, health and wellness, and reputable charities that pertain to both. To me, nothing is more important than connecting with the world by helping the people living in it, and the natural environment that allows us to do so. Thanks, again, to Dawn and Jim at the Amherst B&N on Niagara Falls Blvd! Thanks, also, to the fans--you are terrific Twilighters, and I enjoyed getting to meet you all! Stay well! Rebecca October has been a long month of signings and lectures for Twilight & Philosophy and X-Men & Philiosophy. This weekend, I wrap up the fall tour in Buffalo, New York. Saturday, October 24th, I'll be at the Amherst Barnes & Noble from 6-8pm. Prior to the signing, I'll speak briefly at Niagara County Community College.
Updates on the site: Check out the "Fan Photos" page to see TONS of new sh0ts from the Rochester signing. Thanks to Courtney Ceci Havron Garrow for taking the candids (and for flying in from LI for the signing!!!).The fans in Rochester are awesome! We tried to take as many fan photos as possible but we didn't catch everyone. Take a look and see if you can find yourself or someone you know! Pics from the Buffalo signing will be posted next week. Today's post will be brief; I promise to write more next week for those of you checking for updates. Thank you for your emails! I love hearing from you. Feel free to comment on the blog posts as well. There's so much happening in everyone's lives, and no one recognizes that better than I do. However, I'm hopeful that October finds many of you thinking about how you can give back , or how you might help others who find themselves in less fortunate situations...like those with cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and you'll find many opportunities to purchase products at major retailers like Sephora, Coach, Ann Taylor, Coldwater Creek, Oakley, Estee Lauder, New Balance, and more where some portion of the proceeds from your sale go to places like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Young Survivor's Coalition, or the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. While it's wonderful to shop at places donating monies to cancer causes, it is perhaps more wonderful to write a check for as little as $10 directly to your favorite breast cancer charity. That's something you can do anytime of year. I call your attention to this simply because there are so many wonderful causes out there that the temptation to buy yourself a pair of new kicks from New Balance in October might make you feel as though you've done you're part. And certainly, it's wonderful to shop products with a purpose, but your efforts are still needed elsewhere. In our society of instant gratification, buying a pair of Oakleys or a Coach bag for a cause seems to fill that niche nicely--where you give and receive, and all at the same time! My caveat comes in with this: There is no such thing as instant gratification. Buy Oakleys or a Coach bag or that super cute lip gloss from Clinique at Sephora if you'd like, but also find a way to commit at least some of your time to helping people who need it. No matter where you are in life, you can reach out to those in need more directly than doing what you normally do in a shopping mall. One of the ways I use my talents to help others is by developing a website and webmastering the site for a grass roots charity that benefits a regional family who lost their mother to breast cancer and also raises money for another local organization that helps women with breast cancer get the money they need for treatment. You can check it out: www.StephsFund.org I started the site several years ago. I also post frequent updates on Twitter about charitable opportunities for a variety of causes; this month, of course, the focus has been on breast cancer. The other way I volunteer my talents is by helping local students who need assistance with writing college essays and other application materials for scholarships and financial aid; I've helped close to 200 students over the last five years in this way, not only in gaining admission to college, but also, get some kind of grants or scholarships to help with tuition as well. So consider what might work best within your busy life; if it's buying that Coach bag or pair of pants for a cause--that's great. But think about at least one other direct way you might reach out. We are all limited by a variety of circumstances; perhaps this isn't the year for you to do more. My best hope is that you find some way to interact with others in need; not only is it inspiring to your life and those you share your life with, it's also the most remarkable thing we can do as human beings. Everything else is sort of meaningless if we let our lives pass us by without doing more for others. Best wishes! See you in Buffalo on Saturday! Rebecca Thank you to Penny, Robert and Lindsay at the Pittsford B&N in Rochester, New York for a thoroughly wonderful experience. Sixty people (!!!) attended the lecture and signing on Friday, 10/16/09 from 7-9pm. It was standing room only as the chairs quickly filled for the lecture on how artificial representations of reality, like Twilight, might affect real people and therefore real life. A hearty discussion followed the 40-minute talk. During the signing after the lecture, helpers were grabbing books off the wall to fill the fan requests for more autographed copies. It was amazing!
Thanks to all of my beloved studets, family and friends who came in support of the reading; and thanks, of course, to the fans! You ROCK!!! Check out the new "and philosophy" link added to the "Links" page, featuring all the books in the Blackwell Series. There's a YouTube interview for the Twilight book as well; the prblem is, the Skype recording wasn't clear apparently, so my answers to the questions asked by the Wiley interviewer come from different mouths than mine--which is weird. Other than the surreal feeling of seeing my words come out of someone else's mouth, it's cool to see that there is more publicity happening for the Blackwell Series books. In other news, I will be speaking briefly at te Niagara County Community College New York College English Association Conference on Saturday, 10/24/09 and will be doing a book signing for the Twilight book that evening at the Amherst B&N from 6-8pm. And...the Twilight book recently sold global rights for an audio book! That's right--we're going AUDIO! Listen to us in your car, n a train, in a plane...anywhere! For frequent updates on Twilight and True Blood, including spolier alerts and other related pop culture news, follow 'DocHousel' on TWITTER! I've had the opportunity recently to have some major epiphanies, one of which is that we all set our own worth. My success is limited only by me, a pattern I hope to break very soon with the help of an agent I've been in touch with who is interested in my young adult novel. They say diversification is the best way to insure ou get a return on your investments; putting all your stock into only one option can seem counterintuitive. BUT, if you diversify your talents, stretching yourself so thin you can't even blow your nose, what kind of a return can you expect? Not much. SO, if you have a talent, nuture it. Stick with it. Don't let the world make you believe you "have to" do this or that or the other thing to "make it". Nurture your best talent; put all your energies into that one thing--you'll see, the return will be ten times that of any more diversified portfolio out there. Remember, I'm talking about talent, not economics. :) Best wishes! More next week.... Rebecca Well, Dorothy was right--there really is no place like home! Thanks to Maura, David and the staff at the Prudential Barnes & Noble in Boston on Boylston for the warm welcome. Thanks especially to all the wonderful fans I got to meet and greet. Stephenie Meyer is one lucky lady to have people like you as her audience. While I'm thanking people, thanks to all the family and friends who came out that night to buy my book including Karen, Amy, Sydney, Kim, Andrew, Evan, Larry, Mom, Dad, Ethan, Jaime, Jarrod, Margaret, Paul K., Auntie Andrea, Uncle Paul...shout out to Georgia from the Ross Simons store, and fans Carlos, Anna, Kathryn...I was overwhelmed by the response to the signing. My warmest appreciation to the people of Boston who made me feel more than welcome, they made me feel like I was home again.
And in many ways, I was. Canton High School invited me to come speak to five classes on October 9th. I went to CHS from grades 10-12 as a transfer student. Thanks to Mr. Devoid, Miss Ashley, Dr. Dias (world's best high school Principal!), Mr. Farrell, Ms. Hays, and Mrs. Roache for your gracious hospitality. Though the faculty and administration at CHS are awesome, better still are the students...you'll find some shots on the "Fan Photos" page taken by CHS students (one of the group shots of Ms. Ashley's class was actually taken by the Superintendent of Canton Schools, Dr. John D'Auria--thanks, Dr. D.!). I wanted to take a moment to talk to Ms. Ashley's class, who I know read the website and blog, and say how much I enjoyed meeting all of you; you are all remarkable individuals. I was honored to be invited to speak to you and look forward to hearing from you as you continue your life journey. Ms. Ashley's class--you ROCK! And so do all the enthusiastic students I spoke to on Friday--special thanks to my photographers--look out Annie Liebowitz! What was terrific about this weekend was that I also had the pleasure of attending my 20th high school reunion. It was like looking in 150 mirrors...and I liked what was reflected back at me. My high school class had all the usual suspects, jocks--both girls and boys; bullies--both girls and boys; the "popular" kids; and of course, the inevitable individuals who end up along the margins. Twenty years can change a lot of things--and everyone was more "grown up" with families, jobs, educations--but the individuals I saw again were all good people, and always were good people. That didn't change, and I hope it never does. I was sad to learn that we lost a classmate, Jimmy Tribiani, to cancer. I am an eighteen-year survivor of three cancer diagnoses. Tommy Lane, arguably one of the cutest boys in school (who never seemed to notice me too much), was genuinely happy to see me, grabbing me up into a hearty hug. We spoke of our lives--and he noticed my cane. I told him it was from the removal of a brain tumor and his face visibly fell. He was truly concerned. He was also concerned to learn that I live in New York and hoped my residence in the state did not include being a Yankees fan.... :) But these are my people. These are my peers. My friend Chuck was there, Lauren, Danielle, Sandra, Paul, Steve, and Kerry--who squeezed me so tightly I could barely breathe (which was one of the nicest moments that night--thanks, Kerry!)--and so many others like Sam, Janet, Bridget, Judy, Nicole, too many to name here. The tallest boy in our class was 6'4" tall--the same height my son is today; he was on the basketball team, always quiet, always kind--I was happy to hear he bought a house around the corner from the home where I spent many happy days, and lives there now with his lovely wife and children--his red hair still as fiery as ever. My life took me elsewhere after high school--I had not seen most of the people in that room since the day we all graduated and went our separate ways. There were still those insular individuals who didn't seem to transcend their 18-year old selves, but those were few and far between. The people I spoke to , the people I had the pleasure of connecting with once again, are terrific individuals contributing to society in meaningful ways, whether through politics, as teachers, lawyers, business people, nurses, stay at home moms, journalists, scientists, police officers, and so many other ways I don't even know about. Two-hundred people graduated from our class; those 200 people all went on to lead full lives and do good for others. It was nice to see. I was touched by the instant recognitrion I received from so many, even though I lost my name tag within the first three minutes (some things never change...). My final words need to convey how very honored I am to be a part of that classy class. Go Bulldogs! I may be red all over but I'll always be green and white on the inside.... Live well! In 20 years, when you have the opportunity to look into 150 mirrors, I hope integrity is what's reflected back. Rebecca Hello!
I wanted to thank alll the Wilkes-Barre fans, and, those who drove to Wilkes-Barre for the signing from places like Philadelphia(!). It was so great meeting all of you; I enjoyed talking to people like Ann Marie and her husband, meeting Nina and her mom, signing books for Domanique, and so many others! When you upload your pics, please email a few! I also wanted to thank Donna Wench and the B&N Wilkes-Barre staff for giving me such a warm welcome. Anytime you'd like me to come back, I'm there! The people of Wilkes-Barre are some of the nicest people on the planet. And the Arena Hub Barnes & Noble is HUGE and beautiful and filled with bibliophiles from all walks of life whose kindnesses left me with a feeling of real joy. One lovely lady walked over to the table just to congratulate me and shake my hand, wishing me luck with my future writing...another customer came over to welcome me to Wilkes-Barre...there were so many great people to meet and greet and I loved every minute of the experience. All told, I signed about 45 books in an hour and a half. So thanks Wilkes-Barre! And thanks to Melissa and her sister for driving all the way from Philly to get their copy of the book signed! That was impressive--especially since Philly is over an hour and a half away! Friday, October 9th is a signing at Boston's Prudential Center Barnes & Noble on Boylston Street. The fun begins at 5pm; I'm looking forward to signing books in my hometown--Go Red Sox! Go Pats! Of course, some of my most loyal fans are Yankee-fans, so we love all the New York teams, too. And New York has been my home for the better part of the last two decades--there's no place like it. The weather is turning cold and my thoughts are turning to my next book project, True Blood & Philosophy. We're cooking up the Table of Contents and Introduction this week; the week after, I'll begin writing. We will begin production in mid-January, so stay warm this fall and winter by catching up on your Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris and watching the first two seasons of HBO's True Blood--it's a wicked good time! You can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DocHousel to read about sneak peeks at the third season of True Blood, or to hear tidbits about the third movie in the Twilight film franchise coming out in spring 2010, Eclipse. Thanks, again, to Donna at the Wilkes-Barre B&N and all the great fans who showed up for the signing! I had an absolute blast. Stay tuned for the True Blood book in spring, and a few surprises I can't yet reveal.... ;) Be true to yourself, and no one can prevent your success! Rebecca |
About the AuthorRebecca Housel, Ph.D., known as "The Pop Culture Professor" (TM), is an international best-selling author and editor in nine languages and 100 countries. Rebecca, listed in the Directory of American Poets & Writers for her work in nonfiction, was nominated by Prevention magazine essayist and best-selling author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot, to the National Association of Science Writers for her work on cancer. Rebecca has published with best-selling author of The Accidental Buddhist, Dinty Moore's literary nonfiction journal, Brevity, and with commercial publications like Redbook magazine and online journals like In Media Res. Her recent interviews appear in publications such as the LA Times, Esquire, USA TODAY, The Huffington Post, Inside Higher Ed, Woman's World magazine, and Marie Claire as well as on FOX news, and NBC. Former President of the New York College English Association, Housel was a professor in both Atlanta and New York, teaching popular culture, film, creative writing, literature, and medical humanities. Dr. Housel currently works on the Editorial Advisory Boards for the Journal of Popular Culture and the Journal of American Culture; she has also worked as a reviewer for Syracuse University Press and Thomson Wadsworth. A writer of all genres, Housel has written and published both fiction and nonfiction in over ten books and 398 articles, essays, book chapters, book reviews, and encyclopedia entries. Archives
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