Vampires in Literature, History, and Film

A Discovery Core Experience

May be taken as BCORE 104 (Arts & Humanities)

About This Course

In this course, we’ll track portrayals of vampires through several centuries of history. We will look at vampiric figures in global folklore and consider how scientists, sociologists, and anthropologists came to research and account for vampire lore. We will read all or part of various works of literature featuring vampires from the 19th-21st centuries, and we will also see how the vampire came to be a recurring figure onscreen beginning in the earliest days of film (and later extending into television). Students in the class will develop skills in literary and media analysis, historical inquiry, and critical thinking, as well as getting some practice using UW Bothell’s library resources in order to conduct some independent research into a vampire-related topic of their choice.

Course Outcomes

  • Students will gain knowledge of folklore, history, and literary history.
  • Students will hone skills in critical thinking, critical reading, and literary analysis.
  • Students will develop and refine their skills in writing for a variety of audiences and contexts.
  • Students will gain familiarity with UW Bothell campus resources, including the physical and online library resources.
  • Students will acquire experience and resources intended to help demystify the unwritten expectations for being a student at the college level.

Jessica Campbell, Ph.D.

School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences

About Dr. Campbell

Jessica Campbell has been teaching classes in literature, writing, film, and literary theory since 2009. She has a BA in English and American Literatures from Middlebury College and a PhD in English Literature and Culture from UW Seattle. She has published articles on a lot of topics, including the Brontë family, Charles Dickens, fairy tales & folklore, the TV show Mad Men, and lesbian history; she published a book called The Brontës and the Fairy Tale. In her teaching, Jessica wants students to work hard and also have fun; she hopes you read something that makes you think about the world in a different way. She also tries to make expectations very clear, and when she says you should email her to ask for help, she really means it!

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