The painting is L’ombre de Samuel apparaissant à Saül chez la pythonisse d’Endor by 17th-century painter Salvator Rosa. Rosa inspired dozens of English novelists of the macabre. They, in turn, influenced new generations of Gothicists on both sides of the Atlantic, and the influence wore on through to the early 20th-century avant-garde, to hardboiled detective fiction and noir, to rock and electronic music, and, of course, to Goths. It wasn’t a straight or accessible path, and of course there were other branches, but that isn’t my concern here.
I had high hopes when I transitioned my “personal blog” into a “Gothic blog” last June, and it’s certainly has been fun to step into the genre more systematically. But… I made some bad calls, and overestimated this, and underestimated that, and anyway, there isn’t an easy way to say this, so I’m just going to play Mad Libs with someone else’s breakup letter:
Dear Gothic Blog,
I can no longer continue our relationship. I have always respected your soul, but I can’t solve your problems. Mostly, I cannot even understand what you are saying!! Most of my friends don’t like you and that’s a problem. When we started seeing each other, I though you could introduce me to some cool people, too, but that hasn’t happened either! Usually we just hang-out at your house, and while that’s fun, I need more. For myself. And for my blog.
I must also admit that I have cheated on you twice while we’ve been together, and that’s not fair to either of us. I’m sorry.
Please return the picture of me that I sent to you, where I’m standing on the roof in Brooklyn with a beer and a photo of Matthew Lewis’ “The Monk.”
Thanks, and have a great life!!
Love, Connor
Phew! There. That was painful, but cleansing. Don’t you agree? Now, take a look at my next blog entry to find an introduction to the next blog I’ll be writing!