Dr. Christopher Douglas grew up in Illinois, but after graduating with his bachelor's degree moved to Japan to teach English as a Foreign Language for three years. In Japan, an encounter with the novel I am a Cat by Natsume Soseki would change the course of his life, as the question he came away from that novel – "why is it narrated by the cat?" – would eventually lead to his dissertation on it-narratives, stories narrated by nonhumans in 18th and 19th century fiction. He graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2016, and currently teaches at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. One of his favorite classes to teach is a graduate course on the gothic novel, and he's excited to lead a gothic-novel course in London, to explore its graveyards, haunts, and museums. In his spare time, he sings baritone in local choirs, is an amateur powerlifter, cares for his rescue dog Honey, and plays tabletop roleplaying games with his friends.
We will encounter vampires, ghosts, murder, and cemeteries--in Gothic literature and in person as we explore London. Readings by Stoker, Walpole, Keats, Mary Shelley, Coleridge, Rowling, and Stevenson will inform our adventures in Highgate Cemetery, the British Museum, Westminster Abbey, and the Tower of London. In addition to exploring Jack the Ripper sites, we will experience Gothic architecture and visit Oxford University. If you enjoy sublime scenery and gruesome acts, join this journey through the Gothic tradition.
- Witness the eerie allure of Bram Stoker's Dracula brought to life in the heart of London's Gothic landscape.
- Immerse yourself in Gothic ambiance through cathedral and castle architecture, as well as chilling sites like the Green Crematorium and the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities.
- Roam through the streets of Highgate and Hampstead, where you'll encounter the haunting beauty of the Keats House Museum and the enigmatic allure of Highgate Cemetery, both steeped in the lore of Dracula.
- Brave the shadows on a Jack the Ripper Walking Tour and a spine-chilling Gothic play in the iconic West End.
- Ring in the New Year with fireworks above Buckingham Palace.
- The course is designed for any student who enjoys literature or needs an English course.