Colleen Lucey, Ph.D.
Barbara Starrett
SaddleBrooke Freethinkers are proud to have Colleen Lucey, Ph.D., of the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona speak on “The Monster of Eastern Europe: The Vampire Myth from Medieval Times to the Present Day” on Sunday, April 23, at 2 p.m., with doors opening at 1:45 p.m., at the DesertView Theater, 39900 S. Clubhouse Drive.
Why do societies around the globe find the vampire so alluring? What does our fascination with the undead reveal about our fears, desires, and anxieties? In this lecture, Dr. Lucey will answer these questions through a close historical and cultural analysis of texts and media featuring the vampire. Particular attention will be paid to the origins of the vampire in Slavic folklore and how this monster “infected” the consciousness of people around the world. Close readings of famous novels, including Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), and films like F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922) will show how Western cultures engaged with, adopted, and transformed the East European vampire to reflect evolving conceptions of identity, social conflict, gender, and sexuality.
Dr. Lucey is assistant professor of Russian and Slavic Studies. She received her B.A. in Russian at Barnard College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Slavic languages and literature at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of 19th century Russian literature, gender and sexuality studies, terrorism and literature, and Russian language pedagogy. She is the author of Love for Sale: Representing Prostitution in Imperial Russia (NIU Series, Cornell University Press, 2021), which won the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL) Best First Book Award. Currently, she is working on a second monograph devoted to the image of Russian and East European women terrorists in 19th and early 20th century fiction, art, and drama.
SaddleBrooke Freethinkers provides a forum for the responsible search for truth and meaning in understanding and solving human problems by applying science and reason. We believe that tolerance, compassion, equity, and civility should characterize interactions among people and organizations. We strive to achieve these goals through meetings, lectures, discussions, and social events.
SaddleBrooke Freethinkers meetings are held at the DesertView Theater on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. For dates and subjects, go to our website sbfreethinkers.wordpress.com.
You can become a member of the SaddleBrooke Freethinkers for $15 per calendar year. This fee includes all lectures and other Freethinkers events, like the book club and social events. The lecture program runs January through April and October through December. Lectures are open to all SaddleBrooke residents and their guests as space is available. Nonmembers are encouraged to make a $5 donation to defray costs. Attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items or cash donations for the Tri-Community Food Bank.
For questions or to be added to the email list, please send your contact information to [email protected].