Research Seminar - Queering Dark Academia within a New Adult Fiction Context

Queering Dark Academia within a New Adult Fiction Context

Presented by: Shaun Stephen

Date: Friday 12 August 2022
Time: 12–1pm
Location: Hybrid (Online via Zoom and in-person at the SCA Writer's Studio (Level 6, Michie Building))

Abstract

This presentation will investigate the popular sub-genre of dark academia (DA) and argue its clear overlap with queer themes and the emerging new-adult (NA) literary category. As Saika notes, “Dark Academia is a genre of literature that literally revolves around academia and learning. Therefore, you will see that it is mostly set in educational institutions and follows the lives of students. [And like the term suggests, it] … is dark at a deeper psychological level. The characters often are corrupt aesthetes … what you would call … sociopathic or psychopathic but most often narcissistic” (1). The DA genre showcases when college is not such a ‘safe haven’ through its use of the Gothic.  

The presentation will explore themes/content such as identity, alienation, obsession, pursuit of (forbidden) knowledge, found family, monstrosity and trauma through an analysis of three queer DA exemplars: The Secret History (1992) by Donna Tartt, If We Were Villains (2017) by M.L. Rio and These Violent Delights (2020) by Micah Nemerever. This exploration will address some of the weaknesses inherent within DA—weak depictions of diverse protagonists i.e., LGBTQ+ characters.

Presenter

Shaun Stephen has a Masters in Writing, Editing & Publishing (2020) at University of Queensland (UQ) and is currently undertaking a MPhil in Creative Writing at UQ. The creative piece is called Lost Boys, a queer DA novella set at Juilliard NYC during the 1980s Aids epidemic.