From Lestat to Chocula
Kurt Andersen surveys the strange history of vampires in pop culture.
Vampire Chronicles
They feed off our blood, they live forever, and they don't pay taxes. Peter Crimmins explains why no stake to the heart can kill off the public's thirst for the fashionably undead.
- Go to the Whitby Dracula Society website
- Go to the Rosenbach Library website
- Buy Our Vampires, Ourselves by Nina Auerbach
- Buy Dracula by Bram Stoker
Fwd This: Dance, Monkeys, Dance
In our new regular segment, Kurt Andersen actually looks at some of the weird little videos that people forward to their friends. And he's surprised at what he finds: a foul-mouthed riff and bad Flash animation that together approach greatness.
Friends with Money
Director Nicole Holofcener and actress Catherine Keener are friends and frequent collaborators. They explain to Kurt Andersen how their daily lives become fodder for their films Lovely and Amazing and Friends With Money.
- Read an L.A. Times feature on Nicole Holofcener
- Read a Boston Globe interview with Jennifer Aniston and Catherine Keener
The Art of Deduction
Benjamin Franklin once joked that "nothing is certain but death and taxes." But when it comes to taxes, the joke is often at the expense of artists. Ilya Marritz explains why a proposal in Congress could make April a happier month for some.
- Go to Tom Sachs' website
- Read a copy of the act
- earn more about the art and collectibles tax deduction
Hula
Hula teacher Roselle Keli'ihonipua Bailey explains why the hula isn't just a tourist cliche. For native Hawaiians, the dance speaks for itself. Produced by Stephanie Guyer-Stevens for Outer Voices.
- Learn more about hula and Hawaiian culture
- Go to the Merrie Monarch Festival Hula Competition website
- Visit Outer Voices' Hawaii project
