Gothic goodies

Michael Johnstone reads his story dressed as a zombie/student at the end of term. (David McNeil photo)

Michael Johnstone doesn’t usually write in the voice of the dead, but he’s glad he decided to try.

A fourth-year English major, Mr. Johnstone won first place in the department’s second annual Varma Prize competition in Gothic writing. His story, “The Embalming Girl” and written specifically for the contest, was rewarded with a $500 cash prize.

The inspiration for his macabre tragedy came from his research into the gothic genre.

“I was looking at other gothic works and kept coming across romance as one of the driving themes,” he explains. “I really like writing about contrasting things like death and love. So I put together this story about unrequited love in a funeral home.”

David McNeil, associate professor of English, says that Mr. Johnstone’s story stood out among the 30 entries: “It was high on all of our lists. It struck us as clever, polished, engaging and not clichéd. It was immediately communicable.”

Dr. McNeil calls the Varma Prize a “microfiction contest” because the short stories or poems submitted had to be less than 250 words, something that Mr. Johnstone found a challenge. “The first draft was about five pages long, something like 1,300 words,” he says. “The longest part of writing it was just pruning it down to get it within the word length. But it turned out really well because of it – every word counts and every word has its purpose.”

The Varma Prize is named for the late Devendra Varma, one of the world’s foremost experts in gothic literature who taught at Dalhousie for 31 years. The cash prizes are made possible by a donation from William Blakeney, an alumnus who wanted to preserve the memory of Dr. Varma’s contributions to the gothic genre and Dalhousie.

“Dr. Varma epitomized the importance of the theatrical in teaching and engaging students, in doing something that students will remember for years to come,” says Dr. McNeil. He knows of alumni who tell stories about Dr. Varma 20 years later, even if they remember little else from their undergrad years: “There’s something to be said for that.”

The Varma Prize winners were announced Halloween evening at a “Varmania Celebration” at the Grawood Lounge. Second prize and $150 went to Laura Hochman for “The Prayer,” while Alyson Coy won third prize and $100 for “Vampire Since Birth.” All three read their stories at the event alongside several other entrants. As for Mr. Johnstone, he plans to keep experimenting with different forms and genres of writing and is considering using his winnings on a laptop to help him do so.