Why Scary Stories Are Good For You
Scary stories follow us through life, marking specific moments in time and imprinting them in our memory. From fairy tales and Goosebumps books, to teen slasher films and survival horror games, we grow up surrounded by forms of storytelling that look to find the sweet spot between terror and pleasure. These types of media are often written off as trash at worst, or guilty pleasures at best - but what if being scared is actually good for us? Join Dr Erin Harrington as she investigates how the pleasures of ‘recreational fear’ can open up unexpected ways of engaging with and re-imagining the world around us.
Bio
Dr Erin Harrington is a Senior Lecturer in the English Department in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Canterbury, where she teaches across English, Cinema Studies, and Cultural Studies. Her academic work on film, especially horror media, has been featured everywhere from community radio to BBC Culture and the New York Times and her arts and theatre writing has appeared in publications across Aotearoa. She is proud to be a trustee of WORD Christchurch, and thinks everyone has a horror movie that’s just right for them.
Event
Tuesday 10 September, 8:00pm @Muy Muy, 44 Welles Street, Christchurch Central
Also speaking at this location at 6:30pm is Christian Walsh
