• Home
  • About
  • Art & Illustration
    • About the Art
    • Art Galleries
      • Fairytales & Fantasy
      • Alice in Wonderland
    • Shop Art & Gifts
    • Licensed Art
    • Blog: Art & Illustration
  • Research & Writing
    • Research Profile
    • Publications
    • Teaching Portfolio
    • Conferences, Talks and Events
    • Blog: Literary Research & Writing
      • c18-19th Literature & History
      • Literary Landscapes
      • Gothic Landscapes
      • Folklore
      • Conferences
      • Reviews
  • Blog
    • All Blog Posts
    • Art & Illustration
    • Writing & Research
      • c18-19th Literature & History
      • Literary Landscapes
      • Gothic Landscapes
      • Folklore
      • Conferences
      • Reviews
    • Wanderings
      • A Wanderer’s Journal
      • Literary Landscapes
      • Gothic Landscapes
      • Folklore & Place
    • News & Events
  • Contact
  • Blog Categories

    • Academic Research (27)
    • All Blog Posts (36)
    • Art & Illustration (3)
    • Conferences (8)
    • Folklore (1)
    • Gothic Landscapes (3)
    • Literary Landscapes: In the Footsteps of Authors & Characters (1)
    • News, Announcements & Events (4)
    • Reviews (4)
    • Wanderings (7)
  • Blog Archives

    • May 2020 (2)
    • April 2020 (1)
    • March 2020 (1)
    • February 2020 (1)
    • January 2020 (2)
    • October 2019 (1)
    • July 2019 (1)
    • December 2018 (1)
    • October 2018 (9)
    • July 2018 (1)
    • February 2018 (1)
    • January 2018 (1)
    • November 2017 (2)
    • October 2017 (3)
    • September 2017 (1)
    • August 2017 (1)
    • April 2017 (1)
    • October 2016 (1)
    • September 2016 (2)
    • July 2016 (1)
    • June 2016 (2)
  • Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Home
  • About
  • Art & Illustration
    • About the Art
    • Art Galleries
      • Fairytales & Fantasy
      • Alice in Wonderland
    • Shop Art & Gifts
    • Licensed Art
    • Blog: Art & Illustration
  • Research & Writing
    • Research Profile
    • Publications
    • Teaching Portfolio
    • Conferences, Talks and Events
    • Blog: Literary Research & Writing
      • c18-19th Literature & History
      • Literary Landscapes
      • Gothic Landscapes
      • Folklore
      • Conferences
      • Reviews
  • Blog
    • All Blog Posts
    • Art & Illustration
    • Writing & Research
      • c18-19th Literature & History
      • Literary Landscapes
      • Gothic Landscapes
      • Folklore
      • Conferences
      • Reviews
    • Wanderings
      • A Wanderer’s Journal
      • Literary Landscapes
      • Gothic Landscapes
      • Folklore & Place
    • News & Events
  • Contact
The Wolf Man, Wolf, Werewolf, werewolves, horror, gothic, film, literature, halloween, spooky, scary, folklore
Werewolves, Witches and Ghosts (Oh My!): New Halloween Podcast Episode
October 27, 2017 In Academic Research All Blog Posts News, Announcements & Events Reviews No Comment

As a Gothic scholar and long-time lover of all things eerie, spooky, and supernatural, I was honoured to chat recently about some of my favourite scary texts and traditions for a new Halloween-themed episode of From the Lighthouse, the podcast run by the English Department at Macquarie University in Sydney. The timing was perfect. A chill has blown over the North of England lately, and as the days grow shorter and the nights longer, it is easy to turn one’s thoughts to what may lurk in the shadows. Pumpkins have sprouted on doorsteps, cobwebs are draped in foggy shop windows, and the last of the golden leaves cling to the spindly fingertips of trees in the woodland graveyard across the road. (more…)

Continue Reading

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twenty Years, 20th Anniversary, Slaying, Vampires, Gothic, TV
New Podcast Episode: Buffy the Vampire Slayer 20 Year Anniversary
October 25, 2017 In Academic Research All Blog Posts News, Announcements & Events Reviews No Comment

As someone who grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer (my Dad would stay up to record it for me when it was aired too late on a school night), I’ve been enjoying the resurgence of Buffy nostalgia around its 20th Anniversary this year (apart from the accompanying shock that, yes, it really has been two whole decades since I would rush home from school and plant myself in front of the TV with my bowl of cereal, eager to watch the episode taped from the night before). With its double-barrelled premise of Gothic Supernatural and a strong female lead, how could I not love this show? But it soon (more…)

Continue Reading

alice in wonderland, lewis carroll, mad hatter, hatter, mad hatter day, inktober, illustration, art, artwork, pen, ink, drawing, Kirstin Mills, fantasy, tea
A Sketch for Mad Hatter Day!
October 6, 2017 In Academic Research All Blog Posts Art & Illustration 2 Comments

If you’re a fan of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, then today is a rather special day – Mad Hatter Day! In some parts of the world (not any part I’ve ever lived in, but hey, I’ll take any chance for a bit of Carrollian fun!), the 6th of October corresponds to 10/6 – the number on the Hatter’s iconic hat in the original John Tenniel illustrations to Lewis Carroll’s classic book. To celebrate today (and as a wonderful way to unwind after marking essays) I dug out my sketch book and pen, and sketched this quick little portrait of the Hatter. (more…)

Continue Reading

Gothic, Strawberry Hill, Castle, Gothic Castle, Fairy Tale, Fairytale Castle, Fantasy, Author, Horace Walpole, London, Architecture
Strawberry Hill: Horace Walpole’s Gothic Fairytale Castle
September 27, 2017 In Academic Research All Blog Posts Gothic Landscapes Literary Landscapes: In the Footsteps of Authors & Characters Wanderings 4 Comments

As the crisp London days grew shorter, and Christmas rolled ever closer, I found myself on a train trundling towards the outskirts of London to visit one of the most unique and magical houses in the country. ‘Strawberry Hill’ is an intricate bauble nestled within Twickenham on the banks of the Thames (of whose waters the gardens once boasted picturesque views, though they are now curtailed, juxtaposed instead with surrounding surburban houses). Leaving the street and stepping through the gates is like stepping through a magic portal – not only back in time to the late eighteenth century when the villa and gardens were designed and built (they’ve been beautifully preserved and are currently being expertly, painstakingly restored), but also off into a magical, otherworldly space straight off the pages of a fairy tale (or a Gothic novel). That’s because (more…)

Continue Reading

Pen and Ink Illustration for Podcast Logo Design, Macquarie University, From the Lighthouse, English Literature Podcast, artwork
Designing a Logo for Macquarie University’s Literature Podcast
August 12, 2017 In Academic Research All Blog Posts Art & Illustration No Comment

One of my favourite things is when my artistic and academic worlds collide, and I get to delight in my passions for drawing, books, photography and academia all at once! This year I was excited to be asked to design a logo and photographic material for ‘From the Lighthouse’, a new literature podcast from the Department of English at Macquarie University in Sydney (where I also teach). Of course, I jumped at the chance, and so between classes I soon found myself with my sketchbook and a hot chocolate in (more…)

Continue Reading

Ballarat Victorian Architecture Travel Photography
Ballarat: A Victorian Adventure
April 3, 2017 In All Blog Posts Conferences Wanderings No Comment

“We had a wild, free life of it, sticking up a station from time to time, or stopping the wagons on the road to the diggings. Black Jack of Ballarat was the name I went under, and our party is still remembered in the colony as the Ballarat Gang“

– Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1891

It was a bright and clear Winter’s day in 2015 when I left Sydney for a short trip to Ballarat – a city, located at the foot of the Grampian mountains in central Victoria, Australia, which even today evokes the ghost of its colonial goldrush origins in a curious blend of historic and modern. I was headed to deliver a paper at the Australian Victorian Studies Association’s “Victorian Margins” conference, but I was also eager to explore a place so steeped in history. (more…)

Continue Reading

123456
Page 5 of 6
  • Dr Kirstin Mills, writer, artist, illustrator, travel writer, explorer, academic

    Kirstin Mills is an Australian artist, writer, lecturer and researcher following her endless curiosity into realms of imagination and wonder. Read more about her life & projects here.

  • Blog Categories

    • Academic Research (27)
    • All Blog Posts (36)
    • Art & Illustration (3)
    • Conferences (8)
    • Folklore (1)
    • Gothic Landscapes (3)
    • Literary Landscapes: In the Footsteps of Authors & Characters (1)
    • News, Announcements & Events (4)
    • Reviews (4)
    • Wanderings (7)
  • Latest on Twitter

    My Tweets
  • Instagram

    Last week’s tea break activity was proofing a ch Last week’s tea break activity was proofing a chapter to be published soon with Palgrave’s Handbook of the Gothic! I know some people loathe proofing, but I actually really enjoy it: there’s something soothing about checking for the small details once all the hard work is done. This was also a fun chapter to write so I’m super excited for it to be out in the world!
.
.
.
#academiclife #researchlife #gothicliterature #gothic #writing #research #literature #victorianliterature #nineteenthcentury #supernatural #ghoststories #bookstagram #bookpublishing #academia #academicwriting #homeoffice
    Morning sunshine on a jacaranda. I love the Spring Morning sunshine on a jacaranda. I love the Spring explosions of purple that delightfully interrupt shades of green across Sydney 💚💜💚
    So sad to hear of Professor Stephen Prickett’s p So sad to hear of Professor Stephen Prickett’s passing. An eminent Victorian fantasy scholar, he was also wonderfully kind & particularly supportive of younger scholars’ work. He examined my PhD thesis & continued to encourage my work long after. This photo is from the “Re-imagining the Inklings: the Victorian Roots of Modern Fantasy” conference organized by the George MacDonald Society, of which Stephen was longtime president. It was my first conference after finishing my PhD, and Stephen was so welcoming. He will be missed.
    I have been waiting all year to crack out these li I have been waiting all year to crack out these little dudes. It’s officially Spooky Season! 🦇🦇🦇🦇
#halloween #gothic
    ‪I haven’t shared work stuff for a while becau ‪I haven’t shared work stuff for a while because of much more important things going on in the world, but if anyone needs a little respite from 2020, our new podcast series (for @Macquarieuni English) is all about Teen Movie adaptations of classic literature and features gems like Clueless & 10 Things I Hate About You. So far it’s been a really interesting flashback to my own teen years (& a really interesting reflection on how things do and don’t change over the years - and sometimes centuries)! More episodes on the way, & the first 4 are available now. Read more and find the episodes at http://www.kirstinmills.com/blog/teen-movie-adaptations-classic-literature-podcast‬
.
.
.
#teenmovie #adaptation #literature #clueless #tenthingsihateaboutyou #10thingsihateaboutyou #easya #shestheman #shesallthat #movies #moviequotes #classicliterature #teenage #bookstomovies #readersofinstagram
    #blackouttuesday Rather than just taking a break #blackouttuesday 
Rather than just taking a break from social media, please use this time to listen to, read, and learn from the voices this movement is designed to amplify. Social media expressions against racism are not enough. Individually condemning racism isn’t enough. Thinking “racism is horrible but I’m not racist” is definitely not enough. We need to educate ourselves, and demand and fight for real, deep, systemic change (yes, in Australia and the UK and elsewhere too). At the very least, donate what you can to the organizations currently on the ground doing the hard work. One place to start: see link in my bio.
    Wondering what to read, watch and listen to during Wondering what to read, watch and listen to during lockdown? I was recently invited to join my friends Stephanie and Jimmy, hosts of Macquarie University’s From the Lighthouse podcast, to chat about our go-to books, podcasts, films and TV to help pass the time and ease the load of this strange new social-distancing world. Listen to the podcast episode on my blog (link in bio) 📚☕️
.
.
.
.
#podcast #podcastersofinstagram #podcasting #books #bookstagram #booklover #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #lockdown #isolation #whattoread #whattoreadnext #movies #recommendedreading #recommendedbooks #recommended #chat #talk #book #bookobsessed #booknerd #bookclub
    Today I gave a talk on some of my research for the Today I gave a talk on some of my research for the first of Macquarie Uni’s Department of English Research Seminars! It’s always fun to present, but today was particularly enjoyable (lovely people, super enthusiastic reception, plus when else do you get to make double entrendre jokes about sexy men on horseback and call it work?!). Now, time for wine. And pasta. And more pasta. And more wine. 🍷🍝
    TOMORROW! I’m giving a talk at Macquarie Univers TOMORROW! I’m giving a talk at Macquarie University as the first speaker in the Department of English Research Seminar Series. My talk will be on one of my recent research projects, and is entitled “Hellish Horses and Monstrous Men: The Evolution of the Gothic Horse in the Long Nineteenth Century.” Read more about it and find the talk details on my website (link in bio). [Painting of a scene from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by John Quidor]💀🐎🦇 .
.
.
#gothic #gothicliterature #gothicart #sleepyhollow #washingtonirving #edgarallanpoe #academia #academiclife #macquarieuniversity #nineteenthcentury #nineteenthcenturyart #horse #horses #gothichorse #headlesshorseman
    Follow Kirstin on Instagram

  • Recent Posts

    • Teen Movie Adaptations of Classic Literature, Film Adaptations, Adaptations of Literature, Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You, Easy A, She's the Man, She's All That, Teen Movies
      Teen Movie Adaptations of Classic Literature: Podcast Series
      May 11, 2020
    • macbeth, shakespeare, witches, three witches, magic, women, feminism
      Witches & the Magic of Shakespeare's Macbeth: New Podcast Guest Appearance
      May 8, 2020
    • New Podcast Chat: What to Read and Watch during Covid-19 Lockdown
      April 5, 2020
  • Latest Tweets

    My Tweets
  • Instagram

    Last week’s tea break activity was proofing a ch Last week’s tea break activity was proofing a chapter to be published soon with Palgrave’s Handbook of the Gothic! I know some people loathe proofing, but I actually really enjoy it: there’s something soothing about checking for the small details once all the hard work is done. This was also a fun chapter to write so I’m super excited for it to be out in the world!
.
.
.
#academiclife #researchlife #gothicliterature #gothic #writing #research #literature #victorianliterature #nineteenthcentury #supernatural #ghoststories #bookstagram #bookpublishing #academia #academicwriting #homeoffice
    Morning sunshine on a jacaranda. I love the Spring Morning sunshine on a jacaranda. I love the Spring explosions of purple that delightfully interrupt shades of green across Sydney 💚💜💚
    So sad to hear of Professor Stephen Prickett’s p So sad to hear of Professor Stephen Prickett’s passing. An eminent Victorian fantasy scholar, he was also wonderfully kind & particularly supportive of younger scholars’ work. He examined my PhD thesis & continued to encourage my work long after. This photo is from the “Re-imagining the Inklings: the Victorian Roots of Modern Fantasy” conference organized by the George MacDonald Society, of which Stephen was longtime president. It was my first conference after finishing my PhD, and Stephen was so welcoming. He will be missed.
    I have been waiting all year to crack out these li I have been waiting all year to crack out these little dudes. It’s officially Spooky Season! 🦇🦇🦇🦇
#halloween #gothic
    ‪I haven’t shared work stuff for a while becau ‪I haven’t shared work stuff for a while because of much more important things going on in the world, but if anyone needs a little respite from 2020, our new podcast series (for @Macquarieuni English) is all about Teen Movie adaptations of classic literature and features gems like Clueless & 10 Things I Hate About You. So far it’s been a really interesting flashback to my own teen years (& a really interesting reflection on how things do and don’t change over the years - and sometimes centuries)! More episodes on the way, & the first 4 are available now. Read more and find the episodes at http://www.kirstinmills.com/blog/teen-movie-adaptations-classic-literature-podcast‬
.
.
.
#teenmovie #adaptation #literature #clueless #tenthingsihateaboutyou #10thingsihateaboutyou #easya #shestheman #shesallthat #movies #moviequotes #classicliterature #teenage #bookstomovies #readersofinstagram
    #blackouttuesday Rather than just taking a break #blackouttuesday 
Rather than just taking a break from social media, please use this time to listen to, read, and learn from the voices this movement is designed to amplify. Social media expressions against racism are not enough. Individually condemning racism isn’t enough. Thinking “racism is horrible but I’m not racist” is definitely not enough. We need to educate ourselves, and demand and fight for real, deep, systemic change (yes, in Australia and the UK and elsewhere too). At the very least, donate what you can to the organizations currently on the ground doing the hard work. One place to start: see link in my bio.
    Wondering what to read, watch and listen to during Wondering what to read, watch and listen to during lockdown? I was recently invited to join my friends Stephanie and Jimmy, hosts of Macquarie University’s From the Lighthouse podcast, to chat about our go-to books, podcasts, films and TV to help pass the time and ease the load of this strange new social-distancing world. Listen to the podcast episode on my blog (link in bio) 📚☕️
.
.
.
.
#podcast #podcastersofinstagram #podcasting #books #bookstagram #booklover #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #lockdown #isolation #whattoread #whattoreadnext #movies #recommendedreading #recommendedbooks #recommended #chat #talk #book #bookobsessed #booknerd #bookclub
    Today I gave a talk on some of my research for the Today I gave a talk on some of my research for the first of Macquarie Uni’s Department of English Research Seminars! It’s always fun to present, but today was particularly enjoyable (lovely people, super enthusiastic reception, plus when else do you get to make double entrendre jokes about sexy men on horseback and call it work?!). Now, time for wine. And pasta. And more pasta. And more wine. 🍷🍝
    TOMORROW! I’m giving a talk at Macquarie Univers TOMORROW! I’m giving a talk at Macquarie University as the first speaker in the Department of English Research Seminar Series. My talk will be on one of my recent research projects, and is entitled “Hellish Horses and Monstrous Men: The Evolution of the Gothic Horse in the Long Nineteenth Century.” Read more about it and find the talk details on my website (link in bio). [Painting of a scene from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by John Quidor]💀🐎🦇 .
.
.
#gothic #gothicliterature #gothicart #sleepyhollow #washingtonirving #edgarallanpoe #academia #academiclife #macquarieuniversity #nineteenthcentury #nineteenthcenturyart #horse #horses #gothichorse #headlesshorseman
    Follow Kirstin on Instagram

All text and images are © Copyright Kirstin Mills unless otherwise stated. No unauthorised use.