Starting a second sample series for Volume Two, part two, "Searching for Secrets"! Part one's sample series, "Brace for Impact," explored the usage of Gothic poetics (monsters, magic and myth) when making new proletarian histories; part two reverses the arrangement, examining the history of monstrous poetics in two basic modules that future workers can learn from.
(model and artist: Harmony Corrupted and Persephone van der Waard)
About my book: Made in collaboration with other sex workers, Sex Positivity is a four-volume book being released one volume at a time. From newest to oldest, as of 5/1/2024, my Poetry Module is live; as of 2/14/2024, the manifesto/instruction volume is live; as of 10/8/2023, the thesis volume is live. Simply go to my website's 1-page promo and pick up a copy of each for free! While you're there, you can also learn about the other yet-to-release volumes/modules, project history and logo design.
(artist: Harmony Corrupted)
This book volume (both halves) could not have been done without Harmony, thus is dedicated to them: https://vanderwaardart.com/2024/04/haunting-the-chapel-harmony-corrupted
To that, please support Harmony's work (and follow her @[email protected] on Mastodon).
Fansly: https://fans.ly/harmonycorrupted
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/harmonycorrupted
My name's Persephone van der Waard; I have my MA in Gothic English literature and independent PhD in Gothic poetics and ludo-Gothic BDSM (focusing partially on Metroidvania), and I am the author of the multi-volume, non-profit book series, Sex Positivity vs Sex Coercion, or Gothic Communism—its art director, sole invigilator, illustrator and primary editor (the other co-writer/co-editor being Bay Ryan). A rape survivor/granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor and Dutch Resistance member—and someone anti-war (as a business), anti-Zionist and anti-racist/anti-white-supremacist who specializes in tokenism (e.g., TERFs, SWERFs, and fascist feminism)—I'm a MtF trans woman, Tolkien and Amazon enthusiast, former YouTuber, anti-fascist, loud critic of Marxist-Leninism/state vampirism, atheist and Satanist, poly/pan kinkster with multiple partners, erotic artist/pornographer and anarcho-Communist; i.e., under my brand of Gothic (gay-anarcho) Communism as a holistic, intersectional discipline: one devised in 2022-2023, and which my friends and I currently achieve together. / Originally this blog explored my love of movies when I was cis-het; now I use it to write about the Gothic—horror, but also sex, heavy metal, and videogames in a queer way (especially Metroidvania).
I take donations for my work (which goes towards helping sex workers, trans people and other minorities). I currently take payment on PayPal, Patreon, and CashApp, etc; all links are available on my Linktr.ee. Every bit helps!
Regarding Formatting Issues for Blogposts (Older than October 2025): Recently Josey Howarth helped transfer my old blog from Blogger to WordPress, which—while vital for security reasons—altered their formatting. On a phone screen, the posts are mostly readable, but look slightly "jank" on computer screens. Many also contain outdated "About the Author" sections—meaning inside the posts-in-question, alongside the blog website "footer" (as added by Josey after the transfer). Such things are temporary. Eventually we plan to overhaul their visual design, remodeling my blog and website (thus fixing the issues in the question)!