Initially serialized in the New York Tribune under a pseudonym, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl made Harriet A. Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861) Reshaping Gothic Constructs Though we have been erased from much of the so-called canon, Southern Gothic literature is inherently and necessarily black and feminine. Southern Gothic, the ever-popular subset of American Gothic literature, is a successful evolution of the genre because of elements of danger and decay are already intrinsic in the American South. When the genre made its way to the US, the looming castles were replaced with antebellum homes, red dirt, and swampland. ItвЂ™s characterized by moral decay and higher-level societal critiques.

Named for the dramatic pseudo-medieval architecture that was popularized in the 17 th century, Gothic literature emerged as a subset of Romantic literature and employed terror, suspense, and the supernatural. People have been entranced by Gothic literature since the 18 th century. Through embracing this darkness, black women have found an integral place in Southern Gothic literature. People on the margins have long been relegated to the dark corners of society it is no wonder that those of us who are queer or black or woman or all three have found some kinship with the shadows, an urge to tap into the hidden aspects of our nature. The 200 Best Lesbian, Bisexual & Queer Movies Of All TimeДЇeature image via BeyoncГ©вЂ™s Lemonade (2016)Д®ver since I was a little girl, IвЂ™ve found myself drawn to darkness.LGBTQ Television Guide: What To Watch Now.

Southern gothic literature definition