Pitt has launched a first-of-its-kind Horror Studies Center

Horror Studies Collection

Since 2019, this University Library System (ULS) collection, coordinated by Ben Rubin, has expanded by adding first edition copies of "Dracula," "Frankenstein" and the works of Edgar Allan Poe; draft scripts from John Carpenter and Wes Craven as well as films like "Jaws," "Dracula," and "Hellraiser"; and the literary papers of authors such as Linda D. Addison, Gwendolyn Kiste, Daniel Kraus, Elizabeth Massie, Tim Waggoner and L. Marie Wood. The collection also boasts an array of horror pulp magazines and comics, special edition and fine press books, the records of the Horror Writers Association and, most recently, the archive for "The Blair Witch Project."

Rubin, a member of the Horror Writers Association, said when he's curating, he's not always looking for final drafts: He wants items that show development.

"These materials serve as a scholarly resource to document the history of the genre and illuminate its often hidden social and cultural significance," he explained. "It also captures the creative process to help inform and inspire aspiring writers and filmmakers."

Materials from the Department of Archives and Special Collections are open to the Pitt community and the public, with some already on display in the Hillman Library.

ULS Director Kornelia Tancheva said when she started working with Lowenstein and Desrocher-Romero to acquire the Romero Collection, she faced doubt from some people but saw what others didn't at the time.

"Horror studies is something that is applicable well beyond just literature, literary study, cultural studies or film studies," said ULS Director Kornelia Tancheva, who worked on acquiring the initial Romero Collection in 2019 alongside Lowenstein and Desrocher-Romero. "It has sociological aspects that pretty much permeate every humanistic, social sciences discipline."

Global Horror Studies Archival and Research Network

According to Tancheva, Lowenstein's tenacity - along with support from Jeff Whitehead and Allyson J. Delnore at the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) - has played a key role in taking Pitt's horror studies initiatives worldwide.

"Horror is a universal experience with a global vocabulary, but its expression can vary significantly across cultures. The Horror Studies Center brings together Pitt's interdisciplinary expertise in international studies to look at how individuals understand and how they process their own particular societal and cultural anxieties through the genre," said Allyson J. Delnore, interim executive director of UCIS.

"This program is a culmination of many long-standing global horror collaborations fostered by a number of our centers, including the Global Studies Center and Asian Studies Center. It is a natural partnership, and we couldn't be more pleased."

Horror Genre as Social Force

David C. Frederick Honors College Dean Nicola Foote, along with Lowenstein and Whitehead, spearheaded this scholar community, a unique opportunity for Pitt honors students to enhance their research and creative skills. With the launch of the Horror Studies Center, that work will be expanded even further.

"The Frederick Honors College has been proud to help expand horror studies research through the Horror Genre as Social Force Scholar Community for more than five years, giving our students hands-on opportunities to create their own horror films, novels, and other projects," Foote said. "I was privileged to be part of the team that advanced the successful proposal for the center, and I could not be prouder to see this vision come to fruition."