Vampires as pathogens.  Who would have thought?

Writer John Buhler returns to us this week looking at a book by Nick Groom, that takes a different look at the history of the Vampire: how this undead monster came to be, and what’s become of it since.

The idea that the vampire came to be as an expression of fear against contagion, disease undying coming from the grave and making people sick and weak in the dark of the night, may have seemed quite reasonable in the days before germ theory.

Just the type of thing you need for summer reading, non-productive, but compelling none-the-less. That’s kind of the feeling I get about this issue of The Voice Magazine.  From Wanda Waterman’s advice on why you want to avoid becoming a super-start idol, like any of us are in significant danger of that, to the Fly on the Wall’s article, somewhere between and exploration and an exhortation of ditching responsibility and enjoying the summer.

After all, nobody thinks of relaxing in the spring. There’s too much to do.  Too much expected. What other season has a chore named after it, after all? Then there’s autumn, but if you’re like most, it flies by too quickly, in part because of all the time you’re having to spend catching up from what you didn’t do in summer.  And finally winter. Well, if you’re a Canadian, winter may be the time for fun, but it’s certainly not a time for relaxing. Winter fun tends to be more active, it has to be to keep warm, after all.

So that leaves us with summer. A time that we can relax, sometimes even without guilt as we schedule holidays.  Which, in a very round-a-bout manner, brings me to my own holidays.  With everybody enjoying the summer already, it seemed like a good time for me to take a breather myself, which is why there will be no issue of The Voice Magazine on August 9.   I’ll be attempting to take a small break, which really means having no excuse to avoid getting caught up on various projects around the house, but, honestly, I think I need the break.  I’m not approaching each issue, each article, with the energy that it really deserves lately, and I’m starting to be afraid it shows. Does it show?

Maybe I’m just imagining it. Because you can still find a bunch of great articles this week, plus upcoming events, scholarships, advice, and course reviews, and, of course, we start it all off with a feature interview with a student much like you.  If you’re facing doubts about whether your AU education is worth it, then this week you really should enjoy the read!