Fear on the Mountain: The American Horror Story

Fear is an emotion that is provoked by an expected sight, sensation or experience of horror. Some people want to stay away from fear, but it is inevitable. In his course English 135 American Horror Story, Associate Professor Jack Dudley, Ph.D., pushes students to explore horror from the perspective of literature and film. The exploration is not as scary as one may think.

As an English professor, Dudley believes students ought to enjoy and understand cultural forms from all angles and finds that, when students engage with books and film, they explore reality on a deeper level.  This deeper level in turn impacts the ways individuals experience pop culture.  Dudley explains that horror has always been an interest of his, and he strives to examine closely its relation to society.  He also believes the genre of horror helps all of us to think more deeply about life.  While horror appears to be simple on the surface, Dudley argues it is a complex representation of humanity’s creativity.  In the course, students explore that complexity and enjoy horror’s creativity while reading works of H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King.  They also watch films and television shows such as Rosemary’s Baby, Get Out and Stranger Things.  

The students enjoy reading and watching classic and modern horror.  “Dr. Dudley brings so much knowledge to horror,” said Joseph Staub, C '20, who considers the class to be a highlight of his time at the Mount. “We are able to discuss aspects of horror literature and film that I wouldn’t normally think about.” Dudley has found a way to give students new perspectives on the nature of literature and film while making the classroom fun and engaging.

Dudley, who earned his Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and recently achieved tenure, has been teaching English courses at the Mount since 2014. When he is not teaching his students about the unexpected fun of horror, he is writing a book about how religious beliefs and attitudes continue to impact postmodern culture. He also enjoys running and quality time with his wife Jaci and his cats: Bam, Meiko, Baby Grey, Oreo and Gouda.  

As he continues on his path of success at the Mount, Dudley has formed an exciting space for those who love horror and all its complexity.  He mentioned that Stephen King’s novel It is one of his favorite horror stories.  “I admire this work because there is no singular personal narrative. Each character has a backstory that weaves into the novel,” said Dudley. Even though some horror stories have lost their ability to scare him, he said he gets to experience the fear all over again through his students. “They’ll see something I haven’t seen before,” he said, “and I’ll think, ‘Yikes, now that is a frightening thought!’”