The book trailer for Encyclopedia Gothica has just been released.  We decided this was the perfect time to ask the author Liisa Ladouceur a few questions. 

1) Do you think music or art is more influential in the Goth?

I think that depends on the Goth, and possibly how old they are. For me, definitely started with the music. That was my gateway into this world, hearing bands like The Cure and Bauhaus and the Sisters of Mercy. Only after that did I even realize there was a clothing style and social scene attached to it.  I suspect many “Eldergoths” who came to the subculture in the late 70s and throughout the 1980s, had a similar experience. In some ways, the shortest answer to “what is goth” is “a person who listens to Gothic rock music.”  But Goth is also a highly visual creature, and as its become more mainstream and more visible, I do think more and more people are attracted to it because it’s shiny or seductive or sinister looking, because of the aesthetic. Plus there is a long history of the Gothic in visual arts to draw from, so for some Goths that is more important, that’s what most stirs their imaginations and feeds their souls. Read more