Libidinal life : Bram Stoker, homosocial desire and the Stokerian biographical project

This paper offers an examination of the Stokerian biographical project and shows how many biographies of Bram Stoker are invested in uncovering the elusive relationship between this little-known author and the actor Henry Irving. An exploration of Stokerian biographies reveals how Stoker has been constructed as a man who experienced same-sex desire, as revealed through his own "autobiographical" texts, such as Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving and Dracula. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick's concept of "homosocial desire" provides a useful theoretical framework within which to explore a sample selection of Stokerian biographies, including those of Daniel Farson, Phyllis A. Roth, Barbara Belford and Paul Murray. This paper maintains that the theories surrounding Stoker's libidinal life are generally well-grounded, yet to this day several questions remain unanswered. For many biographers, the life of the author of Dracula continues to be shrouded in mystery.