Profs and Pints Baltimore

Profs and Pints Baltimore presents: “Nosferatu Versus Dracula,” on the rivalry between two versions of a vampire and its lasting impact on how we think of their kind, with Stanley Joseph Stepanic, who teaches a course on Dracula and vampire folklore as an assistant professor of Slavic languages and literature at the University of Virginia.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nosferatu-dracula .]

The Robert Eggers remake of Nosferatu that was released to acclaim this past Christmas Day represents just the latest effort to bring this vampire to life. It’s tempting to credit the acclaimed German silent film director F.W. Murnau as the first to do so, but doing so obscures how much Murnau owed to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, who continues on his own to pop up on the big screen every few years.

Come dig up the vampires beneath the vampires with the help of Dr. Stanley Stepanic, whose course on Dracula ranks as one of UVA’s most popular and who previously has given several excellent Profs and Pints talks.

He’ll discuss the folkloric origins of Stoker’s Count Dracula and how Nosferatu and its lead character Count Orlok fit into the picture. You’ll learn how these reimagined versions of long-feared undead beings helped cement the vampire’s status as one of the most enduring and prominent symbols of the human condition throughout the world.

Though considered a landmark of horror fiction today, Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula was not initially a success. Stoker died in relative obscurity, remembered primarily for his contributions to theater operations and not his writing. What brought attention to the novel was a copyright lawsuit alleging that Murnau had essentially robbed Stoker’s grave by turning Dracula into his 1922 silent film Nosferatu.

The subsequent legal battle over the film and the media attention generated by it led Stoker's widow, Florence, to move forward with a dramatic production of Dracula which was first performed in England in 1924 and then on Broadway in the United States in 1927. These stage productions in turn led to the first proper film version of Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi and released in 1931.

Through such developments, Count Dracula evolved from a relatively minor villain that introduced little that was new to vampire literature into a popular culture phenomenon who has appeared in the media in countless forms. He and his various offspring will loom larger in your imagination as a result of this talk. (Talk rescheduled from March. Doors: $17, or $15 with student ID. Doors open at 3:30 pm. Talk begins at 4:30.)

Image: From a 1922 German promotional poster for Nosferatu. Artist: Albin Grau.

Profs and Pints Baltimore presents: “An Intro to Entrepreneurship,” on the basics of what universities teach about starting a business, with Daniel J. Lee, associate professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Delaware.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/intro-to-entrepreneurship .]

Regardless of whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or simply thinking of launching a new business, you’ll profit mightily from coming to Baltimore’s Guilford Hall Brewery to hear entrepreneurship expert Daniel Lee share his wisdom.

Professor Lee will start by discussing common myths and misgivings about starting a business, debunking preconceived notions about who can become an entrepreneur and sorting truth from fiction when it comes to why some businesses fail.

He’ll introduce those on hand to how the entrepreneurial mindset is taught at the collegiate level. You’ll learn about the practical application of key concepts such as the “lean startup” method of developing businesses and products and also the use of “problem interviews” to identify consumer needs.

You’ll be walked through key stages of the entrepreneurial process, starting with opportunity recognition and screening and moving on to idea generation, business model generation and validation, and, finally, the launch and growth of a new venture. You’ll learn how this process can be applied to a wide range of entrepreneurial contexts, become familiar with innovation strategies like disruption, and end up with a better understanding of intellectual property and the use of “platform architecture” in planning how a new venture will operate.

Attendees will learn a practical framework to assess and pursue their own entrepreneurial ideas. They’ll also gain valuable insights that can be applied to real-world ventures regardless of industry or experience level. (Doors: $17, or $15 with student ID. Doors open at 3:30 pm. Talk begins at 4:30.)

Image by Canva.

Profs and Pints Baltimore presents: “Ancient Magic and Witchcraft,” on beliefs in supernatural powers in the Greece and Rome of antiquity, with Barbette Spaeth, professor emerita of classical studies at the College of William & Mary.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/baltimore-ancient-magic .]

In the Greco-Roman world of the ancient Mediterranean existed people who practiced magic and witchcraft in much the same way that we think of it today. They wrote down and uttered spells—for both themselves and their clients—to curse enemies, force others to fall in love, prophesy the future, heal both physical and mental injuries, and even raise the dead. Belief in their powers was widespread.

Take a scholarly journal back to antiquity to learn who practiced magic, and how they did it, with Professor Barbette Spaeth, an expert on Greek and Roman religion who has extensively researched ancient magic and witchcraft and offered two courses on it.

In a talk that has received rave audience reviews when previously given in Charlottesville and Richmond, Dr. Spaeth will discuss the evidence of ancient magical practices found in ancient Greek and Latin literature, inscriptions, and artifacts uncovered by archaeologists.

You’ll learn how ancient practitioners of magic could supposedly turn themselves into animals, be in two places at once, and force ghosts and demons to do their bidding. The tools they used in their work included plants and herbs, wands, lead tablets, and animal or human body parts.

While both women and men practiced magic, but there appears to have been marked differences in how they approached it. Men were considered "magicians" who learned their craft from books or consultations with divine beings and mainly practiced positive “white magic.” Women were more likely to be depicted practicing evil “black magic” that they learned from other female “witches” or through powers they’d come upon naturally.

Greek witches like Circe and Medea were seen as beautiful young women who did magic most commonly to help others, particularly their lovers. In contrast, Roman witches like Canidia and Erichtho, were portrayed as old ugly hags who used magic to harm others and ultimately to undermine the very foundations of the universe.

The state, particularly under the Roman Empire, tried to control the practice of magic, particularly the “black” form. The sanctions imposed on those convicted of practicing it included exile and execution. ( Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Doors open at 5. The talk begins at 6:30.)

Image: From the 1892 John William Waterhouse painting “Circe Invidiosa,” which depicts the witch Circe turning the beautiful maiden Scylla into a monster by pouring a magic potion into the waters where Scylla took her bath.

Profs and Pints Baltimore presents: “Mermaid Tales,” a discussion of the enigmatic water spirits of East Slavic countries, with folklorist Philippa Rappoport of George Washington University.

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/baltimore-rusalki .]

Be careful out there. According to Slavic folklore, in the late spring the rusalki, an East Slavic version of mermaids, emerge from lakes and streams to water crops and to claim lives. They're mostly beautiful, with wild hair and blazing eyes, and they’re more than happy to drag smitten young men to watery graves.

Join Philippa Rappoport, an expert on Slavic folklore and rituals, for a discussion of the water spirits of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia and the traditions centered around them. She'll describe how rusalki were both revered and feared by people who would sing songs in their honor while carrying protective charms.

You'll learn how East Slavic mermaid lore permeated wedding rituals and parades, inspired the construction of effigies, and reflected beliefs about women that, throughout the world, have translated into a lot of concern over how women wear their hair and cover their heads.

Philippa has wowed crowds with fascinating talks on East Slavic nature spirits and folktales related to the underworld and winter. Her accounts of mermaids promise to be equally entertaining. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Doors open at 5. The talk begins at 6:30.)

Image: “Rusalka and her daughter,” an engraving by I. Volkov published in 1899.