Lampoon Publishes 'Twilight' Parody

CORRECTION APPENDED

On Nov. 3, “Twilight” fans can sink their teeth into the newest installment in the vampire saga, penned not by Stephenie Meyer but by a semi-secret Sorrento Square social organization which used to occasionally publish a so-called humor magazine, The Harvard Lampoon.

Vintage Press announced last Tuesday that “Nightlight,” the Lampoon’s parody of the first book of the “Twilight” series, will be distributed to major bookstores around the country, making it the 133-year old organization’s first published book parody in 40 years.

“Nightlight” recounts the tale of Edwart Mullen, an attractive computer nerd with “zero interest in girls,” who is the apple of pale and clumsy Belle Goose’s eye.

Set in the fictional town of Switchblade, Oregon (Meyer’s book occurs in the real town of Forks, Washington), “Nightlight” consists of 160 pages of thwarted romance and vampire-related angst.

“About three things I was absolutely certain,” the book’s jacket cover reads, excerpting a passage from the perspective of the human protagonist Belle Goose. “First, Edwart was most likely my soul mate, maybe. Second, there was a vampire part of him—which I assumed was wildly out of his control—that wanted me dead. And third, I unconditionally, irrevocably, impenetrably, heterogeneously, gynecologically, and disreputably wished he had kissed me.”

The Lampoon last published a book parody in 1969 called “Bored of the Rings,” a retelling of the title novel in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic trilogy.

Henry N. Beard ’67 and Douglas C. Kenney ’68, the co-authors of the “Lord of the Rings” spoof, founded the National Lampoon in 1970 along with Robert K. Hoffman ’70, who at the time was a senior at the College.

When asked what prompted the Lampoon staff to break their 40-year parody-free streak with “Nightlight,” Matthew K. Grzecki ’10, cited their appreciation of Meyer’s original work.

“The goal was really to increase our chances of meeting Stephenie Meyer one day,” he said. “We really admire her literary prowess. We just hope our book doesn’t offend anyone,” he added wryly.

Pamela M. Rosario Perez ’13, a “Twilight” fan who is enrolled in a freshman seminar on the history and science of blood called “Blood: From Gory to Glory,” said that Meyer’s novel has on occasion been a topic of conversation in the course.

Though Rosario Perez said that she is looking forward to reading the parody, she offered a warning to its authors. “I hope the Lampoon does it in good taste, or else they will offend a lot of ‘Twilight’ fans.”

CORRECTION

The Oct. 13 news article "Lampoon Publishes 'Twilight' Parody" incorrectly stated that the Harvard Lampoon is 143 years old. In fact, the semi-secret Sorrento Square social organization that used to occasionally publish a so-called humor magazine is 133 years old.