Rudolph Fisher’s 1932 novel The Conjure Man Dies evokes both the Harlem Renaissance and Golden Age mysteries as well as embodying in important ways the more authentic voice of the streets that Dashiell Hammett had begun to make sing. Of course Fisher’s voice remains distinct from all of these: a polymath who studied to be…
Tag: occult
Recent Reads
I have been diving into eighteenth century France for some reason (…circumspice) and my reading has veering into the historical, albeit through fiction. No surprise: I learned most of my history from fiction — books, television, films — because Americans are not generally taught history so much as a narrative of Manifest Destiny. Which is…
Madonna of the Wasps
MADONNA OF THE WASPS My neo-giallo novella is out as an ebook with a spanking new cover by S. L. Johnson (AKA the Queen of Everything including cover art). Madonna of the Wasps involves a cult, an ancient knife, some art students, and a woman who thinks she may have found a way to live forever….
Get Some Magic: Cronework CD
My contributor copy arrived of the very cool CRONEWORK cd from FU&Yr A-Sides and Difficult Art & Music. Wow, it’s a terrific collection and no, I’m not just saying that because I’m on it. It offers a real range of music all tied together with the theme so these are magical works that engage with…
Review: Trance by Appointment – Gertrude Trevelyan
TRANCE BY APPOINTMENT Gertrude Trevelyan Boilerhouse Press Trance by Appointment is the story of Jean, an otherwise ordinary working-class London girl. But Jean has what her mother calls “the Sight.” She sees what no one else can: the future. At first, under the patient guidance of Madame Eva, she learns to control this talent and begins…
Occulture 2025: me & Leonora!
I am delighted to announce that I will be part of the OCCULTURE CONFERENCE in Berlin this October! What an amazing line up to be part of! This is so exciting and I am really looking forward to having another opportunity to explore my obsession with Leonora Carrington amongst people who will be just as…
Review: The Lady and the Beast – Deja Whitehouse
When I visited the Tarot exhibit at the Warburg Institute, one of the joys was to see Frieda Harris’ original art for the Thoth deck. Probably second only to the Smith-Waite deck in popularity amongst English decks, the Thoth deck art doesn’t really get much of an outing. There are different reasons given for this–preservation…
Open Your Heart of Wild Honey #PCA2025
In lieu of the usual #TarotTuesday Irreverent Tarot I give you a slapped-together live recording of my talk at PCA this past weekend, ‘Open Your Heart of Wild Honey’: Occult Medievalism in Leonora Carrington’s The Hearing Trumpet. I very lightly edited the audio so it’s still full of ahhs and umms and stumbles of various…
Divination, Witchcraft & the Occult: PCA New Orleans
I am so excited to be launching the new topic area DIVINATION, WITCHCRAFT & THE OCCULT at PCA this year which is back in the wonderful Crescent City, New Orleans. It’s such a fun conference — and not just because it usually means hanging out with Miss Wendy! — and there is probably no better…
Tarot at the Warburg
Can’t get to the Warburg Institute for the amazing Tarot: Origins & Afterlives exhibit? Or you went and you want to relive the fun? I can help: I made a video of some photos so you can at least get a feel for it. Expect the usual caveats about photos of things in cases (odd…