So… about four or five years ago this woman, Helen Berger interviewed me for a book she was writing about Teen Witches…yes back then I was just coming out of having been a teen witch (by virtue of being in my twenties). She was a lovely lady who couldn’t eat wheat and I took her on a tour round the Castle after the interview because she had nothing much to do that day… on the otherhand I think I also left her in Daemonbooks where she proceeded to be a bit confused by the roleplaying stuff around the shop. Thinking about it I could probably remember her dietary requirements enough to cook for her…anyway, like I said, nice lady. I recall rambling on for ages and getting Silver Ravenwolf and Starhawk confused in my mouth… don’t ask, I was a bit nervous and they both begin with an ‘S’. (No one talk about the cumin fudge now please!)
So anyway, she’s sent me an email telling me this book is due out now (Teen Witches: Magical Youth and the Search for the Self) and that she quoted me several times. Anyway she was a nice lady. Some religious studies and anthropology departments actually train their students and staff (unlike Lancaster as abley demonstrated by one of last terms Masters students). So… I had a flick through of the bits available to look at on Amazon because I have this feeling of foreboding when it comes to being told I’ve been quoted and obviously theres nothing exactly from me except… the mention that of the ninety people they interviewed on three continents only three had looked at Le Veyan Satanism at all… and had found it too selfish and not spiritual enough for them. Oh yeah… that sounds like me. But seriously, only three of us were aware of Satanists?
I do wonder, since I’m intrigued by the book, how much I will agree with, and if there are indeed quotes from me how much I will still agree with them or how much am I going to have to be defending myself. Every other time I’ve been quoted in something published it’s all gone badly wrong (Cosmopolitan, York University Paper, etc.) but this is a proper academic book right?
Like I said, I’m curious.
I’d bet it’s the mention of LaVey, personally. While Anton’s pretty major if you look at Satanism in an detail, if you’re just aware ‘there are Satanists out there’ then being asked about ‘LaVeyan Satanism’ will sound… confusing.
The proportion of folks who’ve looked at it kinda depresses me, but then I’m one of those types who thinks everyone should inspect every religion going for useful notions.
Hope the book works well!
Tom…
I’m not sure that reasoning holds up when applied to the States, where Mr LaVey’s Church of Satan was a considerably bigger phenomenon than Wicca during the ’60s and ’70s, and where his image, and his Satanic Bible, have had wide circulation ever since.
Mish…
I love it when a plan comes together! … ;o)
You’ve started smoking really big cigars now Hannibal?
Not as such, but I would be fibbing if I said I didn’t have you in mind when I suggested to Ms Berger that it would be worth stopping off to talk to some teen witches I knew in Lancaster… ;o)