The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace

 The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace by Hannah Rose May with artwork by Kelsey Ramsay

The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace cover

Author Hannah Rose May

Artist Kelsey Ramsay

Almost anytime I find an exorcism story, I’m going to read it. I was excited to find The Exorcism at Buckingham Palace mainly because it looked like a cool story about the royal family of England and demonic possession written by Hannah Rose May, who also penned The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, which I still haven’t read. The story starts with a mysterious boat accident where a number of the royal family who are next in line for the crown end up disappearing. Their missing boat causes a crisis at Buckingham Palace, as the elderly and infirm king of England was looking to appoint his successor sooner rather than later. With a sudden break in the lineage, the king turns to the prime minister for advice about how to handle the growing situation. They decide to appoint the king’s grandson, Theo, who brings his own backage to the palace. Theo’s mother, Odette, died under mysterious circumstances when he was younger, and she always warned Theo about the shadow that seemed to follow the royal family. Furthermore, Theo has battled his own demons, notably addiction, which played out publicly for many years. Although he’s sober and newly engaged, Theo seems to be an questionable and somewhat unwilling choice. Nevertheless, the king encourages Theo, convincing him that it is not only good for the country, but it is also his duty to carry on the royal line. While Theo agrees, he begins to confront many of the old demons as he struggles with his time in the spotlight. I don’t want to give too much more away, but Theo must eventually grapple with his own demons as he eventually learns how to be the leader that England needs.

While I liked the premise of this story, and Theo’s story from uncertain prince to confident and compelling leader is a nice story, I wish there was more supernatural elements to the story and that the exorcism was a larger part of the story. Much of the story felt political and dealt with the royal family and the concurrent intrigue and challenges that the prime minister faced with the opposing party. I’m not as familiar with British politics and royalty, so this aspect of the story felt a little different. Plus, when I read the title, I assumed that most of the story would be about the exorcism, whereas it mainly took place at the last ¼ of the story. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see how Theo confronted both personal and supernatural demons in his uncertainty and eventual acceptance of the crown. I could see some similarities between him and the Windsor family, especially with the tragic death of a young, beautiful princess, who’s early death left her child haunted and conflicted about the royal legacy. Plus, the artwork was generally interesting for this story. Kelsey Ramsay uses shading and shadows to cast dread and a worrisome feel among those at Buckingham Palace about the uncertainty of the future king. The supernatural elements of the artwork were also dark and menacing, so I enjoyed his element of the story. I also loved the sketches at the back of the comic, as well as some of the images by other artists. I just felt that the story could have focused more on the exorcism and demonic possession and less on British politics. Thanks to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for sharing this advanced copy.

 The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy by Gil Durán 

The Nerd Reich book cover

Author Gil Durán 

Many thanks to Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for allowing me to read Gil Durán’s urgent, shocking, and timely book The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy. I recently heard about this book from Charles Pierce in one of his columns. While Pierce didn’t do a deep dive into the book, I really appreciate his incisive critiques of the current political atmosphere. Durán’s book aligns with Pierce’s views that often call out the inhumanity, physical and institutional violence, and grift wafting its stink from the White House. However, Durán examines how the rise of Silicon Valley has converged with the MAGA extremism that has ideologically captured the current GOP, allowing a moneyed contingent of disaffected misanthropes to accelerate the end of democracy in favor of something far more sinister and self-serving, in the worst-case scenario. However, the tech titans featured in this book are often portrayed as disruptive innovators and forward-thinking geniuses whose contributions to technology and calls for limited regulation are beneficial and necessary for growth and development. Yet, Durán unearths the dark reality of their goal of disruption is not for the greater good of all, but rather to hasten the collapse of traditional nation-states, which would allow those with the means to create their own city-states or nations, as documented in Davidson and Rees-Mogg’s The Sovereign Individual, a strange and apocalyptic book from the late 90s that claims that the end of nation-states is near with the decline of industrial economies giving way to information economies. This shift will allow a rich elite class to create their own enclaves in order to protect their wealth. As Durán documents, much of the predictions from Davidson and Rees-Mogg never came true, yet the book and others by the authors became a kind of libertarian text, along with Lord of the Rings. As strange as it is to think that a synthesis of new-age apocalyptic thinking with sci-fi-fantasy has significantly influenced the most powerful sector in the most powerful economy, this is the reality that has is continually foisted upon the public as Silicon Valley continues to eat up areas of government, politics, media, and entertainment that reaches most of the US population. Durán’s research and reporting not only documents the invasive reach of these elite geniuses, but he also explores the influences that have helped to shape and disrupt much of the traditional information outlets and infrastructure in American society over the last 25 years. I appreciated his overview of Davidson and Rees-Mogg, as well as the odd Curtis Yarvin, whose writings I was not aware of until the 2024 election was over. As Durán documents, Yarvin and Thiel helped to influence and current vice president JD Vance, and bankroll his post-Yale law school employment, which Durán documents his mediocre and rather non-existent accomplishments. What was both interesting and rather terrifying is the way that Thiel’s reach and money enabled him to engineer Vance from a bland ivy-league law school grad to a viable GOP candidate, who claimed Trump was “America’s Hitler”, and eventually to join Trump’s ticket. While Durán doesn’t get into the analytics of Vance’s transition from Trump critic to fanboy, he does show how Vance’s language and views shifted to more MAGAfied language and twitter takes during his Ohio senate campaign, which was incredibly expensive and bankrolled largely by Thiel.

In addition to examining the influences and politics of Silicon Valley, what was most reveling in Durán’s book was the profiles of the Silicon Valley broligarchy.  While I’ve heard of Peter Thiel, largely because of the Gawker trial, and Musk, I wasn’t as familiar with some of the other names like Balaji Srinivasan, Joe Lonsdale, and Marc Andreessen, and how their venture capital companies fund disruptive technologies and companies that largely lead to what Cory Doctorow calls “enshittification.” I’ve become acquainted with other members of the broligarchy through their roles in Trump’s second administration, like David Sacks, who has been a special advisor on topics like crypto and AI. Durán’s reporting and analysis helps to illuminate the convergence of these two seemingly disparate groups who share a disdain for most of humanity, government, and general empathy. In many ways, their views of engineering a world where free thinking is replaced by efficiency and algorithms was initially documented in Franklin Foer’s Word Without Mind, but Durán takes these ideas further to demonstrate how big tech’s insistence on disruption is tied to the esoteric and fantastical libertarian fever dreams of The Sovereign Individual and a disdain and resentment towards people. While Elon Musk’s transition from tech titan to sloppy solipsist has been writ large for all to witness, other misanthropic trolls like Balaji Srinivasan come off as pretty nihilistic and nasty in Durán’s book.

What was even more surprising to learn beyond the misanthropy and nihilism of big tech’s desire for destruction was their co-opting and perversion of religion. While Thiel’s recent pivot to apocalyptic preaching has received some credit, Durán cites other instances of a kind of syncretic tech-addled Christianity that evangelizes that the first shall be first. Big tech has developed their own sermon in the valley where the message is blessed are the selfish, for they shall purchase the land. Durán explores not only this pivot to a distorted view of Christianity, but also big tech’s attempts to build their own cities and enclaves, often under the premise of zones of economic opportunity, designated lands that avoid certain regulations and restrictions in order to speed up economic development. While Durán details failed attempts by big tech to purchase massive land packages and develop new cities, he also notes other instances of experiments abroad, such as a Próspera in Roatán, a small island off the coast of Honduras. I was stunned to learn about this, as I visited Roatán a few years ago, but I do remember a tour guide pointing out the private air strips. Próspera was championed by then president Juan Orlando Hernández, a convicted drug trafficker who was recently pardoned by President Trump. Durán documents the incredible reach of big tech and its entanglements with the second Trump administration to not only upend democratic institutions and enrich the president, but also to continue to facilitate these kinds of experimental cities that will ultimately benefit the broligarchy and most likely deepen inequality, especially in developing nations like Honduras. Durán notes that Trump’s proposal for “Freedom Cities”, a vague and nebulous plan to erect new cities on undeveloped federal ground, aligns with these sovereign cities like Próspera and other attempts big tech has engaged in to develop their own exclusive enclaves. In fact, Durán details Balaji Srinivasan’s Network State, which calls for a tech takeover of the city, dividing it between the Gray tribe (tech) and Blue tribe (democrats), where the Grays are able to buy out police and other enforcement through providing food and shelter. Although light on details, Trump’s “Freedom Cities” suggests that investors would develop new cities on federal land (rather than redevelop existing cities and properties), allowing a kind of exit and potential for a feudalism and autonomy that Durán claims big tech desires. Although Trump’s plan hasn’t really materialized, Durán draws the connections between big tech and Trump to identify the ways in which both have sought to disrupt and dismantle traditional nation-states and democracy to usher in an age of fight and feudalism. Durán further untangles the sordid entanglements of big tech and Trump through the latter’s pivot to crypto, which is another marker of big tech’s attempts to disrupt traditional economies. Durán’s explanation of how crypto and bitcoin have evolved over the years to emerge as the president’s favorite scam is clear. He explores the ways that early online payment processors like paypal, where Musk and Thiel made their mark in tech, likely developed as a means to provide an alternative to traditional currency, another element that was discussed in The Sovereign Individual that would likely hasten the demise of democracy and nation states. Although crypto was touted as a means for decentralization and possibly avoidance of financial regulations and taxes, the president has recognized its power as a means to make money from his followers, and Durán’s reporting explores the intersection of big tech, crypto cons like FTX, and the president’s increasing wealth and deregulation and pardoning that has benefitted and awarded crypto-criminals who have gone on to become major contributors to Trump’s World Liberty Financial. It’s a shocking network that, according to Durán’s reporting, has largely been facilitated by the libertarian fever dreams started in chat rooms and group texts, that eventually morphed into the Network State Conferences and other gatherings to promote the ideas from The Sovereign Individual.

Although big tech has taken considerable action to accelerate the end of the nation-state, Durán’s book ends with some important reminders and assurances that the end is not guaranteed. He reminds readers about the strength in numbers and how rejection of the pessimism and nihilism of big tech and the broligarchy can prevent their final solution for American society. He cites instances of failed Network States in California and other regions to show how towns and communities can band together to reject this kind of takeover, while also offering some additional practical advice for individuals and groups to be cautious and concerned about the overreach of big tech in our lives. While this book is both eye-opening and disheartening at times, it’s also an important reminder to recognize the tradeoffs we sometimes make when we welcome in efficiency and convenience that technology and social media provide. Durán’s The Nerd Reich is an important and urgent book to read to not only learn about the intersection of big tech and politics, but also their nihilistic and misanthropic views of society, and their goals of creating a kind of tech-feudalism that would arise after the collapse of democracy. It’s a shocking revelation, but also important to learn more about as big tech continues to insert its reach into our lives. Highly recommended!

Stiff Little Fingers' Inflammable Material- 33 1/3

 Stiff Little Fingers' Inflammable Material by Kevin C. Dunn (33 1/3)

Stiff Little Fingers' Inflammable Material book cover

Author and scholar Kevin C. Dunn

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for sharing an advanced copy of Kevin C. Dunn’s addition to the 33 1/3 series focused on Stiff Little Fingers’ Inflammable Material. I first learned about Stiff Little Fingers from a Rhino Records 70s Punk compilation titled No Thanks! “Suspect Device” and “Alternative Ulster” were their contributions, and they are both some of the hardest, fiercest songs on that compilation. There are only a few bands with multiple songs on the comp, so I recognized that their music was important, but I never picked up this album. I was also surprised to learn that they were from Northern Ireland, since most of the bands were either from England or the US. I don’t remember learning too much more about them, so I was excited to find this 33 1/3 volume on their debut album. While the band produced several other albums over the course of a more than 20 years-long career (with various line-ups), nothing matched the success of their first album. Dunn’s book details the context within which the band formed and developed their sound, as well as how the Troubles and sectarian violence of 1970s Northern Ireland (specifically Belfast) shaped the punk movement, and more importantly how punk rock enabled the youth of Belfast to establish an alternative to the sectarian violence, and provided an identity that wasn’t solely defined by religion or nationality. As Dunn illustrates, 1970s Belfast not only was rife with violence and the threat of bombings, but it was also a time of high unemployment and limited opportunities for young men. Playing music in a band was one of those ways to find a way out of the violence and enjoy youth. Interestingly enough, the band started off as a pub rock type band, playing a lot of covers of heavy music like Deep Purple. This might have been the biggest shock of the entire book, because whenever I’ve listened to “Suspect Device,” I didn’t get the sense that this song was by a cover band. Nevertheless, Dunn’s research delves into the transformation and how the band shifted their sound, writing a song that contained a double meaning of a topical issue. As Dunn analyzes the lyrics, he notes that the term “Suspect Device” wasn’t just a potential explosive, but also served as a metaphor for the bored and jobless youths who posed a danger without something to do. In fact, I was surprised to see how many of their songs are the kind of punk songs about boredom and aimless youth. Dunn’s book and analysis of the album’s contents help to establish that theme of the album but also shows how the punk rock community brought together young people and gave them something to do and organize around. He also notes how the album compares with some of the other classic punk albums that were released shortly before Inflammable Material.

It was interesting to learn more about the band as well, and how they ended up being the first album released on Rough Trade Records, a classic independent British label that started as a record store. Releasing an album on Rough Trade enabled Stiff Little Fingers to have distribution in England, not just in Northern Ireland. Although the band eventually moved to England and signed with another major record label for their subsequent albums, it was interesting to learn more about how this album was produced and its importance to British punk rock. Dunn also provides useful historical and social context to understand the Troubles, both before and after the album was released. Although Inflammable Material didn’t do much for peace, Dunn frames the larger context of the punk rock movement in Belfast as being a significant influence in rejecting the either/or dichotomies of the Troubles and providing a new community that sought to focus on improving conditions for the working class and artists in Belfast. While the band danced around the politics of The Troubles and used imagery associated with the Troubles, their music ultimately reengaged other bands in Norther Ireland signaling that it was relatively safe to play after the Miami Showband killings in 1975. Dunn goes on to provide some insight into the greater Belfast punk scene, and the “punkwashing” that happened in Belfast in the early 2000s, that celebrates the role of music in creating a renewed Belfast. I really enjoyed this book, and it represents so much of what is great about the 33 1/3 books. It examines a significant album, and doesn’t just look at its lyrical or musical content, but also examines the socio-historical and political influences that helped to shape this album. Furthermore, it places the album in a larger context to demonstrate its significance in creating an “Alternative Ulster,” and reshaping the greater Belfast community to reject the sectarianism that divided much of the city and the nation for so many years. Highly recommended! 

Religious Horror That Fights Back with Marian Heretic Volume One

 Marian Heretic Volume One by Tini Howard; illustrated by Joe Jaro

Marian Heretic Volume One Cover

Author Tini Howard

Artist Jose "Joe" Jaro

Many thanks to BOOM! Studios and NetGalley for sharing an advanced copy of Marian Heretic Volume One by Tini Howard with illustrations by Joe Jaro. I was intrigued by the combination of religious horror and rebellion, and the front cover, which features an image of the main character, Sister Marian with her magical monstrance, in action was also very appealing. The story follows Sister Marian, a mother superior of a group of other novitiates who are all witch hunters and work for the patriarchal Holy Father Church. As Sister Marion continues to do the work of these male leaders of the church that often involves hunting and executing women they find threatening, she begins to question her role in the violence against women, especially those with unique powers from the Goddess like her own. The Goddess is a figure that the Church doesn’t acknowledge and actually feels is a threat to their control of the women in their congregation. Beyond the cool battles Sister Marian has with the various witches who possess different powers, she experiences this inner turmoil where she wants to honor the Goddess who bestowed her own powers and avoid the threats of violence from the Holy Father Church. It’s a cool story that’s rooted in much of the patriarchy and discrimination against women that has long been a part of the Catholic Church for many years; however, Howard’s story and Jaro’s kinetic illustrations create a kind of timeless narrative that could be taking place in the past but also has a somewhat futuristic feel to it. I really liked the imagery and artwork, that features both some classic Catholic iconography and some action-oriented and horror-themed imagery of witches and witch-hunters inflicting damage.

The story is religious-horror themed, but it also features a lot of action, and in the later section, we learn more about how Sister Marion realized her powers and eventually came to work for the Holy Father Church. We also see her reaching out to some of the witches to learn more about their powers and their covens, and how they create a community of women who continue to honor the Goddess and reflect the power of women. There are a few elements of the story that I would have liked to see in this volume. For one, it was a little unclear about how the Holy Father Church came to power and why exactly they wanted to suppress the Goddess. I can understand the patriarchal element of it, but it seemed both a little too much like the Catholic Church and a little unlike it. It was the similarities that made the disparities somewhat confusing. I wish there was more of a storyline about how this church became so powerful or why they sought out to suppress witches. Furthermore, towards the end, we see Sister Marion with her Convent, a group of other women who while serving the Holy Father Church. They are equally devoted to Sister Marion and have some cool powers. I really wish we got to learn more about this group of women as they seemed like an interesting group. The coven of witches also had some really cool individuals within it, and I also wished that the volume was able to spend more time with these characters. They would have added more to the supernatural and horror elements of the story. Nevertheless, it’s rare to find a compelling religious horror story in comics. I hope that BOOM! Studios will produce more tales of Sister Marion Heretic, so we can continue to learn about how she fights the power and patriarchy.

 

 Cosmic Music: The Life, Art, and Transcendence of Alice Coltrane by Andy Beta

Cosmic Music book cover

Author Andy Beta

Much gratitude to Grand Central Publishing, Da Capo Press, and NetGalley for sharing an advanced copy of Cosmic Music: The Life, Art, and Transcendence of Alice Coltrane  by Andy Beta. As Beta notes in his introduction, Alice Coltrane has often been known more for being the wife of John Coltrane, and as a result, her musical reputation has often been maligned by jazz traditionalists who either assumed that she became a part of Coltrane’s later groups and leveraged her relationship to pursue a record deal on Impulse, the record label that John Coltrane popularized. As a result, Beta’s biography of Alice Coltrane not only illuminates on her life but really makes the argument that Alice deserves recognition as a musical innovator who took John Coltrane’s ideas and ever evolving notions of music and continued it in a new direction. Beta also notes that there is limited information about Alice’s life and musical work, and this also makes a critical biography like this not only challenging, but also necessary to assert her place in the musical world. In fact, I wasn’t even aware that Alice’s records were out of print for a while. I became aware of her own albums around the time that iTunes launched. I was already a massive John Coltrane fan, and was excited to learn more about how Alice’s participation in the later quartets might have influenced these albums. Beta has a great introduction to the book where he traces his slow exposure to jazz, especially being challenged about how jazz is often defined. Albums like On the Corner by Miles Davis and Om by John Coltrane don’t fit neatly into that traditional jazz schema, and I too was somewhat challenged by these albums, although they eventually grew on me. Alice Coltrane’s albums also don’t fit neatly into the traditional jazz paradigms, often featuring harp, chanting, and slowed trance-like piano work that many reviewers and jazz purists also failed to appreciate at the time. While I don’t remember immediately falling in love with Alice Coltrane’s albums the way I felt about John’s (“Something About John Coltrane”), her music did resonate with me, leaving a kind of emotional impression, like the lingering reverberations of harp or piano strings that I continue to recall. Beta likewise helps to argue the importance of Alice’s music to not just Jazz and Coltrane’s legacy, but also to the emerging field of new age music and self-released cassettes by musical explorers who were creating a new, almost unclassifiable idiosyncratic field of music that relied more on emotional intuition than anything else. I was mostly familiar with Alice’s output from the late 60s and early 70s, and it was interesting to read more (and listen to) her music from the late 70s and 1980s. Furthermore, I didn’t realize that Alice moved out of the Coltrane home in Long Island in the 1970s and settled in Southern California, eventually establishing an Ashram community where she continued to make music, but performed less often and didn’t really record any albums for major labels. That is, she ended up creating spiritual music that was largely based on Hindu prayers and devotions (Bhajans). Like other spiritual questers of the early 80s, Alice Coltrane released these recordings along with some self-published books, on her own and sold them in independent book, record and health food stores. 

What was most fascinating to me in this book was how Alice Coltrane transformed from Alice McLeod to Alice Coltrane to eventually Swamini or Turiyasangitananda and became a spiritual guide who led her Ashram community of many followers. Throughout the latter third of the book, Beta details how Alice underwent a spiritual challenge that followed John Coltrane’s book. Some of her family and friends noted that it was like a breakdown and there were some serious physical threats that Alice experienced and overcame. However, she also seems to have emerged from these experiences with an increased equanimity and insight into her spiritual direction. Throughout this experience, Alice began increasing her meditation and used this to not only seek direction from the Lord, but this also seemed to influence her music, which became increasingly spiritual and devotional. Beta provides not only well-documented research into the production of this music, both the concerts and the recording sessions, but also some well-done description and analysis of the music as well. This was definitely a strength of the book that made me more curious about learning about the later recordings and lesser known music of Alice Coltrane. Furthermore, Beta did well making the argument that Alice Coltrane’s music was in line with John Coltrane’s continued exploratory direction in music. As he notes, John Coltrane’s music rarely stood still, and his final years saw his quartets continue to push and expand the notion of jazz, not without controversy and confusion. As Beta argues, Alice’s music may not fit all of the jazz criteria, but it marks a continued evolution and bold exploratory nature that is also marked by personal devotion and spiritualism that was influential to both John’s and Alice’s backgrounds in the church. 

Beta’s book is a fascinating look at a sometimes overlooked, under-appreciated, and even maligned, but still important musical innovator in the spiritual jazz and new age music genres. I didn’t realize how much Alice’s music influenced the field of new age music, and how devotional and idiosyncratic it is. Beta’s research and analysis make a strong case for Alice’s own identity beyond the wife of John Coltrane, and as an influential figure in several different musical genres. There’s a lot to like in this book if you are a jazz fan or even a fan of more experimental and spiritual music. Alice Coltrane led a fascinating life, especially after she left the spotlight and lived a more monastic life in her Ashram. Nevertheless, at times, Beta’s writing meanders and digresses like a long free jazz solo, dancing around the theme or melody. I found this especially in the first section that details Alice McLeod’s life growing up in Detroit. Part of this was because, as Beta notes, there’s just not a lot of biographical or critical studies on Alice Coltrane. Beta uses other texts and biographies to give readers further context of what growing up in Detroit was like for African Americans like Alice. For example, he uses Barry Gordy’s biography to present some idea of the music scene, but he also provides evidence of events like the Detroit Race Riot from the 1940s to provide evidence of the inequality and limited opportunities that African Americans faced at this time in Detroit. Beta also uses biographical information from Aretha Franklin, who was somewhat of a contemporary of Alice Coltrane, and this helps to show how many Detroit musicians started out in Black Churches, learning Gospel Music and bringing this kind of spirituality to their own music, whether it was soul, rhythm and blues, or jazz. I appreciated this context, and I understand that Beta is deftly using secondary sources to provide insight into Alice’s own background and development as a musician, but sometimes these passages were long and not as well connected to Alice’s life. I occasionally found myself wondering whether I was reading a biography of Alice Coltrane or someone else. Nevertheless, the second and third parts of the book that detail Alice’s marriage and life with John Coltrane and her life as a spiritual leader in California were more focused and fascinating. These were the stronger parts of the book that I thoroughly enjoyed and found so compelling. Overall Cosmic Music is a fascinating and necessary book, and one that jazz fans and others who are musical explorers should read. Highly recommended!

Living the Irish Wheel of the Year by Donald Quill

 Living the Irish Wheel of the Year: A Guide for Practicing Pagans by Donald Quill

Living the Irish Wheel of the Year book cover

Author Donald Quill

Many thanks to Forgotten Rites Publishing and NetGalley for sharing an advanced copy of Donald Quill’s thoughtful book Living the Irish Wheel of the Year: A Guide for Practicing Pagans. I’m not a practicing pagan, but I found the title eye-catching. I am of Irish ancestry, and I loved reading about Irish mythology, history, and culture, so I was intrigued by this book since it sounded like it took a look at a sometimes overlooked aspect of Irish culture- the pre-Christian traditions of the land that shaped a lot of the mythology and beliefs, and in some ways helped to for a syncretic version of Catholicism that still persists today. Quill’s has written a detailed and considerate guide and reference that navigates readers and those curious to reconnect with their surroundings. Quill refers to the Wheel of the Year as a “rhythm that pulses through the land, the aur, and the blood of those who remember.” As I was reading this guide, I could better understand that to engage with this wheel of the year is to think about time differently, not quite linearly, but rather as more cyclical, or as Quill says, like a “sacred spiral.” While reading this guide, I was thinking a lot about Chelsey Luger and Thosh Collins’ book The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teaching for Living Well. Both books re-examine traditional and indigenous ways as a means of reconnecting with the land and as a result bringing greater peace and understanding to ourselves. After reading this book and considering Quill’s notions about time, I was reminded of Jenny Odell’s Saving Time, in which she considers the different ways that people have considered time outside of capitalist systems that ask us to work for our time. For Quill, Luger and Collins, and Odell, time can move in different ways than linearly. In many cultures, activities, chores, tasks, and even our menus are determined by seasonal changes. And much like Luger and Collins’ book, Quill’s guide also offers  important reminders of offering thanks and gratitude to those responsible for the change of the seasons, the bountiful harvests, the warmth of the hearth and many other necessities of everyday life that we often take for granted. It was this call for a kind of pause to think and thank for all that we have that I really appreciated from Quill’s guide. Although I haven’t implemented these practices, I could see how taking the time to stop, reflect, and realize how much we have and how we are connected to nature and our environment can lead to deeper feelings of gratitude and empathy for all.

While Quill’s book presents a practical guide for engaging in traditional Irish practices, it also serves as a kind of reference book for both the mythical gods and goddesses and the festivals for these gods and goddesses that mark important seasonal transitions in the Irish Wheel of the Year. This was my favorite part of the book. Quill’s research and organization of these prominent mythical figures and their holidays reveals much about the traditional Irish practices and beliefs but also sheds some light in more modern traditions and holidays that have been adapted and incorporated by other cultures and belief systems. Quill not only provides background details about these figures and holidays but also presents ways to honor them and hold their festivals. I also loved that Quill recognizes that for many of us, especially those of us in America or who live in large cities, reconnecting with these traditional ways might present some challenges, whether it is accessing green space or even procuring the plants, herbs, and other natural elements that can be essential to honoring these traditional Irish ways. As a result, he not only shares the traditional methods but also makes suggestions about how American and city-dwelling individuals can adapt their practice to engage with these traditions and connect with the Irish Wheel of the Year. This was a fascinating book that provides many different practical applications to reconnect to the environment and develop a deeper appreciation for the world and others. Quill takes a considerate approach, acknowledging that for those who are new to traditional Irish practices, they may not want or be able to implement all of the practices at once. Furthermore, he also shares strategies and substitutions that will allow practitioners to use alternative methods and materials to practice this thoughtful and contemplative way of life. If anything, it seems like adopting the Irish Wheel of the Year allows readers to experience a greater sense of awe and appreciation for the world, especially in being grateful for all that we have. Even though I have not adopted the specific practices recommended in this book, I can see how taking the time, even if it is a few minutes each day, to reflect and be thankful can change someone’s outlook on the world, especially now when it seems like there is always bad news lurking behind each headline or screen that we view. Living the Irish Wheel of the Year will enable readers to reconnect with their environment, feel more gratitude, and experience time in a different manner. Highly recommended!

Exploring the Unexplained: Stars That Pause: 2,000 Years of Asian UFO Encounters and Lore

 Stars That Pause: 2,000 Years of Asian UFO Encounters and Lore 

by Yi Izzy Yu and John Yu Branscum

Stars That Pause book cover

Author Yi Izzy Yu

Author John Yu Branscum

Many thanks (谢谢) to Empress Wu Publishers and Book Sirens for lending me an advanced copy of Stars That Pause: 2,000 Years of Asian UFO Encounters and Lore by Yi Izzy Yu and John Yu Branscum. Last year, in New Jersey, there were several weeks of speculation, fear, and wonder as reports of lighted objects in the skies were published across websites, newspapers, and social media. People shared their photos of the night skies, questioning what all of these crafts were. Were they drones, government crafts, or something from another world? Even the New Jersey government requested more information from the federal government, looking for more information and a rational explanation for all of this arial traffic. The lack of explanation for this phenomenon seemed to push some to panic and anxiety. Even my kids began to worry when looking at the night skies. However, this kind of strange phenomenon, witnessed by millions of people yet lacking a clear explanation is the kind of incident that Stars That Pause interrogates across history and cultures, using interdisciplinary theories and research to make meaning of unexplained or unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) that has occurred in different cultures for centuries. While I am interested in learning more about these kinds of unexplained mysteries, I thought this book would be almost like a catalogue or reference book that details unexplained events related to UAP in Asian countries throughout history. I previously read Zhiguai: Chinese True Tales of the Paranormal and Glitches in the Matrix, which was a collection of strange events and experiences of Chinese people in modern times. Although there was some brief commentary and explanation around the translated experiences, the book was a clever and fascinating collection of strange and unexplained events. I enjoyed reading the book and learning more about these experiences, seeing how some of these experiences were culturally relevant or similar to western phenomena and which were novel. However, Stars That Pause is a different type of book, one that challenged my thinking and drew from a vast array of multidisciplinary studies including history, psychology, and physics among others, to investigate and provide plausible explanations for how and why people experiences these kinds of UAP. Yu and Branscum provide useful instructions for how to read their book, which allowed me to take a different approach to investigating and thinking about the ideas they present. Their first section, “Sightings,” presents translated accounts of UAP sightings and encounters in different Asian cultures spanning nearly 2,000 years. The second section, “Discussion,” draws connections between the ancient accounts and the more modern encounters, tying the observations and encounters together. It is a useful section that provides some further context in understanding some of the cultural differences between Eastern and Western views of these phenomena. The last section, “Rabbit Holes,” which is also the longest section, provides about 20 different approaches, theories, or “rabbit holes” to delve to further explore these phenomena. I didn’t expect this book to be both scholarly and mysterious, but it balances both types of genres in a compelling and engaging way (almost like a yin yang, as the authors discussed in their exploration of Carl Jung’s own ideas about these kinds of shared phenomena and synchronicity). I really enjoyed this kind of novel application, taking unexplained events and using scholarly theories and approaches across many different disciplines to explain them. Furthermore, the authors made some really unique and interesting connections between UAP and other events, in particular in religion, spirituality, and anthropology. One of the chapters explored similarities between religious experiences like those of St. Theresa or Our Lady of Fatima’s appearance to children in Portugal. These experiences highlight not just unique encounters but also provide a religious and spiritual context for explaining sightings and unexplained occurrences. Furthermore, they highlight the nature of shared experiences and how these events might shape participants' perceptions of the events. Other chapters detail how shamans and their ability to navigate between the world of humans and spirits might also serve as an explanation for sightings and UAP. The authors note how many different accounts of shamans follow a particular script that aligns with some of the UAP they present in the first part of the book including suffering or an illness leading to an encounter or altered consciousness that provides new insights. Another chapter explores how culture and symbols also may affect our ideas about UAP and unexplained events. However, I found some of the sections on skepticism and doubt to be particularly interesting. The authors explore how doubt and skepticism is part of culture, but also acknowledge the kinds of costs associated with being more open minded to these kinds of phenomena. Nevertheless, they present several examples of well-regarded thinkers and intellectuals who pursued unexplained events, noting that this kind of open-mindedness about unexplained events is more akin to the intellectual tradition that leads to more discoveries than closing the door on unexplained events. There’s a lot to investigate and explore with this final section, and this part of the book left me with many thoughts and questions. I couldn’t stop thinking about the New Jersey lights in the sky last December, and how people were seeking multiple explanations, turning to conspiracies and willing to accept nearly any idea or explanation. Yu and Branscum’s book pulls on that thread, the human need to find definitive proof or a clear explanation for the unexplained but also offers several different ways to unravel these mysteries. I loved that they presented so many different theories and approaches, tying together different disciplines, examples, and theories to show how these strange events are experienced and perceived across different histories and cultures. This was a unique and fascinating book- one I will revisit. Highly recommended!

 

Challenging Punk Stereotypes and Misconceptions in Punk Spirit!

 Punk Spirit! An Oral History of Punk Rock, Spirituality, and Liberation by John Malkin

Punk Spirit! book cover

Author and journalist John Malkin

Big thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of John Malkin’s interesting and insightful new book Punk Spirit! An Oral History of Punk Rock, Spirituality, and Liberation. I’m always interested in books about music, and especially those that examine genres like punk rock. Punk Spirit! follows in the tradition of some other great oral histories about punk like Please Kill Me, American Hardcore, and Our Band Could be Your Life in that it explores specific time periods in this music’s evolution through the words and experiences of those who were integral in creating the music, styles, and pushing its trajectory in different directions. John Malkin is a journalist and radio host whose extensive experience interviewing punks from across the world enables him to paint a colorful and diverse image of the varieties of punk rock. Not only do readers gain a comprehensive understanding of how spirituality, including both religion and social activism, has shaped punk rock over the past 50 years, but they will also see how Malkin and his subjects repeatedly push back against the stereotype that punk is a nihilistic and agnostic trend. Rather, Malkin’s subjects and his questions help to show how much of punk was shaped by constant questioning, questing, and rebelling against the currents, trends, standards, and norms that society often embraces, or in some cases, that the state enforces. I found this to be interesting especially considering how a lot of the 80s punk rock in America was rebelling against the Reagan republicans and the religious right that emerged. However, the first half of the book examines different aspects of spirituality and how the push for social justice and equality, challenging inequities in society, created a different kind of spiritual ethos in punk rock. Although this first half was a little less focused than the second half of the book, it was still interesting to hear from many punk luminaries and how their own views and ideas on spirituality challenged the dominant view that punk music was either nihilistic without any kind of hope or guidance for the future, or was completely individualistic and hedonistic—I’m thinking about the Circle Jerks song “Live Fast Die Young” or the sad examples of early deaths like Darby Crash, whose addiction seemed to snuff out an interesting, bright light. Malkin includes considerable interviews with Penelope Spheeris, whose Decline of the Western Civilization helped to capture the contradictions and worldviews of Crash, and these interviews present a different kind of side of Darby and the whole Germs movement. It was interesting to think more about how much punk rock relies on the same kind of community and fellowship as a church or religious movement, yet it isn’t always viewed in that kind of perspective. This was one of the themes that emerged from the first half of the book.

The second half of the book I liked a little more due to the focus for each of the chapters. While I enjoyed reading the chapters in the first half, I wish there was a little more contextualization or commentary from Malkin where he might provide some explanation of how he planned to organize these quotes and interviews. These earlier chapters did have titles and they seemed focused, but the quotes and interviews weren’t always set up or connected with other quotes, so it was a little hard to follow at times. The second half of the book dealt more with specific scenes and movements within punk rock. Beyond being more focused, I felt like I learned so much from these chapters. Although these chapters get really into the weeds, Malkin does provide more context and detail either from participants or scholars who researched these movements. For example, Chapter 11 “Church from Below” examined the East German Punks whose movement remained underground due to state surveillance and repression from the Stassi. Since the state could not prosecute religion, religious punk bands were able to play shows in churches and evade the same kind of scrutiny that other secular or political bands might face. Other chapters detailed the intersection of other religions and punk rock including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It was cool to learn more about Krishnacore and the whole 80s and 90s hardcore movement with Revelation Records since I remember seeing a lot of these albums, but not really being that into the music and really kind of questioning those Shelter album covers that featured Hindu deities. Books like American Hardcore got into earlier straight edge and vegetarian/Krishna bands like the Cro-Mags, but these books didn’t get too into their beliefs and ideas or how they influenced the later bands that emerged in the late 80s and 90s. It was interesting to learn more about them, as well as other movements to involve more spiritual practices in punk music like mediating and yoga. I also liked learning more about Michael Muhammad Knight, an author I’ve always wanted to check out and someone who I associated more with hip-hop than punk rock. It was interesting to learn more about how he more or less invented a punk rock style/genre that some even question whether it is real or not. Regardless, Chapter 23 details Haram and how Muslims use their experiences as minorities in punk rock to question inequality, racism, and racial profiling. Nader Haram’s own experience growing up Muslim in NYC post-9/11 was both heartbreaking and inspiring to see how he used punk rock as a means to challenge the kinds of inequality and Islamophobia he experienced. Although I felt that the latter half of the book was more focused and provided more context and explanation on the specific chapter’s focus, the earlier chapters are still interesting since they are largely comprised of the words of punk rock participants. Highly recommended! 

A Complete History of The Exorcist (and its offshoots)

The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear 

by Nat Segaloff 

The Exorcist Legacy book cover

As soon as I saw that there was a book about the Exorcist I knew that I had to get it. I was so excited to find this book since The Exorcist is one of my all-time favorite movies. I begged my parents to take me to the stairs when we visited Washington DC when I was in 7^th grade. All I wanted to do was see Georgetown and where Father Karas tumbled down the steps. As a huge fan of the book and film, this book was great to read. It touched on all aspects of The Exorcist, including Blatty’s writing of the book, his work on the film, Friedkin’s career, and the various other film and television shows that have sprung up from this movie. Since the book arrived in 2023, there was some brief talk about the film that just arrived last year, but thankfully, this wasn’t much of the book’s focus (I actually didn’t like the movie that much). Regardless, I really liked that Segaloff not only is a fan, but also does considerable reporting about the book, film, and both of their legacies – more so the film. As a huge fan of the film and book, I still feel like I learned a lot about those involved with the film, especially Blatty and Friedkin. I also did not know about the various troubles surrounding the filming of the movie. It was really interesting to read more about The Heretic and how despite being directed by John Boorman, mostly those involved have basically distanced themselves from this film. I saw it like right after I watched the Exorcist, and I was probably 11 or so. I remember lots of weird elements about it—the locusts, the mirrors, but I haven’t revisited it. It sounds like I probably won’t, but this book provided some useful context for better understanding how this movie was made and why it was so bad. I really liked learning more about The Exorcist III as well, since I saw that in the theater and liked it, but struggled to understand it’s connection to the original since it really wasn’t about demonic possession. This book helped to collate all of the films around the Exorcist franchise and explain their relationship to one another, not only in the timelines, characters and stories, but also in how the productions came about. The summer before reading this book, I ended up watching the Paul Schrader version of the prequel, and I was pretty disappointed in that. I can see how it relates to some of Schrader’s characters, but it seems somewhat different from other movies in this franchise. Overall though, I really appreciated Segaloff’s efforts to bring the various stories together and to bring some context to the origins of the novel The Exorcist since both the novel and the film changed the shape of horror (both books and films). 

Examining the Consequences of Religious Extremism

 Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by John Krakauer

Under the Banner of Heaven book cover

I was excited to read this book because I am really interested in religious extremism, sects and cults, and I loved Krakauer’s book Into the Wild. Under the Banner of Heaven follows the Lafferty family and their violent and repressive views of the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS). Krakauer follows the Lafferty brothers, who took over a family chiropracting business, but also became skeptical of government regulations, leading one of the brothers to run for political office on an anti-government position. Despite taking place nearly 40 years ago, I found the book relevant today, with many people being averse and questioning the role of government in our lives. It seems like every so often, there is an uptick in anti-government movements, often bolstered by violence or movements to challenge rules and regulations. Both January 6^th and the impact of COVID have created these kinds of adverse reactions to the government’s attempts to regulate. Under the Banner of Heaven looks at these individuals and their beliefs from an earlier time, and kind of provides some more context for the origins of these beliefs. I’ve read other books about the origins of Oklahoma City and the Order from the 80s, and it seems like the Lafferty brothers have taken the kind of religious extremism along with limited work/economic opportunities, and threats to traditional ways of life that other violent, anti-government movements have experienced. Although the events perpetrated by the Lafferty brothers are violent and self-serving, Krakauer presents a compelling story, interviewing the brothers and sharing their own testimony and experiences to tell the story. He pairs this with a history and important events in the development of Mormonism, something that was both helpful and incredibly interesting to learn about. The historical chapters provided a better context for understanding the religion of Mormonism, and how some of these extremist beliefs have served as an extension. Furthermore, these chapters also helped to understand how the traditions associated with Mormonism provided the brothers with a way to challenge what some of their wives and other women in the Mormon community were seeking, like work outside the home or education. This was a compelling book that was hard to put down. Although there is a brutal murder at the center of this story, Krakauer’s research and exploration of the factors that led to the murder create a complex story that requires the history of Mormonism to better understand it. 

Exploring the History and Mystery of Jesus: Elaine Pagels' Miracles and Wonder

 Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus by Elaine Pagels

Miracles and Wonder book cover

Author and Professor of Religion Elaine Pagels

Many thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Elaine Pagels excellent new book Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus. Pagels, the Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at Princeton University, has examined writing related to the New Testament in her other books. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of reading The Gnostic Gospels, which focused on writings from the early days of Christianity that were somehow stored in a cave for nearly 2,000 years. This book challenged my thinking about the New Testament as Pagels explores the theology and beliefs that were ultimately left out of the New Testament, which I hadn’t really known about before. I attended Catholic school for my entire k-12 education experience, and bible stories were an integral part of my education. It was fascinating to learn that there were decisions about which writings were included in the final draft, and that these writings were left out, as Pagels explains, due to considerations for Christianity’s growth and evangelism. In Miracles and Wonder, Pagels revisits some of these texts, but also examines the Gospels that most Christians are familiar with in order to explore the life and continued interest in Jesus. Als like The Gnostic Gospels, Miracles and Wonder opened my eyes up to reconsider the stories related to Jesus’ life and times.

In addition to being a thought-provoking book that challenges our assumptions and ideas about who Jesus actually was and what the purpose of these stories about his life mean, the book was also a personal exploration for Pagels, who starts the book with questions about why Jesus and his message still resonate with so many people after more than 2,000 years. As Pagels frames this question in different ways, it really challenged my own thinking about Jesus and his significance to others. She not only explores his life and time, but at the end of the book examines how the idea of Jesus has changed over time and especially how his life, times, suffering and death hold resonance for new Christians in other cultures, particularly for people who have been colonized, enslaved, or have experienced other instances of social, cultural, and physical violence. This last chapter, focused on how new converts, artists, and filmmakers have engaged with the idea of Jesus, was probably my favorite in the book. It was fascinating to see how different cultures and groups identified with elements of Jesus’ life or message. One of the more powerful moments is when Pagels explores James Cone’s, the founder of Black Liberation Theology, family’s experience with Jesus as someone who shared the experience of suffering due to discrimination and facing eventual state violence due to his beliefs. Other cultures and groups that Pagels mentioned identified with similar elements of Jesus’ beliefs and acceptance of those who were on the periphery of society. For example, Pagels explains how the Piro people of Peru were initially viewed as Pagans who would not receive equal status with their European colonizers or the Mestizos, yet, once they began to convert, Christianity provided them with not only the “good news” of Jesus’ message, but also with an improved status in society. Although it is sad that their original culture was ultimately displaced by their colonizers, it was still interesting to see how accepting a belief enabled them to move up in society’s standing. Pagels also examines popular depictions of Jesus in the 20^th and 21^st centuries, and explores how these conceptualizations of Jesus helped to further challenge our understanding, but also held personal meaning to the artists and directors. It was a fascinating chapter.

Other chapters look at different elements of Jesus’ life, his message, the miracles attributed to him, his death and resurrection, ultimately looking at both the historical context of these events, but also trying to make sense of when these events were written and possibly copied or revised by the early Christian followers. I also found these chapters to be really fascinating, especially for someone who grew up hearing these stories since I was really young and having them become such a part of my learning experiences. In school, I think we always tried to examine the meaning of these stories, looking for the moral or message, and what these events might have conveyed about how to live and treat others. However, I really appreciated Pagels’ scholarship and research in examining the historical context as well as some of the texts from the Gnostic Gospels that were ultimately left out of the New Testament. Furthermore, it’s important to understand that some of the Gospels and other books of the New Testament were written down many generations after Jesus’ death, and the stories were passed down or revised before being recorded and included in the New Testament. As Pagels explains, this most likely led to some creative license and enhancing elements of Jesus’ life. In addition, she provides some context to the struggles of the early church, and how the occupation of Judea (modern day Israel) and suspicion and persecution of early Christians led to adding details and events to these stories. What I enjoyed most, though, in Pagels’ analysis of the Gospels was how she drew parallels between these stories and other stories from the Old Testament and noted some of the tropes and archetypes found not only in the bible, but in other ancient literature. She notes similarities between Jesus’ birth and miracles he is credited with performing to those of King David, as well as the biographies of Roman emperors. This was something I also thought about when I first read Eliot’s Wasteland, which explores death and regeneration particularly looking at the myth of the holy grail. It’s interesting to think about Jesus’ life and death in this context as well, especially considering that his birth and death are placed near holidays celebrating the changes in seasons, and in particular, his resurrection, celebrated as Easter, has elements of regeneration and growth. This part of the Pagels’ book, that focuses on the Crucifixion and Resurrection, touched on the metaphorical meaning, and how it relates to the spiritual rebirth or the idea of an eternal spirit, not necessarily a physical body. I think that this was always apparent, that these events are metaphorical and allegorical, yet she also provides historical context about the nature of crucifixion in ancient Judea, and what most likely happened to Jesus’ body at the time.

I also didn’t realize that Jesus was like a political rebel at the time, and that his actions and followers most likely disturbed the Roman occupiers, along with the traditional Jewish leaders in Judea. As Pagels notes in the book, there were some uprisings against the Roman occupation, which were put down violently, using public crucifixions on roads into and out of town to serve as reminders to those who transgress the state. Surprisingly, Pagels explains that these rebels were never usually taken down from their punishment, left to serve as food for carrion birds and other wild animals. She also notes that there are few instances of crucified bodies found in ancient Judea, suggesting that Jesus may not have actually been buried. Nevertheless, as Pagels explains in both earlier chapters and the end of her book, the Gospel writers took creative license to share the message and meaning of Jesus’ life and help spread the word and philosophy of Christians. Similarly, other groups have taken that message and adapted it to meet their own needs or find meaning in times of struggle or change. I found this book to be fascinating and compelling to read. Although many of the stories and events were familiar to me from attending Catholic school, I think that this book could be appealing to those who don’t have as much knowledge or experience with the Gospels and Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Furthermore, I found the historical context and details surrounding ancient Judea to be incredibly helpful in thinking about the challenges that a person like Jesus might have faced. It’s almost ironic to think about how rebellious Jesus and that he was challenging not just the status quo, but also the political authority of the Romans. Yet, Pagels also notes how the stories of Jesus healing others and performing miracles showed him interacting with those who were on the periphery of society or were considered outcasts. He was willing to take care of the sick, to spend time with people we might consider mentally ill today, and to minister to the poor and downtrodden. This was a really great book, and I’m glad I’m reading it during the time of Lent, a time of contemplation and sacrifice, when we try to live a little more like Jesus. This book is a great reminder of the wonderful aspects of Jesus’ life and a great read. Highly recommended!