Sponsored by Themes and Variations by David Sedaris.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author and adored satirist David Sedaris comes a hilarious and perceptive new essay. After he was dismissed by a bored author at a book signing, a young David Sedaris made a promise to himself: he would always strive to connect with his own readers. The experience has been even more revealing than he’d hoped. In this hilarious and perceptive essay, the beloved humorist reflects on what it really means to connect with his readers at book events and signings. Read Themes and Variations today.
I’ve been catching up on every single season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in its many iterations, and the one I just finished had a very good MAGIC theme, so let’s talk about books about magic. Or magick if you want to be fun and also write things like folk songstress Loreena McKennitt.
Grimoires: A History of Magic Books by Owen Davies. I personally do not do anything with magic, possibly because I saw too many episodes of MTV’s Fear back in 2000, but I am very interested in the HISTORY of it. This looks at magic books ranging from centuries ago in the Middle East to modern America. Grimoires are a sort of how-to manual and people have loved them for forever (because magic!). Davies also highlights the “role they have played in the spread of Christianity, the growth of literacy, and the influence of western traditions from colonial times to the present.” Cool stuff.
Jambalaya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals by Luisah Teish. This first came out in 1985 and combines memoir with folk magic and spiritual practices. In other words: it’s got it all. She travels from New Orleans to San Francisco, offering charms and rituals in every chapter. It seems to primarily focus on the ’60s and ’70s, which is honestly perfect, because those are the decades I want to hear about re San Francisco.
Cottage Witchery: Natural Magick for Hearth and Home by Ellen Dugan. Well this is precious. No condescension meant to Ellen Dugan; anything with “cottage” in it is going to inspire that feeling in me (side note: if I had a cottage, I would name it Nutmeg Cottage and you’d all be invited for the weekend). This is much more for the earthy-minded, as Dugan shows you “how to bring the beauty of nature and its magickal energies indoors” (magick!).
Enchantments A Modern Witch’s Guide to Self-Possession by Mya Spalter. It is a pun of a title! Self-possession here is a focus on owning your life and your space. Spalter works at NYC’s “oldest occult shop,” Enchantments. Here she talks altars, money magic, the power of colors (here for it), cleaning your room and why you should do it in more than just a “change your sheets omg it’s been weeks” way, and more. Sure it’s dedicated “To the Moon” but the chapter on Magical Collaboration is sub-headed “Psychic Friend Networks,” so you’re probably gonna want to check it out.
Recommended article for the week: check out Bustle’s For Witches of Color, Books About the Occult Are Scarce by Evan Nicole Brown.
As always! You can find me on Twitter @itsalicetime and co-hosting the For Real podcast with Kim here at Book Riot. Until next time, enjoy those facts, fellow nerds.