The spooky season has wound down for another year, and now we are faced with the long dark of the winter—what I’ve come to know as a time for myth and a time for stories.
In my own mythology studies, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t struggle immensely with the transition from Greco-Roman mythology to Norse. In 2015, I discovered Jackson Crawford’s translation of the Poetic Edda, a work that truly made these stories accessible for curious laymen readers such as myself.
As the Halloween season continues to blossom around us, we might find ourselves asking what these stories and creatures of the dark tell us about ourselves.
The work of W. Scott Poole, a professor of history at the College of Charleston, was my first introduction to examining horror through a historic, borderline anthropologic lens. What does modern horror have to tell us about society’s fears? How has it changed over time?
The story of Pittsburgh is one of love and hard work, and that certainly extends to the craftspeople and creatives who call this city home. One of these is Vince Curtis, a designer-craftsperson who creates gorgeous journals under his business Vers Libris. His creations range from customary lined journals covered with whimsically patterned fabrics, to leatherbound journals with gilding reminiscent of something you’d find in a loved one’s library. (For those interested in tarot, Vince also makes clamshell boxes that can help protect your divination tools.)
You know that saying: if you want to hear a joke, tell life your plans? Well, the same goes 
for writing content for side projects, apparently.
This is the time of year when I take a hard look at what I’m doing with The Book Haunt, promptly make excessive plans, and then just as quickly get spectacularly derailed. In August 2017, I had plans for creating a whole folklore/occult arm for this site. While I still would love to do that, I have to examine what my schedule allows for; this has led me to question what I want—and what I hope readers will get—out of this site.
We are all well acquainted with spirits—spirits of the past, spirits of what could have
been, spirits of place. Home, where we put down roots and began to bloom. The road, flowing like thought and blood and memory. And so many other, far stranger vistas that are the framework for our development and identity.
Spirits of Place, edited by John Reppion, is an anthology that uses story, history, and personal connection, all mixed in with elements of the occult and philosophy, in an attempt to define our relationship with place, and how what has gone before influences the present and the future. Continue reading
When I was younger, medical history was not my forte. But as the years have ticked on and my own health concerns loom on the horizon, I’ve found myself wondering about 
how the current state of medicine came to be. Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything was my first earnest, prolonged trip into medical history, and I was more than pleasantly surprised at its casual language and engaging narrative. There were some elements that left something to be desired, however.
Authored by Lydia Kang MD and Nate Pedersen, Quackery takes a segmented, structured approach to discussing the various methods and madness humans have labeled “medicine” throughout history. Continue reading
Sometimes, we don’t get to say goodbye. Sometimes, their writing is all we have left.
It began with an email I received early last week, warning me that Figment, a website where I’d uploaded writing in my undergrad years, was shifting gears and rebranding. All users had until January 31 to back up their data.
Like many of those who read The Book Haunt, my mythological background is Greco-
Roman and Norse. Andrew Paciorek’s Black Earth: A Field Guide to the Slavic Otherworld was a venture into the unknown for me; a journey into a mythology and a worldview that was both alien and familiar.
First, I have to give credit where it’s due.
Paciorek’s descriptions and explanations of each of the gods made them relatable for someone brand new to Slavic mythology. There are at least a handful of parallels between Slavic and other European mythologies that the author made sure to note, but this commentary was grounded in well-researched reality.
How do I bring The Book Haunt back from the dead?
A lot has changed since my last post—mostly my career. Free time has become harder to find, and is more precious than anything once I stumble upon it. But with the onset of fall, the little voice of resurrecting this little spooky book hub whispers incessantly.
Ever since moving to Pittsburgh, I’ve been surprised time and again. But what I have not been surprised by—and have come to cherish most about this city—is the thriving occult
Friday the 13th visit to Arts & Crafts: Botanica & Occult Shop.
and new age communities. Back in January—on a Friday the 13th, no less—I went voyaging into the city with Megan, podcast co-host and fellow lover of the occult. What we found was Arts & Crafts: Botancia & Occult Shop.
The unfortunate norm for pagan/occult stores seems to be a dimly lit, crowded space. When we encountered Arts & Crafts, however, we immediately saw that this business was anything but the norm: well-lit, spacious, welcoming, and with a killer collection of tapestries, ritual tools/items, and scented goods to boot. For the witch in 2017, Arts and Crafts is a must-visit. Continue reading
The Book Haunt 