Nightmarish Nonfiction for Halloween

"In the aftermath of World War II, a succession of mass supernatural events swept through a war-torn Germany. As millions were afflicted by a host of seemingly incurable maladies (including blindness and paralysis), waves of apocalyptic rumors crashed over the land. A messianic faith healer rose to extraordinary fame, prayer groups performed exorcisms, and enormous crowds traveled to witness apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Most strikingly, scores...

"Marie Laveau may be the most influential-and is among the most famous-American practitioner of the magical arts. She is the subject of songs, films, and legends and the star of New Orleans ghost tours. Her grave in New Orleans ranks among the most popular spiritual pilgrimages in the US. This book explores Laveau's life and work-the history and mystery. It gives an overview of New Orleans Voodoo, its origins, history, and practices. It contains spells,...

"This is a book of ghost stories, and for the most part, ghosts are jealous monsters, intent upon our destruction. They never appear overtly here, yet we gradually become aware of their presence the way spirits in haunted houses trod over creaky floors, slam doors, and issue sudden gusts of wind. The poems are Koan-like-the fewer the words, the more charged they are. The engine driving this sense of haunting and loss is money, which Davis describes...