Mitch Horowitz's blog

As the 1950s wore on, the occult could seem like something of a spent force in American life. Foes of Spiritualism had exposed one mediumistic fraud after another. By the end of the decade, the occult could appear to be little more than an amalgam of eccentrics and loners. A new voice was needed. And it arrived just as the cusp of the 1960s came into sight. (more)