One of the hottest authors of the 1910s had been dead for over 200 years before she ever published a word.
Patience Worth, as channeled through the ouija board of St. Louis housewife Pearl Curran, published
several novels and
scores of poems before the death of her link to the material world in 1937.
posted by Horace Rumpole
on Sep 14, 2010 -
16 comments
About 2% of the US population died while serving in the military during the US Civil War, roughly equivalent to about six million people today. A few years after the war the best selling book at 100,000 copies was
Elizabeth Stuart Phelps'
The Gates Ajar, which deals mainly with heaven and what exactly happens there. Spoilers follow.
[more inside]
posted by shothotbot
on Jan 27, 2010 -
29 comments
He sees dead people. (NYT link) John Edward, host of Sci Fi channel's "Crossing Over", can "read" his audience and pass messages from the deceased. Or is it just like a game of 20 questions? After a few questions he can make guesses and be close enough to right that people believe it. Have you ever seen the show, and do you believe him? Have you ever been read by a psychic? Do you have psychic powers yourself?
posted by msacheson
on Jul 31, 2001 -
60 comments
Belief in Astrology up 3% to 28% and belief in ghosts up 13% to 38%. I find the
new Gallup Poll on Americans' Belief in Psychic and Paranormal Phenomena depressing, but not surprising. Aren't we supposed to be headed in the other direction?
posted by quirked
on Jun 8, 2001 -
93 comments