Ghost Church? Ghost Church!
June 18, 2022 4:31 PM Subscribe
Jamie Loftus (previously previously previously previously) has a new podcast! Ghost Church is an exploration of Spiritualism, its history, beliefs, regrettable relationship with Black and Indigenous people, and so much more.
She begins her search at Cassadaga Spiritual Camp but wanders far afield in trying to make sense of a complicated bit of American religious history. As usual, Loftus weaves her personal life, history, and the impact of her topic into an engaging stew of facts, commentary, and asides. 7 of the 9 roughly hour-long episodes have been released.
Apparently, The New Yorker has noticed.
She begins her search at Cassadaga Spiritual Camp but wanders far afield in trying to make sense of a complicated bit of American religious history. As usual, Loftus weaves her personal life, history, and the impact of her topic into an engaging stew of facts, commentary, and asides. 7 of the 9 roughly hour-long episodes have been released.
Apparently, The New Yorker has noticed.
Austin has had a Spiritualist Church for almost a century. In high school I was in the LRY at First Unitarian. One of our projects was to take field trips to visit other denominations. We tried a number of times to attend the Spiritualist services but there was never anyone there ... AS FAR AS WE COULD TELL.
posted by jim in austin at 5:10 PM on June 18, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by jim in austin at 5:10 PM on June 18, 2022 [5 favorites]
I hope she discusses Lily Dale...About an hour drive SW of Buffalo. N.Y.
posted by Czjewel at 5:44 PM on June 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Czjewel at 5:44 PM on June 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
She does, although she only goes to Cassadaga (at least as far as episode 7).
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:07 AM on June 19, 2022
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:07 AM on June 19, 2022
There’s a spiritualist camp in Chesterfield, Indiana. Interesting place. It’s more-or-less out on the “new age” branch of spiritualism. Had my cards read there once, on a lark. Nice people.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:32 AM on June 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Thorzdad at 5:32 AM on June 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
The thing I like most about this (and other of Jamie Loftus') podcast is her openness. Not just to the listener but also to the subjects of the show. She lets them speak for themselves and engages in good faith, even in circumstances where I would have run out of patience long ago.
This was a hallmark of My Year in MENSA, too. At the risk of spoiling a funny moment in ghost church, she is dead on when she notes about herself that she ignores red flags on purpose to see what kind of wackiness will ensue. It makes for good listening, but it does feel genuinely reckless at times, to me at least.
posted by dbx at 7:19 AM on June 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
This was a hallmark of My Year in MENSA, too. At the risk of spoiling a funny moment in ghost church, she is dead on when she notes about herself that she ignores red flags on purpose to see what kind of wackiness will ensue. It makes for good listening, but it does feel genuinely reckless at times, to me at least.
posted by dbx at 7:19 AM on June 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
I highly recommend Jamie Loftus' 10-episode Lolita podcast, which dives into the history of the book and it's adaptations, along with how the book that is clearly presenting the narrator as a pedophile and child molester gets turned into a story of romance or titillation by pop culture.
posted by AlSweigart at 8:28 AM on June 19, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by AlSweigart at 8:28 AM on June 19, 2022 [5 favorites]
Wasn't paying any attention to this post until I saw that she did Cathy and Lolita. So I'm listening to this now. It's a bit dense, and is about a subject that I have a bit of repulsion from, but I admire her other podcasts and am willing to go on this journey. I might learn a thing or two!
posted by hippybear at 12:45 PM on June 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 12:45 PM on June 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
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