Dear Ethan
Thanks for your clarification.
kind regards
Melissa.
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Saturday, August 29, 2015 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Albion Calling Interview with Dr. Michael Strmiska
Dear Melissa
Thank you for your kind words.
The wording that you refer to is actually my own. My book really does represent the first academic, introductory work devoted to Wicca ever published in the English language. There is of course an academic introduction to contemporary Paganism more widely, produced by Graham Harvey, as well as Margot Adler's non-academic but still scholarly overview of contemporary Paganism in the U.S. Furthermore there are many Wicca 101 books, authored by practitioners who often seek to welcome potential converts; some of these, and most notably that of Vivianne Crowley, are quite scholarly in their approach, if not academic. Then of course there are the wide array of academic studies devoted to particular aspects of Wicca, by the likes of Ronald Hutton, Sabina Magliocco and such, each of which are chronologically or geographically focused. None of these works are, however, academic introductions to the religion per se. In this my work is genuinely unique. I hope that clarifies things a bit.
All the best
Ethan
This was sent from my HTC on O2
----- Reply message -----
From: "Melissa Harrington" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Albion Calling Interview with Dr. Michael Strmiska
Date: Sat, Aug 29, 2015 17:12
Dear Ethan
Congratulations on your book, I certainly will buy it and look forward to reading it, as well as to getting your excellent blog again with this latest interview. One query though, why is it advertised as "This book represents the first published academic introduction to be exclusively devoted to this fascinating faith."? I presume this is your publisher's marketing tactic, but such a claim is not really accurate, and may be criticized.
kind regards
Melissa.
----- Original Message -----
From: Ethan Doyle White
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Saturday, August 29, 2015 2:27 PM
Subject: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Albion Calling Interview with Dr. Michael Strmiska
Dear all
Obligatory apologies for cross-posting, but I just wanted to welcome those on this list serve to take a look over at my blog, Albion Calling, where I have been conducting interviews with independent scholars and academics who are devoted to researching such subjects as magic, witchcraft, contemporary Paganism, and Western esotericism.
Although the interview series has been on a hiatus since last year due to other obligations (namely my forthcoming book on Wicca from Sussex Academic Press – sorry for the shameless plug!), it is back with an interview that I have conducted with the American scholar of religious studies Dr. Michael Strmiska, who is based at SUNY-Orange and who is also about to start teaching a class on “Neo-Paganism and Northern European Mythology” at Masaryk University in the Czech Republic. Dr. Strmiska is one of the foremost academic experts on Scandinavian-oriented forms of contemporary Paganism, as well as those which base themselves on the pre-Christian belief systems of the small Baltic state of Lithuania. Many on here may know him as the editor of the important anthology Modern Paganism in World Cultures, which is now commemorating its tenth year since publication.
If this sounds like something that might interest you, please check it out here – http://ethandoylewhite.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/an-interview-with-dr-michael-strmiska.html – and if you enjoyed it, please leave a comment! All feedback is gratefully received.
All the best
Ethan
Ethan Doyle White MA
http://ethandoylewhite.blogspot.co.uk/
https://ucl.academia.edu/EthanDoyleWhite
