About the author
Christine Wicker is an American journalist and author, formerly a religion reporter for the Dallas Morning News, known for immersive nonfiction about American spiritual subcultures. Her book Lily Dale: The Town That Talks to the Dead, published by HarperOne in 2006, is narrative journalism set in the spiritualist community of Lily Dale, New York, where mediums have claimed to communicate with the dead for five generations and where thousands of visitors arrive each summer for readings. Her other title, Not in Kansas Anymore, also from HarperOne in 2006, reports on contemporary American practitioners of magic, from folk spellwork to more elaborate ritual practice, treating them as a live and under-examined part of everyday life rather than as historical curiosities. Wicker's approach across both books is that of a reporter documenting belief and practice as she finds it, rather than an advocate or practitioner herself.
📖 Where to start with Christine Wicker
💬 What our editors say about Christine Wicker's books
“Wicker offers a compelling journalistic look at a five-generation legacy of spiritualism in New York. The narrative effectively balances historical anecdotes with contemporary encounters, highlighting the community's annual…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Lily Dale: The Town That Talks to the Dead
“Wicker provides a fascinating ethnographic glimpse into modern magical communities, effectively dismantling the notion that such practices are confined to historical or fantastical contexts. However, readers seeking rigorous…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Not in Kansas Anymore: Dark Arts, Sex Spells, Money Magic, and Other Things Your Neighbors Aren't Telling You
