[UA] Voodoo Bibliography

[Jonathan]

If I can add one--Mules and Men, by Zora Neale
Hurston.  Most editions have a section on her voodoo
research after the titular story.  However, Hurston
has to be taken with a grain of salt.  

She could be a UA character herself!  One of the early
folklorists (and a disciple of Frans Boaz--father of
American Anthropology and American Folklore), she
misrepresented her age by ten years her entire life
and fictionalized a large portion of her
autobiography.  That said, much of her fiction is
autobiographical.

She was also a figure in the Harlem Renaissance until
she ran afoul of Langston Hughes and was basically
blacklisted until finally being recognized as a
literary figure after her death.  She also wrote "And
Their Eyes Were Watching God," the movie of which was
the first major role for Halle Berry.

Anyway, there you have it!

Jonathan

--- Courtney <lynxa at hotmail.com> wrote:

> 
> Okay, since a lot of people seemed interested,
> here's a list of books we used in my Vodun class. 
> This was a while ago, so I may not remember all of
> them :P
> 
> Voodoo In Haiti by Alfred Metraux - a history book. 
> Fairly dry, but good background information,
> especially to put the religious formation in a
> historical context.
> 
> Mama Lola: A Voodoo Priestess in Brooklynn by Karen
> McKarthy - My favorite book on Vodun.  First person
> narrative of a sociologist's own experience with a
> Mambo and her eventual conversion to Vodun.  It's
> kind of long, but it's a GREAT read and full of some
> really good information.  This book is an amazing
> overview of the religion of Vodun and the culture
> behind it.
> 
> Voodoo: Search for the Spirit by Laennec Hurbon - if
> I remember this one right, it's basically a flimsy
> little picture book that has the tone of a
> children's story.  It has some misinformation, and
> seems fairly insulting if it isn't the first book on
> Vodun you read, but it's small and it's a GREAT
> on-the-spot reference to use in a game.
> 
> Aaand the only textbook: Dancing Spirits: Rhythms
> and Rituals of Haitian Vodun, the Rada Rite by
> Gerdes Fleurant - like most textbooks it is
> RIDICULOUSLY expensive.  But if you want a more
> in-depth dissection of the culture that surrounds
> Vodun, as well as explanations and first-hand
> accounts of many rituals and how they fit into the
> larger diaspora of Hatian culture, then this is a
> great book.  But unless you're writing a thesis it
> probably isn't worth it. 
>  
>  
>   
>   
>   
> I know there was one or two more books in there, but
> I don't remember what they were...I'll shoot some
> e-mails out to friends and see if they remember.
> 
> 
> "English doesn't borrow from other languages.
> English follows other languages down dark alleys,
> knocks them over and goes through their pockets for
> loose grammar." - - -James Nicoll 
> 
>
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