The History of the Ouija Board
Taught by Lisa Marie Basile
Lisa Marie Basile comes from the bloodline of Giambattista Basile, the Italian fairy-tale writer. The only water sign in a family of fire signs, LMB escaped to NYC a decade ago.
She is a graduate of The New School’s MFA program for creative writing. The author of Andalucia (The Poetry Society of New York) and Triste (Dancing Girl Press), her newest chapbook, war/lock, is forthcoming from Hyacinth Girl Press in 2014. Recently, Noctuary Press, run from University of Buffalo, accepted her full-length poetry collection, APOCRYPHAL.
Her work can be seen in PANK, kill author, Johns Hopkin’s The Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review, decomP, Saudade Review, La Fovea, Prick of the Spindle, elimae & Pear Noir! among many other publications.
She is the founding editor of Patasola Press, a micropress that focuses on emerging, established and female writers. She has taught poetry at The Brooklyn Brainery and at Westfield High School, wears a #bookdress and is a main performer for The Poetry Brothel.
She is an assistant editor for Fifth Wednesday Journal and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize twice.
She is the founding editor of Luna Luna Magazine, a mischievous and sexy online daily magazine, finely curated with pieces about women’s culture, lifestyle and art.
Do you like spooky stuff? Society? Victorian history? You might love this class.
What is the deal with the Ouija board? Why and how does it stay so popular? Right now, you can walk into any Hot Topic and purchase a Ouija board outfit, wallet and blanket. It has remained one of the most mysterious, fun and beautiful objects in both the occult and everyday life. The Ouija board itself hails from 19th century interest in spiritualism (going way back to Chinese Fuji writing), and speaks volumes about society and its desires and fears. Your parents may have told you to get rid of yours (we'll talk about that) or that it summoned negative spirits (maybe we'll summon one ourselves!)! Or you may even be an atheist who is a little spooked or intrigued by its history. Let's discover why this weird little playing board has captivated people for years and years.
