Wednesday, December 12, 2018

strange fevers



The Library’s Spring 2019 focus topic, STRANGE FEVERS: MASS DELUSIONS, CONFUSIONS, AND OBSESSIONS explores the strange world of public madnesses through the lens of art, culture, politics, and entertainment.  From propaganda hoaxes to Victorian Spiritualism.  Cults to crop circles. Fake news to Sasquatch. Witch hunts to urban legends. Satanic Panic to Beanie Babies. Our infatuations, real or imagined, often tell us more about our culture than our legitimate ones.  Join the library for a series of exhibits, displays, discussions and other events that probe the public imaginations more bizarre corners of enthusiasm, naivite and skillful manipulation.   

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Preparations are in the works for our spring focus topic and we are plotting all sorts of weird awesomeness in the name of mass delusions--exhibits, displays, panel discussion, readings, and more...as well a mini-conference when April roles around. I'm hoping to pull together a panel about weird delusional phenomena in teenage girls--like Heavenly Creatures, the Slenderman stabbing, and that recent story about the satanic girls who wanted to kill their classmates in the bathroom.  Could tie it in to Salem witches  Also, another topic exploring the Fox sisters and victorian spiritualism /hypnotism. And also some crypto fun, of course. We're still working out the exhibit details, so I'll be posting a bit more as we go...         

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