Cauldron of Changes

The spiritual dimensions in the fantastic works of both firmly established and newer writers—including such talents as Marion Zimmer Bradley, Alice Walker, Patricia Kennealy, Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison and Ntozake Shange—are examined in this book.

The author links their fantastic novels to actual currents within the feminist spirituality movement, addressing the genre’s use of goddess worship, psychic phenomena, and reverence for the earth. Special emphasis is given to both the struggle to provide an alternative to men-centered experience and to the need to articulate ways in which feminists can achieve personal and social power.

Janice C. Crosby, an assistant professor of English at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, serves on the editorial staff for FEMSPEC: An Interdisciplinary Feminist Journal. She lives in Baton Rouge.

Janice C. Crosby
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 215
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2013 [2000]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7376-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0526-5
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments     vii

Introduction     1

1. Toil, Trouble … and Joy: Feminism and Spiritual Reclaiming     7

2. Rewriting History and Legend     30

3. Finding and Defining Personal Power     71

4. The Quest for the Goddess     108

5. Wise Women and Healers     137

6. Conclusion     164

Notes     169

Annotated Bibliography     175

Index     203

• “Provid[es] an abundance of information”—Choice

• “A well-organized analysis…effective readings…presents an informed perspective”—SFRA Review