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"In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy."- William Blake
"A Season of Madness is a fantastic carnival of a book.
Equal parts irreverent and erudite, it lovingly captures the depth, complexity,
and subversive nature of the carnival, from its ancient roots to modern
expression. Gorgeously illustrated, intellectually hefty, and also fun, it
is a seductive introduction to the material cultures, legends, and history of
this perennially fascinating and slippery subject."—Joanna Ebenstein, Founder and Creative Director of Morbid
Anatomy
Al Ridenour, creator and host of the popular podcast Bone
and Sickle and author of
The Krampus and the Old, Dark
Christmas extends his study of Winter folk celebrations to the Spring,
exploring the Old-World Carnival in
A Season of Madness.
Sumptuously illustrated with over one hundred historical and
modern images, Ridenour ushers readers into cultural hinterlands where
celebrations still echo the cruel realities of the old, agricultural world, and
medieval Christianity intertwines with pagan practice.
From ancient Rome to modern Bulgaria, readers
encounter a holiday at once beautiful, strange, and savage. Spring is welcomed
by clowns waving inflated pig bladders. Stalking sheepskin monsters brandish
clubs bristling with hedgehog spines, and plows are dragged over cobblestone
streets by celebrants wearing masks painted with cow’s blood. Folk horror fans
take heart as the Old World welcomes Spring!
Ridenour’s first book,
Krampus and the Old, Dark
Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil (2018) is
considered by critics the definitive authority on pagan winter celebrations.
Aside from his books and podcast, Ridenour is a sought-after expert and
lecturer.
"Sumptuously illustrated and written with clarity, eloquence,
and wry humor, A Season of Madness is one of those rare books that
can pass muster as an academic study yet also provide a good read. Al
Ridenour's meticulous research exposes the subtleties and outrageous quirks of
a topic you didn't know you wanted to learn about until you picked up his book.
Under his direction, the madness once again reigns, as the neglected history of
European Carnival is placed center stage before the reader, in all its seedy,
wild, and triumphant glory." —Dr. Paul Koudounaris, author and photographer
of:
Faithful unto Death,
Heavenly Bodies, and numerous other
exquisitely beautiful books about death.
About the author
Al Ridenour’s passion for the horror genre is genuine, as is his eagerness to explore and seriously analyze its relationship
with the folkloric realm. Throughout his life, Ridenour has eagerly embraced
the weird and macabre, exploring his obsessions through various creative
modes and undertakings.
Since the 1990s, Ridenour has worked as a journalist,
author, artist, animator, arts impresario, and small-time cultural agitator (the
last with the
Cacophony Society under the nom de guerre, “Rev. Al”). Most
recently, with the enthusiastic reception of his 2016 book
The Krampus and the Old, Dark, Christmas he has made a name for himself as the
preeminent English-language expert on the folklore of the
Krampus.
Now in its second printing, Ridenour’s
Dangerous Minds’ Christopher Bickel described the Krampus as "the definitive work on Krampus" and a “must read,” while
LA Times book critic Elizabeth Hand found the book “gleefully erudite,” remarking that
it "deserves to be a classic."
Ridenour’s research on the
Krampus began in 2012,
followed the next year by travels to Europe to observe traditional activities
firsthand. Shortly after that, along with long-time friend Al Guerrero, he
founded Los Angeles's annual and ongoing Krampusfest and Krampuslauf, engaging both local and
European performers for these annual events.
He has translated, produced and directed adaptations of
traditional European Krampus plays, lectured on the
Krampus at the
International Goethe-Institut, The San Diego Art Institute, and the New
Americans Museum. He also crafts and sells
Krampus masks and teaches
workshops for those interested in making their own. In 2018, he was recruited
by Geek Nation Tours as onboard consultant for tours of Austria and Germany
focusing on
Krampus events and traditions.
