The Dead Do Not Talk: Theories of Paranormal Communication in the Early 20th Century
In this authoritative and clearly decisive 20th century commentary on the supernatural author Julien Proskauer makes clear his opinion on the lack of our ability as humans to communicate with the supernatural.
The passion behind this author’s contempt for the entertainment of the existence of
the supernatural is made strikingly clear even before the narrative starts, with the
dedication being made to his grandchildren and stating that he is hopeful that “when
they grow up Spiritism will be a thing of the past”.
The title of the text, The Dead Do Not Talk, is meant to be a direct attack on the act of claiming yourself to be a medium, and consequently, all those that support the eerie conversations that these self-proclaimed mystics have with the dead.
Proskauer has given this group the title of ‘spook crooks’ after proclaiming his belief that they can be deemed as worse than those who are imprisoned for other various crimes.
In Miller Library's online eBook collection, you can read about these early 20th-century mediums, or as Proskauer calls them, ‘spook crooks.’
by
Emma Sloman
The Dead Do Not Talk: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4087696&view=1up&seq=8
Spook Crooks!: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4147286&view=1up&seq=15
