"Best-selling author Erica Jong here turns her attention to the fantastical and factual world of witchcraft. She explores the figure of the witch both as historical reality and as archetype - as Halloween hag and full-breasted seductress, as a lingering vestige of a primeval religion and a projection of fear of the unknown. Now, more than a decade after its original publication, Jong has added a new introduction to Witches, emphasizing the relevance and continued popularity of this beguiling topic." "On page after page filled with magical illustrations by Joseph Smith, Erica Jong treats the witch as a survivor of the age of sorcery, as a scapegoat for male-dominated church-state politics, as a remarkable natural healer, and as a hexer without peer. In poetry and prose, she relates tales of torture and triumph, a gallery of witches' familiars, real recipes for love potions and flying lotions, and formulas for spells and incantations that make this volume rich with mystery and delight."--BOOK JACKET This witch's brew of a book is back in all its tantalizing glory to enchant a new generation of readers. Best-selling author Erica Jong here turns her attention to the fantastical and factual world of witchcraft. In beguiling poetry and prose, she looks at the figure of the witch both as historical reality and as archetype-as evil crone and full-breasted seductress, as a lingering vestige of a primeval religion and a projection of fear of the unknown.Joseph A. Smith's powerful, haunting illustrations enliven each page, as Jong investigates the witch as a survivor of the age of sorcery, as a scapegoat for male-dominated church-state politics, as a remarkable natural healer, and as a hexer without peer. Real recipes for love potions and flying lotions, along with formulas for spells and incantations, make this book a rich journey of mystery and delight. Available in paperback for the first time, Witches has been a favorite since it was published more than 20 years ago-a testament to the enduring fascination with the myths and truths about these intriguing figures. Author Bio: Erica Jong is the author of the novels Fear of Flying, Shylock's Daughter, Inventing Memory, and Sappho's Leap. She has also written six volumes of poetry and a number of nonfiction works, including the memoir Fear of Fifty. Jong lives in New York City and Westport, Connecticut. Joseph A. Smith, a painter and sculptor, is a professor of fine arts at Pratt Institute in New York City. In prose and poetry, the witch is examined as historical reality and as archetype--Halloween hag, full-breasted seductress, natural healer, never without peer, scapegoat, and lingering vestige of a primeval religion--in a study that also features recipes for love potions, formulas for spells, incantations, and stunning full-color artwork. Reprint This exploration of the world of witchcraft combines fact and fantasy in beguiling poetry and prose, as Jong analyses the figure of the witch both as historical reality and as archetype. Real recipes for potions and spells are included. Explores the figure of the witch both as historical reality and as archetype, presented effectively through illustrations, poetry, and prose
