Category Archive for Books + Magazines
Book Deal Announcement: “The Little Book of Satanism” by La Carmina! Ulysses / Simon & Schuster, Satanic guidebook.
A devilish announcement: I have a new book coming out… about SATANISM! It’ll be published October 25 by Ulysses Press / Simon & Schuster!
Late last year, I received a book deal for The Little Book of Satanism: a nonfiction guide to the history, culture, and practices of Satanism. My fourth book features a foreword by Lucien Greaves of The Satanic Temple, and will be released by Simon & Schuster on 10/25.
♥ PREORDER NOW — The Little Book of Satanism: A Guide to Satanic History, Culture & Wisdom is available for preordering on Amazon. My book is also available at Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and other retailers worldwide. Canadians can find it via Chapters/Indigo or Amazon Canada.
♥ TO SUPPORT — Please keep reading to see the Baphomet cover art, contents, and more. And thank you for taking a moment to share this post on social media — I appreciate your help in getting the word out!
❤ What is the book about?
The Little Book of Satanism by La Carmina is an accessible overview of Satanic history and culture that aims to dispel misconceptions about modern Satanists. The book begins with a foreword by Lucien Greaves (of The Satanic Temple), and then introduces the Devil’s conceptualization from his Ancient Near East predecessors to the Bible and beyond. I trace Satan’s historic footprint through the centuries (the Knights Templar, Salem Witch Trials, Hellfire clubs, Aleister Crowley), to the birth of modern Satanism (LaVey’s The Church of Satan, and TST). I also cover the meaning behind Satanic sigils, the Devil in art / literature / pop culture, Satanic rituals and holidays, the Satanic Panic, and much more. (Full details further below.)
❤ Where and when can I get your book?
The Little Book of Satanism hits bookstores on October 25, 2022 — it’ll be available worldwide in both print and digital. You can pre-order my book now from Amazon, or get it from Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and other retailers worldwide, such as Canada’s Chapters/Indigo or Amazon Canada.
❤ How much does it cost?
Only $10.99 US for the digital version, and $14.95 US for the paperback. My book is available internationally at the links above, and can be preordered now. (Thank you for supporting!)
❤ Can you tell me more details about the book?
The following is the catalog copy for “The Little Book of Satanism: A Guide to Satanic History, Culture, and Wisdom” – by La Carmina.
Discover the fascinating history and culture of Satanism through the ages and learn why many Satanists today stand up for free inquiry and personal liberty.
Satanism is too often misunderstood as a religion that makes blood sacrifices to an evil, horned Prince of Darkness. In reality, modern Satanists are nonviolent and nontheistic, and consider the Devil to be a meaningful metaphor for the pursuit of knowledge, reason, and justice.
The Little Book of Satanism details the “mark of the beast” in cultural and historic movements over the centuries, which have informed the sincerely held beliefs and practices of Satanists today. Written by award-winning alternative culture journalist and blogger La Carmina, this comprehensive guide includes:
♥ A foreword from Lucien Greaves, activist, spokesperson, and cofounder of The Satanic Temple
♥ Information on Satan’s biblical origins, and his various names, appearances, and symbols
♥ Details on his age-old role as a scapegoat, from medieval witch trials to the 1980s Satanic Panic
♥ An overview of modern philosophy and practices, focusing on The Church of Satan, The Satanic Bible, and The Satanic Temple
♥ Examples of the Devil’s influence on art, literature, music, and films—from Paradise Lost to Rosemary’s Baby
This accessible book explains how Satanism developed in the context of social history while debunking lurid conspiracy theories about serial killers and ritual abuse. It includes a primer on various Satanic practices such as social activism, rituals, and holidays. In the spirit of the fallen angel Lucifer, be inspired by Satanism’s affirmative values that courageously oppose arbitrary authority and champion nonconformity.
❤ Can I see the book cover design? Who made it?
Above is the cover art of The Little Book of Satanism! Lucien Greaves contributed ideas for the book cover design, including the block effect and a Baphomet with gentle eyes. The execution is by the Ulysses Press design team. Thank you to my Pirate – artist Naomi Rubin – for her in-depth feedback on the cover and layout.
❤ May I take a look inside?
Here’s a sneak peek at the inner pages, which incorporate Gothic fonts and inverted pentagrams. The Little Book of Satanism is 144 pages long, and includes black and white illustrations (like Stanislas de Guaita’s goat head in an inverted pentagram).
My book is in the catalog of major publisher Simon & Schuster, which put up a La Carmina author page here.
And here is the back cover copy, which invites you to discover the rich history of Satanism.
“Written by award-winning journalist La Carmina and with a foreword by The Satanic Temple cofounder Lucien Greaves, The Little Book of Satanism shines a light on the religion’s affirmative values that oppose arbitrary authority and champion scientific rationalism and personal liberty.”
144 pages / $14.95 / Preorder via Amazon or Simon & Schuster (various links to retailers).
My book deal was announced in Publisher’s Marketplace and Publisher’s Weekly book deals announcements, in the Religion section. Thank you to my literary agent and to the Ulysses team for making this project possible. The article says:
“Ulysses Traces Satanism’s History. Casie Vogel, editorial director at Ulysses Press, bought world rights from Lindsay Edgecombe of Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency to alternative culture journalist La Carmina’s The Little Book Of Satanism. The book examines the history and culture of Satanism, including “lurid conspiracy theories about serial killers and ritual abuse, and showing why many Satanists today stand up for free inquiry and personal liberty,” according to the publisher.”
I wanted to give a special shout-out to my friend Dr John Skutlin (who wrote about Satanism in his Ph.D. dissertation) for his hours of support throughout every stage of the manuscript. I’m thankful for the time he generously took to give me in-depth feedback and edits — the book wouldn’t have made it to the final draft without his expertise in these hellish matters! (And I’m glad we’ve been able to collaborate closely for over a decade now; we currently co-host Satanic Show + Tell on TSTTV.)
It’s been a while since I’ve written a book, and it’s a joy to be back at it. This will be my fourth published book — my previous two were about Japanese pop culture (Cute Yummy Time and Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants, published by Penguin Random House.) If you’re curious, you can see my past La Carmina books here.
I’ve written extensively about Satanism since 2007, particularly about TST and the subculture in Japan — so I’m grateful for the opportunity to do a full-length book. My Satanic articles over the years have included:
♥ Fodor’s Travel: Profile of The Satanic Chef.
♥ The Daily Beast Travel: The most devilish destinations worldwide.
♥ Roadtrippers Magazine: Inside the TST Salem, MA art gallery and headquarters, with Lucien Greaves.
♥ Tripsavvy: Travel article about how to visit The Satanic Temple HQ.
♥ Unilad: La Carmina interviewed about the ongoing Satanic Panic.
One could say that I’ve been stepping on goat heads in pentagrams for quite some time now…
♥ I spoke about Satanism on various podcasts: La Carmina on Black Mass Appeal, Tea Room Dialogues, Satanic Study Hall, and Cemetery Confessions / The Belfry Network.
♥ I have over a decade of blog articles about Satanism worldwide, on my La Carmina blog. These include my firsthand reports of visiting The Satanic Temple in Salem, going to a Satanic disco party in London, hailing the Madrid Lucifer fountain, descending into Osaka’s Territory shop and Kobe’s IDEA Satanic bar, and more.
To commemorate the book deal signing, Joey Wong shot these images of me in Vancouver, using my new Sony a7 IV mirrorless camera.
Outfit details: Knee-high leather boots by L’Atelier de Charlotte (this women-run indie company designs shoes in London, and constructs them in Spain.) Cropped black sweater and houndstooth skirt from Fashion Chingu (they carry over 1000 items inspired by K-dramas and Kpop idols).
Handwoven mandalay silk headband by Thread Tales Company. The gold necklace is a large Safety Chain Choker by Eddie Borgo.
I can’t wait for you to read my new book, The Little Book of Satanism, when it comes out on Oct 25! If you have any questions about it, please leave me a blog comment. You can also connect with me on my @LaCarmina social media: Instagram / Twitter / Facebook Page — and shop items from my wardrobe on Depop @lacarmina.
And you’re welcome to check out my previous books from Penguin Random House: Cute Yummy Time (a guide to making meals look adorable) and Crazy, Wacky Theme Restaurants: Tokyo (exploring the bizarre world of Japanese maid cafes, cat cafes, vampire restaurants and more.)
PRE-ORDER The Little Book of Satanism on Amazon or Kindle or Barnes and Noble or through Simon & Schuster. Canadians can get it through Chapters/Indigo or Amazon Canada. It will be released October 25th, 2022.
The Little Book of Satanism by La Carmina drops 10/25/2022!
Thank you to all who made this dream writing project possible. Ave Satanas!
♥ Contact La Carmina: If you want to interview me about the book or have any questions, email me at gothiccarmina — att — gmail — dotcom
♥ And THANK YOU for preordering, and sharing my book news on social media (you can find me @LaCarmina). I’m grateful for your support over the years!
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Vintage, Hip Porto: travel guide! Harry Potter bookstore, modern architecture, Bombarda street art.
“Blue skies, Smiling at me… Nothing but blue skies, Do I see.” – Ella Fitzgerald
As you’ll see from the photos in this post, the jazz song seems to have been written for Porto, Portugal! Let me share how I spent the perfect day in Porto — a travel itinerary that includes vintage shops, the Harry Potter library, futuristic architecture, and the best sponge cake in the world.
(PS – but I’m currently in Istanbul and Brussels… follow along on @lacarmina Instagram and Snapchat to see my daily life.)
Porto is about a five hour train ride north of Lisbon. A stress-free journey, thanks to our Eurail passes that let us board trains all over Europe.
As you recall from this Lisbon story, we loved Portugal from the moment we arrived. I heard that Porto was a laid-back, artsy type of place — and so we came to check it out with the help of Visit Porto.
Porto is known as a center of modern architecture. We started our day at the Casa da Musica, designed by the legendary Dutch architect, Rem Koolhaas.
This spaceship-like auditorium has over a thousand seats and is bathed in light, thanks to two walls made entirely of glass.
We saw more alien art as we drove along the coast. This hovering net is “She Changes,” a work by Janet Echelman. Made from wire, the sculpture pays tribute to Porto’s seafaring and fishing industries.
As we drove around the city, we spotted contemporary buildings at every turn. There’s a renown architecture school in Oporto, and two locals won the international Pritzker prize (the highest honor for an architect).
One of these architects, Álvaro Siza Vieira, constructed this mesmerizing Leça Swimming Pool in 1966. The open-air pool is filled with salt water from the Atlantic Ocean, and the design naturally harmonizes into the craggy coastline. I felt like a mermaid, perched on the rocks and gazing at never-ending skies and waves.
In addition to these modern works, you’ll find charming century-old buildings all over Porto. One of the oldest bookstores in Portugal is Livraria Lello, which dates back to the late 19th century.
The shrubbery hides the long lineup inside… Livraria Lello is Porto’s most famous landmark because of how it inspired author JK Rowling to write Harry Potter!
The best-selling author spent a great deal of time in Lello as she was formulating her story. The art nouveau meets Gothic interiors conjure up the magic of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
JK Rowling was most likely inspired to put a Grand Staircase in Hogwarts Castle, after seeing the winding wood stairs of this Porto bookstore.
After, we spent a few hours walking around Porto. It’s the perfect balance for travelers like us: no annoying tourism trappings, and yet the city has a lot to see and experience.
Our guide took us to the downtown square, and explained that this mega-church is actually two churches, separated by one of the world’s narrowest houses!
Carmo and Carmelitas was built this way to overcome a loophole, which prevents monks and nuns from having contact.
Located the left, Carmelitas has an ornate gold interior. On the right, the baroque Carmo has a striking blue and white panel on the side.
It seems blue and white are favorite colors here — I can see that inspiration comes from the sky.
Those classic facades, with swirling wire balconies!
Our guide stopped at a viewpoint, overlooking red rooftops and the Romanesque Porto Cathedral (oldest in the city). I did a little panorama of this view on my Vine (you can add me @lacarmina).
Onward to my favorite Porto neighborhood: Bombarda, a district filled with young art and hip galleries.
Bombarda is the bomb. Every few paces, we saw giant works of street art. The round cat over-top a heart was my favorite.
Perhaps these two kitties, intertwining their tails on a nearby wall, were the muses.
We browsed small, indie “creative shops” inside the Bombarda CCB Centro Comercial.
Locals have all sorts of designs on display here, from Robert Smith illustrations to dog and cat lamps. We also stopped by the CCB cafeteria for a simple yet incredibly tasty homestyle meal.
I recommend walking on Rua Miguel Bombarda, and popping into the various galleries. So much intriguing art to see here! Keep reading…
LA CARMINA
