Author Spotlight: Women's Magic with Dr. Lindsey Stewart, The Conjuring of America

Women’s Magic with Dr. Lindsey Stewart, Award-Winning Author and Professor of Philosophy

Feminist philosopher Dr. Lindsey Stewart’s book, The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic, tells the stories of Negro Mammies of slavery; the Voodoo Queens and Blues Women of Reconstruction; and the Granny Midwives and textile weavers of the Jim Crow era. These women, in secrecy and subterfuge, courageously and devotedly continued their practices and worship for centuries and passed down their traditions. 

Conjure informs our lives in ways remarkable and ordinary—from traditional medicines that informed the creation of Vicks VapoRub and the rise of Aunt Jemima’s Pancake Mix, to the original magic of Disney’s The Little Mermaid (2023), and the true origins of the all-American classic blue jean.

About the Author: Lindsey Stewart is a Black feminist philosopher and an Associate Professor of philosophy at the University of Memphis. She is the author of The Politics of Black Joy. Her work has been featured in Blavity, Signs, Hypatia, and the British Journal for the History of Philosophy, and she holds a 2021 Michael Beaney Prize. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Vernon Area Public Library showcases a virtual author talk series each month featuring bestselling, award-winning, and highly acclaimed authors from around the world.  The featured writers and thought leaders will cover a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres.   All programs are recorded and available for later viewing. 

All events are free and open to the public.  For more information or to register for the author talks, visit  https://libraryc.org/vapld