The Sisters Fox

Published on March 12, 2010

The harp bit at the beginning and end is “In California” from the new Joanna Newsom triple record. Then three pieces from Max Richter’s “24 Postcards in Full Color” and “Song for Jesse” from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ soundtrack to The Assassination of Jesse James by Yada Yada Yada.

There’s plenty of great stuff written about the Fox sisters, including a book-length take (Talking to the Dead, by Barbara Weisberg) which appears to be all that. I’ll recommend a dynamite book called Occult America: The Secret History of how Mysticism Shaped Our Nation, which despite its hyperventilating, Dan Browny spoooooooky conspiracy title, is great and readable and scholarly at the same time. Great context. And, this is sort of an standing order: go to the NYTimes’ pre-1981 archive. There are some vintage stories about the Fox Sisters there.