A story about the early days of sex, drugs, duels to the death, and early celebrity journalism -- op-eds alleging sorcery in political and literary opponents --- this lecture explores the seedy world of black magic among Paris's fin de siècle literati -- blending scandalous historical anecdote with more general reflections on what made occultism so attractive to 19th century Parisians, and the way in which a burgeoning celebrity culture intensified these magical rivalries. Find out more »