CRAIG CONLEY (Prof. Oddfellow) is recognized by Encarta as “America’s most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation.” He has been called a “language fanatic” by Page Six gossip columnist Cindy Adams, a “cult hero” by Publisher’s Weekly, a “monk for the modern age” by George Parker, and “a true Renaissance man of the modern era, diving headfirst into comprehensive, open-minded study of realms obscured or merely obscure” by Clint Marsh. An eccentric scholar, Conley’s ideas are often decades ahead of their time. He invented the concept of the “virtual pet” in 1980, fifteen years before the debut of the popular “Tamagotchi” in Japan. His virtual pet, actually a rare flower, still thrives and has reached an incomprehensible size. Conley’s website is OneLetterWords.com.
"Moon's tears, moon's tears, wait again a thousand years—water drown, and frizzle fire, give me now my heart's desire!" From "The Moon's Tears" by Laurence Alma Tadema, in The Children's Book, 1915.
"The old spells were the good spells. Some of the language is really quite beautiful. 'May Beelzebub's drool sear your eyelids shut.' They don't write them like that anymore." From Passions episode 219.
A spell to conjure a playfellow from the woods, from the equally delightful and rare The Unicorn with Silver Shoes by Ella Young and illustrated by Robert Lawson.
A moon spell for summoning a pooka playmate. From the delightful and rare The Unicorn with Silver Shoes by Ella Young and illustrated by Robert Lawson.
It's rare to gain an insight into fairy spinners' magic spells. "Pluck the moon-rays into shreds. Shreds of moonlight, flax of bubble. Twist them into flimsy threads. Weave the muslin double-double." From St. Nicholas, 1914.
A moon spell for summoning an elusive spirit brother, from the delightful and rare The Unicorn with Silver Shoes by Ella Young and illustrated by Robert Lawson.
Here's a prayer for a mighy cat's protection. From the delightful and rare The Unicorn with Silver Shoes by Ella Young and illustrated by Robert Lawson.
Here's how what we call "genius" is a magic spell, like a magician's living fire that burns in the deepest darkness. From "Genius" by Mary St. Aubyn, 1842.