It started in the year 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts, during an exceptionally cold winter, when a minister’s daughter began to scream and convulse. Less than a year later, 19 men and women had been executed as a result of the Salem witch trials. In a new book, the writer Stacy Schiff examines what she calls America’s tiny reign of terror, which affected every rung of Salem’s Puritan society. She joins us to explore the events of 1692 and the curious ways they shaped our world today. (Rebroadcast)
Stacy Schiff is the author of Cleopatra: A Life and Véra (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov), which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 2000. Her book is called The Witches: Salem, 1692 [Amazon|Indiebound].
Looking for more period witch story? The Witch is currently screening at the Tower Theatre in Salt Lake City. It's a period film based on New England folklore about witches and the supernatural. For show times and ticket information, visit Salt Lake Film Society
