Is It Boredom That Drives Them?
I feel bad for Jean Torkelson, she obviously didn’t want to write a filler piece about modern Pagans celebrating the Summer solstice for Rocky Mountain News. This woman is well-educated veteran of the religion-beat and most likely frustrated with her lot. Why else would she write the article in the manner she did?
She starts off fine.
“A rustle of wind, the glow of a fire pit, and a lingering dusk that coaxed night from the longest day of the year – last week marked the summer solstice, a magical time for scores of Colorado’s witches’ covens.”
But every nice phrase is married to an embarrassing gaff or diminishing factoid. It becomes clear she wasn’t impressed and wished to convey that to her readers.
“…intoned Will Christy, 46, known at his King Soopers checkout job for his thick, lush ponytail and pagan necklace…the coven’s high-priest, Richard Cornelius, who sported a ritual saber slung at the side of his khaki shorts…Despite being a high priest, he has a laid-back, Clark Kent demeanor…”
The whole article ends with her description of a prank played during the evening, but the real prank seems to be on the coven who trusted the reporter to treat their ritual with some measure of respect. Torkelson doesn’t seem particularly malicious, so was it boredom? Snobbishness? Lazy writing? Whatever the reason this should be a message to the editors to take her off the Pagan beat before her snark turns to anger.
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