A Season with the Witch: The Magic and Mayhem of Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts

by J.W. Ocker

Salem, Massachusetts, may be the strangest city on the planet. A single event in its 400 years of history―the Salem Witch Trials of 1692―transformed it into the Capital of Creepy in America. But Salem is a seasonal town―and its season happens to be Halloween. Every October, this small city of 40,000 swells to more than a quarter million as witches, goblins, ghouls, and ghosts (and their admirers) descend on Essex Street. For the fall of 2015, occult enthusiast and Edgar Award-winning writer J.W. Ocker moved his family of four to downtown Salem to experience firsthand a season with the witch, visiting all of its historical sites and macabre attractions. In between, he interviews its leaders and citizens, its entrepreneurs and visitors, its street performers and Wiccans, its psychics and critics, creating a picture of this unique place and the people who revel in, or merely weather, its witchiness.

Genres: Nonfiction, Halloween, History, Travel, Witches, Horror, Holiday

338 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 2016

Reviews

[Alicia Maclean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Argh, the typos! I still went w/the 5 star, as I enjoyed the author's style and learned far more about Salem than I ever imagined (and not just the witch trials history). Very interesting to hear from many sides (art snobs, history buffs, modern-day witches, party-lovers, cemetery grounds keepers, etc.) on what Salem was, is, should be, and means to them. A perfect read for getting into the Halloween spirit!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ocker and his family spend a month in Salem, MA. This book is more about the city than about that month. Ocker gets bonus points for including a chapter about the non-tourist section. I have to love a book that makes reference to Hocus Pocus. But honesty, a fun and funny read.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ultimate book to use as a guide to see the witchiest city in America..... JW guides you through its haunts, graveyards,and history of a time gone by...witch trials and the like..... I enjoyed the book very much,and now really hope to visit the city some day...taking this book with me.....

And now folks, read Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon....I bet it's one horror novel you've not experienced.....New England mayhem in the fall....with both of these books. Thanks JW for your book. A job well done, my friend.

[Bon · Rating 2 out of 5]

LMAO I'm gonna DNF this at the record timing of 2% in. This author has written niche stuff that sounded really cool to me, but ends up full of dumb white man irreverent humor. The cursed objects book was meh, but this is outright offending me, so casually referring to witches as monsters and deaths during witch trials. I've seen better amateur youtube documentaries on modern Salem that don't adopt this off-putting tone. Pass.

[David Webber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad book on the history of Salem, including good chapters on Hawthorne, judges for the witch trials, maritime history, etc., but none of this was all that well linked to the book's premise, which I thought was visiting and experiencing this center of the Halloween universe during October. Instead of a travel book, parts of it read more like an inquisition of the town's tourism decisions and museums. Rather than interviewing interesting people who come year after year to the festivities, we get an interview with the police chief and mayor, which were not that exciting. And instead of a wonderful trek into the events and people of October in Salem, it reads more like you're experiencing the trip with your boring uncle who is a literature professor at the local college.

[Matthew Bielawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and enjoyable book. The author does a good job presenting Salem as witnessed in his month long stay. I like the wide variety of topics, interviews and memorable (and delightfully quirky) characters. It’s not purely a travel book, though it goes into a lot of detail describing the town’s attractions (mostly, but not only witch- or Halloween-themed) . It’s not meant to be a history of the infamous 1692 witch trials, though it gives a decent introduction. And it’s much more than just one man’s account of his month long stay. Through his many interviews and background readings, he tries to get at the heart of the October experience in Salem. Super fun, humorous and insightful!

[❄️✨ Kat ✨❄️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is basically Salem's history rather than being about Halloween like the title suggests. It didn't really keep my interest and I couldn't finish it. I think I should have realized that I wouldn't like it when they referred to 'Salem's Lot like it was written about Salem, Massachusetts..

[Hayden Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever felt homesick for a place you’ve never actually lived? I’ve only visited New England four times (Salem, twice) and I always get a rush of intense romantic feelings whenever I think about it. I hope to one day leave Texas and put this angst to bed.

JW Ocker and his family aren’t just living THEIR best lives. They’re living THE best lives.

I know this wasn’t Ocker’s intention but I couldn’t help thinking everytime I put this book down, ‘Dude F*** PEM!’

[Cupcakes & Machetes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The allure of Salem, Massachusetts is a large one if you're someone who revels in Halloween and/or history. We all know the basic outlines of the Witch Trials but this book just proved to myself that I don't know enough. Now, this isn't the book to pick up if you're looking to learn about the Witch Trials like myself, but it is the one to pick up if you've been wondering just how weird Salem gets around Halloween.

It was interesting to find out that Salem only really began putting an emphasis on Halloween a few decades ago. It sounds like a divided town. One where half the residents want to be known for arts and culture and the other half is proud of all the Halloween fun. One half thinks they are disgracing the legacy of the victims of the witch trials, while the other half thinks that they are honoring them.

The first half of the book is an examination of the city's entire history, the second half gets more into the weird stuff. While I enjoy history, I didn't exactly enjoy the manner in which the author recited the lore. I cannot pin point the exact reason that it bothered me but, I'll go with mildly boring. The second half was more entertaining, hearing from real life residents.

LOTS of typos.

Overall, a decent travel book to inspire people to check out a legendary American city and have some spooky fun.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well now I want to move to Salem.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the first travelogue I've read and the subject matter certainly has a lot to do with that. While I probably won't be jumping into other volumes on the travel writing shelf unless I have a singular interest, this was an awesome blend of history and attractions. Ocker doesn't just hang around the witches or the goblins and ghouls of Salem, he devotes time to its history as a port city for pirates, as the home of literary greats Hawthorne and Lovecraft, and a look at what life in Salem, as a city like anywhere else, is truly like for the local government, municipal workers, and police--especially what that looks like when a million people flood their 8 square miles for Halloween. While it's the only book on Salem I've read, I feel confident in saying it's the most comprehensive collection of information on what a modern stay in the city looks like. Having already been to Salem once when I read it, Okcer gave great insight into places I visited and also uncovered places I didn't know about or didn't think to go.

[Bruce Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book. The author included good details about the Witch Trials, current and past Salem, and local sites of interest including non-witch associated items. He included some things that didn't necessarily stick to the theme, and they struck me as being a little odd for the book, but whatever; it's his book. He definitely peaked my interest to return to Salem. I haven't been to Salem since Halloween became a big deal back then it was all about Hawthorne and The House of Seven Gables. I probably won't go in October no matter how much I enjoy horror stories and monsters, I don't dig the crowds.

[Kitty Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review upcoming

Review forthcoming.

Preliminary: Memoir of a city, humorous and in the spirit of the whole thing, friendly but not afraid to push

[Sandi Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read! Entertaining and immersive look at life in “Witch City”.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ocker moves to Salem during the witchiest of months and throws himself into the experience. This started off really slow with the historical stuff actually (and the PEM chapter, while relevant, just gobbed things up I thought), but got more interesting as he talked to actual residents, city workers, and resident witches and their thoughts on Salem's past and present. Slow start, but strong middle and ending. A good travelogue of Salem in October.

[delanie jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

BBC #9 | I’m not gonna finish this SKIPPPPP

[andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Was a little clunky in the middle and it took me a while to get through (maybe because I wasn't super interested in reading about Hawthorne), but this read like a love letter to Salem and October in Salem.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book. It was an impulse grab for me, a book I checked out of the library on the simple basis of it having a really cool cover and an intriguing premise. "Occult Enthusiast" J. W. Ocker (the author) spends a month living in Salem, MA to report on just about every aspect of life in the city - but not just any month, of course - he visits in October, when the Witch City becomes Halloween central. I love Halloween. I'm interested in horror. And I adore Salem. I've visited twice, during the summer, and I loved every kitschy, weird, witchy corner of it. This book was a gem. Ocker has a very informal writing style, so reading the book feels almost like talking to a friend who shares the same odd interests as you. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the Peabody Essex Museum - as a museum aficionado who embraces both the witchy kitsch of Salem while respecting the PEM's higher aspirations, it was fascinating to see how the city (and that particular institution) navigate being in such a specifically strange tourist town. But I also loved meeting the people who run Salem's other museums (if you want to call them that), and the witches, and the everyday folk just trying to live their lives.

I'll this book in mind as I make return visits to Salem (maybe in October, this time), and I'm definitely going to give some of Ocker's other works a read!

[Paige Etheridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took time to savor this book. Because it talks so much about a city I love and still at times considering moving to, and not just because of Halloween either. It honors the victims of the 1692 With Trials. It honors one of my favorite authors, Hawthrone. You meet Stevie the Vampire and the killer face from Halloween. We even got to quickly see that guy from the Sinister movies! You even get to meet the mayor and the cops too. It was in depth about the city itself and I loved that. There are so many books on the trials and hauntings in Salem. This book covers Halloween, what it's like to live in Salem, as well as the city as a whole. So much of the history was covered, such as the Maritime and the start of the National Guard. And I loved that! I do find it funny too because I'm rewatching Unsolved Mysteries on Amazon Prime, and one of the episodes on the show was mentioned toward the end of the book. I've been to most of the places mentioned in the book, and I loved being able to walk around Salem again in my mind through this novel. Overall this book covered the meaning of horror, Halloween, and history. The many meanings of the word "witch" and it's various roles in Salem, as well as being it's own identity as a word there.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything about this book just worked for me. Like Poe-Land the author's writing style was like sitting down with him and being entertained by his travel stories. Very engaging. The combination of history with modern day experience had perfect balance. Having visited Salem earlier this year I found his descriptions of the attractions to be spot-on. I enjoyed reading his encounters with the residents and visitors. Learned about some things I want to check out when I go back. An author I'd definitely like to meet if I was ever near enough for a book signing. I bought this for my Nook but absolutely had to purchase hard copy because this book definitely belongs on my keeper shelf.

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part this was a pretty interesting book. I've been to Salem a number of times and didn't know where most of the not-too-obvious historic sites were. I found that really useful for my next visit there. However, I wish I'd highlighted those entries now!

I ended up skipping some chapters, mainly those where the author interviewed the citizens of Salem and got their opinions about the city, changes, Halloween, etc. I really didn't care what they had to say - we all have our opinions - and there was nothing earth-shattering (from what I read).

Still, it is a good starting point for any visitors to this city so you know where to look for all those out of the way historic places.

[Moryma · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very interesting topic, a book that billed itself as an examination of a city and that offered some great insights what history is or could be in the eyes of multiple groups. Unfortunately the author's asides and personal stories dragged me out of the narrative to the point where I really couldn't bear to go back in. Would have loved a history of Salem (and this author can spin a great yarn), but unless you're as interested in the author as you are in the town I'd suggest you look for another book.

[S. Wigget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book about Sakem, Massachusetts during the month of October, when every day is like Halloween. The author spent a month in that town in October and studying the culture and history. It brought up memories of my visit, and hopefully some day I'll return--taking this book with me, since it's something of a travelogue.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was part of my Spooky Season reading from last year. It took me a year to finish because there is a lot this man has to say about everything - no detail seemed too small. So from that perspective, this was a bit of a slog. But of course most everything is interesting. Moreover, the way Ocker finds interest in these small details is interesting in itself. I enjoy people that like stuff unapologetically. And Ocker likes Salem.

You will come away from this book with a cursory understanding of the Salem witch trials. This book is much more than that. It is a travelogue of Salem the city. Halloween and the witch trials are a small part of it. I didn't know if I ever cared to know so much about any city, even if it is Salem. Still, it is interesting. But I was left more than once wishing it was a show on the Travel Channel so I see in color and motion the places and people that Ocker describes. That or maybe a podcast. Ocker already had/has a podcast called Odd Things I've Seen. I was a bit taken back that his on air persona seemed a bit more wooden given that he writes as if he is speaking. But sometimes people get so used to writing that they need to pre-write a script even if they want to talk naturally. Seems like that happened there.

Either way this was a fun book that helped me feel like I was taking my own trip to Salem for the Halloween season, albeit without the crowds. I hope to check out his other spooky travelogue Poe-Land. Also I need to note that he made Hawthorne seem cool and I read the Scarlet Letter and it was not cool so any author who can make me doubt myself like that is worth a read.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read. I'm not sure what I thought it was going to be about going in. Well, I knew it was going to be about Salem, but I didn't really know what Salem was--other than a place where some Witch Trials happened and then Arthur Miller wrote a play about it some 300 years later.

Salem is definitely a bizarre place that seems to struggle with its past to find an identity that residents and outsiders can agree with. However, I enjoyed reading this book. The author had a nice sense of humor, if a bit corny at times. And I liked that he seemed to want to interview all sorts of people to get their view of Salem.

I actually enjoyed the chapter where he spoke to the city employees like police officers and the mayor. I can't even imagine trying to organize a whole month of events and then splitting that month into Halloween & the rest of the month.

[Remlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to love this book so much! I'm a big fan of the author's other works, but I'm not usually into lengthy travelogues. This one was different. Even after having lived in Salem for 5 years and being a massive Halloween fan for many more, I still learned a lot of great stuff. Ocker really captured the spirit of Salem and somehow made even historical drudgery seem interesting. His interview recaps were fun to read, and the way he tied them together into themed chapters worked really well. It could have easily read like a history book, and some chapters are heavier than others, but the way that he humanized the subject with interviews of real people and descriptions of his family's time in Salem made it feel personal and cozy.

(It was a little hard to read the descriptions of the huge Halloween parties, but hey, it's 2020. Maybe we'll get back there in a year or two.)

[Eryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited for this book as I’ve been to Salem many times and have read and watched a lot about the Salem Witch Trials, but this book was even better than I expected! It was funny and thought provoking. JW Ocker turned Salem into its own character and did a wonderful job telling the city’s story.

[Amy H. Sturgis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is perfect reading for the Halloween season! J.W. Ocker provides an informed, insightful, and thoroughly entertaining portrait of the town that's known, for good or ill (and this is debated), "Witch City," and he shares what it's like to experience the place in all its glory and contradictions throughout the month of October.

[WednesdayWoah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Salem. A lot. I really figured I would love a book about Salem. And parts of it, I did. I appreciated that it wasn’t all Halloween shenanigans (though I love that stuff too), and that the author really tried to take the time to show how multifaceted the city is, and it’s history including but also beyond the witch trials. However. This book rather reads like someone who went to Salem, and then comes home and tells you about it, except they keep getting sidetracked and you really want to end the convo and take a nap. Also, there are just an incredible amount of typos for a finished, published book.

[Marilynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really helpful in finding sites associated with the Salem witch trials. I found the stone that marked the house of my 9th great grandmother who was hung as a witch among many other memorials.