That Very Witch

That Very Witch explores the cyclical rise and fall of the cinematic witch in American culture and her relationship to feminist movements over time.

Through historical analysis and dozens of case studies, Payton McCarty-Simas demonstrates how the cinematic witch's evolution across decades reflects major shifts in how feminism is perceived politically and interpreted (counter-)culturally in America. From Mia Farrow to the Moral Majority, from the Satanic Panic to Riot Grrrl, from #MeToo to the 2024 election, the witch can be found at the heart of the zeitgeist. What can we learn from her presence?