We're with Devin Thomas O'Shea, author of The Veiled Prophet: Secret Societies, White Supremacy, and the Struggle for St. Louis.

Most of Devin's book surrounds a Gilded Age secret society founded in St. Louis in the late 19th century. The story would probably begin and end in St. Louis if that little group for racist businessmen and politicians who liked to throw parties had fizzled out like most secret societies do. This one didn't.

Founded in 1897, the Veiled Prophet Society exists to this day. Over the course of its life, it's had bank presidents, captains of industry, judges, at least one police chief, and more than one US presidential advisor as members. As Devin tells us, the organization was purposely conceived to create a venue for money to mix with politics. This makes the story of the Veiled Prophet Society also the story of how power is captured and wielded.

Find Devin online:

linktr.ee/devintoshea

The book will be available on June 23, 2026.

Preorder the book:

https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2770-the-veiled-prophet

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Music:Airglow - Spliff and Wesson (CC-BY)