Mensch of Letters

This week: Exposure therapy for secondhand embarrassment, making dick jokes about angels, Dean doesn’t know how to destroy a hard drive, the return of Buffynatural, and the JJ Bittenbinder school of vampire hunting. References:Rat Park - Wikipedia“Prayer is no panacea, no substitute for action.” -- Abraham Joshua HeschelB’shem HashemIshim (angel) - Wikipedia Angels as Human Byproducts - Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic, and MysticismLast rites - Wikipedia"What happened to all the ...

This week: Scenes that aged like milk on a radiator, the era when they cared about demon possession victims, mid-00s homophobia that turned into real bisexuality, rescuing a kid from ghost-induced drowning...2!, and Jules’s boyfriend Special Agent Victor Henriksen.(Supernatural Season 2, Episodes 10, 11, and 12)References:Real Actors on SPN [Archived Version/Picture] Dean and Sam’s Paramilitary Upbringing [Archived Version]Down to AgincourtBorscht BeltYou can also find us on Twitter @men...

This week: Little sibling crimes of being taller, a sprinkling of daloy politsey, Sam gets snubbed by the FBI, Elijah the Prophet is playing with your dogs, and the covenant is just Eldest Daughter Disorder writ large.(Supernatural Season 2, Episodes 7, 8, and 9)References:SPN Wiki Transcript SearchThe Usual Suspects [Archived] The Story Iscah Vaguely Remembers The complexity of reasons people could get into hunting / [Archived Version]Black DogsThe Black Dog of Meriden, CTPerceptio...

This week: The boys could both benefit from some weed, emotions are little brother nonsense, apologies to Jules' mom for ragging on philosophy, the haunted post office episode we should have gotten, and debating the merits of different hairstyles. References:The uncle who put up the headstone / [Archived Version] Death and Mourning in Judaism Dean's Amulet - Super-wiki Why do all monsters have superstrength? / [Archived Version + Picture] HH Holmes You can also f...

This week: A Lulav-ly guest star, worms and Worms and vurms, kings breaking necromancy prohibitions, no such thing as scars or head trauma, and the math of plane crashes vs. serial killer clowns.References:82 — Naso: Angel's on First — Kosher Queers! "ben edlund...looks like a goat that got turned into a human" / [Archived + Picture]Smile TimeThe Others (2001 film)The Book of Abramelin Exodus 30:36 Kol Nidrei SamaelJewish Naming Practices/Can a Child Be Named After a Livin...

This week: A living fossil of mid-00’s television, all questions and no answers, ghosts as a diaspora metaphor, what if it was more like X-Men, and everything is fresh and not yet beat into the ground.(Supernatural Season 1)References:"If they grapple with the nature of monstrosity twice a season..."The ShemaMaking hunters more than protectors of white suburbiaFridging You can also find us on Twitter @menschofletters and on Tumblr at menschofletters.tumblr.com. If you like what we're doi...

This week: Clown foreshadowing, a list of impossible things, making holy water wrong, people who are unimpressed with the Winchesters, and Trivial Pursuit: Sammy’s Psychic Powers edition.(Supernatural Season 1, Episodes 21 and 22)References:Mandaic language - Wikipedia Holy water - WikipediaKey of Solomon - WikipediaJewish Exorcism You can also find us on Twitter @menschofletters and on Tumblr at menschofletters.tumblr.com. If you like what we're doing, you can support us on Patreon...

This week: Dean and Sam aren’t WASPs, a one-scene heist movie, Jules goes full Pepe Silvia over G-d as an author, Elijah is NOT a vampire, and it’s wildly easy to trick John Winchester.(Supernatural Season 1, Episodes 19 and 20)References:Working Class as a Signifier of Masculinity (Web Archive)(Tag Screenshot)Working Class as a Signifier of Masculinity (Original)A Swarm of Evil BeesExodus 20:4 with ConnectionsNosferatu (word)Lilith and lilin as blood drinkers You can also find us on Twi...

This week: Jules is probably not getting murdered by a daeva, Dean is Miette-coded, our new plastic surgeon OC, sometimes the solution is arson, and 19th century Wisconsin newspapers were totally on the cutting edge of photojournalism.(Supernatural Season 1, Episodes 16, 17, and 18)References:Our Town: Study GuideDaevaCross of Saint PeterVintras, Eugène (1807-1875) Nirmāṇakāya - WikipediaJewish Bedtime Prayers20 Jewish Superstitions That Will Absolutely Ward Off the Evil Eye – KvellerEvi...

This week: Keeping ghosts secret except when we yell about them in public, hearteyes for THEE Cassie Robinson, Dean is totes nailing his priest impression, where are they getting entire State Trooper uniforms, and For Sale: Chekhov's Guns, Never Fired.(Supernatural Season 1, Episodes 13, 14, and 15)References:"The girl can't be on top.""Bi women are women who like men in a gay way"The Political and Social Partnership Between Africans and Jews in the United States [PDF]Parsha Shoftim, Dvarim 1...