American Shamans

Magical healings, ghostly encounters, and alternate realities have been a part of American society since the first colonial settlements. Author Jack Montgomery provides ample historical and personal material to reveal a largely hidden world, primarily influenced by African, Celtic and German roots, that still exists today. It is a spiritual journey into the depths of American folk religion, shamanism and applied mysticism that spans over three decades of research.

Jack G. Montgomery was born in 1953. He earned his B.A. from the University of South Carolina and MLS at the University of Maryland College Park. He is an Associate Professor and Collection Services Coordinator at Western Kentucky University, and conducts professional seminars on Emotional Intelligence for library groups nationwide. In 2005, his book with co-author Eleanor I. Cook, Conflict Management for Libraries: A Strategy for a Positive, Productive Workplace, was published by ALA Editions. Also a professional musician, Montgomery plays guitar, bass, harmonica, and Appalachian dulcimer. He has released two CDs--Onward to Avalon and Everywhere I Look--and performs with the folk duet Shadowdancer in Kentucky and Tennessee.