Books
Books,
forewords, and other material by Smith are available from http://chelCpress.com
;
Who's Who in Hell (Barricade
Books, 2000)
Smith's
enormous reference work aims for the libraries and living rooms of
people who don't believe in a personal God, and who care a lot about
their disbelief. Despite the raunchy title, Smith, a freelance writer,
takes no interest (except coincidentally) in debauchery or evildoing.
Instead, he's compiled a biographical dictionary (with subject entries
interspersed) of tens of thousands of freethinkers, secular humanists,
Unitarian Universalists, Ethical Culture activists and famous folks who
hewed to no religious creed. There are the great dead, like George
Eliot and David Hume. There are present-day blasphemers and secularist
writers, from Woody Allen and Salman Rushdie to philosopher Richard
Rorty and novelist Will Self. There are newsmakers who happened to be
"non-theists," like New Wave singer Gary Numan, Chinese democracy
activist Xiao Xuehui, physicist Leo Szilard, runner Jesse Owens (a
Unitarian--for Smith, this counts). There are figures from the history
of "free thought," ethical culture and secular humanism, like Scottish
editor William Ross ("Saladin") and Supreme Court plaintiff Vashti
McCollum. And there are people who seem to be there just for the heck
of it, like atheist, elephant-hunter and WWI casualty Sir Frederick
Courteney Selous. Entries range from one sentence to several dense
columns, subject entries include "Torture," "Semantics," "Nepalese
humanists," "Homosexuality," "Cocaine" and, of course, "Hell." When
Sartre wrote that "Hell is other people," he may not have had so many
in mind, but if unbelievers get to spend eternity in this varied,
illustrious company, a season in Hell might be a treat. Publisher's Weekly, 21 Aug 2000)
Other reviewsRationalistsNY
Drawn from the author's Who's Who in Hell,
this edition focuses on celebrities--artists, musicians, authors,
actors, and those in the entertainment world--whose beliefs are a bit
out of the mainstream, embracing atheism, humanism, and skepticism of
all sorts with a unifying antireligion theme. Each entry describes both
the individual and what he or she has written or produced that could
most aptly be categorized as freethinking. Though some entries are
quite detailed, others are brief and seem a bit questionable. For
example, there is a slight entry on Bo Derek, whose only claim to being
a freethinker is that she once told Larry King that she is not in the
least spiritual. She may in fact be due a spot here, but the entry
isn't convincing. All the same, this is a fascinating reference work
for a few reasons. First, it provides an intriguing compendium of
people who might never be linked otherwise. Second, it provides a basis
for comparison and a touchstone for skeptics everywhere who now have
proof that they are not alone. An excellent starting point for
research into any of the individuals included, this is recommended for
large public and academic libraries. Library Journal
Other
Gossip
From Across the Pond (chelCpress, 2005)
A 157-page paperback, it contains articles published in the United Kingdom's Gay and Lesbian Humanist from 1996 to 2005. Cover photo of the Queen Mary 2 is by the author. Other photos are of Gore Vidal, Edward Albee, Nathan Lane, Virgil Thomson, Quentin Crisp, Arthur C. Clarke, Björk, George Gershwin, Sir Ian McKellen, Lou Harrison, Alan Cumming, Dan Savage, Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Cole Porter, Philip Johnson, Susan Sontag, and Wally Cox. Also exclusive articles about Royston Ellis (England's teenage Allen Ginsberg), Paul Cadmus (1904-1999), and what it was like to be "Gay in the 1960s".
A 157-page paperback, it contains articles published in the United Kingdom's Gay and Lesbian Humanist from 1996 to 2005. Cover photo of the Queen Mary 2 is by the author. Other photos are of Gore Vidal, Edward Albee, Nathan Lane, Virgil Thomson, Quentin Crisp, Arthur C. Clarke, Björk, George Gershwin, Sir Ian McKellen, Lou Harrison, Alan Cumming, Dan Savage, Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Cole Porter, Philip Johnson, Susan Sontag, and Wally Cox. Also exclusive articles about Royston Ellis (England's teenage Allen Ginsberg), Paul Cadmus (1904-1999), and what it was like to be "Gay in the 1960s".
Cruising the Deuce (chelCpress, 2005)
This is a book by Allen Windsor, available only from chelCpress.
To read online, click the title.