The Signature and the Sigil: Fortean Biography, Chaos Magick, and a Metabiographical Approach to Proper Names in Jonathan Downes's The Owlman and Others
Biography January 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1353/bio.2024.a981419 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractCryptozoologist Jonathan Downes uses subcultural ideological values to either stabilize or destabilize the proper name in biographical writing. Through paranormal concepts, his work enacts a theory of the biographical signature that highlights the uncanny ways biographical texts invest proper names with meaning.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Scholarship Signature topology Ideology Uncanny Paranormal |
| Key finding | Argues that Jonathan Downes uses paranormal concepts to enact a theory of the biographical signature that foregrounds the uncanny dynamics of how biographical texts invest proper names with meaning. |
Abstract
Abstract: Drawing on recent scholarship on metabiography, the article examines how cryptozoologist Jonathan Downes draws on subcultural ideological values to develop strategies to stabilize or destabilize the proper name in biographical discourse. Ultimately, the article argues that through paranormal concepts, Downes enacts a theory of the biographical signature that foregrounds the uncanny dynamics of how biographical texts invest proper names with meaning.