Blavatsky and Blondie

Bianca Valentino’s Australian site Conversations with Bianca for September 26 carries an interview with Gary Lachman on his forthcoming book on Blavatsky. Having examined the lives of Swedenborg, Steiner, Jung, and others, he is no doubt prepared to take on Helene Petrovna Blavatsky. About his new project Lachman says:

Two things I try to do in the book is to show how all these misconceptions of her [Blavatsky] has piled up and gathered around her and to show just how influential she was and how important some of her writings were. She was really the first one to present a philosophical and intellectual essay criticism of Darwin Evolution, not a religious one, of course bishops and clergy was complaining about it but, she basically criticised it on philosophical grounds and had a good argument for it. That doesn’t get much press. That in itself should secure her an important position in the history of ideas, and she’s a woman doing it! I hope if the readership of the book goes beyond the people that know about her already and can somehow get out into the broader reading public that all these things about her might get picked up and it might lead to more interest.

Aside from his writings on the occult Garry Lachman is known for penning one of the first popular songs using the word theosophies: “(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear” while a member of the group Blondie.