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 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1353/bio.2024.a981419 via OpenAlex
Summary
Cryptozoologist 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
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Downes enacts 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.