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Rachel Pollack

American science fiction author, comic book writer, and expert on divinatory tarot

Rachel Grace Pollack (August 17, 1945 – April 7, 2023[1]) was an American science fiction author, comic book writer, and expert on tarot. Pollack was involved in the women's spirituality movement.

Rachel Pollack
Born(1945-08-17)August 17, 1945
Brooklyn, New York
DiedApril 7, 2023(2023-04-07) (aged 77)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materNew York University, Claremont Graduate University
OccupationAuthor
Notable workIssues 64–87 of Doom Patrol
StyleMagical realism

Tarot reading

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Pollack wrote a book about Salvador Dali's Tarot deck.[2] Pollack's work 78 Degrees of Wisdom on Tarot reading is used by many Tarot readers.[3]

Comics

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Pollack is best known for her run of issues 64–87 on the comic book Doom Patrol, on DC Comics' Vertigo imprint,[4] with Grant Morrison. In the comic, Pollack wrote about topics such as menstruation, sexual identity, and transsexuality that are unusual in comics.

Fiction

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Three of Pollack's novels have won or been nominated for major awards in the science fiction and fantasy field: Unquenchable Fire won the 1989 Arthur C. Clarke Award; Godmother Night won the 1997 World Fantasy Award, was shortlisted for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and was nominated for a Lambda Award; Temporary Agency was nominated for the 1995 Nebula Award and the Mythopoeic Award, and shortlisted for the Tiptree.[5]

Influences

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Pollack was Jewish,[6] and frequently wrote about the Kabbalah.[7]

Pollack was a transsexual woman and wrote often about transgender issues.[8][9] In Doom Patrol she introduced Coagula, a transsexual character. She also wrote several essays on being transsexual. She attacked the idea that it is a "sickness." [10] She wrote that it is a passion and helps with greater understanding of others.

A Secret Woman features a police detective who is transgender and Jewish. The detective utters the prayer, "Blessed art thou oh G-d who made me not a woman. Double blessed is Doctor Green who has."[11] Rachel Pollack created the characters known as 'the bandage people' for her Doom Patrol run. The bandage people are 'sexually remaindered spirits' who died in sexual accidents. The initials srs came from the medical term 'sex reassignment surgery'. Rachel wrote the essay "The Transsexual Book of The Dead" for the anthology Phallus Palace. This article is concerning trans men.

Teaching

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For nearly 20 years Pollack taught seminars with Tarot author Mary K. Greer at the Omega Institute, in Rhinebeck, New York.

Awards

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Published works

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Non-fiction books

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  • Greer, Mary Katherine; Anderson, Hilary; Pollack, Rachel (1989). New Thoughts on Tarot. North Hollywood: Newcastle Pub. Co. ISBN 978-0-87877-139-4.[7]
  • Hillman, James; Paris, Ginette; Hall, Nor; Pollack, Rachel (1997). Marriages: Spring 60, a Journal of Archetype and Culture. City: Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-882670-09-3.[7]
  • Livernois, Jay; Pollack, Rachel (1996). Archetypal Sex: Spring : a Journal of Archetype and Culture. Irving: Spring Publications. ISBN 978-1-882670-05-5.[7]
  • Mckean, Dave (2001). Bento. Pacific Grove: Allen Spiegel Fine Arts. ISBN 978-0-9642069-4-6.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel; Dali, Salvador (1985). Salvador Dali's Tarot. Salem, New Hampshire: Salem House. ISBN 978-0-88162-076-4.
  • Pollack, Rachel (1986). Tarot. Wellingborough: Aquarian Press. ISBN 978-0-85030-465-7.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1986). Teach Yourself Fortune Telling. New York: Henry Holt & Company. ISBN 978-0-8050-0125-9.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1990). The Haindl Tarot. City: Newcastle Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-87877-156-1.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1990). The Haindl Tarot: the Major Arcana. City: Newcastle Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-87877-155-4.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1990). The New Tarot. City: Overlook Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-87951-395-5.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1991). Tarot Readings and Meditations. London: Thorsons Pub. ISBN 978-1-85538-049-3.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1995). The Journey out. New York: Viking. ISBN 978-0-14-037254-0.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1997). The Body of the Goddess. Tisbury: Element Books. ISBN 978-1-85230-871-1.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1998). Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. New York: Thorsons Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7225-3572-1.
  • Pollack, Rachel (2000). The Power of Ritual. New York: Dell. ISBN 978-0-440-50872-4.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (2001). The Shining Tribe Tarot. Saint Paul: Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-1-56718-514-0.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (2001). The Shining Tribe Tarot, Revised and Expanded. Saint Paul: Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-1-56718-532-4.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (2002). Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot. City: Element Books Ltd. ISBN 978-0-00-713115-0.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (2004). The Kabbalah Tree. Saint Paul: Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0-7387-0507-1.[7]
  • Pollack, Rachel (2005). Seeker. Saint Paul: Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0-7387-0521-7.[7]
  • Robbins, Trina (2002). Eternally Bad. City: Book Sales. ISBN 978-0-7858-1565-5.[7]

Novels

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Collections

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Anthologies

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Short fiction

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  • Pollack, Rachel (1971). Pandora's Bust.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1973). Tubs of Slaw.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1975). Black Rose and White Rose.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1976). Is Your Child Using Drugs? Seven Ways to Recognize a Drug Addict.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1982). Angel Baby.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1984). The Malignant One.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1984). The Girl Who Went to the Rich Neighbourhood.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1984). Tree House.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1984). Lands of Stone.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1986). The Protector.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1989). The Bead Woman.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1989). Knower of Birds.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1989). Burning Sky.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1990). The Woman Who Didn't Come Back.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1990). General All-Purpose Fairy Tale.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel; James Patrick Kelly; Pat Cadigan; Nancy Kress (1997). Making Good Time.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (1998). The Fool, the Stick, and the Princess.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (2001). The Younger Brother.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (2003). Delusions of Universal Grandeur.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel; Michael Cisco; Jeffrey Thomas; Eric G. Schaller; K. J. Bishop; Stepan Chapman; Richard Calder; R. F. Wexler (2003). Reminiscences.[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel (May 2010). "Forever". Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.[14]

Poetry

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  • The Wild Cows (1993)[14]

Essays

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  • "Introduction: A Machine for Constructing Stories" (1989)[14]
  • Read This (The New York Review of Science Fiction, October 1991) (1991)[14]
  • Read This (The New York Review of Science Fiction, July 1995) (1995)[14]
  • Read This (The New York Review of Science Fiction, August 1996) (1996)[14]
  • Pollack, Rachel. "Death and It's Afterlives In the Tarot". Parabola.[14]

Comics

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References

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  1. ↑ Gustines, George Gene (April 13, 2023). "Rachel Pollack, Transgender Activist and Authority on Tarot, Dies at 77". The New York Times. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  2. ↑ Pollack, Rachel; Dali, Salvador (1985). Salvador Dali's Tarot. Salem, New Hampshire: Salem House. ISBN 978-0-88162-076-4.
  3. ↑ "Llewellyn.com". Archived from the original on September 23, 2007. Retrieved April 8, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Doom Patrol". Retrieved April 15, 2008.
  5. ↑ "sfadb : Rachel Pollack Awards". www.sfadb.com.
  6. ↑ "New Worlds Article". Archived from the original on July 4, 2007. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 7.22 7.23 7.24 7.25 7.26 "biblio.com". Retrieved April 15, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  8. ↑ Valerio, Max Wolf (2006). The Testosterone Files: My Hormonal and Social Transformation from Female to Male. Berkeley: Seal Press. p. 147. ISBN 978-1-58005-173-6.
  9. ↑ Israel, Gianna E.; Tarver II; Donald E. (2001). Transgender Care: Recommended Guidelines, Practical Information & Personal Accounts. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 269. ISBN 978-1-56639-852-7.
  10. ↑ Pollack, Rachel. "Archetypal Transsexuality."[permanent dead link] Retrieved October 20, 2008.
  11. ↑ Pollack, Rachel. A Secret Woman: A Mystery. New York: St. Martin's Minotaur, 2002.
  12. ↑ World Fantasy Convention (2010). "Award Winners and Nominees". Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "The Shining Tribe". Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  14. ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 14.14 14.15 14.16 14.17 14.18 14.19 14.20 14.21 14.22 14.23 14.24 14.25 14.26 14.27 14.28 14.29 "Internet Science Fiction Data Base". Retrieved April 15, 2008.

Other websites

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