"The Myth of Teen Violence and Spiritual Paths"

Having interviewed people from all walks of life to understand what creates the cultural myths of violence surrounding teens, a big trend noted in her work is young people turning from organized religion to earth-based belief systems. According to Winegarner, teens by nature "break away, to seek their independence and try on new things, because they're in the process of learning who they are." She noted that often those raised with a specific religion may strike out from that religion simply because it's been a part of their lives and their families for so long. Teens raised without a specific spirituality may seek one out because they want something new.

Author and shaman Kelley Harrell interviewed me for a new piece on Huffington Post published yesterday. Follow the link to see the full article. 

"An Unusual Heavy-Metal Love Story"

I wrote a piece about female heavy-metal musicians in the Middle East and North Africa that was published this week on the New Yorker's website. Follow the link to check it out. 

Setting The Record Straight: Pagans And The Press

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to moderate a great panel at Pantheacon with Jason Pitzl-Waters of The Wild Hunt, Satanist Nagasiva Yronwode, Palo Mayombe priest Eric Colon and crime reporter Mike Aldax. It was a chance to discuss how the press has gotten it wrong -- and how pagans and reporters can work together to get it right. We should have video soon, but for now, check out the full audio from the panel. Many thanks to Jason for making it available.

Pantheacon Panel, KGO Interview

I will be moderating a panel at the upcoming Pantheacon, on Saturday, February 16, at 1:30 p.m. It's called "Setting the record straight: pagans and the press," and will include Jason Pitzl-Waters (of The Wild Hunt pagan blog), Nagasiva Yronwode, Eric Colon, and San Francisco Examiner crime reporter Mike Aldax. You can see the full schedule here.

Also, on Monday morning, I was interviewed on KGO's morning news program about teens, mass shootings, and violent video games. It was a brief, three-and-a-half minute clip; you can listen here. 

Beloved, Perfect Union, I Live Here

Sorry for the quiet; it's been a busy time for me, with a new job and some travel and Halloween and everything else going on. My Goodreads giveaway went well; you can check out new reviews of Beloved right here. And, of course, you can buy a copy in all sorts of formats here. 

I recently published a new cover story with the San Francisco Weekly on the topic of LGBT and marriage activism in the wake of Prop. 8. It's called "A More Perfect Union: Prop. 8 May Lead to Gay-Marriage Rights." 

Also recently, I was featured in the ongoing project called I Live Here: SF. It provides portraits, in photographs and words, of people who live in San Francisco. This piece was a long time in coming and I'm glad it's finally online. You can check it out here. 

My interview on "My Metal Life"

Lav Nandlall, the South African writer who hosts the AIR GUITAR blog, interviewed me recently about metal, journalism, and the writing life. You can check out the whole thing here. 

Win a copy of "Beloved"

This month, I'm running a giveaway at Goodreads. Five winners will receive inscribed copies of "Beloved." Check it out:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Beloved

by Beth Winegarner

Giveaway ends October 09, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Misplaced blame, suicidal metal, education news and an actor's triumph

Today, as news spread about a high-school shooter in Baltimore, Maryland -- and his love of heavy metal -- I wrote a piece for the SF Weekly about why it's wrong to drag misfit music into the conversation: Don't Blame Heavy Metal For Alleged Baltimore Shooter Bobby Gladden. 

As usual, I've been busily writing. Although it's a mistake to say that every heavy metal band has written a song about suicide, there are some that have. I provided a roundup on Invisible Oranges. 

For the Examiner and the SF Weekly I've delved into some education topics: Students doing better, but scores don’t show San Francisco program impact, iPads for School Lunches: SFUSD Woos Applicants with Prizes. 

And, in cheerier news, I profiled Sons of Anarchy actor Kurt Yaeger, who plays Greg the Peg: 'Sons of Anarchy' star scoffs at challenges. 

Girls Don't Like Metal & More

Canadian writer Natalie Zina Walschots is conducting a series of interviews with women from all aspects of the heavy-metal world. It's called "Girls Don't Like Metal," a rebuke of something a heavy-metal magazine idiotically claimed. Last week, she interviewed me! Click here to check it out.  

In addition, I've got lots of new articles out there, including ones on Oakland string-metallers Judgement Day, coyotes vs. dogs, and the economics of filming in San Francisco's public schools. 

Filthy lifts, trauma tips, and a poem

I've been busy lately, writing articles on all sorts of subjects, from filthy transit elevators to lost iPods and Occupy Bohemian Grove. I also wrote a series of tips for journalists who might be traumatized by covering horrific incidents, and my longform piece examining the music of Baroness and its place in Southern Culture was published at PopMatters. 

I also have a relatively recent poem, "Lessons," in the new issue of Tawdry Bawdry. Warning: the site and its contents are, as the name suggests, mildly not safe for work.