Episode 6: Zachary Lazar With Tony Sokol and Zeena Schreck
Episode 6 Promo
Zachary Lazar
Zachary Lazar is the author of five books, including the novel ‘Sway’, the memoir ‘Evening's Empire: The Story of My Father's Murder’, and the novel ‘I Pity the Poor Immigrant’, which was a New York Times Notable Book of 2014. His novel, ‘Vengeance’, was the 2019 selection for One Book One New Orleans. His new novel ‘The Apartment on Calle Uruguay’, was published in April 2022. His honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Hodder Fellowship from Princeton University, and the 2015 John Updike Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for “a writer in mid-career whose work has demonstrated consistent excellence.” Zachary serves on the advisory board of the PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship and the selection committee for the National Book Foundation’s Literature for Justice program. He is on the creative writing faculty at Tulane University.
Tony Sokol
Tony Sokol is the culture editor at ‘Den of Geek’, and the TV editor at ‘Entertainment Voice’, and was senior writer at ‘KpopStarz’. Best known for writing and producing NYC’s Vampyr Theatre and the rock opera ‘AssassiNation: We Killed JFK’, Tony was an underground mainstay in Manhattan for over 30 years, and a lifelong music fanatic. He’s defended The Beatles’ “Revolution 9” and demanded Peter Jackson release the 18-hour cut of ‘Get Back’. Tony has interviewed Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, Roger Glover of Deep Purple, Suzi Quatro, Josie Cotton, Joe Satriani, Traci Guns, members of The Police, INXS, Oingo Boingo, and anyone else who squeezes notes through their fingers, mouths or throats.
Zeena Schreck
Image courtesy of and copyright of Zeena Schreck. Not for use, reposting or reprinting without Zeena's permission.
Zeena Schreck, (formerly LaVey), is an interdisciplinary visual and musical artist based in Berlin, Germany. Raised within the Church of Satan, she came to international prominence early in life as the organization's High Priestess and first public spokesperson, defending the Church in the 1980s during the infamous media-fueled U.S. Satanic Panic.
She resigned her position in 1990, severed ties with her father, Anton LaVey, and renounced Satanism and Western occultism to pursue her own religious path, which led to her becoming a practitioner and lineage holder of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism.
From 1988-1993 she was co-director of the experimental music group Radio Werewolf, serving as composer, vocalist, musician and graphic designer on all of Radio Werewolf's Euro-phase recordings. In 2020 she released her first solo album 'Bring Me the Head of F.W. Murnau: A Ghost Story in Six Acts.'
In 2015, an artist monograph containing Zeena's art, photography and writings was compiled and presented by Frank Haines at MOMA's 10th NY Art Book Fair and is now in it's 3rd printing.
As animal rights activist, her most recent release for World Animal Month in October 2022 is 'Blessed Beasts,' a 2023 fine art calendar containing Zeena's animal photography to “honor our non-human totems, familiars, spirit guides and animal companions in a celebration and appreciation for the magical and spiritual bonds between all species of sentient beings.”
Zeena is also the goddaughter of Kenneth Anger, so she’s in a unique position to share her memories of Anger and her insight into some of his iconic films featured in Zachary Lazar’s novel ‘Sway’.
Zeena Schreck with her godfather, Kenneth Anger. Image courtesy of and copyright of Zeena Schreck. Not for use, reposting or reprinting without Zeena's permission.
About the Episode
HIGHLIGHTS:
Zachary Lazar and I talk about his extraordinary rock novel ‘Sway’, a story that reimagines the early days of the Rolling Stones, including the romantic triangle of Brian Jones, Anita Pallenberg, and Keith Richards; the life of avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger; and Charles Manson and his followers. We also talk about the Stones at Altamont, Aleister Crowley, the Jewish mystical tradition, poets William Butler Yeats and William Blake, the difference between the Christian idea of Lucifer and the mythological Lucifer, the challenges of writing about real people in a fictional setting, my family’s tangential connection to the Manson murders, Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Joan Didion’s titular essay from her book ‘The White Album’ and the moment the 1960s ended.
Later, two special guests drop by to add real-world context to the fictional story presented in ‘Sway’:
First, playwright, journalist, editor, and musician Tony Sokol briefly talks about the Stones’ involvement in the occult and with Kenneth Anger.
Then, Zeena Schreck, who is an artist, musician, Tibetan Buddhist yogini, and the goddaughter of Kenneth Anger, as well as former High Priestess of the Church of Satan (founded by her late father Anton LaVey), shares her memories of Kenneth Anger, including how her father made him her godfather and her personal and working relationship with Kenneth. She also talks a bit about her background and rebuilding her life as a Buddhist in Germany. In addition to this, Zeena discusses Kenneth’s interest in Aleister Crowley; the making of and background on some of his iconic films, especially the 1969 film ‘Invocation of My Demon Brother’ (a movie that figures large in Zachary Lazar’s novel ‘Sway’); Kenneth’s relationship with Anita Pallenberg and her influence on the Rolling Stones; how Kenneth’s work influenced MTV and music videos, and so much more.
For four bonus episodes featuring Zeena Schreck, visit the Rock is Lit Vault here, here, here, and here.
Listen to my interview with Manson Murders expert and consultant on Quentin Tarantino’s film ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, Scott Michaels, here. You can also watch the video version, which includes photos and videos I shot during my Manson Murders tour with Scott in April 2023. Watch that here.
SONGS AND MEDIA IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
“Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones
“Torn and Frayed” by the Rolling Stones
Clip from ‘Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome’
“Mr. Crowley” by Ozzy Osbourne
“Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones
Clip of the real Charles Manson speaking
“Sway” by the Rolling Stones
“Dancing With Mr. D” by the Rolling Stones
Clip of Mick Jagger’s soundtrack to ‘Invocation of My Demon Brother’
“Ruby Tuesday” by the Rolling Stones
“2000 Light Years From Home” by the Rolling Stones
Theme from ‘The Godfather’
Clip from ‘Blue Velvet’
“Midnight Rambler” from the Rolling Stones Hyde Park Show, Live 1969
“Summer Swelter” by Zeena Schreck
“Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones
*All images, music, and mementos of Zeena Schreck are used with her approval and cannot be reproduced without her permission.
LINKS:
Zachary Lazar, Facebook, @ZacharyLazar
Tony Sokol, Twitter, @tsokol
Link to Tony’s article “The Occult Influences of Sympathy for the Devil” in ‘Den of Geek’
For news of Zeena's current public activities and releases, subscribe to the e-newsletter at https://www.zeenaschreck.com/subscribe.html
Zeena’s website: www.ZeenaSchreck.com
Zeena’s blog: https://www.zeenaschreck.com/blog
Zeena on Bandcamp: https://zeenaschreck.bandcamp.com/releases
Zeena, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeenaschreck_art/
Zeena, YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ZeenaSchreckOfficial
Zeena, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZEENA.Official.ZeenaSchreck
Link to Christy Alexander Hallberg’s essay on the Manson Family, “Shifting Phantasmagoria”: http://storysouth.com/stories/shifting-phantasmagoria/
