For this CSU professor, America’s connection to witches is less ‘Hocus Pocus,’ more historical

Contact for reporters:

Stacy Nick
Stacy.Nick@colostate.edu

Note to journalists: CSU Professor Ann Little is available for interviews. More information can be found at https://col.state/IV22n. All assets — including photos and podcast audio/transcripts — are available for media use.

In 2022, witches are seen as a fun and fantastical novelty, especially around this time of year when the Halloween season has us dressing up in costumes and watching movies like “Hocus Pocus.” But back in the 1600s, it was a decidedly different story where witches were seen as neither fun, nor fantasy. Instead, they were a very real threat to society.

CSU’s new podcast, The Audit, recently featured an interview with Colorado State University professor Ann Little about our fascination with the witch trials and how society may not have come as far since that era as people think. Little is an expert on early North American history, specializing in the history of women, gender and sexuality. She is also a frequent guest expert on NBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?,” including a recent episode in which she worked with actor Zachary Levi to uncover the story of his relative who was accused of witchcraft.

The podcast, along with a full transcript of the interview, can be found here.