Stolen Children_A Compact Book Club
Tue, Feb 24
|Stumberg Hall
From Classic Horror Literature to Today’s Screens
Time & Location
Feb 24, 2026, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
About The Event
This is a short reading group dedicated to exploring an enduring motif: the child taken, lured, or transformed by malevolent forces that have entered the ordinary world. Across classic short stories, poetry, and literary criticism (Machen, Yeats, Goethe, Lovecraft) and contemporary reflections on “the weird” and “the eerie” (Mark Fisher), we’ll trace how stories of abduction and uncanny influence reflect evil’s presence in our world. We’ll end with a discussion of Daniel Kolitz’s “The Goon Squad,” an unsettling piece of long form journalism that portrays a disturbing online subculture and the effect on its participants. The group welcomes readers from any background; no prior expertise is required—only a willingness to read closely and talk candidly.
Led by: John Greil is a law professor at The University of Texas at Austin. He researches and litigates constitutional questions, with a particular focus on the intersection of law and religion. His work touches…
