Excerpt from Tom Brinkmann’s article on The Occult Digest from The Digest Enthusiast book seven:
“While the history of The Occult Digest is interesting and complex, it is also the history of Effa E. Roddel who was born to James and Catherine Roddel in Warrens, Wisconsin on June 1, 1869; strangely enough, sharing her birth month and day with Marilyn Monroe who would be born on that day in 1926. Unlike Monroe, Danelson came from a large family with seven brothers and three sisters. She became Effa E. Danelson on June 19, 1905 when she married Gustav E. Danelson, originally from Varnamo, Sweden. That same year, Mrs. Danelson was getting messages from a ‘spirit teacher’ and had become a lecturer and spirit medium by the time she and her husband had made their home in St. Louis, Missouri.”
Tom Brinkmann writes about unusual, off-the-beaten-path magazines, digests, and tabloids. His Bad Mags website was active from June 2004–July 2017. His books, Bad Mags Volume 1 (2008) and Volume 2 (2009) are available from secondary outlets, including amazon.com