The Wizard of Mecosta: Russell Kirk, Gothic Fiction, and the Moral Imagination

Peralta’s brilliant portrait of Kirk’s literary themes gives us not only a richer explanation for Kirk’s Gothic imagination, love of mystery and permanence, and occupation as an independent man of letters, but also a vivid image of his literary craft which brought forward the rhetorical tradition of Burke, Johnson, Walter Scott, Hawthorne, and Coleridge into the 20th century. Peralta shows that Kirk’s Dantesque view of an ordered soul and cosmos and his Miltonic scope for good and evil makes him the literary equal of T. S. Eliot and C. S. Lewis, with whom he shared a Christian humanist vision for literature and man.

Dr. E. Wesley Reynolds, III

Professor, History | Social Sciences and Humanities

Northwood University

Peralta’s knowledge pertaining to author Russell Kirk is unparalleled in “The Wizard of Mecosta: Russell Kirk, Gothic Fiction, and the Moral Imagination.” […]

Peralta’s handling of the topic makes this reader feel immersed in the subject matter in a way that is both understandable and tonally supportive. I never felt out of place reading about an author whose fiction I have only read a few stories. Peralta does a stellar job of exploring the gothic nature of Kirk’s writings while supplying any reader who is looking to explore Russell Kirk’s fiction with a solid groundwork for furthering their studies of such stories and the macabre nature of such subject matter.

Morgan Chalfant

Fort Hays State University

In his book, “The Wizard of Mecosta,” Camilo Peralta offers the only comprehensive survey of Russell Kirk's fiction available. This is more than just another academic literary volume, though. Kirk, who is most known for contributions to political conservatism in America, was a gifted writer of fiction who embodied his principles through imaginative portrayals of everything from mysteries to ghost stories to political fiction. Peralta's book goes a long way to making this side of Kirk more known and accessible, a needed aid amidst the dry and thirsty land that is American conservative fiction. Every reader interested in the Permanent Things should have this book.

Dr. Sean C. Hadley

University of Arkansas

Hands down, the best book I have read about the “Wizard of Mecosta” in years. It sheds light on the often-overlooked literary legacy of Russell Kirk, the father of American conservatism. Dr. Peralta skillfully bridges the gap in understanding Kirk's contributions to literature and political philosophy. A must-read book for everyone who wants to explore Kirk's gothic and ghostly tales.

Jovan Tripkovic

Orthodox-Christian Journalist

Camilo Peralta’s "The Wizard of Mecosta" gives the first detailed look at Russell Kirk’s fiction, from his ghost stories to his three gothic novels. While the work particularly emphasizes Kirk’s gothic influences, Peralta also explores references to T.S. Eliot and Charles Williams in his fiction, as well as comments in his nonfiction about Lewis and Williams writing “tales of the preternatural.” The discussion provides important material for seeing Kirk as an Inklings-influenced author.

[Extract from book review on 'Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature', Vol. 43 (2024) > No. 1 (2024). Reviewer: G. Connor Salter. https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol43/iss1/19/ ]

[...] Mr. Peralta’s new study is well-considered and altogether worthwhile. As such, it is a most welcome addition to the small shelf of books devoted to a writer who deserves a much wider audience. 'The Wizard of Mecosta' is highly recommended to anyone who seeks to better understand an often-overlooked aspect of Kirk’s accomplishment.

[Extract from book review on the 'University Bookman', Jan 19, 2025. Reviewer: James E. Person Jr. https://kirkcenter.org/reviews/to-awaken-the-uneasy-sleeper-new-vistas-on-russell-kirks-fiction/ ]