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Donna Kossy

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Donna Kossy, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025
Donna J. Kossy
Born (1957-05-18) May 18, 1957 (age 69)
United States
Occupation(s)Author, independent publisher, bookseller
Known forExploring history of marginalized and unconventional beliefs; author of Kooks and Strange Creations

Donna J. Kossy (born May 18, 1957) is an American author, independent publisher of zines, and an online reseller of used books operating out of Portland, Oregon. Her expertise lies in exploring the history of marginalized, discredited, and unconventional beliefs, which she collectively refers to as "crackpotology and kookology." Among her significant publications are Kooks: A Guide to the Outer Limits of Human Belief (1994), notable for containing the inaugural biography of Francis E. Dec, and Strange Creations: Aberrant Ideas of Human Origins from Ancient Astronauts to Aquatic Apes (2001). Kossy established and curated the digital Kooks Museum between 1996 and 1999 and served as editor for the magazine Book Happy from 1997 to 2002, a periodical dedicated to "weird and obscure books."

Wired characterized her as "an expert on kooks [who] has a genuine, if sometimes uncomfortable, affection for her subjects." Her works have garnered attention from diverse outlets including Fortean Times and New Scientist. Journalist Jonathan Vankin referred to her as "the unchallenged authority on, well, kooks," while writer Bruce Sterling commended her for "boldly blazing new trails in the vast intellectual wilderness of American writers, thinkers and philosophers who were or are completely nuts."

Early life

Born Donna Jean Kossy in 1957, she began producing zines as early as sixth grade with the co-edited publication Kid Stuff, which featured gossip, fashion trends, poetry, jokes, and film critiques sold at five cents per copy. Her mother supported these efforts by assisting with typing and photocopying. Kossy completed her secondary education at Evanston Township High School. After earning her college degree in 1979, she immersed herself in punk culture through artistic expressions such as collage art, color xerox postcards, and mail art.

Though she later pursued a career in computer programming, Kossy maintained her commitment to zine publishing, driven by the conviction that "Publishing is power, pure and simple," ultimately carving out a reputation as both an author and folklorist.

Adult life

During her adult years, Kossy shared a residence with fellow zine creator Pagan Kennedy and introduced Chicago-based writer Dan Kelly to cult figure Francis E. Dec. In the early 1980s, she contributed to Processed World and was connected with former SubGenius anarchist Bob Black until 1987; together they relocated to Boston in 1985.

Her research activities for Kooks Magazine beginning in 1989 led her to concentrate predominantly on this subject matter. On August 17, 1993, she married Kenneth James DeVries in Multnomah County, Oregon. DeVries—also known by the pseudonym Orton Nenslo—and affiliated with the Church of the SubGenius contributed both illustrations and articles to her publications and website.

False Positive (1984–1988)

In 1984, Kossy initiated False Positive, an eleven-issue Xerox-produced zine where each edition centered around a distinct theme—ranging from technology and sex to Japan, automobiles, crime, kooks, food, and drugs—comprising related excerpts alongside satire, collages, and artwork.

The publication and Kossy herself were acknowledged by Discordianism co-founder Kerry Thornley in his 1991 foreword to the fifth edition of the Principia Discordia, which included her "Manifesto of the Artistic Elite of the Midwest." Kossy attributes her emergence as a crackpotologist to the recurring "Kooks Pages" featured in every issue along with two special editions devoted entirely to kooks.

Kooks Magazine (1988–1991)

In 1988, Kossy introduced Kooks Magazine, producing eight editions through offset printing. This publication originated from her zine’s kook-themed pages and was contemporaneous with the 1988 release of High Weirdness by Mail by Rev. Ivan Stang, co-founder of SubGenius, who later commended the magazine’s collected content. The final issue (#8, November 1991) included profiles on obscure "kooks" and prominent "cranks," such as the elusive Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko.

Mike Gunderloy, founder and editor of Factsheet Five, characterized the magazine as "a compilation of odd literature and semi-academic research on kooks," emphasizing its increasing sophistication and depth. Both the SubGenius community and author Richard Kadrey deemed it "essential reading for those fascinated by the true avant-garde of thought." Kossy’s investigation into these subjects even led her to attend a recruitment session for Heaven's Gate, then operating under the name Human Individual Metamorphosis.

Kooks (1994)

Kossy’s inaugural book, Kooks: A Guide to the Outer Limits of Human Belief, was published in 1994 by Feral House. This anthology merged revised articles from her zine with new, exclusive material. The cover art was created by her husband. Structured into seven sections—Religion, Science, Metaphysics, Politics, Conspiracy, Enigmas, and Outtakes (added in the second edition)—the volume cataloged the beliefs of various figures including Richard Brothers, Charles E. Buon, Ray Crabtree, the first biography of Francis E. Dec, Professor Arnold Ehret, Joe Gould, Jim and Lila Green, Hillman Holcomb, Les U. Knight, alien abductee and artist Paul Laffoley, Alfred Lawson, David Linton, Emil Matalik, MIT’s files on cranks, Rose Mokry, Dr. Cyrus Teed (also known as Koresh), black supremacist Dwight York (alias Malachi Z. York), among others.

The book garnered acclaim from sources such as the Los Angeles Times, which called it "a rich compendium of looniness," while the San Francisco Chronicle labeled it "indispensable for anyone interested in the real cutting edge of thought." The Fortean Times described it as a "delight." In Factsheet Five, editor R. Seth Friedman gave high praise for its thoroughness and years of preparation. Publisher Jay Kinney regarded it as "compulsively readable," noting Kossy’s balanced yet empathetic portrayal of these uniquely American figures. A 1995 review in Wired acknowledged Kossy as "an expert on kooks" who approaches her subjects with genuine warmth.

Kooks Outtakes (1995)

Released in 1995, Kooks Outtakes served as a 36-page supplement containing content excluded from Kooks due to space limitations; this material was later incorporated into the book’s second edition in 2001. The editor of Ink 19 commended Kossy’s clear, methodical writing style and meticulous research, highlighting the detailed marginalia and comprehensive bibliography as indicators of serious academic effort.

Kooks Museum (1996–1999)

In 1996, Kossy launched the Kooks Museum on her website, an online extension of her book that remained active with updates until mid-1999 and is now archived. She described it as a centralized repository for unconventional ideas from around the globe, with a mission neither to debunk nor advocate but to document and analyze discredited and extreme beliefs within their social and cultural frameworks. The Museum earned recognition in the MetroActive guide as one of the web’s most unusual destinations, with journalist Jonathan Vankin dubbing Kossy "the undisputed authority on, well, kooks."

Book Happy (1997–2002)

Beginning in 1997, Kossy took on the role of editor and publisher for Book Happy, a printed periodical that produced seven issues centered on critiques of "unusual and obscure literature." The magazine featured contributions from Greg Bishop, Ken DeVries, Dan Howland, Dan Kelly, John Marr, Chris Mikul, David C. Morrison, Chip Rowe, Brian Tucker, and Robert Tucker. Supporting the print edition was a website that gradually transformed into an online used bookshop named Book Happy Booksellers, which specialized in rare and distinctive volumes. Their inventory was made available through platforms such as Abebooks, Biblio, Alibris, and Choosebooks. English artist Mark Pawson praised Book Happy in his review for the British cultural publication Variant.

Strange Creations (2001)

Kossy's second full-length book, titled Strange Creations: Aberrant Ideas of Human Origins from Ancient Astronauts to Aquatic Apes, was published by Feral House in 2001. This work followed an expanded reissue of Kooks. Although the manuscript had been completed by August 1998 under working titles ranging from "Aberrant Anthropology" to "Nazis, Saucers and Aquatic Apes," its release was postponed until 2001.

The volume is divided into seven sections—Extraterrestrial Origins, De-evolution, Race, Eugenics, Creationism, The Aquatic Ape Theory, and Urantia/Szukalski/H.I.M.—which explore fringe and pseudoscientific hypotheses proposed by individuals including David Barclay (who suggested humans were once dinosaur pets), Helena Blavatsky (creator of Theosophy's Seven Root Races), Francis Galton (founder of eugenics), Madison Grant (proponent of scientific racism), Raël (advocate of extraterrestrial creation), Zecharia Sitchin (ancient astronaut theorist), Erich von Däniken (pioneer of Ancient Astronaut theory), among others.

The book garnered positive attention from publications such as Fortean Times, Booklist, Washington City Paper, and Counterpoise. While New Scientist offered a nuanced critique, acknowledging its examination of the more eccentric facets of human imagination. Reverend Ivan Stang commended Kossy's even-handed treatment of controversial figures by combining scientific rigor with critical skepticism.

Science fiction author Bruce Sterling lauded Kossy for her groundbreaking investigation into American eccentrics, likening Kooks to seminal works like Mackay's Extraordinary Popular Delusions. Kossy herself underscores her intent to present unconventional theories as part of the broad range of human intellectual exploration rather than merely debunking them.

At present, Kossy dedicates her efforts to her bookselling enterprise and maintained a blog titled "The Cutthroat World of Book Scouting" from November 2007 through September 2008 that chronicled her experiences within the book trade.

Magazines

  • 1984–1988: False Positive issues #1–11 (also known as False Positive Magazine)
    Produced by Out-of-Kontrol Data Korporation based in Allston, MA (Boston location for issue #1). A Xeroxed zine ranging from 20 to 52 pages; priced at $3.
  • 1988–1991: Kooks Magazine issues #1–8 (initially titled The Original Donna Kossy's Kooks Magazine for issues #1–4)
    Published by Out-of-Kontrol Data Institute in Allston, MA. Offset printing used except for issue #1 which was Xeroxed; length varied between 20 and 40 pages; priced between $3 and $5.
  • 1997–2002: Book Happy issues #1–7 (also referred to as Book Happy Magazine)
    Edited by Donna Kossy with contributions from various writers; based in Portland, OR. Offset printed magazine totaling 232 pages; sold at $6.

Books

  • 1994: Kooks: A Guide to the Outer Limits of Human Belief
    Portland, OR: Feral House. The initial edition compiled content from Kooks Magazine. The second, expanded edition released in 2001 incorporated material from Kooks Outtakes.
  • 1995: Kooks Outtakes [supplement]
    A 36-page supplement featuring content omitted from the original Kooks, later merged into the second edition.
  • 1996: The Kooks Museum [online]
    An updated digital extension of Kooks, active between 1996 and 1999; an archived copy remains accessible.
  • 2001: Strange Creations: Aberrant Ideas of Human Origins from Ancient Astronauts to Aquatic Apes
    Los Angeles: Feral House. This first edition spans 264 pages, elaborating on alternative theories concerning human origins.

See also

Related works

Further reading

External links

Related profiles

RRaymond FlynnRRobert Lawrence KuhnMMarc AbrahamsCClifford A. Pickover
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