An Orchestral Conductor of Violence: The Veiled Prophet w/ Devin O'Shea
Devin joins Gregk to talk about his book The Veiled Prophet: Secret Societies, White Supremacy, and the Struggle for St. Louis. It’s a conversation that goes some places.
The Veiled Prophet: Secret Societies, White Supremacy, and the Struggle for St. Louis comes out on June 23, 2026, published by Haymarket Books.
Pre-order now:
Follow Devin O’Shea:
– on Bluesky and
– on Instagram
– and check out his Spotify playlist of 90s Mall Music
Image: Painting of the first 1878 Veiled Prophet, St. Louis Chief of Police Colonel John Priest, wielding a silver police baton. Priest, a prominent realtor and civic leader, appears “in robes of his office as Grand Oracle.” (Source: Missouri Historical Society)
Blood Work is a Scam Goldin Production
This episode was produced by Thomas O’Mahony
Our theme song is ‘Dream Weapon’ by Genghis Tron
Our artwork is provided courtesy of KT Kobel
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THIS WEEK IN VIOLENCE: Right on Cue
ALSO AVAILABLE IN AUDIO
This week we are, of course, going to speak about the violence which erupted on the streets of Belfast this week, and provide some commentary on how this sordid saga not only bears the mark of those fascists from Britain’s past whom we covered at length, but has plenty to say about the ones currently walking among us — even plugging themselves into the very architecture of the British state apparatus itself.
Comments (15)
Gregk, read Pynchon. You will find strange echoes and refractions of your thinking there.
Is calling them a fruity little club repeatedly not just sneering homophobia? Why do you have to drag us into it?
In the UK, Fruity often also means „crazy/weird/strange“ rather than „gay“ (I‘m sure there‘s an etymologicsl link ofc, and people did categorise homosexuality as insanity for a while, sure) but to be charitable, „fruity little club“ reads to me as like. „Weird/cooky little club“? I‘m assuming that‘s more how it‘s meant
yes yes amazing book well done BUT YOU HAD ME AT 90S MALL MUSIC OMG bless youuuuuuuu 😭🖤🫡
I really wasn't expecting this topic to show up on my feed. As a St. Louis native, great work and I can't agree more with the overall narrative of St. Louis destroying itself in the process.
This episode has me thinking a lot about my hometown. Wichita Kansas is home to the Koch brothers 🙃 they absolutely run this place. I also come across their names an unsettling amount in my WWII studies. I have a feeling they had/ have close ties to St. Louis. Oh! Can’t forget one of their cronies, Mitch McConnell, aka Florida man
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm does Mr. O'Shea ever get into how STL was, when I went to highschool a decade ago, called the Rome of the West? I'm over halfway through and the Catholic aspect of things has been neglected.
Also after listening, when I was a kid there was major indoor soccer league called MISL, I think. Anyhow the Kansas City Comets, my team played in …duh dun dun… KEMPER arena. It’s all coming together in the typical world crushing historical way. Thanks again.
Brilliant. Just left RadioWarNerds with Devin and couldn’t get enough. Being born in Missouri this is fascinating to me. Thanks for this. 🎉❤️
Great episode and then the playlist absolutely broke me… we won’t talk about how many of these songs are on a playlist i made completely unrelatedly
It’s so good lmao
Maaaan, fuck my country...
I would have exited this book believing America is truly irredeemable if it weren’t for the fact Devin ends on a very heartfelt note about his love for the city he lives in, his belief that it has the potential to be so much more, and his contempt for the selfish clique who hampered it with their embarrassing, fruity little club.
I just let out a cheer from STL at this title! Can't wait to listen and read the new book. Devin rocks. Speaking of STL, Broken Heart of St. Louis would be a good read for the BW crew, too!
He was a great guest, and it's a great read for anyone who wants to enter a book thinking, "Come to think of it, I don't know much about St. Louis," and leave the book thinking, "Good lord, what is happening in there?!"