Into the Serpent's Head: Part One: Church Kids

"In 2006, I went into the mountains of Oaxaca in search of the supernatural. This is the story of what I found." When author David J. Schmidt traveled to the remote village of San Juan Coatz spam, deep in the mountains of southern Mexico, he didn't know what to expect. He had heard rumors of strange phenomena-of unusual creatures and inexplicable sightings. In this community of native Mixtec people, he found a place where the "paranormal" is normal, where the spiritual is wrapped up in the mundane, where ancient traditions are still alive. He also found a town struggling to survive. This community of coffee farmers taught Schmidt how much sweat and blood goes into making coffee, and how those who work the hardest are paid the least. Coatz spam is the face of rural Mexico and the face of millions of coffee farmers across the world. In this first installment in "The Serpent's Head" series, the author prepares to journey into the mountains. In northern Mexico, where he first met people from Coatz spam, he says goodbye to the certainties and security of his childhood. This is the story of one person's journey out of religious fundamentalism, out of absolutism, and into the deep unknown. All proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the coffee farmers of Coatz spam.