About the Author

Arnold van Gennep (1873-1957) was a Dutch-German-French scholar without a permanent position who lived by writing, translating, public lecturing, and a variety of temporary jobs, including chicken farming. David I. Kertzer is the Dupee University Professor of Social Science and professor of anthropology and Italian studies at Brown University. In 2015, he received the Pulitzer Prize in Biography for his book The Pope and Mussolini. He is the author of many other books, including Ritual, Politics, and Power, Prisoner of the Vatican, and Amalia's Tale.