Richard Grossinger

Richard Grossinger, born Richard Towers in 1944, is an American author and publisher who established North Atlantic Books in Berkeley, California. He received a B.A. in English from Amherst College and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Michigan. Early in his career, he co-founded the journal Io with Lindy Hough and later established North Atlantic Books in Vermont. Grossinger has also held academic positions, teaching anthropology and interdisciplinary studies, including subjects like alchemy, Jungian psychology, and ethnoastronomy.

His work encompasses a wide range of subjects, including ethnography, psycho-spiritual exploration, and alternative medicine. Notably, his personal history includes a period where he adopted the surname Grossinger based on a childhood psychic's assertion of a connection to the Grossinger's Catskill Resort family, a connection later found to be inaccurate. Grossinger is the father of filmmaker Miranda July and author Robin Grossinger.

Richard Grossinger's influence extends significantly through his role as the founder of North Atlantic Books, a publishing house established in 1974. Prior to this, he co-founded the journal Io with Lindy Hough in 1964. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Michigan, complemented by a B.A. in English from Amherst College. He has contributed to academia as a teacher, instructing anthropology at the University of Maine and interdisciplinary studies at Goddard College. His teaching at Goddard College covered a broad spectrum of subjects, including alchemy, Classical Greek, Jungian psychology, and ethnoastronomy, reflecting his diverse intellectual interests.

As an author, Grossinger's bibliography reveals a deep engagement with a variety of themes, often bridging scientific, anthropological, and spiritual domains. His works explore topics such as cosmology, medicine, dreams, and consciousness, frequently drawing from esoteric traditions and alternative perspectives. Titles like 'Planet Medicine: From Stone-Age Shamanism to Post-Industrial Healing,' 'The Night Sky: The Science and Anthropology of the Stars and Planets,' and 'Embryogenesis: Species, Gender and Identity' highlight his interdisciplinary approach. He is described as an ethnographer and a psycho-spiritual explorer, with later studies focusing on alternative medicine.

Grossinger's extensive literary output includes numerous books such as 'Solar Journal (Oecological Sections),' 'The Book of the Earth and Sky,' 'Martian Homecoming at the All-American Revival Church,' and 'Embryos, Galaxies, and Sentient Beings: How the Universe Makes Life.' He has also edited significant works and curated numerous editions of the journal Io, which featured specialized issues on alchemy, ethnoastronomy, dreams, and baseball, among other subjects. His editorial work also includes collaborations on 'Planetary Mysteries' and collections related to baseball and alchemical traditions.