Fantasy, Myth & Art - In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King

In this episode, I'm chatting with Crystal King, author of In the Garden of Monsters listed in the Visual Arts category on Art In Fiction.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WElAb9vxuAI

• The genesis of In the Garden of Monsters and the decision to write a novel that incorporated elements of fantasy and the Gothic
• Inspired by the sacro bosco (sacred wood) at Bomarzo in Italy and its relationship to Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí in the 1950s and to the Hades and Persephone myth
• Video of Salvador Dalí in Bomarzo made in 1954 - view it on Crystal's website at https://www.crystalking.com/
• Deep dive into the life and work of Salvador Dalí and his problematical opinions - he'd be cancelled in two seconds today! But he was a brilliant artist.
• Role of pomegranates in the novel and their relationship to the retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth
• Summary of the original myth - Demeter, Hades, Persephone
• The role of food in the novel; a downloadable cookbook is available from Crystal's website
• Reading from In the Garden of Monsters
• Role played by memory (or lack of) in the novel
• Women artists and Dalí's opinions of them and his problematical relationship to women in general
• One thing Crystal learned from writing this novel
• What Crystal is working on now

Press Play now & be sure to check out In the Garden of Monsters on Art In Fiction: https://www.artinfiction.com/novels/in-the-garden-of-monsters

Crystal King's website: https://www.crystalking.com/

Music Credit
Paganology, performed by The Paul Plimley Trio; composed by Gregg Simpson

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Want to learn more about Carol Cram, the host of The Art In Fiction Podcast? She's the author of several award-winning novels, including The Towers of Tuscany and Love Among the Recipes. Find out more on her website.