In this unique collection, Literary Witches co-creator Katy Horan unearths the true and fictional stories behind twenty traditional murder ballads, exploring the beauty and horror of the art form through stories, lyrics, and original interpretations. The audiobook includes covers of various folk songs by Okkervil River's Will Sheff, Marissa Nadler, and Lizzie No.
Murder Ballads is a guide to the origins and cultural impact of murder ballads as a music genre, covering its roots in patriarchal violence and white supremacy, as well as its contemporary relationship to true crime.
From "Delia's Gone" to "The Death of Queen Jane," each of twenty carefully chosen ballads is accompanied by a thoroughly researched reflection on the song's history and evolution.
Mysterious and alluring as the songs themselves, Murder Ballads will delight history enthusiasts, armchair musicologists, true crime fans (and critics), as well as anyone who appreciates the darker side of folk music. Katy Horan is a Texas-based Illustrator and fine artist. She received her BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2003 and has since become known for work that is dark, beautiful, and almost always about women. She is the co-creator, with writer Taisia Kitaiskaia, of Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers and The Literary Witches Oracle: A 70-Card Deck & Guidebook.
