Murder Ballads: Illustrated Lyrics & Lore

(Hardback)

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Description

In this unique, illustrated 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 illustrations.

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 one of Horans beautifully macabre illustrations and a thoroughly researched reflection on the song's history and evolution. At the back of the book, readers can browse a list of essential recordings for each ballad.

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.

Author Bio

Katy Horanis an illustrator and interdisciplinary artist whose work has been exhibited throughout the United States and in Canada, published in several books, and four times selected forNew American Paintings. Together with the writer Taisia Kitaiskaia, she co-createdLiterary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writersand The Literary Witches Oracle Deck. She is also the illustrator ofAsk Baba Yaga: Poetic Remedies for Troubled Times.Originally from Houston, Texas, Katy now lives and works in Austin.

Sinad Gleesonis the author ofConstellations: Reflections from Life, whichwon Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, the Dalkey Literary Award for Emerging Writer, and was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the Michel Don Prize. She is the editor of the award-winning anthologiesThe Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women WritersandThe Glass Shore,as well as The Art of The Glimpse: 100 Irish Short Stories. In 2022, she co-editedThis Womans Work: Essays on Musicwith Kim Gordon. Sinad also collaborates with artists and musicians on performance and sound installations. Her work has been translated into several languages and her debut novelHagstonewas published in 2024.