“She felt removed from everything, a sleepwalker who had stepped off the path of normal life and into the forest where anything could happen.” (Holly Black, Valiant)
My name is Kate Winter. I am a writer, artist and ritualist originally from New England, now living in Eugene, Oregon. I am the author of Kharis: Hellenic Polytheism Explored and Dwelling on the Threshold: Reflections of a Spirit-Worker and Devotional Polytheist, as well as several articles published in magazines and journals. I hold a degree in comparative mythology and ritual from Goddard College. My artwork involving masks, puppets, mixed media sculpture and more can be found at imWalde. I have an Etsy shop specializing in bone jewelry called Goblinesquerie. I also run a blog about the Amanita muscaria mushroom in modern culture, called Raven’s Bread.
I have been interested in these types of stories my whole life, though I’d say the idea of Girls Underground first began to form in my mind due to my obsession with the movie Labyrinth as a young teenager. I started noticing how many of my favorite books and movies followed a similar pattern, and thus the theory was born. I have been collecting examples of the storyline and researching its roots in mythology and fairytales for several years, and am currently compiling this information in hopes of someday creating a book on the subject.
Some of my favorite authors include Robert Holdstock, Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, John Crowley and Holly Black. I especially love the genre of young adult fantasy, which is the primary category of books in the Girls Underground archetype.
If you have suggestions, story examples, questions, or anything else to share with me, please email me.
