Take a world tour of monsters, from vampires in Serbia and giants in Cornwall to festivals of dragons in Bavaria and werewolves in Louisiana.
- Sessional Academic, Literature and Culture; Professional & Creative Writing Teacher, The University of Queensland
Monsters reveal how societies define and punish deviance. Wintering’s widows make me think about the women I know who are strong and wise in ways neither recognised nor endorsed by the mainstream.
The story of Anne Hamilton-Byrne’s cult The Family has been told in a non-fiction book and documentary, a novel, In the Clearing, and now a Disney+ series. What can stories like this teach us?
Daniella Mestyanek Young grew up in the Children of God cult, also known as The Family. She escaped aged 15, then joined the US army after college – and recognised similar systems of toxic control.
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- Location: Brisbane
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