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Deb Harkness on the art of historical fantasy and 'The Black Bird Oracle'

Author and historian Deb Harkness discusses the latest addition to her acclaimed "All Souls" trilogy, "The Black Bird Oracle."
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Author and historian Deb Harkness discusses the latest addition to her acclaimed "All Souls" trilogy, "The Black Bird Oracle."

Historian and scholar Deb Harkness was studying the intersection of science and magic in history and the humanities, when she was struck by the trend of "vampire boyfriend" stories in books and popular culture. She asked herself, "What if there really are these creatures living around us? What do they do for a living? Why have I never met any of them? And would it really be a great thing to have a supernatural significant other? I don't think so... I thought, right now people can't handle the idea of two women or two men getting married, and yet we think we want a vampire boyfriend. What is going on?"

These questions yielded the acclaimed historical fantasy series, "All Souls." The latest installment, titled "The Black Bird Oracle," is due out July 16. With ancestral ties to accused witches in New England, Harkness says she considers the book a "love letter to my Connecticut and New England ancestors."

This hour, Harkness joins us to discuss.

GUESTS:

  • Dr. Deborah Harkness: Historian; Author, "All Souls" series and "The Black Bird Oracle"; Professor, University of Southern California

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Katie is a producer for Connecticut Public Radio's news-talk show 'Where We Live.' She has previously worked for CNN and News 8-WTNH.
Catherine is the Host of Connecticut Public’s morning talk show and podcast, Where We Live. Catherine and the WWL team focus on going beyond the headlines to bring in meaningful conversations that put Connecticut in context.