Katherine asked Madeline Miller:

I loved Circe! I was wondering how you conducted all of your research and/or if you had any help. Also, how do you decide which variations of the myths to write on?

Madeline Miller Thank you! I conducted all the research on my own, but I did have an assist from years of Classics courses. Having that foundation made it a lot easier to know where to go to find what I needed, and which sources were reliable. Most of the deep research that I did for Circe was on things like loom construction, weaving, jewelry, ship-construction--small details that help me to imagine the world more vividly. I also love to read commentaries on Homer, and hear how many different interpretations there can be of a single line (or word!).

In terms of deciding which variation of a myth to use, I learned from the ten years I spent writing The Song of Achilles there is no "right" answer. It is just what I feel passionately about. There is one myth (SPOILER-ish) where Penelope and Circe's son Telegonus end up together, which I didn't use for several reasons. One was that I never saw Telegonus as straight, and another was that the story of the Odyssey is obsessed with what man she's married to. I wanted her ending in my book to be for herself.

flag