LIFE AS AS A GODDESS

Jasmine Elmer uncovers the complexity and darker sides of ancient deities and delivers history with soul

- Jonathan Gordon

How did you go about selecting the goddesses in your book, Goddess' With a Thousand Faces?

Yeah, that was fun! The honest answer is geographically, first. I wanted cultures that we already explore really commonly, so that's why I wanted a Greek or Roman goddess, for example. But I also wanted to make sure that I gave a global view, so I actually went by continent, and I already had a footing in some of these cultures, but I was really determined to get off the beaten track and look at goddesses or cultures [that were new] to myself and probably also to most of my readers. I wanted a geographical spread and then I just went where my nose took me. I started looking at the cultures and then I'd be like: "That's fascinating. I'm going to go with that." So it's reasonably instinctive after that, after the geographical exploration. I just wanted to feel like I had a truly global view.

You've written the stories of these goddesses in first person before detailing their history, allowing them to tell their own story but also putting you in their shoes. How did that decision come about?