Kailee Pedersen on Opera, Horror, and the Cost of Perfection

Kailee Pedersen returns to discuss her new psychological novel, The Minimalist.The story follows gifted composer Mia Voss as she inherits her late mentor’s unfinished final composition and confronts the destructive legacy surrounding it.Kailee explores how classical music, repetition, perfectionism, and artistic scrutiny shaped the novel’s structure and psychological intensity.We also discuss Asian American adoptee identity, assimilation, grief, self-harm, and the mythology surrounding artistic genius.Kailee reflects on writing without an outline, deleting half a manuscript, balancing revision with instinct, and knowing when creative work is finally complete.The conversation also touches on opera, software engineering, video games, and her research for a forthcoming Western about a Chinese American family in Hell’s Canyon.KAILEE PEDERSENOfficial Websitehttps://kaileepedersen.com/Eventshttps://kaileepedersen.com/events/Presshttps://kaileepedersen.com/press/Amazon Author Pagehttps://www.amazon.com/Kailee-Pedersen/e/B0C7NPQ67LGoodreads Author Pagehttps://www.goodreads.com/author/list/18460978.Kailee_PedersenSOCIAL MEDIAInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/kailee_pedersen/Blueskyhttps://bsky.app/profile/kaileepedersen.bsky.socialThreadshttps://www.threads.net/@kailee_pedersenXhttps://x.com/KaileePedersenTHE MINIMALISTOfficial Book Pagehttps://kaileepedersen.com/the-minimalist/Macmillanhttps://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250328274/theminimalist/Amazon Hardcoverhttps://www.amazon.com/Minimalist-Kailee-Pedersen/dp/1250328276Amazon Kindlehttps://www.amazon.com/Minimalist-Novel-Kailee-Pedersen-ebook/dp/B0FMSDQXYZBarnes and Noblehttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-minimalist-kailee-pedersen/1148028599Bookshop.orghttps://bookshop.org/p/books/the-minimalist-a-novel-kailee-pedersen/74a63d1b17d3a226Apple Bookshttps://books.apple.com/us/book/the-minimalist/id6751198732Google Play Bookshttps://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kailee_Pedersen_The_Minimalist?id=fnF-EQAAQBAJAudiblehttps://www.audible.com/pd/The-Minimalist-Audiobook/B0GTX94PVDPowell’s Bookshttps://www.powells.com/book/9781250328274Books-A-Millionhttp://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781250328274Targethttps://www.target.com/p/the-minimalist-by-kailee-pedersen-hardcover/-/A-1005450482Signed Copieshttps://murderbooks.com/pedersenGoodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240019985-the-minimalistSACRIFICIAL ANIMALSOfficial Book Pagehttps://kaileepedersen.com/sacrificial-animals/Macmillanhttps://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250328243/sacrificialanimals/Titan Books UKhttps://titanbooks.com/71950-sacrificial-animals/Amazon Hardcoverhttps://www.amazon.com/Sacrificial-Animals-Novel-Kailee-Pedersen/dp/1250328241Amazon Kindlehttps://www.amazon.com/Sacrificial-Animals-Novel-Kailee-Pedersen-ebook/dp/B0CGRY74QKBarnes and Noblehttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sacrificial-animals-kailee-pedersen/1143881197Bookshop.orghttps://bookshop.org/p/books/sacrificial-animals-a-novel-kailee-pedersen/3c7d99648106284dApple Books Ebookhttps://books.apple.com/us/book/sacrificial-animals/id6476883510Apple Books Audiobookhttps://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/sacrificial-animals/id1707863330Google Play Ebookhttps://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kailee_Pedersen_Sacrificial_Animals?id=BlHTEAAAQBAJGoogle Play Audiobookhttps://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Sacrificial_Animals_A_Novel?id=AQAAAECSQ3gD-MAudiblehttps://www.audible.com/pd/Sacrificial-Animals-Audiobook/B0CKM6BMJ1Libro.fmhttps://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781250349880-sacrificial-animalsPowell’s Bookshttps://www.powells.com/book/9781250328243Books-A-Millionhttp://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781250328243Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195790677-sacrificial-animalsSUPPORT THE DARK MIND PODCASThttps://www.patreon.com/c/thedarkmindpodcast