Interview with Molly E. Hamilton
By: Kevin 'Myth Master' Adams

Myth Master: Well, I’ve done some skulking about and our next guest victim is Molly E. Hamilton.

She was born in Santa Barbara California and currently resides in St. Louis with her family, two Papillons, and bunny. She holds a BA in English and an MFA in writing from Lindenwood University.

Myth Master: SO a smarty pants…

From childhood, Molly has been passionate about imagination. She contributes much of her creativity to being home schooled as a child and having the freedom to run outside and make up her own worlds. She and her friends would color the cul–de–sac with sidewalk chalk to better map out the settings of their games. To this day, she still loves making things up.

Molly began writing around the age of six because she was inspired by her older sister, Meagan. The two sisters still write and love to come up with stories together. Both have been published in various literary journals and magazines.

For inspiration, Molly will delve into fantasy stories, read history, and—of course— pour over mythology. She enjoys writing her own myths to add to the cultures of her fantasy worlds.

Besides writing, she enjoys other kinds of arts. She will craft dolls for her sister, fantasy creatures, and attempt a few clay sculptures. Recently, she has been trying to master the complicated art of watercolor painting. Finally, a fun fact about Molly is that she collects teacups, glass unicorns, and expensive looking teddy bears.

Myth Master: How did you become aware of The World of Myth Magazine?

Molly E. Hamilton: Well, in 2012, I wrote a terrible, terrible flash fiction piece. I went to Duotrope.com to search for a publisher because, at that time, I thought my piece was pretty good. Your magazine came up in the search results. You guys rejected me–– and I thank you for that. I don't want anyone to read what I wrote back then! But, I never really forgot about The World of Myth because I liked the name. Mythology is awesome. So, I submitted my poem to you here in 2019. I grew a lot as a writer, and I'm glad I was accepted this time. My poem is one I can be proud of. 

Myth Master: I noticed that you dabble in watercolors/art, do you have a favorite medium?

Molly E. Hamilton: I love many arts; I craft little creatures out of fake fur and try at sketching and painting. Watercolor is my latest endeavor, and, besides writing, watercolor is my favorite art right now. I like how the colors blend and I appreciate the forgiveness of it. I don't have much of a plan when I paint… or write… so, I need mistakes to be blended away. Just like writing, it's all about practice and seeing what others have done.

Myth Master: My favorite medium is blood!!

Myth Master: Your recent poem, "Romances", got a ton of comments; how does that make you, as an artist, feel?

Molly E. Hamilton: You are going easy on me, Myth Master!

Myth Master: Only because I’m busy gassing up my chainsaw!

Molly E. Hamilton: Um, NO thanks; but to answer your question, It makes me feel great.  Medieval literature is a favorite of mine, but I wasn't sure how many other people would enjoy it. As a writer, audience awareness is kind of drilled into my brain. I was fretting because I was proud of the poem, but I kept thinking, "who else will like this?". But, I figured The World of Myth would appreciate a piece about literature. Thankfully, I was right.

Myth Master: Can you tell us what your favorite myth is?

Molly E. Hamilton: You think that's an easy question?! Give me a moment… Since you're forcing me here, I'd have to say that my favorite is "Skeleton Woman." It's an old Inuit myth, and Clarrissa Estes has made it more well–known with her book Women Who Run with the Wolves. "Skeleton Woman" is a beautiful love story. I enjoy it because the man and the woman are both broken and unite to heal each other. And, it all starts with a bit of kindness. There's so much symbolism in it, too. As a treat, I suggest you watch this video telling of it!

https://vimeo.com/15024873

Myth Master: Tell us a little about your fur babies personalities?

Molly E. Hamilton: Well, I lost my little Papillon, Lily,  in June of 2018 to kidney disease. For those who may not know, a Papillon is a dog breed. It's the French word for butterfly; they're named that because of their big ears. I was devastated when I lost Miss Lily Pleiades. She was wonderful. We danced together when I got home from school, and we played ball. She was very kind but a little sassy. When she passed, I quickly and rashly got a Papillon puppy.

I want to make it clear I wasn't trying to replace Lily. Lily has her own special place in my heart; I just needed something to keep me going. But, I got a little more than I bargained for. Oscar, my puppy, certainly keeps me going. He is the most active little thing. It's play time all day to him. All night sometimes. But, I love him. He helps me in many ways. But, he's a trickster. He likes to pretend to be stuck behind the toilet so I'll pay attention to him. Or, he'll find something he isn't allowed to have. He loves to mock me by standing with a forbidden object–– like my contact lens case–– in his mouth. Then, when he knows I see him, he bolts. He's too fast and too smart.

However, at the end of the day, he's very sweet. He snuggles at night and he tries to be good. 

In October, my older sister and I rescued another Papillon. Her name is Tulip. We don't really know how old she is. We think she's between 6 and 10 years old. She came from an animal hoarder. When we got her, she was five days from death, according to my vet. She nearly starved to death because she's too small and has few teeth. So, fighting for food didn't work out. She had bugs inside and out, and she had mammary gland tumors from being over–bred.

Unfortunately, mammary–gland tumors are quite common in un–spayed dogs. We paid a hefty bill for the tumor removal, but we are so thankful that her tumors were noncancerous. We're rehabilitating Tulip pretty well. She's gained weight under our care and has no more bugs chewing on her. She's even getting stronger. When we first got her, she could hardly walk more than ten feet. She was so weak. Just all skin and bone. But, I'm seeing some signs of muscle! 

Tulip is very bonded to my sister, which is great since Oscar is very bonded to me. Tulip loves blankets, beds, and meal times.  She's been a mother many times, and she knows Oscar is a puppy. She frequently corrects him when needed. I'm amazed at her abilities. Oscar is twice her size, but she can pin him. Tulip is also highly intelligent. She didn't seem to know what grass was when we first got her, but she she rarely has accidents. She also adapted to family life quickly. She's basically the perfect dog and a great companion. 

Then, I have a bunny. I think he's special because the day before I got him (an impulse buy I confess), I rescued a baby bunny from a cat. When I wandered into the pet store the next day, my bunny was going crazy trying to get to me. He was scratching up the walls of his cage and following me the best he could. 

Of course, I requested to hold him, and I didn't put him down. I kept saying I wouldn't buy a him, but he just seemed to be glued to my chest. I've had him for six years now.  His name is Tamaki. It's a weird name. I got it from an anime. It's pronounced Tom–ah–key. He's a lop and weighs 7 pounds. He's lazy but very gentle and thoughtful. One time, we were playing with a toy, and he got bored. He didn't want to hurt my feelings, so he tossed his favorite toy at me and hopped inside of his box house. My heart melted. 

Now, I'm not going to lie; when I first got him, he was mean. He bit me often and scratched me a lot because he would randomly spaz if he heard a loud noise. But, he got older and calmed down a lot. He became the ideal pet when he was about 1 1/2 years old. Now, he just sits in my lap and gets petted. He loves attention. I can hug him and kiss him, and he likes it; I like to sing to him too. That makes him purr. He lives with my older sister's bunny, Hazel. Of course, Hazel is named after Hazel from Watership Down! Bunnies are very social.

Companions are important but, I do want to warn people, bunnies are HARD to care for. Tamaki loves to eat, and one time I ended up with a $300 vet bill because he ate too much banana. Rabbits need a very strict and special diet, they need to be fixed for health and temperament reasons, and they need mature caregivers. It's too easy to break a rabbit's back due to their anatomy. They also need careful observation. If a bunny doesn't eat for 12 horus, it's an emergency. If a bunny doesn't eat for 24 hours, that bunny is a dead bunny. I always cringe when I see small children holding bunnies at pet stores. Rabbits are also very emotional creatures. They have feelings. They can get offended, and they have their customs that we humans must learn.

Myth Master: Well it seems that you are quite passionate about your animals, I get that.

To follow Molly, feel free to add her on Facebook page!

To read more of her work, Check out Scarlet Leaf Review, Orion’s Child Science Fiction & Fantasy Magazine, and Harvest Time, an anthology edited by Glen Lyvers.

You cretins still hungry for more?

Click the link below to enjoy a LIVE interview with our conclusion.

As always…yours in Blood, gore and fear.

MM ;)

Click HERE to continue the interview in Master Myth Unleashed Podcast!

Let The Contributor Know What You Think!

HTML Comment Box is loading comments...