Kailee Pedersen

@kaileepedersen

THE MINIMALIST (St. Martin's '26) PASTORALE (Burnside Review '25) SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS (St. Martin’s + Titan '24) writer/opera singer/swe | 🏳️‍🌈🇨🇳 adoptee | she/her rep: Paul Lucas @ Regal Hoffmann kaileepedersen.com

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Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· 8d

Thank you to @awalrusdarkly.bsky.social and @bloody-disgusting.com for including THE MINIMALIST on their list of Most Anticipated Horror Books of August 2026! So excited for my weird, gruesome classical music novel to launch on August 18. 🎶🩸

Bloody Disgusting: Killer Clowns, Demons, and Folk Horror: The Most Anticipated Horror Books of August 2026 by Matthew Jackson (August 3, 2026). The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen (August 18). With Sacrificial Animals, Kailee Pedersen delivered one of my favorite horror debuts of the last decade. Now, she returns with her sophomore novel, a tale of creative obsession in the classical music community. The Minimalist of the tale might be a legendary, recently deceased composer, or it might be that composer’s favorite student, who’s just inherited his entire estate. Working in the shadow of her own issues, and tasked with the burden of finishing her mentor’s last composition, Mia Voss will dive headlong into the most personal work of her entire career, and it just might change her forever. I got a very, very early peek at this one, and it’s got all the lyrical beauty of Sacrificial Animals, with an even deeper horror bite.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· 13d

Is it bad that I dream of getting all my library cards and putting them in a Yu-Gi-Oh duel disk

Seto Kaiba with Yu-Gi-Oh duel disk, an arm attachment that displays Yu-Gi-Oh cards

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· 14d

Searching for your next spooky summer event? Join me & the inimitable Kosoko Jackson for the launch of THE MINIMALIST - my gruesome psychological horror novel of classical music & adoptee identity - at The Twisted Spine on August 18 @ 6pm! 🎶🩸 @kosokojackson.bsky.social @stmartinspress.bsky.social

The Twisted Spine Book Launch - The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen. Joined by Kosoko Jackson (author of The Forest Demands Its Due). "A highly original tale about a young composer's descent into madness... Readers will feel the obsessive horror of this tightly wound novel throughout their bodies." Tuesday, August 18, 6pm. 306 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· 22d

The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen surrounded by humorous descriptive headlines from The Onion that reference the novel.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· 22d

Pastorale by Kailee Pedersen surrounded by humorous descriptive headlines from The Onion that reference the chapbook.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· 22d

Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen surrounded by humorous descriptive headlines from The Onion that reference the novel.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· 22d

my books but make them onion headlines: a thread (general cw for dark humor on various topics)

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· 25d

The audiobook of THE MINIMALIST is now available on NetGalley! Read by the fantastic @natalienaudus.bsky.social, I'm so honored to hear Mia's story narrated by a fellow queer Asian artist & opera singer. 🥚 Request here: tr.ee/sgdm3u

The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen. Cover features an Asian woman's face inside a slashed-through piano silhouette. Read by Natalie Naudus. Audiobook on NetGalley. For fans of Tár and The Piano Teacher, this gruesome and unsettling psychological drama is a darkly lucid portrait of a classical composer’s descent into madness.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· 28d

Thank you to @raforall.bsky.social and Michael Homler, my editor at @stmartinspress.bsky.social, for these kind words in @libraryjournal.bsky.social. So excited for my gruesome novel of classical music & adoptee identity to be out in the world next month! Read the article here: tr.ee/1VCE83 🥚

"One of this season's standout horror novels." - LibraryJournal. The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen. Cover features an Asian woman's face in a slashed-through piano silhouette. Art Horror on Visceral Display: “To create a work of beauty is, in some ways, to live a life of horror,” notes Michael Homler, senior editor at St. Martin’s, publisher of one of this season’s standout horror novels, The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen. Homler continues, “We love to watch movies, read books, look at paintings, listen to music, etcetera. But we often don’t stop to think about the origins of these things, and the answers there can be horrifying. I think what Kailee does so well in The Minimalist is she takes a world she knows so well personally, taps into the fears, the insecurities, the over-knowledge, and all this stuff that is sometimes taken for granted, and builds a world out of it to explore the ultimate horror involved in creating a piece of music.”

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· Jul 8

It's been an incredible 3 weeks of writing at the Jan Michalski Foundation. Thank you to the staff and the other writers for making this experience so wonderful. I performed some French opera, went to Geneva and Lausanne & am almost halfway through a draft of my third novel! 🤠

Collage of photos. Clockwise from top left: Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen, cover features a fox surrounded by antlers. Jan Michalski Foundation grounds. Jan Michalski Foundation library interior.

Collage of photos, clockwise from top left. Jan Michalski Foundation, path near the writers' cabins. View from the writer's cabin of trees. Kailee Pedersen in front of a fountain in Geneva. Lausanne viewed from up high in a cathedral. Desk inside writer's cabin with computer. Exterior of writer's cabin.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· Jul 3

Here's a moodboard of literary, cinematic, and operatic inspirations for my upcoming classical music psychodrama THE MINIMALIST. Written for the weird, obsessive & gruesome music lovers among us. Preorder via @bookshop.org or your local indie: tr.ee/yWsrcH cw: brief mention of self-harm (slide 4)

Moodboard for Kailee Pedersen's The Minimalist showing literary inspirations: Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann, The Loser by Thomas Bernhard, Red by John Logan, The Lover by Marguerite Duras, Geoffrey Hill's Selected Poems, and The Language of Blood by Jane Jeong Trenka

Moodboard for Kailee Pedersen's The Minimalist showing cinematic inspirations: Tár, Black Swan, The Piano Teacher, The Brutalist, Amadeus, and Past Lives

Moodboard for Kailee Pedersen's The Minimalist showing musical/operatic inspirations: La Juive, Madama Butterfly, Carlo Gesualdo, Steve Reich, Nixon in China, and The Tales of Hoffmann

Moodboard for Kailee Pedersen's The Minimalist showing the first line of the novel "To compose is among the bitterest of self-mutilations." alongside the cover and the August 18 release date.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· Jun 23

Looking to preorder a fleshy, gruesome classical music psychodrama for your Summerween TBR? Barnes & Noble Members get 25% off with code PREORDER25 and Premium Members an additional 10% off on preorders through June 26! Preorder THE MINIMALIST here: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-minima...

The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen

Barnes & Noble Preorder Sale
25% off with code PREORDER25
through June 26

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· Jun 17

Thank you to @lgbtreads.bsky.social for featuring THE MINIMALIST on its Most Anticipated Adult Fiction list! This psychological horror novel of queer classical music gruesomeness releases August 18th (Salieri's birthday)! 🎶🩸 @stmartinspress.bsky.social

LGBTQReads - Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Adult Fiction, July - December 2026. The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen. Cover features an Asian woman's face inside a slashed-through piano silhouette.

As the last and greatest student of famed minimalist composer Ryder Wakefield, Mia Voss’s rise to prominence in the insular world of classical music has long been assured. When Ryder dies unexpectedly, she inherits everything―including the unfinished manuscript of his final composition, the mysterious Death Fugue: Music for Orchestra.

Haunted by memories of her tragic romance with Ryder’s late son, Oliver―like Mia, an Asian American adoptee―Mia leaves her girlfriend behind and returns to Ryder’s home to finish his last work. There, Mia is forced to confront her complex relationship with Ryder, who hid his Jewish and gay identities to become one of the most important twentieth-century American composers; her lingering guilt over Oliver’s suicide; and her own musical ambition as the manuscript begins to exert a disturbing, mesmerizing hold over her.

Drawn from the author’s own experiences as an adoptee and classical musician, The Minimalist is a harrowing examination of loss, torment, mental illness, self-harm, and artistic self-destruction.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· Jun 16

We're giving away 40 copies of THE MINIMALIST through July 15! For fans of TÁR & THE PIANO TEACHER, THE MINIMALIST is a gruesome psychological horror of a classical composer’s descent into madness - with queer, Jewish & Asian adoptee themes. Enter here: tr.ee/RGiVui @stmartinspress.bsky.social

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· Jun 15

It's the last week to request a free (adoptee community only) advance reader copy of THE MINIMALIST! For fans of TÁR and THE PIANO TEACHER, THE MINIMALIST is a psychological horror novel featuring adoptee issues & the agony & ecstasy of classical music. 🥚 Request here by June 19: tr.ee/FdlY1S

The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen. Free Advance Reader Copies for the Adoptee Community. Request by June 19. Cover features an Asian woman's face in a slashed-through piano silhouette.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· Jun 1

Looking for a spooky queer read for Pride Month? My Midwestern Gothic novel Sacrificial Animals is $2.99 in eBook through June 30! Featuring a thousand-acre farm, the bloody legacy of patrimony & something lurking in the woods. 🦊👻 Buy on @bookshop.org & support an indie bookstore here: tr.ee/C4UF8i

Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen
cover features a red fox on a black background
only $2.99
featuring Midwestern Gothic, Chinese mythology, family drama, bi MC & author
ebook on sale through June 30

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 31

As AANHPI Month nears its end, I'm sharing one last post on AAPI adoptee literature. For me, to be adopted is to be forever marked by what once was — and what could have been. I'm so happy to see more adoptees writing & publishing every year & sharing their voices with the world. 🥚

Not My White Savior by Julayne Lee
A Mouthful of Stars by Kim Sunée
Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake
Inconvenient Daughter by Lauren J. Sharkey
Magnetic Refrain by Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut
The Little Queen by Meia Geddes
Lucky Girl by Mei-Ling Hopgood
Accidentally On Purpose by Kristen Kish
Invisible Asians by Kim Park Nelson
Eyes That Weave the World's Wonders by Joanna Ho, Liz Kleinrock, and Dung Ho
Seeds From a Silent Tree ed. Tonya Bishoff and Jo Rankin
Birthstones in the Province of Mercy by Bo Hee Moon

All the Right Reasons by Bethany Mangle, Ghost Face by Greg Santos, From Orphan to Adoptee by SooJin Pate, Minor Destructions by Mark Kyungsoo Bias, In Reunion by Sara Docan-Morgan, Landlock X by Sarah Audsley, Vee in Between by Valerie Kaiyang Wood and Angela Poon, Out of Place by SunAh M. Laybourn, Sacrificial Animals + The Minimalist + Pastorale by Kailee Pedersen (I wrote these)

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 28

Thank you to @libraryjournal.bsky.social and @raforall.bsky.social for this wonderful starred review of THE MINIMALIST! My gruesome psychological horror novel of classical music & adoptee identity, perfect for fans of TÁR and THE PIANO TEACHER, releases August 18th. Read here: tr.ee/byak5r 🥚

The Minimalist - Starred review in Library Journal. "A highly original, excruciatingly discomfiting tale about a young composer's descent into madness [...] Readers will feel the obsessive horror of this tightly wound novel throughout their bodies."

The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen
Cover features a slashed-through silhouette of an Asian woman's face in a piano shape.
Out August 18

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 24

The first chapter of THE MINIMALIST, my psychological horror novel of classical music & adoptee identity, is now available online at Criminal Elements! This was such a personal novel for me to write as an adoptee and classical musician & I'm so excited to share more! Read here: tr.ee/DsAMYT 🥚

The Minimalist - Featured Excerpt on Criminal Element

The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen. Cover features an Asian woman's face inside a slashed-through piano silhouette.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 21

Thank you to Goodreads for including THE MINIMALIST on this list of readers' most anticipated summer horror along with so many other wonderful titles! I'm excited for my gruesome classical music psychodrama to be out on August 18th - Salieri's birthday 🙂 Read more: www.goodreads.com/blog/show/31...

Readers' Most Anticipated Summer Horror

The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen. Cover features a slashed-through silhouette of an Asian woman's face in the shape of a piano.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 20

Looking to read a classical music themed psychological horror with an adoptee protagonist & author - perfect for fans of TÁR and THE PIANO TEACHER? We're still offering free advance reader copies of THE MINIMALIST to the adoptee community. Request here: tr.ee/FdlY1S Deadline: June 19, 2026 🥚

The Minimalist by Kailee Pedersen - Free advance reader copies for adoptees. Request deadline: June 19, 2026. Cover features a slashed-through silhouette of an Asian woman's face.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 15

Psycho (1960): the shower scene in Psycho was originally not intended to have music, but Hitchcock later changed his mind and used Herrmann’s now-iconic slasher violin cue.

Taxi Driver (1976): Finishing the score only hours before his death, Herrmann created the moody, jazzy noir soundtrack for Scorsese’s Best Picture winner.

Other Works: Herrmann’s only opera, an adaptation of Wuthering Heights, is rarely performed despite its beautiful melodies. he also adapted Moby Dick into a cantata for male voices and orchestra.

Influence: Herrmann’s revolutionary, atmospheric film music has influenced many composers since, including John Williams, Nino Rota, and Stephen Sondheim.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 15

Catch me performing an aria from his opera WUTHERING HEIGHTS at the Spooktastic Book Fair in September! 😊 (2/3)

Citizen Kane (1941): Herrmann’s first-ever film score was for Citizen Kane, Orson Welles's directorial debut and one of the greatest films ever made.

Vertigo (1958): One of his several collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, Vertigo’s soundtrack conjures an uncanny musical dread in its portrayal of love and obsession.

North By Northwest (1959): Herrmann described the overture to his score for Hitchcock’s tense spy thriller as “a kaleidoscopic orchestral fandango.”

The Twilight Zone (1959): Herrmann composed the Season 1 theme song for the twilight zone, as well as music for 7 episodes.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 15

It's Jewish American Heritage Month, which means it's now time for me to yap about one of my favorite composers, Bernard Herrmann. A longtime collaborator of Alfred Hitchcock, Herrmann scored some of the most iconic films ever made and is a worthy addition to any (spooky) listening session. 🎶 (1/3)

Bernard Herrmann - A (Slightly Spooky) Introduction to His Work

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 9

Thank to Borderline River Charters for the solo tour of this incredible landscape, and to the included authors (not remotely an exhaustive list!) for their scholarship on Chinese American frontier history. All photos taken by me in Hells Canyon (Snake River).

Chinese American Frontier History

Ghosts of Gold Mountain by Gordon H. Chang
The Chinese Question by Mae Ngai
Strangers in the Land by Michael Luo
Empire's Tracks by Manu Karuka
Massacred for Gold by R. Gregory Nokes
The Chinese and the Iron Road edited by Gordon H. Chang and Shelley Fisher Fishkin

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 9

"This is not the story of the man who perished in Hells Canyon. This is the story of his son. But when we speak of ourselves, we so often begin with our fathers. And when we speak of our fathers, we so often mean to speak of ourselves."

"Historical Note: Massacre of Chinese Miners, Deep Creek: In May of 1887, a band of outlaws tortured and murdered 31 Chinese miners at the mouth of Deep Creek for the gold believed to be hidden in their camp. Three men stood trial for the atrocities but none were convicted. No one was ever punished for the crime. Two stone walls against a rock outcrop are all that remain of the Chinese camp." Backdrop, rock outcrop from the massacre site.

Chinese Massacre Cove: "Site of the 1887 massacre of as many as 34 Chinese gold miners. No one was held accountable." Written in English, Chinese, and Nez Perce.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 9

Deep into Hells Canyon is the farthest I've ever gone for a novel, but I had to see where the 1887 Hells Canyon Massacre happened for myself. Researching this novel has been difficult but rewarding, and the writing has been equally challenging. CW: Anti-Asian Violence

The Hells Canyon Massacre of 1887 against a backdrop of Hells Canyon photographed while on a boat in the Snake River.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· May 2

I wanted to start AANHPI Heritage Month by sharing the works of some fellow AAPI adoptee authors. Our literature, like our identities as adoptees, is complex, vibrant, and rich with possibility. Consider reading an AAPI adoptee author today. 💖🥚

AAPI Adoptee Books

The Language of Blood by Jane Jeong Trenka, Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses, Woman of Interest by Tracy O'Neill, Heart Eater by Sun Yung Shin, Paper Pavilion by Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung, Scar and Flower by Lee Herrick, Monstrous by Sarah Myers, I Would Meet You Anywhere by Susan Kiyo Ito, You'll Never Believe Me by Kari Ferrell, First Love Language by Stefany Valentine, How to Bury the Dead by Ansley Moon

AAPI Adoptee Books

Adoption Fantasies by Kimberly D. McKee, The Violence of Love by Kit W. Myers, Cleave by Tiana Nobile, Reprieve by James Han Mattson, Season of Dares by Leah Silveius, Made in Korea by Jeremy Holt, Sorry to Disrupt the Peace by Patrick Cottrell, Saying Your Name Three Times Underwater by Sam Roxas-Chua, Famous Adopted People by Alice Stephens, Before We Remember We Dream by Bryan Thao Worra, Hour of the Ox by Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello, Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller by Meredith Ireland

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· Apr 24

Had such a wonderful time at the VOICES BIPOC Adoptees Author reading. I read from SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS and THE MINIMALIST, and also heard these wonderful adoptee authors read their work! Check out their writing in the thread. 🥚 Thank you to BIPOC Adoptees and Alberta Abbey for having me! (1/2)

Kailee Pedersen reading from SACRIFICIAL ANIMALS at a lectern.

A large projector screen showing a picture of Kailee Pedersen alongside her name as part of the VOICES reading.

Kailee Pedersen reading from a lectern next to a BIPOC Adoptees hanging poster.

Leah Altman, KE Garland, Kailee Pedersen, and Matan Gold speaking during a panel discussion.

Kailee Pedersen@kaileepedersen· Apr 20

Perfect for fans of TÁR and THE PIANO TEACHER, THE MINIMALIST charts a classical composer & adoptee's spiral into madness. We're still offering free copies to the adoptee community! Request here by 6/19/26: forms.gle/bPv4yhQnshiU... Content warnings: kaileepedersen.com/the-minimali... 🥚