Leopoldo Gout on Dyslexia, Scent Memory & Writing Rooted After Losing Everything

Leopoldo Gout is the acclaimed visual artist and author behind the horror novel Pinata, the Ghost Radio series, and out today, his stunning new novel, Rooted.

Leopoldo breaks down the true, horrifying history behind Pinata, how Spanish conquistadors forced Aztec children to break piñatas containing their own gods. He talks about the real artifact repatriation lawsuits reclaiming stolen Mexican heritage from Europe that inspired Rooted's archaeologist lead, and his mission to reverse engineer the trope of the evil witch into a protector. Leopoldo also opens up about writing as a dyslexic author, his unusual "photographic scent memory," and the real history behind the word abracadabra.

Timestamps:

00:01 – Welcome to Talking Horror & Meeting Leopoldo Gout

02:52 – "I Don't See Horror as Spooky, I See It as Beauty"

04:13 – Day of the Dead vs. the James Bond Carnival Version

08:03 – Discovering Horror as Social Commentary Through Night of the Living Dead

14:42 – Losing His Home and Studio to a Fire He Believes Was Arson

20:56 – His "Photographic Scent Memory" and How It Shapes His Prose

37:10 – The True, Horrific History Behind Pinata's Piñatas

41:00 – The Real Lawyer Fighting to Reclaim Mexico's Stolen Artifacts

44:19 – Reverse Engineering the Witch: Rooted's Central Idea

1:05:15 – First Look at His New Anthology Story, Luz e Fer

1:17:22 – "I Don't Believe There's a Genre Called Horror"

Grab your copy of Rooted: https://amzn.to/4bUk95u

Connect with Leopoldo Gout:

Website: https://www.leopoldogout.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leopoldoleopoldo/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leopoldogout

Follow Talking Horror Podcast:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelreddreads/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelredd

If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the notification bell to help us grow the horror community!