Tales of The Ink Gypsy…

The turn of the year would, I knew, be a time where my attention would be focused on the stories around our hearth, the ones we’re making up as we go along. It’s been a busy time, trying to coordinate magical moments (as wonderous as magic is, it takes a little preparation to get the ingredients just right) and recording them with all the creative energy we could muster.

As I devoted myself to writing down the tales that I know my son will want to hear when he’s older I stumbled across other opportunities and am now getting ready to tinker my wares, so to speak, with the aim that I will be able to support my travelings in the future. So what is it that’s keeping me on the back of this galloping horse instead of resting by the fire with you all as I’d planned? I’m on a breadcrumb trail and while I’m not starving yet I could use a pick-me-up (hey - is that a house made of candy up ahead…?!) See below for moe details.

P.S. From My Neck Of the Woods…
(a little update)
So: the breadcrumb chasing. I have this great opportunity at the moment: to write an e-book as part of a ‘Writer’s Library Series’. It’s very challenging trying to find time with a baby-who’s-toddling (for the most part) but I’m working my butt off trying to not let this opportunity slip through my fingers. Presuming all goes well and the editor is happy with my work I will be launching a website to coincide with the books release, where all my various writing adventure trails can be followed. I WILL be maintaining this blog, however, as fairy tale themed and inspired writing is an integral part of who I am. I will be linking from the website to this blog (and vice versa) so you shouldn’t feel left behind. The other website will allow me to advertise any books I write or am affiliated with, whether fiction or non-fiction, as well as be a place to explore writing, creativity and inspiration in general. This blog - Tales of the Ink Gypsy - is specifically themed for fairy tale inspired writing and while I’m so glad I finally decided to head out into the big scary world with all these thoughts and writings, it doesn’t cover everything that I’m working on or thinking about. So The Ink Gypsy get another address to check in at and you, of course, will be most welcome to drop by at any time.

My novel, Deadwood, is currently treading water in the back of my mind (along with a new character who apparently has been there all along, though I didn’t notice him until now because he was so small…) while I focus on getting the e-book done but never fear! I will not let the book drown! Part of the reason I’m branching out a little more actively is to support the writing of my novel. It may seem to be all hard work and not much sense at the moment but I have this gut feeling that this is the way forward and by riding this horse I will find the trail of my novel clearer to follow (you seeing a theme here?)

Stay tuned for the new website announcement and link, as well as to see how I did with the e-book (wish me luck, skill and speedy writing!).

PPS Oh yeah - I added a little picture of moi to my profile (in case you didn’t notice). A necessary evil if one is writing a book these days. Those who know me personally know how big a deal this is - to step in front of the camera willingly. Ugh! Anyway, this will do I suppose…

Book Review
The Orphan’s Tales Vol I: In the Night Garden & The Orphan’s Tales Vol II: In the Cities of Coin and Spice - not so much a discovery, as I’ve had the first Volume for a while but Volume II was released recently and I found I had to read Volume I again…. (see post below for an extensive review and exploration!)

Discovered in the Woods
The Fairy Tales of J.K. Rowling - The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Yes, the book mentioned in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows exists! Well, seven of them do. Handmade and illustrated by Rowling they went for a fortune at a Sotheby’s auction but it was all for a good cause. See images, get a sneak peek at the stories and hearhow it all came about at this dedicated Amazon site.

Interactive Children’s Fairy Tale Exhibit Once Upon A Time: Exploring the World of Fairytales. Haven’t you always wanted to walk into one of your fairy tale books to view it life-size? You could have if you were inn St Louis in 2006! Apparently this exhibition toured other cities last year but I couldn’t find any 2008 information. Even if we can’t see it in person, these pictures are pretty cool and guaranteed to send you back to your childhood (in a good way!)

Note: Illustration © Lorenzo Mattotti. Click on picture to go to see his work for the Hansel and Gretel online exhibition with The New Yorker or visit his website here.

The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden (Vol I)

If you haven’t yet discovered these award winning books by Catherynne M. Valente you are missing out - big time! I’m currently re-reading In the Night Garden and am just as awestruck as I was the first time through. This book is one of those few that makes me want to not bother writing a single word more of my own and at the same time inspires me so much that I just have to write! It’s rare a book will do both those things at once for me but this is one of them and from the little I’ve peeked at in the second volume - The Cities of Coin and Spice - so is the ’sequel’.

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter One of In the Night Garden:

“On an evening when I was a very small child an old woman came to the great silver gate, and twisting her hands among the rose-roots told me this: I was not born with this mark. A spirit came into my cradle on the seventh day of the seventh month of my life, and while my mother slept in her snow-white bed, the spirit touched my face, and left there many tales and spells, like the tattoos of sailors. The verses and songs were so great in number and so closely written that they appeared as one long, unbroken streak of indigo on my eyelids. But they are the words of the river and the marsh, the lake and the delta. They comprise a great magic, and when the tales are all read out, and heard end to shining end, to the last syllable, the spirit will return and judge me. After she vanished into the blue-faced night, I spent each day hidden in a thicket of jasmine and oleander, trying to read what I could in my bronze mirror. But it is difficult, I must read them backwards, and I can only read one eye at a time.” She stopped, and the last was no louder than a spider weaving its opaline threads.

“And there is no one to listen.”

Intrigued? Ready to ‘listen’ to her stories? If you are you’re in for a delectable treat…

Initially I had planned to write a post on Stories Inside of Stories, inspired by seeing this on my shelf. Then I picked it up and haven’t been able to put it back since. I’m enjoying it so much the second time and appreciating the interwoven myths and fairytales Ms. Valente has wrought (because it really does feel as though these books were magikally worked) that I thought I’d share a little of the world that I’m in right now.

The masterfully ‘nested’ tales surprise you as you open one to discover another lurking within, but there’s more to these wonderful books than even that. The writing is so lush and lyrical yet fully accessible at the same time. It’s laced with humor and mystery, magic and wonder, and much much more than I have time to write about here. My suggestion is just to read them. Or, if you prefer, read this interview here at Prime Books’ Fantasy Magazine to whet your appetite. If you want more (which I certainly did) then click here for an interview in even greater depth at Fantasy Book Critic. To top it off The Green Man Review has a wonderful page all about her - not only with reviews but also with excerpts of her workk including her Winter Queen Speech. (I’ve also added other links here and there for you to explore…)

One of the things that draws me to these books is, as I mentioned above, the way the stories are nested one within the other. My own thought process is very similar, leading me along many a garden path until sometimes I’m hopelessly lost. Ms. Valente doesn’t leave you stranded though. Her path through the stories, though winding, is sure and the journey worth every step. I have a lot to learn from her as clearly my own writing has a lot of developing to do before it ever approaches her caliber! Interestingly it reminds me of writing for theater; pulling different characters together with their different stories on a theme and seeing how they intertwine to become part of each other’s stories, making a whole new one in the process. Perhaps I should put my characters on stage more often to see what they bring to it, rather than chase them through their mazes, though each route is valid. In Ms. Valente’s hands these characters play their part for one story then, when prompted, reveal their own equally fascinating tale that begs the telling. Add to that the ‘wonder tale’ aspect, told with such lyrical writing it makes me slow down to read it and absorb it properly and I’m hooked.

I haven’t even mentioned the gorgeous ink illustrations throughout by M.W. Kaluta (his website is here, though I can’t find his ‘Orphan’s Tales’ illustrations or references).

I’m not the only one so inspired either. Here you’ll find music inspired by the stories and an mp3 of S.J. Tucker reading and singing an excerpt from Volume I. Here you will find jewelry inspired by the same.

I want to write so much more but instead will leave you to explore The Orphan’s Tales.

I have more experience in this than I ever thought I would. I had a big dream and pursued it as best I knew how. I even moved to a different country. Imagine my delight when I got the call of my dreams - invited to enter the castle of my dreams, become privvy to the inner workings of that wonderous place. I had succeeded! The first week I was walking on clouds. To be amongst those greats and a part of the machine, no matter how small a cog, felt like such a privilege. Despite my considerable experience I was happy to do even the most mundane of tasks and fetch coffee for the likes of these; so grateful was I to be an accepted part of the family. Except that I wasn’t. By the second week it was apparent there was a lot of strain behind those smiles and more often than not people were more preoccupied with holding onto their place at the table than doing their part in keeping the castle running smoothly. I began to notice the cracks in the castles facade, the barely functioning workings and worst of all, the insidious rot that seemed to be spreading, causing even the nicest people to reveal their hidden monsters. The castle of my dreams was not at all what I had believed it to be. I ran. I made it out alive, though it felt only by the skin of my teeth. I was small enough that I was quickly forgotten and the giants turned their attention to other climbers, ones far more skilled and threatening than me.

I wrote my first version of ‘Beanstalk Vertigo’ for one of those climbers who has gone far in his success. Despite his achievements he still feels he is under more strain being chased by giants than in climbing into the sky. Whatever heights he achieves or treasure he gathers, the threats continue and grow and, through my friend’s eyes, I’ve had glimpses of just how scary those giants can be.

It’s very hard to imagine difficulties with giants when you’re staring at an imposssibly tall beanstalk of your own to climb but reaching the top is only half the battle. The other half is staying there - especially if you discover your dreams have all along only been castles in the air.

In revisiting this piece I realized it reflected my own experience more than I initially intended and made me all the more glad I had escaped the castle and now have my feet back on the ground. Next time I climb a beanstalk I promise myself I will be ready to face any giant that challenges me. Despite one dream’s reality revealing itself to be a nightmare I’m willing to try again. Apparently I’m a compulsive climber. I will not give up on my dreams.

When I started this blog I didn’t realize that I would be prompting myself to write essays as I explored the ideas behind my creative scibblings. I haven’t left myself much wiggle-room for the good old blog-staples of personal updates and seemingly random discoveries so I thought I’d try a new adding a little, far less formal, Post Script.

Oh yes, and I’m expreimenting with allowing two double postings per page instead of one.. the idea being that you can instantly see if you missed the previous post AND I get to add more goodies and updates to the sidebar for you to explore!

So let’s see:

Book Review:
I just finished Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst and enjoyed it very much. Now I must mention that ordinarily I’m not a big fan of ‘Into the Woods’-style tales - you know, the ones where Cinderella meets Snow White and all their stories overlap? It’s a personal thing of course. That said I still enjoyed this book, which says a lot about Ms. Durst’s storytelling. I was hooked at the idea of The Wild grabbing everyday objects, like shoes, and turning them into fairy tale objects, like seven league boots, to enable its escape and turn a modern day city - and its inhabitants - into fodder for fairy tales. Though clearly aimed at older grade children and up it’s still unpredictable and quirky and enjoyable for adults too. In particular, the sequences where the heroine has lost herself and is struggling to remember are very dream-like and beautifully handled, giving more mature readers something a little meatier to chew on. The ending is satisfying and the epilogue nicely balances out any sugary sweet after-taste the conclusion might lead you to having. It’s also a very quick read (always a bonus with a baby in the house!). Though at times the writing felt as if it were forcibly geared toward grade level readers, overall it was entertaining and I will happily pick up the author’s next book. Quite a different and refreshing take on a very tired theme that’s worth checking out (if you like fairy tales, which, since you’re reading this, I presume you do!).

Discovered in the Woods:
Ooh yes - here’s some links I simply must share:

The Enchanted Forest - did you ever go to one of those little amusement parks on a fairy tale theme (and no, I’m not talking about Disneyland)? I did. I remember a wishing well, where I fervently wished my deepest wishes in whispers before my parents could find me, an huge shoe you could climb up into (from The Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe) an oversized pumpkin house (Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater) and other wonderful things. This site is one of those little places. Though it’s now sadly in disrepair the archival photos still capture some of the enchantment young visitors like me felt. Makes me wish I had a few spare million dollars to bring it back to life… (after feeding the hungry and finding a cure for cancer of course!)

From the National Library of France here’s a lovely presentation with wonderful, rarely seen images of
The History of Fairy Tales - covering Birth of a Genre, A Marvellous Universe, In the Heart Of the Family, the Ordeal and in Everyday Life. A wonderful summary in pictures and brief commentary text of the influence of fairy tales on our past and our present.

Novel Update:
And how is my novel going? Specifically my 2007 NaNoWriMo novel, currently titled ‘Deadwood’?

I’m still writing it! Though that’s no surprise I’ve found I still have quite a way to go before I finish my first draft. Although I’ve let the frenzied word accumulation of NaNoWriMo and November (and December) dwindle it is never far from my thoughts and growing slowly. My FMC (Female Main Character) has just gotten herself into much more trouble than she thought she would, simply by letting herself fall asleep in the wrong place at the wrong time… so I can’t leave her there! I must go now and see just who it is that discovers her there and what she does when she realizes what she’s done…

Though it’s true that I tend to work on multiple projects at once, keep checking for updates. If you read my unedited-first draft-first-chapter during NaNoWriMo and liked it you may just be surprised one of these postings by another little excerpt… once I get over my ‘page fright’ of how shocking some of this first draft stuff can be, that is!

Image © Marcus Trucket - click on image to be directed to his website, Mad Hamster Studios, where you can see a larger version.

I wrote the following story, ‘The Wandering Girl & The Stay-At-Home Boy’, for my husband for our wedding day. When it came time for the traditional speeches by bride and groom, instead of trying to sum up our journey to ‘I do’ in the usual way I read this story instead. I thought fairy tale ‘language’ would be the best way to explain just how I felt and, judging from my new husband’s reaction, it was.

I don’t really believe in ‘happily ever after’. Life cannot really breathe under the strain of that expectation. The wording of most fairy tales, if you look at the earliest written versions, tends not to suggest this state either. Rather, they allude to wrongs righted, goals achieved and that life goes on as it should with happiness and contentment, though not an exclusive state, finally within reach. I’ve found that despite my restless feet and feeling like a stranger everywhere I go, there’s a place I can now call home. I will always feel most content by his heart’s fire.

Please note: as with all fairy tales, this story was meant to be read aloud.

It was grey light turned to dawn when she finally reached it and shuffled to a stop. And it was there she saw the boy. He was whistling in the early morning light as he walked on his way to the town square. She found enough voice to call out and stop him, asking if he knew somewhere she could stay for a while. Before he could reply the creature in her arms woke with a start and in a flurry of claws and teeth, scratched and bit its way free. Ignoring the pain of her bleeding arms and face the girl immediately turned and coaxed the panicked creature back till it crept warily to her side with its tail between its legs. Realizing the boy was watching she covered her face in shame but instead of moving away he placed a gentle hand on her arm. Looking into her tired eyes he offered her a seat by his fire. The girl gratefully accepted and, with the creature in tow, her feet followed his home. The brightness of the boy’s fire and of his company warmed her till the pain and the need for sleep were forgotten.

Hand in hand their days became adventures; they would dance, they would travel and return to the valley. Wherever they went she knew she was home and wherever they stayed he found an adventure - for from that day forward the boy and the girl were always together and from that day forward they were together always.

All images copyright Emily Forgot. You can see a larger version of the image at the artist’s website by clicking on the pictures.

Why do adults continue to be fascinated by fairy tales? Why do they hold our attention even though (we think) we know them by heart? Why do we return to them time and time again?

As with all True stories there is often a shared experience across boundaries of time and culture that explains the universal pull of fairy tales. Countless essays have been written exploring this very subject but for me personally the reason I love fairy tales and continue reading them and studying them is this: The underlying Truth in these stories resonates with me. I find reflections of my own experiences represented there as well as signs and warnings of things to come. Fairy tales seem on the surface so simple yet are able to represent so much. When I consider the characters and symbols in a story it’s easy to find contemporary parallels in society and in my own life. When I look at my world this way I not only see the everyday magic around me I also have a roadmap of possibilties laid out for my choices - a roadmap filled with warning signs as well as the promise of better things to come.

G.K. Chesterton said in an essay’The Red Angel’ from his book Tremendous Trifles:

“Fairy tales do not give the child the idea of the evil or the ugly; that is in the child already, because it is in the world already. Fairy tales do not give a child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.”

To paraphrase (as this quote often is):

” Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”

I felt this as a child. In this fairy tales gave me hope, no matter how bleak my circumstances appeared. Terri Windling expanded on this very eloquently in her introduction to ‘Snow White, Blood Red’, one of the books in the adult fairy tale retelling series she edited with Ellen Datlow. She wrote:

“The fairy tale journey may look like an outward trek across plains and mountains, through castles and forests, but the actual movement is inward, into the lands of the soul. The dark path of the fairy tale forest lies in the shadows of our imagination, the depths of our unconscious. To travel to the wood, to face its dangers, is to emerged transformed by this experience. Particularly for children whose world does not resemble the simplified world of television sit-coms … this ability to travel inward, to face fear and transform it, is a skill they will use all their lives. We do children–and ourselves–a grave disservice by censoring the old tales, glossing over the darker passages and ambiguities…”

I found a book in the library when I was still in my teens that helped me realize my personal relationship to fairy tales and the way I found my own path through the world by using their Truths, wasn’t completely unique. The book was called ‘The Wisdom of Fairy Tales’ by Rudolf Meyer. It wasn’t an easy book to read and had a strong emphasis on the ’spiritual nourishment’ these tales could provide, beyond allegory, that seemed heavy handed. Nevertheless, the idea that fairy tales could - and should - be used as a tool for raising children and ultimately finding one’s direction in life, stayed with me. Here, for the first time in my experience, was a scholar who saw fairy tales as vital to healthy development. To find out that being drawn to fairy tales was not only shared by many but was a proven life tool was liberating. Although I chose my own path alone, just as the characters in the stories did, there were many who had been in these woods before me and survived to tell the tale. The more I searched in this vein the more I discovered many fine thinkers who I greatly respected, (Tolkein, Mark Twain. Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis and Albert Einstein to name just a few) not only held fairy tales in high esteem but advocated their necessity for a healthy society and development of one’s potential.

G.K Chesterton wrote extensively on the necessity of reading fairy tales and in another essay, All Things Considered, he stated:

“If you happen to read fairy tales, you will observe that one idea runs from one end of them to the other–the idea that peace and happiness can only exist on some condition. This idea, which is the core of ethics, is the core of the nursery-tales.”

No wonder we cannot help but tell them to our own children when they are small! At some level we understand stories are necessary for life. Fairy tales in particular hold much in the spareness of their words; the fantastic gives us direct access for dealing with reality. It is a paradox that children instinctively understand and use to make sense of their world. How much better would we function as adults if we continued to value these tales and be open to the Truths passed down through generations? Moreover, how much better would we relate to our physical and cultural neighbors once we understood that their stories are our stories, just dressed a little differently? Though the fairy tale journey is a very individual one it’s benefit reaches beyond ourselves to the world around us.

Bruno Bettleheim put it this way in The Uses of Enchantment:

“For those who immerse themselves in what the fairy tale has to communicate, it becomes a deep, quiet pool which at first seems to reflect only our own image; but behind it we soon discover the inner turmoils of our soul - its depth, and ways to gain peace within ourselves and with the world, which is the reward of our struggles.”

My favorite quotes, however, and the most useful to me in justifying my fairy tale fascination to others, are by the acknowledged genius, Albert Einstein. He said these two things:

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

and

“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”

Quoting Einstein was, and often still is, the best method I’ve found for silencing any critic of the time I spend reading and studying these stories. Not only that, his testimony to the positive power of fairy tales often results in the development of a grudging respect for something they had considered as merely childish. The implication, of course, is: if you want to think like Einstein, go read a fairy tale. No matter what, it is clear there is much more to a fairy tale than it’s story.

Here is a non-comprehensive list of books, in no particular order, on the study of literary fairy tales and critical thinking that I recommend having in your fairy tale reference library - especially if you are just beginning this adventure. These are not books for beginners necessarily but are books you are likely to return to again and again so may like to consider purchasing your own copies rather than just borrowing them. I will probably add to this list from time to time and will also include books that I haven’t yet read but would like to and are recommended by others. I will be posting other suggestions for ‘personal fairy tale library collections’ at various times both non-fiction and fiction so stay tuned!

NOTE: No list for students of fairy tales would be complete without recommended volumes/collections of the tales themselves but I will post that list separately at another time. There is bound to be some overlap as often good collections of tales are included in the text by the author/s and/or editors discussing them. Books like these may appear on both lists.

The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales by Jack Zipes

A wonderful cross-reference book of tales, fairy tale motifs, authors/recorders of the literary forms, illustrators, commercial use, operas, ballets, film, music, origins and even authors such as Terry Pratchett and Jane Yolen who regularly use fairy tales in their own writing. This book even has illustrations scattered throughout! A great reference or a wonderful read when you have a few minutes at a time. Although arranged alphabetically you can start anywhere and will end up jumping around through the wonderful cross-referencing provided.

Highly recommended - buy this one! You’ll use it again and again.

Touch Magic by Jane Yolen

Right here are many of the reasons why we should bother to keep fairy tales alive and why studying them is a worthwhile pursuit. Ms. Yolen writes as if she were speaking directly to you, without using scholarly language and with an obvious love for her subject. When people ask why bother with fairy tales this book says it all here - clearly and easily accessible to the average reader. Full of quotable quotes and well researched it’s required reading for anyone who works with fairy tales, folklore and fantasy.

Very highly recommended - if you haven’t read it yet, make it a priority!

From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers by Marina Warner

An amazing study of the famous tales in particular and their (mostly female) authors, approached by cultural context. Sounds dry but it’s not at all! It’s lavishly illustrated and filled with fascinating information that is worth revisiting to make sure you absorbed it. One of the highly recommended ‘must-reads’ for anyone interested in fairy tale study. Discussion of fairy tale meanings and origins willl often end up mentioning this book. When you read it, you’ll see why.

Highly recommended - you’ll want your own copy to return to often.

The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim

One of the first books to look at the influence of fairy tales and the possible meanings behind them, it’s exceptionally Freudian in it’s thinking but a good stirrer for the brain cells. It too should have a permanent place on the bookshelf. People still quote Bettleheim - a lot. Although most folklorists criticize his views it’s definitely a ‘don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater’ sort of deal. Make up your own mind about this one. Although I don’t agree with a lot in this book I still enjoyed it. Importantly, he was an avid supporter of letting children read/listen to fairy tales as a valuable tool for life and argues for their importance in society. It’s worth remembering as you read Bettelheim’s discussions that at the time that a lot of these tales were being told/collected, children were essentially ‘mini-adults’ - there was no ‘teenager’ either. That makes a big difference in perceptions of symbols and motifs. Whatever side of the fence you end up on regarding his views, reading it through properly is well worth your time.

Highly recommended - a reference book to own and a good one to check-in on when studying.

The Great Fairy Tale Tradition: From Straparola and Basile to the Brothers Grimm (Norton Critical Editions) by Jack Zipes

Considered by many to be one of the essential books on fairytale study this is also enjoyable to read. The book has a ‘tales’ section in which tales are put together by ‘type’ (eg. Clever Thieves, Envious Sisters, Good at Heart and Ugly as Sin, Abandoned Children, The Beast as Bridegroom etc) and Zipes comments on each of these and their context. There are illustrations and a section about the ‘authors’ as well as critical articles, all of which, when put together, make for a well rounded overview of the study. The book is intended for use as part of a course so has a more scholarly approach in the writing but is still very accessible to the average fairy tale enthusiast.

Highly recommended - the range of tale origins, rather than just, say, Grimm’s, is very important to understanding the popularity of fairy tales throughout the world, and it’s neatly packaged in this volume.

Folk and Fairy Tales (3rd Edition) by Martin Hallett (Editor) and Barbara Karasek (Editor)

I stumbled across a glowing review of this book a couple of years ago (I can’t remember where) and hunted it down - it was well worth it! It’s not just a collection of tales but discusses the themes, oral tradition of folk and fairy tales and other pertinent subjects throughout the text. There is also a wonderful collection of essays included in the back (Tolkein and Bettleheim are two of the authors) that even if the book weren’t already so wonderfully informative would make it worth getting. Obviously meant for scholarly study with its breakdown by subject/category and format it’s still very accessible to the layman. I noticed it recently on the shelves in a local bookstore so perhaps this is becoming more widely known and in demand (and therefore more available).

Highly recommended - a good read and excellent reference.

Spells of Enchantment: The Wondrous Fairy Tales of Western Culture by Jack Zipes

This is one of my favorites and although more an anthology of literary fairy tales than a critical studies text I’m including it here for this reason: the range of tales and authors in this volume is tremendous! From the 2nd century through to 1988, the authors range from before Giambattista Basile and Charles Perrault to Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain right through to current writers like Jane Yolen and Tanith Lee. The collection, it must be noted, is explicitly for adults and was one of the first such books. The timeline plus the notes on the storytellers are a wonderful addition to the 67 stories included (illustrations included).

Highly recommended - not an essential book but a wonderful one.

The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton Critical Editions) by Maria Tatar

I must admit I have not read this book cover to cover yet. It’s also considered one of the introductory books to fairy tale studies and the approach is very different to the Zipes book. The book has a section devoted to six well known tale ‘types’ (Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Bluebeard, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella) and their multicultural variations. Being a Norton book it includes a number of critical essays on the various aspects of fairy tales which is very useful and good food for thought. I really should finish reading this!

Recommended - well worth the price.

The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales by Maria Tatar (Editor)

A wonderful read of the classic tales and learning via annotations as you go along. Beautifully illustrated and presented, it harks of the magic of discovering these tales for the first time. Tatar notes the importance of the illustrators in interpreting these tales too - something which is often forgotten when studying criticism. A gorgeous book and a pleasure to read as well as a wealth of information to study all contained in one handsome book. For highschool students and adults.

Very highly recommended! You’ll keep this one where you can see it.

The Annotated Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm, A. S. Byatt (Introduction) Maria Tatar (Translator)

Just like the book above, this is a beautiful addition to your library and useful too. A selection of 40 tales - some familiar, some not, some even a little bawdy - this is also meant for high school level and adults. The illustrations, as with all these annotated editions, use a variety of artists and complement the text and notes wonderfully. The introduction by A.S. Byatt is particularly poignant.

Highly recommended after adding The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales first.

The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen by Hans Christian Andersen, Maria Tatar (Editor), Julie K. Allen (Translator)

As with the two books above, this is wonderfully annotated, illustrated and informative. The annotations include historical notes, critical interpretations and mention of the folkloric influences on Andersen’s writing. There’s a section of 12 tales for children and another for adults.

Highly recommended after adding The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales first.

The Illustrated Book of Fairy Tales by Neil Philip (Compiler), Nilesh Mistry (Illustrator)

I am including one children’s book here that I really enjoyed, though it may be a little controversial. The illustrations aren’t to everyone’s taste though I personally love the way the main story points form a single illustration. In addition to the wonderfully wide multicultural range of tales there are notes of interest scattered throughout, relevant to each story (eg. ) These tales are closer to the original forms than a lot of children’s fairy talee books and are not for the very young - parent’s discretion should be advised. Recommended ages would be seven or eight and above (at least, depending on the child). The layout of this book with its wealth of facts relating to the tales is a format I loved as a child and would spend hours reading over and over. It’s the kind of book that led me to search for the facts and meanings behind and within the tales - a good early primer for critical thinking.

Recommended - worth a look, though some parents may not be comfortable with their children reading this collection.

But it’s not often that we see what’s really there. Sometimes we catch sight of ourselves unexpectedly and are shocked. Where once we saw a princess or prince we now see glimpses of other characters - the jealous queen, the compromising hunter, the witch in disguise. The image frightens us and we wonder: Did I miss my chance? Is this the end of my story? Am I only a supporting character after all?

It was in one of these glimpses of myself that I finally began to empathize with the difficulties my mother experienced and perhaps why we never seemed to get along. My father had a very public job. The image of a ‘together’ home and family was very important and that burden fell squarely on my mother’s shoulders. She gave up her dreams in order to fit her role and a challenging little girl who questioned everything didn’t make it any easier. That I was a challenging child I have no doubt but it wasn’t just that.

There’s nothing like seeing your own mother’s face when you look in the mirror to make you recoil from your reflection. When you see that aging image it suddenly becomes very clear that if there ever was a time that was ‘yours’ that time has passed. You don’t have long before the crown is passed down to another. That’s a harsh lesson in reality when you feel your reign has barely begun. The only way to be ‘fairest of them all’ forever is to die at your perceived prime so you may always be remembered as young and beautiful. That makes for a very sad and very short life.

There is another truth staring back from the mirror, though often this part is hardest to see. The truth is that once a queen, always a queen. I hope I can remember this as my reflection ages, rather than waste years searching for ways to recapture my youth, perhaps even choking another’s dreams with my jealousy. When I wrote ‘Just Add Water’ I finally began to understand this though my mother and I weren’t on speaking terms at the time. We are now finding ways to communicate as she finally starts to live her own life and my hope is that if she can find her way beyond that turmoil so can I. You see, I think my mother and I are more alike than either of us originally thought. Talk about dancing in shoes of irony!

Tie the shoelaces, make the brownies, wear the apron and boom! There’s love. All the instincts. All the understanding and patience. All unconditional.

But instead you smile, sympathize, wear the right blue… always striving, always falling short. The ‘normal’ seems unreachable yet remains so tempting. You check your reflection to see you have enough flour on your elbows but that’s not what catches your eye.

You stare in surprise as the mirror shows a wickedness shadowing your brow. Emotions rage where love should soothe and somehow you feel corrupted. Unclean. Un-wholesome. Unable. More afraid of yourself than anything. It shows the one you were warned of as you tugged at the skirts of the ‘she’ you looked up to. History has turned the corner and is staring you in the face. She is you. You are the one holding out the apple in the desperate attempt to regain your sanity, to regain your identity – the identity that fit and had its place in the world.