"For fantasy is true, of course. It isn't factual, but it's true. Children know that. Adults know it too and that's precisely why many of them are afraid of fantasy. They know that its truth challenges, even threatens, all that is false, all that is phony, unnecessary, and trivial in the life they have let themselves be forced into living. They are afraid of dragons because they are afraid of freedom."
Quoted from Ursula K. Le Guin on Terri Windling's Myth & Moor
The illustration is by Jacub Rozalski.
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Ursala K. LaGuin has passed on.
I think of her as brilliant and imaginative; a pioneer who challenged complacency and set the highest standards.
Her books and her voice were important to the lives of many.
Here is a link to her website/blog. Here is a notice of her passing on from the NY Times: A Great Loss
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For centuries, great storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, eruptions, plagues and war created chaos, disruptions and fear.
Tales were told of those with uncanny powers, saints who had the power of rekindling life, shamans and healers who called on the beyond.
For centuries, imagination and oral tales, spoken or sung, explained the mysteries of life with stories.
Over time, they became what we call tales of wonder. They have been told and retold.
They inspire retelling in other media:books, film, theater, television, dance, puppetry, music.
Tales of wonder continue to resonate with people. They have a life of their own.
Tales of wonder give hope.
The photo is of an Icelandic house from the middle ages.
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An Uncanny Hypnotic Force from Angela Carter
“The Company of Wolves" is a dream about werewolves and little girls and deep, dark forests. It is not a
children's film and it is not an exploitation film; it is a disturbing and stylish attempt to collect some of the nightmares that lie beneath the surface of "Little Red Riding Hood."
The movie is based on a novel and a screenplay by Angela Carter, who has taken Red Riding Hood as a starting-place for the stories, which are secretly about the fearsomeness of sexuality. She has shown us what those scary fairy tales are really telling us; she has filled in the lines and visualized the parts that the Brothers Grimm left out (and they did not leave out all that many parts). The movie has an uncanny, hypnotic force; we always know what is happening, but we rarely know why, or how it connects with anything else, or how we can escape from it, or why it seems to correspond so deeply with our guilts and fears. That is, of course, almost a definition of a nightmare." The film was directed by Neil Jordan.
Excerpted from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-company-of-wolves-1985
The photo is of Sarah Peterson in the role of Rosaleen in the movie, The Company of Wolves.
Here is a link to the trailer of The Company of Wolves.
Here is a link to the full film of The Company of Wolves
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Victorian Fears
“Many bowdlerized versions indicated a Victorian-minded censorship, which feared that Little Red Riding Hood might some day break out, become a Bohemian, and live in the woods with the wolf.”
― Jack D. Zipes, The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood
Click the illustration to better see an image encapsulating Victorian fear.
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Virtuoso Imaginative Writing
"The most incandescent work to arise from the feminist explosion is undoubtedly The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, a stretch of virtuoso imaginative writing and potent critique. . .
The Bloody Chamber has become the founding charter of modern fairy tale, and the catalyst of a million awakenings for readers (especially girls) coming upon it for the first time." -- Marina Warner, Once Upon a Time, A Short History of Fairy Tale
The photo of Angela Carter in the early 70's is courtesy of the Angela Carter Estate.
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The Bloody Chamber
Angela Carter was a gifted writer, a serious writer, with a wonderful imagination. She was also quite courageous and something of a revolutionary with a voice that was uniquely her own.
The Company of Wolves movie evolved from stories in Angela Carter's book, The Bloody Chamber. . . Helen Simpson, in an article in the Guardian, wrote. . .
''A darkly erotic reworking of Bluebeard’s Castle, a bawdy Puss in Boots and a sado-masochistic version of Little Red Riding Hood, Angela Carter’s subversive take on traditional fairy stories in The Bloody Chamber is as shocking today as when the collection first appeared in 1979. . .
The Bloody Chamber is often wrongly described as a group of traditional fairy tales given a subversive feminist twist. In fact, these are new stories, not re-tellings. As Angela Carter made clear, 'My intention was not to do 'versions' or, as the American edition of the book said, horribly, 'adult' fairy tales, but to extract the latent content from the traditional stories and to use it as the beginnings of new stories.' "
The illustration for The Bloody Chamber is by KiKi McNee.
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The child I once was is buried within me. I visit her grave daily. I tell her about our new life -- because I wouldn't have it without her, and would not forgive myself if I ever took her, or my life for granted.
Angela Carter.
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Witches Have Never Gone Away
“ 'Blessings be on this house,' Granny said, perfunctorily. It was always a good opening remark for a witch. It concentrated people's minds on what other things might be on this house.”
― Terry Pratchett, Witches Abroad
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Witches have moved through time.
Religion has fought against witches.
Witches have never gone away. At least in the minds of some people.
They can be found in books, in theater, in dance, in literature, and in certain cultures, they may live nearby.
And they can certainly be found in wonder tales.
In our popular culture witches take many forms.
American Witches . . . From the Nightmare of Salem to the Success of Wicked
L.Frank Baum. in creating the world of OZ, opened a door for both young and old to a world of fantasy that lives on, in many forms, today. The story he gave us was a very successful book and inspired many sequels, imitations, and theatrical versions.
After the stunning movie version in 1939, Dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin man, the lion, and the wizard all became icons. The witches later became the heroines of a popular book, Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995). Gregory Maguire, the author, totally reinvented their story.
Inspired by Maquire's book, Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman created a major hit Broadway musical, Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz.(2003)
The witches of Wicked have toured the USA and the world, including London, Australia, Mexico, Germany, and Korea. The original production won many awards, including several Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and a Grammy Award for its original cast album. It has continued to play for 14 years in the Gershwin Theater in New York City.
Twenty witches were executed in 17th century Massachusetts, all but one by hanging. They were said to be evil and cohorts of the devil. Times have changed. Today, the witches of Wicked have admirers. They have been seen by millions of people and earned more than a billion dollars.
Here is a link to Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the original witches in Wicked, singing Defying Gravity at the The Tony Awards in 2004
Here is a link to the first appearance of the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz.
The top illustration below the pendant, is by Hyeronrmous Bosch; the Wicked Witch of the west (green face) is from the Wizard of Oz movie; the poster is from the musical, Wicked; the illustration on the right is the Hanging of Ann Hibbens by F.T. Merrill.
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MOVIES
Pixar. . . Truth, Reality, and Fantasy
All 17 Pixar films have been written about and rated, in order, by the Guardians respected film critic Peter Bradshaw.
His favorite is the Incredibles. You may not agree with his ratings, but just looking at the lineup is a delightful experience and a reminder of why Pixar is so well regarded by audiences as well as critics. I have provided some links to a few trailers and the terrific opening minutes of UP.
Here is A LINK TO THE wonderful opening of UP
Here a link to the trailer of UP
Here is a link to The Incredibles
Here is a link to the trailer for WALL E
The illustration is from the Incredibles.
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The Return of Jumanji
Is it advertising, word of mouth, or the fact that so many moviegoers laughed and whooped at the original Jumanji? Whatever the reason(s), a current box office hit is Jumanji 2. The movie looks like a combination of silly fun and action adventure when four miscreant teen enter a dangerous fantasy jungle world and find themselves with superhero skills that contradict their "real" personas.
Here is a link to the trailer for Jumanji 2.
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The Return of Paddington
Here is the Critics Consensus by Rotten Tomatoes: Paddington 2 honors its star's rich legacy with a sweet-natured sequel whose adorable visuals are matched by a story perfectly balanced between heartwarming family fare and purely enjoyable all-ages adventure.
On the other hand, here is an excerpt from Anthony Lane's review in the New Yorker: "Do we really need a sequel to "Paddington," which came out in 2015? Yes, partly because it boasted a surprising deftness and charm, but mainly because it took in more than a quarter of a billion dollars worldwide". . .
Here is the trailer for Paddington 2
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"I would like to make a film to tell children it's good to be alive.” Hayao Miyazaki...
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The Stone City Warriors Will Attack Green Valley. . .
"I love this series of books and Planet Of The Dogs sets the stage for all that follows. . . The story borders between reality, a dream world, fantasy, fiction, reality and wonderful imagination. . . the author has done a wonderful job of weaving this tale, making it a first rate fantasy read, while at the same time addressing quite real problems and indeed, how to fix those problems". . .
Don Blankenship, Teacher, Editor/Reviewer at Good Books For Kids.
Here is a link for sample chapters from the Planet Of The Dogs Series.
Here is a link to Goodreads for more reviews
The illustration from Planet Of The Dogs is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty
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LitWorld
We salute the wonderful work of LitWorld. For 10 years, they have brought literacy and hope to needy children around the globe. The work of non-profit Litworld has changed the lives of children. Here is an excerpt from their LitWorld website:
"Stories are humankind's greatest resource, and these stories are the key to creating social change.
When kids have access to spaces where they are free to explore their identities, discover their strengths, and express their dreams, they become empowered to create lasting change in their lives, in their communities, and beyond."
Every year, around the world, LitWorld celebrates World Read Aloud Day. This year, the event took place on February 1. The photo on the left was taken in the Bangladesh.
Here is a one minute video visit with children whose lives have been touched by LitWorld.
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Farenheit 451 -- The World of Book Burning Returns
For 8 minutes and 18 seconds on YouTube, Teatr KTO of Krakow presents a condensed version of their street theater production of Farenheit 451.
It is truly extraordinary. I know of nothing like this in the USA or the UK.
Given the painful Polish experience in WW2, and their current ultra right wing government, the KTO performance, even for an American watching excerpts on YouTube, is a moving, poignant, and rather chilling experience.
Hundreds of spectators line the open Medieval square in Krakow and watch a vivid reinterpretation of Ray Bradbury's classic book.
The great Polish tradition of cutting edge theater is vibrantly alive.
The photo is from a performance by Teatr KTO in the Medieval Square in Krakow, Poland.
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"The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, wanted to ban storytelling. He understood its power and its danger. Aristotle though, believed that one of the primary uses of story was to make sense of our lives". . . Kathryn Heyman in the Guardian
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The Children's Museum of Manhattan has a new Home for Truth, Reality, and Fantasy
Laurel Graeber wrote the story for the NY Times: Here are excerpts: On Dec. 22, it completed the $45 million purchase of a new home: the former Church of Christ, Scientist, at 96th Street and Central Park West. . . The new building, set to open at the end of 2021, will be almost double the current museum’s total space: 70,000 square feet. . .
The new quarters will focus on “four areas that we consider critical to a child’s development,” Andrew S. Ackerman, the museum’s executive director, said in an interview: arts and creativity, early-childhood programming, health education and cultural literacy. Exposing young children to different cultures is vital, he said, “especially before the age of 7 or 8, when they begin to really firm up their attitudes toward people different than they are.”
The museum just ended the run of a groundbreaking show, “America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far,” which explained Islamic life to the very young.
The photo is by Cassandra Giraldo/NYTimes
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Life With Dogs -- Before and After
Before: C.A. Wulff has always been drawn to animals, especially those needíng rescue. And, especially, dogs. Her first book, Born Without a Tail, published in 2006 and revised in 2015, is a
memoir of her life experiences and touching moments, primarily with an ever changing, unpredictable pack of loved rescued dogs.
After: Circling the Waggins: How Five Misfit Dogs Saved Me from Bewilderness, followed in 2012. A deeply felt continuation of her life with dogs (and her partner) while living in an isolated cabin in the woods, this book is also a revealing and insightful saga of love, heartache, and ultimately, a realization that joy can always be found when wagging tails are an intimate part of your life.
Here is a link to the revised version of Born Without A Tail
Here is a link to Circling the Waggins: How Five Misfit Dogs Saved Me from Bewilderness
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The miraculous ability of dogs to enhance the lives of children and veterans is exemplified by
4 Paws For Ability.
Based in Xenia, Ohio, 4 Paws For Ability is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to place quality service dogs with children with disabilities and veterans who have lost use of limbs or hearing; help with animal rescue, and educate the public regarding use of service dogs in public places." Visit their site, watch the videos, read the heartfelt, positive testimonials:
Here is a link to their brief testimonial video of kids and parents whose lives have improved through their 4 Paws For Ability Dogs.
Here is the link to their site: service
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Why Am I ?...A Yelodoggie Illustrated Story Book
We continue our search for a publisher who will love Why Am I ?, recognize its potential, and launch it into the world.
Why Am I ? is a joyous book that helps children to understand and appreciate differences and to embrace that which is unique in each of us.
Why Am I ? teaches tolerance. We believe that Why Am I ?, C.A. Wulff's wonderful new book, should have wide distribution. Kids 4-8 love it and we see it as the beginning of a series.
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The Planet Of The Dogs Series
We have free reader copies of all the books in the Planet Of The Dogs series for therapy dog organizations, individual therapy dog owners, librarians, teachers and independent bookstores... email us at planeto[email protected] and we will send you the books.
To read sample chapters of any book in the series, visit PlanetOfTheDogs
The Planet Of The Dogs series (including Castle In The Mist and Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale) is available from many Internet sources and through independent book stores of all sizes.
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"Man is troubled by what might be called the Dog Wish, a strange and involved compulsion to be as happy and carefree as a dog."
James Thurber
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