August 2020 . . . Storms, Hidden Doors, and The Rabbit Hole

The Book, Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, Combined Fantastic Adventure and Savage Satire.

Travels and Beyond

The shipwreck that landed Lemuel Gulliver in the land of very small people (Lilliputians) was the opening of a momentous book that became known as Gulliver's Travels. It combined fantastic adventures with a savage satire of the British  ruling class and politics. Written by the brilliant Anglo-Irish author, Jonathan Swift, it was published anonymously (1726) to avoid punishment and prison. It rocked the British establishment. It was a huge success, was widely read, and was one of the books that gave birth to the novel form. It has also proved popular with young adult readers and has never been out of print.

Gulliver was forced by circumstances to travel onward four times, to four very different lands, before he could return to England. He is condemned but escapes the Lillyputians; more misadventures occurred in the land of giants (Brobdingnag) and after many learned conversations, followed by trouble, he finds safety for some time in an  erudite civilization that exists on a floating land (Laputa); his travels then take him to an extraordinary country, ruled by very intelligent horses horses (the Land of the Houyhnhnms) They ruled over dirty, crude, hapless humans  who were called Yahoos. 
When he later returned home, Gulliver was so frustrated and despairing of people that he spent much of his time talking with his horses rather than the Yahoos he found representing England in Dublin.

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Furious, Raging , Obscene

Robert McCrum writing in the Guardian, ranks the book number 3 in his appraisal of the 100 best novels written in English. Here is an excerpt from his article: "In its afterlife as a classic, Gulliver’s Travels works on many levels. First, it’s a masterpiece of sustained and savage indignation, 'furious, raging, obscene', according to Thackeray. Swift’s satirical fury is directed against almost every aspect of early 18th-century life: science, society, commerce and politics. Second, stripped of Swift’s dark vision, it becomes a wonderful travel fantasy for children, a perennial favourite that continues to inspire countless versions, in books and films."

 

During and after Swift's lifetime, the British establishment wielded its power, as they had for centuries, to subjugate and punish the Irish, most of whom were very poor, worked the land, and were Catholic. Poverty and periodic famines dominated their lives. The Anglo-Irish, although they owned much of the land taken from the Irish, were not considered the equal of the British establishment. those who wielded the power. Swift was a victim of this elitism. That he was also deeply moved by the painful lives of the Irish people is well illustrated in other writings directed at the elite British government responsible for the poverty and famine of the Irish.

 

Contempt for Heartless British Attitudes

 

In A Modest Proposal, a savage satire, he opens with a listing of the painful, joyless conditions of life oppressing the Irish. Here is an excellent, succinct summary of the article from Wikipedia:

"A Modest Proposal, is a Juvenalian satirical essay written and published anonymously by Jonathan Swift in 1729. The essay suggests that the impoverished Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling their children as food to rich gentlemen and ladies. This satirical hyperbole mocked heartless attitudes towards the poor, as well as British policy toward the Irish in general."

Transit Points to an Alternate Reality

 

A storm and a shipwreck were transit vehicles for Jonathan Swift in the same way that C.S. Lewis used a wardrobe to take children to Narnia; or that Lewis Carroll had Alice going down the Rabbit hole to Wonderland, or, more recently, Neil Gaiman's  character, Door, in Neverwhere who was the very embodiment of a transit point.They were all transit phenomena that took characters in stories to an alternate reality, a world of fantasy. Fantasy, in the world of Gulliver's Travels provided Swift a way to attack the arrogance and ideas of the smug British establishment with a wide impact. It also became a wonderful crossover book for young readers.

 

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Old and Young

"Though now we think of fairy tales as stories intended for very young children, this is a relatively modern idea. In the oral tradition, magical stories were enjoyed by listeners young and old alike, while literary fairy tales (including most of the tales that are best known today) were published primarily for adult readers until the 19th century.”

Terri Windling -- Black Swan, White Raven

The illustration is by Knut Ekwall
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Who Are Called To Write Wonder Tales ? And Why?

The diversity of written tales is as extraordinary as the oral tales that developed over the centuries in cultures around the world. They embody unlimited imagination. As a reader, consider for a moment the images and stories that come to mind at just the mention of names like Gaiman, Tolkien, Carroll, Twain, Pullman, Le Guin, Rowling, Yolen, Barrie and many more.  Are there qualities, characteristics, that are common to all of them that propelled their creativity to the writing of wonderful books for the young, and often, books that also have great appeal for adults?

From talking trees and magic dust, to schools for wizards and talking dragons, despite very different personas, life experiences, and eras, they have one thing in common: all have written stories of wonder that resonate with readers. The answer probably lies in these words by Ursula Le Guin. "Fantasy is a different approach to reality, an alternative technique for apprehending and coping with existence. It is not antirational, but pararational; not realistic but surrealistic, a heightening of reality.  "

The illustration is from The Wizard of Earthsea.

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New Worlds in Wonder Tales

Jack Zipes has written extensively about how oral tales and written tales emanate  from and relate to real events in the lives of people.

"Fairy tales will continue to intrigue and influence their audience as long as they continue to “ awaken our wonderment and enable us to project counter worlds to our present society, [fairy tales] will serve a meaningful social and aesthetic function, not just for compensation but for revelation.
Jack Zipes, When Dreams Came True, Classical Fairy Tales and Their Tradition.
Photo of Serbian Migrants by Marko Djurica/Reuters

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Magic happens on the threshold of the forbidden .. Maria Tatar

 

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Eduard Laboulaye, French Jurist, Wrote Wonderful Tales 

Eduard Laboulaye, an overlooked writer, wrote of a multitude of imaginative fairy tales for both children and adults. He lived in 19th century France during unsettled and difficult years of internal conflict, wars, and colonialism. Here is an excerpt from Jack Zipes regarding "the forgotten fairy tale genius of Edouard Laboulaye."

"Eduard Laboulaye, one of France’s foremost jurists and politicians of the 19th century, published highly unusual political fairy tales. . . Laboulaye was a great admirer of American democracy, supported the antislavery cause of the North, wrote several books on the history of the United States and American constitutional law, and played a key role in developing the plans for the Statue of Liberty. Some of his American contemporaries considered him America’s greatest friend.

His production of stories and novels is stunning in its variety. It includes three collections of tales, Contes bleus (Blue Tales, 1863), Nouveaux contes bleus (New Blue Tales, 1868), and Derniers contes bleus (Final Blue Tales, 1884); experimental works of fiction, such as the moralistic novel Abdallah, ou Le trè e à quatre feuilles (Abdallah, or The Four-Leaf Clover, 1859), based on traditional Arabic folk tales; the time-travel fantasy novel Paris en Amérique (Paris in America, 1862); and the fairy-tale novel Le prince-caniche (The Poodle Prince, 1867–68)."

The illustrations are by Edward G. McCandlish.

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Fairy Tales for His Children

Laboulaye's  children were treated to wonderful tales by a loving father with great imagination. I have been reading the excellent Project Gutenberg version of his nineteenth century Fairy Book. These tales are filled with magic, trials, quests, magic, miracles, and all the delights that wonder tales might offer.

There is the story a quest in the book by a boy to find the Castle of Life -- and the Fountain of Immortality -- wherein a magic bird, a loyal dog (Fido), and a courageous heart carry the boy onward despite hardships and temptations.  Mysteries, enchantments, and shape-shifting abound. At the core of everything is love.

And there is Dubrunka, in The Twelve Months, an orphan child with a cruel stepmother and crueler stepsister. "The poor child was obliged to do all the work of the house; she had to sweep, cook, wash, sew, spin, weave, cut the grass, and take care of the cow, while Katinka (her stepsister) lived like a princess—that is to say, did nothing." Dubrunka endures many hardships, including being lost, famished. and freezing in the snow filled woods. Ultimately, with her good heart and courage, she survives many trials.

"Dobrunka lived to a good old age, always virtuous and happy, having, according to the proverb, winter at the door, summer in the barn, autumn in the cellar, and spring in the heart."

One story deals with the idea of Destiny and unfairness. And each story, even the strange Noses, in some way, concludes on a note of hope. I found the variety and quality of the stories in this collection of ten tales to be delightful.

The illustrations from the Castle of Life and The Twelve Months are by Edward G. McClandish.

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The Truest and Sweetest Things in Life

The following was passed on by author Kate Douglas Wiggen (author of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm ) in her Introduction to the 1926 English version of Laboulaye's Fairy Book. 

"In his preface to the first American edition Laboulaye writes a letter to Mlle. Gabrielle Laboulaye, aged two! In it he says: 'When you throw away this book with your doll, do not be too severe with your old grandfather for wasting his time on such trifles as fairy stories. Experience will teach you that the truest and sweetest things in life are not those which we see, but of which we dream.' Happy the children who have this philosophy set before them early in life." 

 

The illustration from Noses is by Edward G McClandish

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Movies, Video, and Independent Animation

Netflix and Amazon Plus are now showing Studio Ghibli Films, including all of the wonderful films by the extraordinary Hayao Miyazaki.

The image on the left is from the wonderful Porco Rosso.  The story and the animation are terrific. Like wonder tales, survival or winning in Miyazaki films depends on endurance, courage, and using your wits. And there is hope at the end. Here is a link to a brilliant montage (2:48) of Porco Rosso

 

Exceptional Independent Animation: Fantasy lives in many forms. Here are 3 totally different, outstanding, animated videos.

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White Birds Black Birds

 

 

A parable, elegant in its simplicity, and art

by Florence Miailhe

Good thoughts and bad, light and darkness

 

Producer Yves Billion, Music Denis Colin

Link to:White Birds and Black Birds (3:51)

 

 

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Autour de Minuit

This is a composite trailer, from cutting edge to top-drawer traditional animation of multiple diverse styles. 

Autour de Minuit is a Paris-based, multi-faceted and innovative, animation production and distribution company.

This film will give you a dynamic animation overview in a whirlwind 1 minute and 30 seconds.

 

Link to; Autour de Minuit

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Here Winter

A Journey of Wonder from Lee Kyutae

Timeless Abstract Fantasy 

Music by Shin Hyunmo

Link to:Here Winter 6:10

 

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A Miyazaki Movie Guide 

Nancy Coleman, in the NY Times, has written a laudatory Miyazaki/Ghibli Guide.

Here is an excerpt:

"Studio Ghibli has also, with impeccable consistency, struck a rare balance that most family-oriented movies struggle to achieve. These are undoubtedly children’s movies — but they also have a loyal following of adult fans, who devour their favorites over and over again."

 

The illustration is from My Neighbor Totoro.

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Squirmy Hermie's Heroics

 

"Snip, snip . . . snip, snip. . . Squirmy Hermie poked his head out of his pink and yellow-painted shell, peering out into the darkening room. Where was that noise coming from? The store had closed for the night; the only sounds this late came from his newfound crab friends as they began their nocturnal hunt for food and entertainment. . . And maybe a way out of here? The nagging hope slipped into his mind for the hundredth time since he’d arrived in this place only a few days earlier. . . Squirmy and his friend Hairy had been taken, along with many others, from their beach homes in the Caribbean islands. Why? Where were they now? And how could they free themselves from this cage and the toxic shells they'd been forced into?

 

This exceptional new children's book, Squirmy Hermie's Heroics, is the 4th volume in the wonderful Animal Protector series from author Tamira Thayne, with full color illustrations by C.A. Wulff. Available in Paperback and Kindle; coming in Audiobook.

 

 

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What Would Mickey Say About Families Taking Risks?

This is an excerpt from an article by Laura Bradley in the Daily Beast : 

"Disney World shut down in March due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. But over the weekend, as Florida set a record for new cases of the novel coronavirus in a single day—outpacing all of Europe combined—the park reopened the doors to its Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. . .  A new guide map for the Magic Kingdom includes a chilling warning for guests: “By entering Walt Disney World, you voluntarily assume all risks related to COVID-19.”

Wow.

 

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Brigadoon Service Dogs

I have come to like very much Denise CoStanten. We have never met. However, I I have watched and listened to her in many  Brigadoon videos covering several years. She is a plain-spoken, caring, down to earth woman and the founder and developer of Brigadoon. They are community-based in Bellingham, WA, They are outstanding.

"Therapy dogs and the many volunteers who work with Brigadoon help children, adults, veterans, and even incarcerated people. The latter train dogs to help veterans with PTSD and other debilitating problems . .

We’ve trained dogs for children and adults with a variety of disabilities such as hearing or visual impairments, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, other mental health diagnoses and people with medical conditions requiring dogs trained to alert to an impending crisis."

The man in the photo on the left is a veteran who was seriously wounded (IUD explosion, both legs severe damage, trauma) and suffered from PTSD. His Brigadoon therapy dog has changed his life in many good ways, as he testifies in this video. 

Here is the link to their website: Brigadoon

Here is a link to an early Brigadoon video

 

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Another World -- Refugee Children

 

"Devastating conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has forced a million children to flee their homeland."

Amidst the chaos and pain there is hope. Take 2:43 and warm your heart with a video visit to the world of Aya an 8 year old Syrian refugee girl.

UNICF produced the film. They, and other non-profits like the IRC and Save the Children try to provide hope and the basic necessities of life.

 

The photo following a Syrian or Russian bomb attack is by Thaer Muhammed/AFP.
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 Castle In The Mist is the second book in the Planet Of The Dogs Series  -

 

"...Castle in the Mist is full of the same elements I enjoyed in Planet of the Dogs and Snow Valley Heroes: beautiful, detailed, soft, mood setting drawings; the fun and antics of the dogs, and the people who are discovering them for the first time; encroaching danger and suspense; the lovely fantasy of a planet of dogs who are so concerned with the people of earth; and the forgiveness, unconditional love and loyalty that the dogs are able to subtly impart."- Excerpt from a 5 star Amazon review by Lisa Harvey, Book Thoughts by Lisa...

 

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 with a postal address to [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 bookstores of all sizes. 

The illustration of Prince Uuko,leader of the Black Hawk tribes is by Stella Mustanoja McCarty.

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“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.”
― Milan Kundera

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