The photo of Maijana is by Tadas Kazakvicius
Home in Wonder Tales
Home and all that it meant to people, from safety and belonging to fear and danger, are certainly found in wonder tales. Through the centuries, women, like Maijana, the Lithuanian woman above, have endured and somehow prevailed. They have endured wars, famine, sickness and loss; they have been the center of home.
Survival has been an an issue for much of humanity. So fairy tales, folk tales, stories from the oral tradition, are all of them the most vital connection we have with the imaginations of the ordinary men and women whose labor created our world.” ― Angela Carter
"Magical folk tales, of course, have been part of the storytelling tradition since the dawn of time -- including stories of fairies, sorcerers, witches, and human folk under enchantment. Folk tales are humbler stories than the great cosmological myth cycles or long heroic Romances, and as such have been passed through the generations largely by the lower caste portions of society: women, peasants, slaves, and outcast groups such as Tinkers and Travellers."
The painting is by Jean-Francois Millet.
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Survival
Survival is not simple. There may be no end to the obstacles, traps, mountains and rivers to cross; the journey may seem endless. It requires courage, resilience, and luck to take you home.
In our era, Neal Gaiman, a great creator of written wonder tales, rewrote Hansel and Gretel, the classic story of abandoned children in a time of famine and the aftermath of war. Gaiman's decision to spell out the chaos and hunger that overwhelmed the woodcutter and his family, is the impetus for all that follows.
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"War came, and the soldiers came with it -- hungry, angry, bored, scared men who, as they pushed through, stole the cabbages and the chickens and the ducks. The woodcutter's family was never certain who was fighting whom, nor why they were fighting, nor what they were fighting about. But beyond the forest, fields of crops were burned and barley fields became battlefields, and the farmers were killed, or made into soldiers in their turn and marched away. And soon enough the miller had no grain to mill into flour, the butcher had no animals to kill and hang in the window, and they said you could name your own price for a rabbit." Neil Gaimen
I just reread this powerful book. Neil Gaiman is at his best and the illustrations by Lorenzo Mattotti are extraordinary. This is a fairy tale, and therefore has a happy ending. The children's ordeal ends and they return home to a great embrace by their father who has been searching for them every day in the forest. Mother has died for reasons "no one alive can say". However, "the treasures they had brought from the old woman's cottage (the witch) kept them comfortable, and there were to be no more empty plates in their lives."
All the above illustrations of Hansel and Gretel are by Lorenzo Mattotti.
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Mythic Archetype.
The orphaned hero is not, however, a mere fantasy cliché; it's a mythic archetype, springing from some of the oldest stories of the world. This archetype includes not only those characters who are literally orphaned by the death of their parents, but also children who are lost, abandoned, cast out, disinherited by evil step–parents, raised in supernatural captivity, or reared by wild animals. Terry Windling-JoMA Archives.
The illustration of Snow White is by Arthur Rackham,
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I'm Finding New Voices of Wonder
There is today an endless stream of books and stories. It would be so much more difficult to decide which writers to read without the guidance, experience, and thoughts of others. I have gained insights and information from many including: Terri Windling, Maria Tatar, Jack Zipes, Seth Lerer, Marina Warner, Jane Yolen, Ursula LeGuin, Ellen Datlow, Alison Lurie, W.B. Yeats, Jeff VanderMeer, and Angela Carter. I continue to read them to guide me through the multitudes of writers of wonder tales, fantasy, and as Terri Windling notes the term below, interstitial writers.
The comment below by Terri was taken from her introduction to In The Forest of Forgetting (2006) by Theodora Goss, published by Mythic Delirium Books. Although she has published several well received, award-winning books, Theodora Goss was new to me. I became an admirer of this exceptional writer when reading In The Forest of Forgetting and, a later book (2019), Snow White Learns Witchcraft.
Here is an excerpt defining Interstitial from Terri Windling's Introduction to In the Forest of Forgetting:
"As a writer who has moved across many borders in her life, she (Theodora Goss) moves easily across the category borders erected by the publishing industry, creating works that could be alternately labeled as fantasy, horror, magic realism, surrealism, revisionist fairy tales and gothic romance, or that fall into the interstitial realm that lies in between these genres. . . . 'interstitial fiction', a term used to identify, study, and celebrate works that cross the border between categories. . ."
The painting for the cover of the Tor book Red as Blood and White as Bone ( by Theodora Goss) is by Anya and Elena Balbusso
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Snow White Learns Witchcraft by Theodora Goss -- An Excerpt
". . . How comfortable it was to live with dwarves
who didn't find her particularly attractive.
Seven brothers to whom she was just a child, and then
once she grew tall, an ungainly adolescent,
unlike the shy, delicate dwarf women
who lived deep in the forest. She was constantly tripping
over the child-sized furniture they carved
with patterns of hearts and flowers on winter evenings.
She remembers when the peddler woman came
to her door with laces, a comb, and then an apple. . ."
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The Power of Fantasy
"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 that they have let themselves be forced into living." Ursula Le Guin.
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Changing Times
Then suddenly, in or about the Ninth Century B.C., some overpowering new ferment began to sweep through this straggle of tribes. Something dislocated them, transformed them. Something came and moved so swiftly that archeology has not been able to detect the transition, only the results. . . Peoples who had been previously distinct, now became mingled. . . Some cultures vanished abruptly. . .
What had happened? The age of the horseman had dawned -- the long and turbulent age of the Scythian, the Sarmatian, the Hun, and the Mongol had dawned. . .
The horseman was a new breed of man. He was not a mere rider and breeder of horses, nor did he simply exploit the horse: he merged with the horse in a remarkably thorough way. He reshaped his entire mode of life around the capabilities of his horse. . .He stripped himself of all identification with a permanent home. . . His dwelling had become a collapsible tent, his hearth could be anywhere. . . Here was a total adjustment to the horse as the pivotal fact of life."
Ralph Trippett, Dr. Ruth Tringham The First Horsemen
Scythian tomb art of a warrior.
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Home Is In The Heart
Kij Johnson wrote a powerful story -- The Horse Raiders, a story about people -- horsemen and horsewomen -- from a tribe famous for their wonderful horses and their deep attachment to their homeland, n'dau, and home. Their identity is one with their horses and their homeland. Here is an excerpt as told by Katia, a healer, and one of nine extended family members:
"We were far from n'dau.The sun rode too high in the sky. The shadow that dogged my heels was too short. We had wandered so far from n'dau because we had found a broad ribbon of Earth grasses and shrubs rooted into the soil left over from a Dawn meltwater river, dried now to a marshy trickle. The horses could eat the native vegetation of Ping, but the grass from ancient earth was best for them and so we let the herd graze noonward. . .
A group of barbarian riders appears from the grasslands, holding the white flag that signifies a meeting to trade. Questions are asked. Suddenly however, the barbarians attack and swiftly kill all but the narrator, Katia, who is overwhelmed and saved because she is a medicine woman for the horses. Her young niece is spared because she is Katia's apprentice. The culture of the barbarians like the culture of Katia's people is built around, and dependent on the horses; however, all the barbarian horses are dying.
Kij Johnson's wonderful story is a metaphor for life in the centuries of the horse-based cultures that dominated the vast steppe lands of Eurasia, reached across Russia and far into Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Hungary.
Photo of horses credit Mari Art/Thinkstock
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The Infinite
Patience Agbabi, a poet and the author of The Infinite -- a book of wonder written for Middle school readers -- is an Oxford graduate, a former Poet Laureate of Canterbury and was cited as one of the Next Generation Poets. She also performs as a spoken word artist. Born in London of Nigerian parents, she is the loving mother of two young boys.
The Infinite fairly dances with words and language. The central figure, Elle, is a gifted, 11 year old black girl. She tells the story and in doing so, pulls you into her world. She also happens to be a novice time traveler (a "Leapling"), born on 29 February and a very unique girl. Here is an excerpt:
"My school is called Intercalary International because its a boarding school for Leaplings who have The Gift. It only has two classes with a four year gap in between and goes up to Fourteenth Year. It looks like a country mansion and you have to go up a drive with lots of tall trees to get to it. There's no sign outside apart from 'Private' because it's a secret. Locals think an eccentric billionaire lives there. It's the only one in the world and some of the pupils come from places like India and Brazil.I'm a day pupil because I live very close by..."
The story is filled with surprises, celebrates differences, and protecting our future. Phillip Pullman recommends the book.
Among her several books, Patience Agababi has written ,Telling Tales, which retells Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales for the 21st century. Here is a link to see Patience performing an excerpt from her version of the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.
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Exceptional Independent Animation
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Part 5/8 Poetry of Perception
Emily Dickenson inspired animation created by Brian Smee
Music and Sound Skillbard
Part 5 ofan 8 part series. Producer Nadja, HarvardX Neuroscience
Here is the link: 5/8 Time 1:51
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My Friend Marjorie
A poignant tribute
A lifetime
Created by Louise Wilde
Here is the link; Marjorie Time 4:32
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Levitation
Alternate reality. Exceptional.
Cutting edge creativity. See it to the end.
Co-director choreographer Anna Abalikhina, Art Director Arthur Kondrashen
Creative Producer Alexader Us, Producer Denis Astarkhov
Presented by Sila Sveta Productions, Moscow
Here is the link: Levitation Time: 3:22
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Gun Violence
I find it dangerous for all of us that no Federal law requires a background check for gun buyers in the USA. An organization, Everytown (for Gun Safety) was formed In April 2014 by the merger of Mayors against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action. They are fighting an ongoing battle to end the epidemic of gun violence in the USA.
Moms Demand Action began one day after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Ct, where 27 were murdered: 20 children ages 6-8 and 7 staff. The murderer (20 years old) used assault weapons and a pistol.
Here is a link to connect: Everytown
The photo is of a Sandy Hook mother.
Therapy dogs bring the human canine connection to Washington DC and nearby areas courtesy of PAL
The number of visits, ranging from hospitals to libraries that PAL make in a year are staggering. As the photo demonstrates, kids read to PAL dogs even now, in the COVID era.
"Our mission is to utilize the human-animal bond to brighten the lives of the lonely, ease the pain of the sick, and enrich the world of at-risk children. . . . In our Pet Visit Program, wagging tails and wet noses ease the loneliness of the elderly and comfort the sick. Warm, gazing eyes help early readers feel comfortable reading out loud when dogs visit libraries. In our PAL Camp and PAL Club, hundreds of lower-income children deepen their natural connection to the amazing animal kingdom with a rich Animal Studies program . . ."
Here is a link to visit PAL Photo credit Michael Kranefield.
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How to Change the World in Thirty Seconds is dedicated to all of the individuals and groups who devote their heads, hands, and hearts to improving the world for companion animals.You are all, every one of you, my heroes -- C.A. Wulff
"This is probably the best "how-to" book I have ever seen. It is written in a very conversational manner while being extremely educational. Along with giving step-by-step instructions on how to use each advocacy tool, Cayr gives some background on each website, organization, and group... She walks you through the necessary steps and gives tips..."
Cover design by C.A. Wulff.
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Castle In The Mist Is the second book in the Planet Of The Dogs Series
"...the McCarty's again succeeded in bringing archetypal themes such as good vs evil, man vs nature, love, faith and faithfulness into the story without being overly teachy or preachy. We were riveted by the story and its main characters (both human and canine); we shared in their challenges and celebrated their victories. Melinda Gates, Reading Mother
Visit our website for sample chapters: http://www.planetofthedogs.net
The illustration is of Susan Purser's nephew, Chase, reading Castle In The Mist to therapy dog, Bandit.
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"My father worshipped dogs, hunting, fishing, the state of Maine, and the complete works of William Shakespeare, in that order."
Susan Conant True Confessions (1995)
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