To Read & To Write

Katherine Paterson's retelling of the classic Japanese folktale, "The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks" (1990), is perfectly encapsulated in the form of a children's picture book, with richly toned traditional illustrations (olive greens, sunflower yellows...) by Leo & Diane Dillon. In it, a masterful story of a stolen drake unfolds. Deep in nature, a beautiful, colorful drake lives with his wife. But when he is taken from his home to the lord's manor (to be on display within a cage), the drake grows weary and utterly depressed, unable to sustain himself, only thinking of his worried wife. Luckily, a sympathetic and wise person intervenes, and from there, the story blossoms into one of magic, divine oversight, and karmic fruition, all stemming from a continuous surging of two people's kindness towards the rest of the world. You'll find out how a little touch of compassion, shared by humans and animals alike, is enough to outweigh those terribly hurtful i...

Steven Swann Jones' "The Fairy Tale: The Magic Mirror of Imagination" is a great beginner's introduction to the fairy tale genre. While much of his criticism stresses what seems to me "dated" (actually the book is a bit dated for this field) concerns regarding the fairy tale - the regulation of female protagonists to domestic duties under the patriarchy, for example - I really learned a lot about the fairy tale genre as being a form of story exemplary of the "common" person, the "regular" man or woman, the "ordinary". I'd say I, for the most part, agree. Swann Jones makes clear that fairy tales usually feature a main character who isn't *special* in any particular way and under enormous social pressure as well. My response to both these criticisms is this: how can we find a way to understand the fairy tale story as a way of expressing the *extraordinary* tasks of women (whether in the domestic sphere or otherwise)? ...

Malinda Lo's "Ash" is a moving story, which creatively draws up a retelling of older versions of "Cinderella". Young Aisling, nicknamed Ash, once had a powerful, beautiful, and kind mother who believed in magic, but after she dies, Ash has to live under the same roof as her awful, selfish, and worldly stepmother, whose biggest goal is to find an advantageous husband for her eldest daughter Ana. Once Ash's father dies as well, her problems are only made worse by the sting of degradation and strain of oppression. However, Ash has not fallen into the the new fad of logic and reason, touted by philosophers and business men. She still believes in the old fairy tales and folktales of the land from centuries past, and she reads these stories to escape her predicament... and they eventually lead her to the fairy land and Sidhean, the most gorgeous creature she has ever laid eyes on. Sidhean keeps a special secret from her, waiting for the right moment to disclos...