Quote About Fairy Tales and Film, A Good One

From The Dark Side of The Fairy Tale by Alexandra Ferguson:

The fairy tale structure is the foundation of storytelling. Most fairy tales are a glimpse into the history of a culture, with each one carrying a hidden moral or message for its reader, or more often, its listener. Fairy tales tell stories of triumph, struggle, love and loss – the now building blocks of modern cinema screenwriting. However, what is even more intriguing is the fairy tale’s love affair with fear and death. Some of the best loved stories which, for example, are now reincarnated as some of the best loved Disney animations, have much darker roots.

The article goes on to to the usual discussion of fairy tale influenced films already out there, nothing much new although the list focuses on the grittier for those who like those. But I really liked this description of fairy tales so I thought I would share...

Therefore it makes sense that there is evidence of contemporary re-imaginings of the fairy tale in many different film stories.

Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs by Willy Claflin

Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs: A Maynard Moose Tale by Willy Claflin and illustrated by James Stimson. I tried to find more images from this book for Youth Art Month, but alas, I didn't find any and I don't own the books themselves. They look like fun and Claflin is winning storyteller awards, but that is the extent of my current information.

Book description from the publisher:

“Once upon a time, a long, long, time ago...” So begins the story of... Rapunzel?... and The Seven, or Eight, or NINE dwarfs?!? Hey, what’s going on here??? Welcome to the slightly off-track world of Maynard Moose and the ancient Mother Moose tales. Willy Claflin channels and translates these tales for our entertainment and enlightenment—or maybe just to confuse us. Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs exemplifies the lesson in many of these stories “...That there ain’t no moral to some stories at all.” Fractured English is translated in the glossary at the front (under a tongue-in-cheek “Parental Warning”). The cast of characters seems oddly familiar, while the plot is ... well, plot is overrated. James Stimson’s delightful digital artwork brilliantly renders the details that add wit and substance to every page.

This is the second book in the Maynard Moose Series by Clayfin. The first was The Uglified Ducky.

Book description from the publisher:

You may think you know the story of the Ugly Duckling, but think again. In the capable hands of his alter ego Maynard Moose, storyteller Willy Claflin takes us on a wacky journey where this Uglified Ducky, a hapless young moose, "blunders away" from his home, is mistaken for a baby duck, and endures endless humiliation as he tries to learn to waddle, quack, swim, and fly. Eventually, he finds his true "fambly," who helps him discover his own beauty. In his fractured English, translated in the glossary at front, Maynard relays a surprisingly tender story that echoes the original tale's theme of the struggle to belong. The Uglified Ducky's quest is playfully but sympathetically interpreted in James Stimson's luminous, droll gouache illustrations.

More releases from Willy Claflin:

 

  

Thoughts on Storytelling

From American linguist explores ancient town by Sonali Shenoy, about storyteller Cathryn Fairlee:

Next on her itinerary is Kancheepuram, where she is attending a village performance of the Mahabharata. “Not many people in the US know much about Hinduism or what an incredible story this epic really is. And when I tell it, I put the names up on a board like the Pandavas or Draupadi, because although the names are foreign, people can follow the story this way,” she explains.

But these adjustments never affect the story itself.

“I always tell people that if you don’t like a story, don’t tell it, but never change the ending.” A case in point?

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. In the original version of the 1837 tale, the mermaid dies, far from the happy ending most of us remember courtesy Walt Disney’s movie adaptation. But why not change the ending to make people happy? There is no hesitation in Cathryn’s reply.

“You know if a story has been told for over a hundred years a certain way, it is not right to disrespect it, or the way it was told.”

This lady of the yarn says that it is getting harder to come across stories she has never heard before.

“I remember once when my husband and I were in China, and we were listening to a woman narrate a story in a dialect that I could not understand. After she left, her son began to translate the story and I was so excited because I realised that it was a Chinese version of Beauty and the Beast!”

Lots of food for thought in just a few short paragraphs. The debate over modern storytellers (not writers, but storytellers) changing old tales is a long one. I'm rather neutral on it since I know how much all tales are changed. However, when presenting tales as part of our cultural heritage as Fairlee does, I agree. And don't you want to hear that Chinese Beauty and the Beast?

Storytelling with Elaine Muray

I've been having a tempermental internet connection all week, so if you have sent an email, I have hopefully received it and will reply in the next few days. Never hurts to try to send it to me again either.

Today I share an article about a storyteller in Ventura County, California: A tale to tell Local performance artist is building a community one story at a time by Michel Cicero. Primarily about Elaine Muray and her Ventura Village Voices Adult Storytelling Series, I am quoting the passages about story and narrative that are well-shared in the middle of the article. I used to live near the edge of Ventura County and this is one of those opportunities that makes me wistful about living there. Although I really can't complain since I'm just a few hours away from the National Storytelling Festival.

Scientific studies have confirmed what lovers of storytelling have always known: The human brain utilizes information more effectively when it’s received in narrative form. Much the same way it’s easier to remember information in verse, story form allows for better retention and comprehension. Muray even uses it as a trick to help with mundane tasks like remembering a day’s worth of errands. “I make a little story out of it, and I remember it all.” She says.

“People connect more to narrative than facts. We are hardwired for it.”

In some ways storytelling is as unlikely as likely a pursuit for Muray given the complete absence of it from her childhood — she wasn’t read to as a child. “A lot of storytellers have a vast foundation in stories that I didn’t have so I have to spend time at the library.” One such visit, she had a half hour to kill so she picked up a Chinese folk tale about a girl that was so small her father never noticed her. “I started to get teary eyed,” she recalled. “That simple folk tale resonated with me and my life, so sometimes people can’t hear when they are given facts . . . Grimm’s fairy tales are all about teaching safety.”

While she works with children and believes strongly in the benefits of narrative for learning comprehension and appreciation for reading, she says it’s the adults who must pave the way. “A lot of people think of storytelling as being for kids, but some of the best I’ve heard is geared toward adults. I think adults have to catch the fire in order to take their kids to events,” she says.

I always enjoy hearing stories of which tales resonate with readers and listeners and why, if they are able to explain why.

Storytelling 8-Year-Old

Storytelling is close to my heart since it goes hand in hand with fairy tales and folklore. So don't miss this article, Fairy tale ending for young storyteller, about Olivia Merryman, the 8-year-old "who was named the annual competition's elementary level "torchbearer" June 6 as the best in her age group" at the National Youth Storytelling Showcase last month.

And isn't Merryman just a perfect name for a storyteller anyway. I hope she has a long career.

And I just love that the National Storytelling Festival is in my home state...