Endicott Redux

Short Reading Pleasures

We are always so rushed these days that it is hard to find time to slow everything down and appreciate a literary interlude. Reviewing books, writing articles and papers, finishing novels...always such a commitment of time. But taking the time to read short pieces of literature online, like the occasional piece of Godiva chocolate, can be quite refreshing and enjoyable, reminding us that beautiful writing comes in small gifts too.

So let me offer you a few of these opportunities today:

The first is a thoughtful new poem, "Shapeshifter," by poet and young adult author Maureen McQuerry, that slowly unravels the process of transformation. The second is a short story, "Medusa at Morning" by Beth Bernobich, available at the newly redesigned Behind the Wainscot site (which, by the way, has lots of great new fiction offerings). Also, as I've been searching out "Swan Maiden" fiction for an upcoming article, let me recommend the beautiful and haunting "Gift of Flight" by Nghi Vo, published in Strange Horizons (which also has a tremendous backlist of short science fiction and fantasy tales). And for something completely different, bracing as a cold smack of fresh air, try Hari Kunzru's funny and poignant contemporary short story "Magda Mandela"  at The New Yorker, about a woman who is a force of nature and whose voice is a metaphysical wonder.

*The art above is "The Scribe" by Gentile Bellini (1479-80).

Swan Maiden

I am currently finishing up an article for Realms of Fantasy's "Folkroots" column on Swan Maiden narratives. I have been astonished how rich and varied the world traditions of this tale are -- and yet how eerily similar. The Swan Maiden is of course another beastly bride (my favorite kind -- so difficult to pin them down and so impossible for any husband to actually control), but there are a couple of peculiar variations of her tale. The most interesting version has come from the nasty rumors detractors circulated after the death of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine (referred to as the "Demon Queen"), wife of Henry II and mother of Richard Coeur de Lion.

The story goes that Henry was to be married to a "beautiful stranger named Cassodorien, daughter to the King of Antioch." (Of course listeners of the tale were expected to "read" between the lines here and understand that the tale was really about Eleanor.) At the wedding ceremony, however, the bride swooned just before communion, thereby avoiding the sacrament. But fifteen years later, Henry insists that Cassodorien view the sacrament -- at which point the Queen wraps her daughter in her arms, and, sprouting feathers, flies out the roof, knocking then Prince John over and breaking his arm. It is also possible that the story -- while attempting on the one hand to find a derogatory explanation for a queen famous for her independence (and celebrated love affairs) -- was also trying to bolster the reputation of her son, Richard the Lionhearted, and give a heroic dimension to his prodigious feats. (More on this tale can be found in Modern Language Notes, Volume 70, No. 6 in an article by Robert L. Chapman.)

Along the way of my research, of course, my eye was drawn to Swan Maiden tinged-art. I especially love the painting above, "Swans" by Jeanie Tomanek. (Oh one day I will own one of these beauties!)

Hansel and Gretel at the New Yorker

The New Yorker has offered a collection of images online from the Metropolitan Opera's Gallery Met's display of art inspired by Hansel and Gretel, scheduled for exhibition along with the première of Engelbert Humperdink's opera Hansel and Gretel. There's wonderful work here -- including a sculptural house made by one of my favorite artists, Eleanor Davis, as well as works by children's illustrator William Steig, photographer William Wegman and his photogenic dogs, Gahan Wilson, and many others. The two images above are by Ana Juan. (Do check out her website, it's pretty amazing.)

Here's a description of the event:

"In a unique collaboration between The New Yorker and the Metropolitan Opera, Gallery Met presents a special exhibit of art work inspired by the Grimm fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. The exhibit features works by many of the magazine’s artists, including Roz Chast, Ian Falconer, Jules Feiffer, Ana Juan, Ed Koren, Anita Kunz, Lorenzo Mattotti, Christoph Niemann, Lou Romano, Owen Smith, William Steig, Gahan Wilson, and Bob Zoell. Other contemporary artists are represented as well, including John Currin, George Condo, and William Wegman.

"The exhibit, curated by the Gallery Met’s director, Dodie Kazanjian, and The New Yorker’s art editor, Françoise Mouly, is inspired by the Met’s holiday presentation of Engelbert Humperdinck’s operatic version of the fairy tale, which will première on Monday, December 24. Gallery Met is free and open to the public."

Hare and Moon

We thought you might enjoy this photo of a splendid Hare and Moon weathervane from St. Mawes in England. It was sent to us by Cathy Nicolls.

We often get emails with wonderful photographs of mythic finds, a place or a moment where something strikes the viewer as myth in action in the world. It occurred to us that it might make for a regular category here on News and Reviews -- so let us know if you have one of those moments, send us a photo, and we will share it with our readers. It's quite comforting really to know that art and myth continue to share space alongside the modern and technical.

Fantasy Matters

The first Fantasy Matters Conference was held the weekend of 16-18 November 2007 at the University of Minnesota Law School. Nearly two hundred people from all over the world were in attendance, and I, along with Lindsay Craig and Jennifer Miller, had the privilege of being one of the organizers.

When planning the conference, we wanted the dialog to include both the academic and creative aspects of fantasy literature. To that end, we were extremely fortunate in our keynote speakers. Eminent scholar Jack Zipes gave an erudite and challenging critical address: "The Delusion and Hope of the Fantastic: Why Fantasy Matters Too Much." Award-winning author Neil Gaiman did an absolutely delightful reading of the first chapter of the forthcoming Graveyard Book, and shared some of his own thoughts on why fantasy matters. Both Jack and Neil were generous with their time and energy, and their presence was appreciated and enjoyed.

Other highlights included an opening panel reading organized by Haddayr Copley-Woods and featuring nine local authors, including Barth Anderson and Naomi Kritzer. We had panel discussions on topics including Fantasy Literature and Politics, Writing and Publishing Fantasy Literature, and Comics and Fantasy Literature. Over fifty scholars presented papers. Featured readers Pat Rothfuss, Drew Bowling, Pamela Dean, David Anthony Durham, Jim C. Hines, and Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu all read from recent or forthcoming works and DreamHaven Books was on hand to make sure we all got our fix of excellent books. The closing panel -- Jack Zipes, Pat Rothfuss, Theodora Goss, Jen Miller, and I -- readdressed the question of why fantasy matters. We didn't come to any conclusions, but it is a discussion we all hope will continue.

Many people have asked whether or not we are planning on making this conference a regular event. The short answer at this point is, we don't know, but we're not ruling it out. We thank all of you who attended, particularly those of you who first heard about the conference here at the Journal of Mythic Arts. And we thank all of you who know that fantasy matters.

Photo credits: Adam Miller and Gabriel Gryffyn. Top photo: Neil Gaiman and Jack Zipes, bottom photo Patrick Rothfuss.

Feathers to Fire

Our Monday Morning Video to kick off the week: "Feathers to Fire," from Gregory Colbert's gorgeous Ashes to Snow "nomadic museum" exhibition.

My apologies for my general absence from this blog of late -- which is likely to go on for another week or two for I'm in the chaotic middle of a house move. Yet it's also a pleasure to leave the blog in Midori's capable hands, for I too am delighted and amazed by the treasures she comes up with...

Sunday Poem

For our Sunday Poems today I have a pair of poems about feasting and family -- both before and after the meal. Both poems describe magical moments of transition in the process of turning food into feasts and feasts into loving rituals that celebrate family, the harvest, and the turn of the seasons.

The first poem, The Invention of Cuisine by Carol Muske-Dukes, reveals the moment when a woman discovers herself a creature in-between feral and domestic -- a cook before she knew what it was to cook, a hawk before it learned to hunt for the table:

"Imagine a thin woman
before bread was invented,
playing a harp of wheat in the field.
There is a stone, and behind her
the bones of the last killed,
the black bird on her shoulder
that a century later
will fly with trained and murderous intent."

With an almost prophetic vision, the woman senses the idea of food as charged with something more than sustenance.

The second piece is an audio clip of poet Sandra Gilbert reading After Thanksgiving. It is a lovely poem concerning the quiet aftermath of Thanksgiving: the food-stuffed children flying home, and the beautiful slow turning of fall into winter. To find this featured audio on Poetry Foundation's homepage, check the middle column, opposite the search function for the section: featured audio.

Of Beowulf and Grendel

As Beowulf's name has entered popular culture again -- this time the result of a CGI intensive animated movie that has taken some serious (and to this purist, questionable) liberties with the ancient tale -- I thought it a good time to offer encouragement to read or even re-read this classic epic. I promise you that the translations available are excellent, and the whole narrative only takes about two hours to read -- every minute of which will be well spent.

Let's start at the top with the brilliant verse translation by Irish poet Seamus Heaney. There are currently several versions available, depending on your particular passion: Beowulf: The Bilingual Edition offers the original Old English text on one side and Heaney's translation on the other side, which is especially nice if you actually know Old English -- as one of my former students did, regaling me one afternoon with the finer points of the language and its translation.

For those who love annotated versions and pictures, try the brand new Beowulf: An Illustrated Edition (edited by John D. Niles), which features not only Heaney's superb translation, but also a large collection of photographs of artifacts, art, and ships, along with details of the historical context of Beowulf's world.

A third Heaney translation, Beowulf: A Verse Translation (edited by Daniel Donoghue), was published by Norton Critical Libraries. I love this edition too, because in addition to the text it includes excellent critical essays on Beowulf, most notably Tolkien's brilliant "Beowulf: The Monsters and The Critics," which today (some fifty years after it was written) still remains a lively and influential examination of the text. Also offered are additional source materials transcribed about the same time as Beowulf, including a wickedly good story, "Grettir the Strong and The Trollwoman," where one can hear the echoes of Beowulf's battles with Grendel and his Mother.

I would also like to add that Beowulf remains a very accessible story for younger readers as well. I received my first copy of Beowulf with spectacular pen and ink illustrations when I was nine years old and to this day I attribute much of my love for fantasy and epic myths from that first thrilling read of this heroic tale. Happily there are several terrific offerings out there:

In the picture book category, I recommend the new illustrated version by James Rumford. The art is wonderful -- conveying all the intensity of the drama and certain to capture the imagination of younger readers. Michael Morpurgo and Michael Furman have also produced a sumptuously illustrated version -- this time with rich color and celtic border designs. Gareth Hinds has produced an interesting graphic novel styled version. (The image at the top of the post is one of Hind's illustrations.) Check here to see a NYT review of all three of these titles.

And let's not forget John Gardner's Grendel, where the monster for once speaks the tale. It's a terrific first person novel from Grendel's point of view, especially when familiar with the original epic. The turn in point of view makes for a compelling read. This novel is equally appropriate for a young adult or adult reader.

And here's a cool place to stop and visit to listen to Beowulf scholar Ben Slade read of Beowulf's arrival in Denmark in the original. Actually, I highly recommend an internet visit to Slade's own website, where you will find all things Beowulf.

Temples of Damanhur

Check out this article on the "Temples of Damanhur,"  an amazing underground temple outside of Turin in Northern Italy. The temples are the visionary inspiration of Oberto Airaudi, an Italian insurance broker. Over the last twenty years Oberto has been constructing these opulent and ornate temples deep underground, assisted by other artists and volunteers who share his astonishing vision. And it was all done more or less in secret -- until the Italian government got wind of it. The description alone knocks my socks off:

"...weaving their way underneath the hillside are nine ornate temples, on five levels, whose scale and opulence take the breath away. Constructed like a three-dimensional book, narrating the history of humanity, they are linked by hundreds of metres of richly decorated tunnels and occupy almost 300,000 cubic feet..."

There's even a coffee table book out now with gorgeous photographs of the temples and a guided tour of the place. (via Boing Boing)

Sita Sings the Blues: Nina Paley

A while back, I posted a link to comic book artist Nina Paley's website, where she was turning her art into animation with a wonderful, off-beat film of The Ramayana, India's mythic tale of the goddess Sita and her turbulent relationship with the god Rama. All through her troubles and woes, the curvaceous Sita sings in the soulful voice of 1920's jazz singer Annette Hanshaw such classic songs as "Mean to Me" which seem perfectly at home (and wildly funny) in the ancient setting.

Nina Paley continued work on the shorter, episodic films and has now completed what looks to be a visually gorgeous, multilayered full length feature. Here's a press release description of the new 82 minute film, due out in Spring of 2008: "Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, Sita Sings the Blues earns its tagline as "The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told."

You can check out the trailer of the new film below, purchase prints made from the still (these are terrific!), or see a sneak preview at Oddball Films in San Francisco Dec. 1, 2007.

Congratulations!

Earlier this year, author Catherynne Valente held a cover art contest for her new book,  A Guide to Folktales in Fragile Dialects -- a collection of poetry and poetic prose on mythological and folkloric themes, due out April, 2008 from Norilana Books Curiosities Imprint. The winner, just announced, is Connie Toebe, with the beautiful kitsune image pictured above. I am more than a little pleased by this, not only because I think Connie is a terrific artist, but because the little dress that appears on the cover was made from vintage fabric and lace from my great grandmother.

A Recipe from the Crease of My Eye

Danielle E. Sucher of the fabulous Habeas Brulee food blog has announced a recipe competition based on Catherynne Valente's Orphan's Tales duology (and I promise a long review of In the Cities of Coin and Spice soon!). Sucher herself, inspired by the sensual worlds of Valente's novels, produced the beautiful (and no doubt delicious) Apples Doused in Cardamom Wine pictured above. (Go here to see the full recipe -- it's pretty amazing.)

To participate: "All you have to do is post a recipe inspired by the books. This includes any recipe involving things that are layered or things that are stuffed (which echo the structure of the stories), as well as things that are otherwise inspired by the books."

The competition ends December 17th (and yes, there are prizes, though I would think the recipes alone would be wealth enough). Check here for all the submission details.

Music, masks, and more...

The video above captures several members of Daughters of Elvin in performance at the Oxford Folk Festival. (Daughters is a medieval music and dance troupe based here in Devon, directed by my good friend Katy Marchant -- playing pipe and tabor in this video.) The masked figure who emerges halfway through the song (based on medieval Woodwose legends) is just one of the many mythical creatures who turn the Daughters' sublime music into spells of incantation. The Woodwose mask was made by Katy, but the group also use masks and costumes designed by Alan Lee and Wendy Froud.

You can read more about the group here (in an article from JoMA's archives), or visit the Daughters of Elvin MySpace page to hear more of their glorious music. And I hope you didn't miss Chanda Cerchione-Peltier's in-depth article on Katy and the Daughters in the Summer 2007 issue of Faerie Magazine.

Speaking of Faerie Magazine, Chandra has asked us to mention the current Fall issue, which does indeed sound promising. "In the new issue," she says, "I interview [film puppeteer] William Todd-Jones, Ari Berk writes about Beowulf's Grendel, SurlaLune's Heidi Ann Heiner offers a history of Rapunzel, and there is a wonderful spread about Brian Froud's new book, World of Faerie. The magazine is available in the US through booksellers such as Barnes & Nobles and Borders; for readers in the UK, issues can be purchased through I Do Believe."

The Sunday Poem

Our Sunday Poem today is from one of my favorite poets, Eavan Boland, using the myth of Persephone and Ceres (Demeter) to address the age-old theme of mothers and daughters in her poem "The Pomegranate."

Eavan Boland was born in Ireland, educated in London, New York, and Dublin, and has taught at Trinity College, University College, Bowdoin College, and Stanford. She has published many fine collections, such as: Against Love Poetry, Domestic Violence, An Origin Like Water, and Outside History.

The Persephone myth has provided inspiration for quite a number of contemporary women poets. A few others you'll find online: "A Myth of Devotion" by Louise Gluck, Hades' Pitch by Rita Dove, Letter by Rachel Zucker, From Persephone's Letters to Demeter by Nan Fry, Kore by Faye George, A Daughter's Tale by Wendy McVicker, Persephone, or Why the Winters Seem to be Getting Longer, a prose poem by Wendy Froud, and Mother Winter by Jeannie Tomanek -- whose beautiful painting of the same title graces the top of this post.

To learn more about the Persephone myth, read "Like Wheat that Springeth Green": Death and Return in the Myth of Demeter and Persephone by Kathie Carlson (in the JoMA archives). I also recommend the book Orpheus and Company edited by Deborah De Nicola, containing a selection of contemporary poems inspired by Greek mythology.

On knights and dragons...

The carving above of a knight fighting a dragon comes from a misericord in the magnificent Exeter Cathedral, here in Devon.

In the video below, Kate Rusby performs "Sir Eglamore" (Child Ballad #18) -- a traditional Anglo-Scots ballad based on a 14th century French lais. (Read the lyrics here.)

 

For more of Kate's music, including her enchanting version of Child Ballad #2, "The Elfin Knight," visit her MySpace page. You'll also find quite a few good concert clips over on YouTube.

On fairy tales and hares...

If any JoMA readers live in the south-west of England, I hope you'll consider attending the above event, which is part of the "Myths & Legends" season at The Big Red Sofa (in Chagford, on Dartmoor). I'll be talking about the history of fairy tales -- looking at the ways complex adult stories were turned, over the centuries, into simple fables for children. I'll be joined by storyteller Howard Gayton (artistic director of the Ophaboom Theatre Company), who'll recount some of the older, darker, stranger versions of fairy tales. (Please note that this is an event appropriate for adults and mature teenagers, not for younger children.)   

Contact The Big Red Sofa if you need more information. And keep an eye on the Sofa's new MySpace page (go "friend" them if you're a MySpace user!), and their new blog, Sofa Talk. Launching today, Sofa Talk will contain news, book reviews, event listings and general ramblings about life on Dartmoor. Right now, for example, there's a terrific exhibition on at the Sofa featuring the art of Jim Fortey -- including Dartmoor landscapes, mythological subjects, and many magical hares, as in the painting below:

   

For more on the local mythology of hares, check out the Three Hares Project on Chris Chapman's website, and my article on hare and rabbit lore from around the world.

The video below is of Dartmoor musician Seth Lakeman performing "The White Hare," his magical song based on local shape-shifter legends. (You can read the lyrics here.)

Fairy Tales for the 21st Century

The Guardian newspaper in the UK challenged three writers -- Hilary Mantel, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Audrey Niffenegger -- to create new fairy tales "fit for the 21st century" for the Children's section of the paper. You can read the results here.

Okay, dear readers, what are your thoughts about this "challenge," and about the stories themselves...?

The art in this post is by the wonderful Julia Jeffrey, who lives in Scotland. You'll find more of her work on her MySpace page and in the Endicott/JoMA gallery.

Desert Diwali

 

The photograph above, "Desert Diwali" by Stu Jenks, comes from a flamboyant (if somewhat untraditional) celebration of the Hindu Festival of Light hosted by the pyrotechnic group Flam Chen in Tucson, Arizona. See Stu's blog for his description of the event.

Ashes, Ashes

Ashes, Ashes, a new fairy tale play by Eve Tulbert, directed by Dustin Wills, is currently in production at the University of Texas at Austin, with performances running until November 18th. Tulbert notes that the play grew out of her interest in mythology and her encounters with young people living with industrial pollution. Here's a description of the piece:

"A giant power plant has taken over a mythical town. Dark clouds of ashes obscure the sky, and no one has seen sunlight in generations. People in the town are beginning to 'disintegrate' from a mysterious illness. When Nini, a young girl, loses her mother to the illness, she goes on a journey into a mysterious underworld of coal mining shafts and caves where the walls are alive. Through a series of challenges and encounters with interesting new characters, Nini searches for a secret that could possibly save the world above....Ashes, Ashes is a show for family audiences, though the themes are complex and the language poetic."

Coinciding with the production, fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes gave a talk last week titled "And Nobody Lived Happily Ever After: The Feminist Fairy Tale and Its Consequences" -- oh how I wish I could have been there! I apologize to our Texas readers for not informing you in time, as we only just learned of the event. (The talk was covered by The Daily Texan, here.) For more on Ashes, Ashes, go to the university's Department of Theatre and Dance website.

Passing it on to the next generation....

Here's an organization that those of you based in the New York area ought to know about: Girls Write Now.

"Founded in 1998, Girls Write Now provides a safe and supportive environment where girls can expand their natural writing talents, develop independent creative voices, and build confidence in making healthy choices in school, career and life. GWN provides at-risk high school girls with emerging writing talent the unique opportunity to be custom matched with a professional woman writer who serves as her individual mentor and writing coach, meeting with her weekly for one entire school year, and for up to four years. GWN also enrolls each student in a vibrant writing community and professional network -- all mentees and mentors gather monthly for genre-based workshops conducted at Teachers & Writers Collaborative -- the home of the oldest writers-in-the-schools program in the country -- in midtown Manhattan.

"The year is punctuated by three public readings, college and career prep seminars, a social action series, field trips to cultural events, and endless opportunities for scholarships and publication. The magic of the program is reflected in a solid nine-year track record, a 65-percent member retention rate, a 100-percent college acceptance rate, an annual anthology of original writing, and the seven-genre portfolios each student emerges equipped with each season."

Visit the Girls Write Now website to find out how you can donate time or money to this excellent program, and for information on their various public events. You can also read some terrific poetry, fiction, and nonfiction by the girls online. Finally, check out the video clips from GWN's 2007 reading at the Astor Place Barnes & Noble.

Cat Man Do

It's becoming something of a habit to post a video on Monday mornings to kick off the week. This time it's "Cat Man Do," a charming little piece by Simon Tofield from the London-based animation company Tandem Films. It was recommended to us by Canadian artist/musician/editor MaryAnn Harris. (Thanks, MaryAnn!)

The Sunday Poem

Our Sunday Poem today is "Surprising the Gods" by Dan Albergotti, based on the classical myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. There are many ways to interpret the poem, of course, but in my reading it provides a perfect metaphor for those times as a writer when characters and plots surprise you, behaving in ways you hadn't intended, sending a story or novel into new directions you hadn't forseen....

Dan Albergotti teaches at Coastal Carolina University and is the poetry editor of storySouth. His work has appeared in Mid-American Review, Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah, The Virginia Review Quarterly and many other journals. His first collection, The Boatloads, recently won the A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize.

The art above is "Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld" by Camille Corot.   

Into the Woods: Rima Staines Fantastic Animation

As soon as I finished posting this to my own blog, I figured it was one of those times when I should break my own rule about not double posting. The work is just too amazing not to share all around.

Artist Rima Staines has entered into the creative world of stop motion animation (inspired by the work of Eastern European masters Jan Svankmajer and Yuri Norstein) and produced a gorgeous, gorgeous little music video for singer Polly Paulusma -- whose song "The Woods" is a kind of loose version of Hansel and Gretel.  Rima's beautiful art and Paulusma's lovely voice (very Nora Jones-ish) have combined to create a gentle, but haunting tale of children lost in the woods.

Of the song Rima writes: "Polly's lyrics inspired the forest-as-witness-to-a-dark-happening story ... which calls to mind a rather less than sugary Hansel & Gretel tale and conjures imagined fears of the archetypal forest as well as a real horror of a terrifying bogeyman, in more tangible guises. It speaks too of the turning of the year ... I am pleased to say that it was received with smiles and kind words and even got played on MTV in Italy! And I must add that I would never have made it to the end if it weren't for the patience and brain of my kind brother."

Do stop by Rimas' website, The Hermitage, to view more of her art, and read more about the process of making this wonderful little film on her blog, Into the Hermitage.

My Medea

In the video above, Vienna Teng performs her dark, gorgeous song "My Medea," inspired by the classical Medea myth. (You'll find the lyrics to the song here.)

Teng was raised in California, studied at Stanford, and is now based in New York City. Visit her blog & website to learn more about her work, and go here to see more footage of Teng in concert.

Speaking of music, here at Endicott we're really looking forward to the Hidden Variable CD (featuring songs by Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, Emma Bull, Lemony Snicket, China Mieville and Peter Straub, to name just a few), as well as the Hidden Variable's forthcoming video "Kindermarchen," with lyrics by Greg Maguire. Go here to learn more about the Hidden Variable project, which is the brainchild of Chris Ewan. And visit the Lorraine a Malena site for a preview of some of the songs.   

Watch out for...

 

FAO Schwartz, the famous Manhattan toy store, has reported a goblin infestation -- in the form of plush toys designed by Brian and Wendy Froud. (We're told the toys will be available through the store's Christmas mail-order catalog too.)

Brian, of course, is no stranger to goblins, having published books on the subject including The Goblin Companion and The Goblins of Labyrinth with Monty Python's Terry Jones, and Goblins! with Ari Berk.

You'll also find plenty of goblins in the magical books that feature Wendy's work: The Art of Wendy Froud, and the "Old Oak Wood" series of picture books for children.

Winter Blog Blast Tour:

Once again, here's the list of today's Winter Blog Blast Tour and where to find the interviews. I have to say that I was particularly thrilled with the Elizabeth Knox interview -- a writer I really I admire for both her adult and young adult novels.

Thursday:
David Mack at Chasing Ray 
Paul Volponi at The Ya Ya Yas
Elizabeth Knox at Shaken & Stirred
Ellen Emerson White at A Chair, A Fireplace and A Tea Cozy
Jack Gantos at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
David Levithan at Not Your Mother's Book Club
Micol Ostow at Bildungsroman
Laura Amy Schlitz at Miss Erin
Kerry Madden at Hip Writer Mama
Sherman Alexie at Interactive Reader

Stu Jenks and Friends: All Souls Procession

Stop by Tucson photographer Stu Jenks's blog and have a look at the wonderful photographs taken by Stu and fellow photographers at the annual All Souls Procession in Tucson. Stu's blog is full of meditations on spirituality, nature, the art (and frustrations) of photography, and stories. His camera finds ethereal natural landscapes, iconic imagery of Indian prayer flags, fantastical costumed participants of the All Souls Procession, and fabulous gritty portraits of Tucson's Roller Derby Queens. (Stu's blog has some great gallery pages -- take a little time to browse through them.)

Marquez and Rulfo in film

Keep your eye our for two terrific looking films based on the novels of two masters of magic realism. The first is a film version of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's beautiful and melancholy novel, Love in the Time of Cholera, directed by Mike Newell and starring Javier Bardem (what a face!). I've added the trailer below -- but if you check out youtube, you can also find some interesting short films on the making of the movie. It's due out over the holidays.

The second film is based on Mexico's brilliant magic realist novel published in the 1950s, Pedro Páramo, by Juan Rulfo. (A novel which Marquez credits for having inspired his own 100 Years of Solitude.) In the novel, a young man returns home to his mother's village to find his estranged father.  But when he arrives, he soon learns that the town is inhabited only by ghosts. I've posted a longer review of this amazing novel here.  Eugenio Caballero, who won an Oscar Award for Pan's Labyrinth, will serve as the art director for the film, and the very dreamy  Gael Garcia Benal (of Motorcycle Diaries) has been signed on to play the role of the young man.

Winter Blog Blast Continues

I hope many of you are taking advantage of these terrific interviews -- so  many in one week! It feels like being an insider-guest at a fabulous book convention, where one doesn't have to wait in line, or sit in the back of the room, straining to hear and see the author. Here's the list of today's writers and blogsites:

Lisa Ann Sandell at Interactive Reader
Christopher Barzak at Chasing Ray
Julie Halpern at The Ya Ya Yas
Micol Ostow at Shaken & Stirred
Rick Yancey at Hip Writer Mama
Jane Yolen at Fuse Number 8
Shannon Hale at Bookshelves of Doom
Maureen Johnson at Bildungsroman
David Lubar at Writing & Ruminating
Sherman Alexie at Finding Wonderland

All of them are terrific!

Read it, Watch It, Hear It: Internet Pleasures

Read It:
Day Two of the Winter Blog Blast Tour of interviews continues and it promises to be another fabulous round of interviews. There are just so many great writers talking with knowledgeable interviewers who ask great questions. Even if you don't know the author on the list -- stop by and have a look. I guarantee you will be intrigued.

Tuesday:
Lisa Ann Sandell at Chasing Ray
Perry Moore at Interactive Reader
Christopher Barzak at Shaken & Stirred
Autumn Cornwell at The Ya Ya Yas
Jon Scieszka at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Gabrielle Zevin at Jen Robinson's Book Page
Judy Blume at Not Your Mother's Book Club
Erik P. Kraft at Bookshelves of Doom
Clare Dunkle at Miss Erin

Watch It:
Connie Toebe and Lisa Stock have completed the tenth and final episode of their gorgeous flash animated story, Through the Cobweb Forest (on its one year anniversary). Following a call, Helena disembarks from her ship in a strange harbor and enters a mysterious forest in search of her lost husband. Told in letters and journal entries, the story records Helena's adventures (and dangers) of the forest. Now that the tale is complete, Connie mentioned to me they have decided to create a stop animation version of the story as well -- and perhaps, more stories of the adventurous Helena.

Hear It:
Catherynne Valente has two kicking interviews on the net as well: one at Fantasy Magazine and another even more comprehensive interview at Fantasy Book Critic. But fans of the Orphan's Tales books will want to hear the  mp3 of S. J. Tucker reading (and singing) an excerpt from the new novel. What a great voice.

Winter Blog Blast Tour

Once again, with special thanks to Colleen Mondor for organizing this Winter Blog Blast Tour of Young Adult Author interviews on multi-blogs, let me present the the offerings for Monday:

Perry Moore at The Ya Ya Yas
Nick Abadzis at Chasing Ray
Carrie Jones at Hip Writer Mama
Phyllis Root at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Laura Amy Schlitz at Fuse Number 8
Kerry Madden at lectitans
Tom Sniegoski at Bildungsroman
Connie Willis at Finding Wonderland

I've spent the morning reading these incredible interviews and now have a new list of authors whose work I am so looking forward to reading.

Go here to see the full schedule for the entire week. Colleen, you're the best ever.

La Gallina

Here's a bit of craziness to jump-start your week on a sleepy Monday morning, complete with masks and poultry from the fabulous Ozomotli.

Call for Submissions

   

Lawrence Schimel kindly alerted us to the following Call for Submissions:

In the Telling, an anthology of new writing edited by Gail Ashton and Susan Richardson, to be published by Cinnamon Press, seeks poems that tell any kind of story - old and new, real and imagined, fairytales, myths, urban legends, about people, places, artifacts - in fresh ways. Please email up to four previously unpublished poems, maximum 50 lines each, in a single attachment to BOTH editors: gailashton@btinternet.com and suerichardson@sacredwrites.freeserve.co.uk by March 31st, 2008. Write "Submission: In the Telling" in the subject line.

The art above is "Forgotten Storyteller and Dog" by Anderson Giles. Below is his "Myth Speaker With Magic Bird." Go to the Carlton Gallery website to see more of his stunning work.

   

Congratulations to the WFC Award Winners

A hearty congratulations to all the incredible nominees in all of the categories for the World Fantasy awards -- and a round of applause for the winners (way to go Terri, Ellen, and Jeff ):

Life Achievement:   
winner Betty Ballantine
winner Diana Wynne Jones

Novel:   
winner Soldier of Sidon, Gene Wolfe (Tor)
Lisey's Story, Stephen King (Scribner; Hodder & Stoughton)
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner (Bantam Spectra; Small Beer Press)
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch (Gollancz; Bantam Spectra)
The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente (Bantam Spectra)

Novella:
winner "Botch Town", Jeffrey Ford (The Empire of Ice Cream, Golden Gryphon)
"The Man Who Got Off the Ghost Train", Kim Newman (The Man from the Diogenes Club, MonkeyBrain)
Dark Harvest, Norman Partridge (Cemetery Dance)
"Map of Dreams", M. Rickert (Map of Dreams, Golden Gryphon)
"The Lineaments of Gratified Desire", Ysabeau S. Wilce (F&SF 7/06)

Short Fiction:
winner "Journey Into the Kingdom", M. Rickert (F&SF 5/06)
"The Way He Does It", Jeffrey Ford (Electric Velocipede 10 Spring '06)
"A Siege of Cranes", Benjamin Rosenbaum (Twenty Epics, All-Star Stories)
"Another Word for Map Is Faith", Christopher Rowe (F&SF 8/06)
"Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter (Fantasy)", Geoff Ryman (F&SF 10-11/06)

Anthology:
winner Salon Fantastique, Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling, eds. (Thunder's Mouth)
Cross Plains Universe: Texans Celebrate Robert E. Howard, Scott A. Cupp & Joe R. Lansdale, eds.(MonkeyBrain and the Fandom Association of Central Texas)
Retro Pulp Tales, Joe R. Lansdale, ed. (Subterranean)
Twenty Epics, David Moles & Susan Marie Groppi, eds. (All-Star Stories)
Firebirds Rising, Sharyn November, ed. (Firebird)

Collections:
winner Map of Dreams, M. Rickert (Golden Gryphon)
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories, Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)
The Empire of Ice Cream, Jeffrey Ford (Golden Gryphon)
American Morons, Glen Hirshberg (Earthling)
Red Spikes, Margo Lanagan (Allen & Unwin Australia; Knopf)

Artist:
winner Shaun Tan
Jon Foster
Edward Miller
John Picacio
Jill Thompson