Tatterdemalion: a Needle, an Egg, a Novel Being Born
‘I can’t describe to you what it feels like to hold your own death in a needle in your hands,’ says the childless Molly in Tatterdemalion.
From Oracle Ox to Gorse Goddess: Taking Lore Seriously in ‘Folk’
Writers have long retold folk tales just as musicians have reinterpreted folk songs. But when writing Folk, I aimed not to tell old tales but to imbue the world of the novel with folklore, both real and imagined.
Whither Shall I Wander? Reflections on Mother Goose: Past, Present, and Once Upon a Time
hither shall I wander? This question can be a delightful start to considering the history of the inestimable Mother Goose, illustrious ancestor of the Mother Goose of The Mother Goose Letters (at Bay Press, 2019). As her correspondence in the book reveals, Mother Goose is also a character of longevity and considerable force. At one […]
Old Tails in New Bottles: Folklore’s Influence on Pulp Fiction Werewolves
Werewolves are considered to be a traditional monster in the twenty-first-century popular culture.
Bringing Venetian Folklore to the Big Screen: The Plague Doctor
Though we’ve not lost any of our academic appreciation for the hearthside story or campsite tall tale, it cannot be denied that we as a species have moved into the art of mass producing our spoken heritage. The film maker may not ever replace the greatest of our local tavern heralds, but like any story […]