Fairy Tale Fraud
The Fairytale Fraud that Convinced Germany “Hansel and Gretel” Were Real
Guest: Claudia Schwabe, associate professor of German at Utah State University and author of "Craving Supernatural Creatures: German Fairy-tale Figures in American Pop Culture"
In 1963, a German writer claimed to have uncovered the “true story” behind Hansel and Gretel--complete with an archeological site, centuries old bones, and some very burnt gingerbread. The tale was a hoax, but what does “The Truth about Hansel and Gretel” reveal about the ways we interpret fairy-tales? And what do our interpretations say about ourselves?
Twisted Fairy Tales
Guest: Rachel Wadham, Education and Juvenile Literature Librarian and regular contributor to the Lisa Show, which airs weekdays at 8 am ET/7am PT
Rachel Wadham discusses some of the darker parts of fairy tales that often get left out when we tell them to children.
Johnny Appleseed: The Eccentric Man Behind the Great American Legend
Guest: Howard Means, journalist and author, "Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story"
Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman, was a pioneer of the American frontier, and an eccentric one at that. He's a larger-than-life figure with a story we've all helped to promote and expand. His history, though, is a bit more complicated than the Disney biopic lets on.