BROADCASTS.com

The Power of Fairy Tales - Drs. Sara Cleto & Brittany Warman

The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series

Welcome to the Not Old Better Show.  I’m Paul Vogelzang and this is episode #523.

As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art of Living Series, today’s show is about fairy tales.  Yes, that’s right fairy tales…

Fairy tales are a profound force of storytelling, extending far beyond the nursery into film, advertising, novels, politics, propaganda, music, and more. Folklorists and Smithsonian Associates Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman will be presenting at Smithsonian Associates April 22, 2021, and we have them today to explore the fascinating, intertwining branches of these tales: traditional folkloric fairy tales and literary fairy tales.

Together, Dr. Sara Cleto and Dr. Brittany Warman will share with us how traditional tales collected orally, moving from the well-known text of the Brothers Grimm to less-familiar stories from collectors around the world, and literary tales, to examining creators from 17th-century Madame Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy to 19th-century Oscar Wilde to 20th-century Angela Carter and beyond. These stories are powerful: Both overlooked and omnipresent, they shape many aspects of our culture while flying under the radar. Taking them seriously can be rewarding—and fun too!

Our guests today, Dr. Sara Cleto and Dr. Brittany Warman, former instructors of folklore and literature at Ohio State University and co-founders of the Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, lead us through a journey of the strange and marvelous world of the wonder tales, concentrating on their complex history and incredible staying power.

We’re talking fairy tales today, so please join me in welcoming to The Not Old Better Show via internet phone, Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman.

Some links for you from Dr. Sara Cleto and Dr. Brittany Warman: Jack Zipes' Translation of The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm - https://bookshop.org/books/the-complete-fairy-tales-of-the-brothers-grimm-all-new-third-edition/9780553382167

Angela Carter's Collection, The Bloody Chamber - https://bookshop.org/books/the-bloody-chamber-and-other-stories-75th-anniversary-edition-penguin-classics-deluxe-edition/9780143107613

Japanese Tales of Lafcadio Hearn - https://bookshop.org/books/japanese-tales-of-lafcadio-hearn/9780691167756

My special thanks to Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman for their generous time today.  Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman will be presenting at Smithsonian Associates on April 22, and the title of their presentation is ‘The Power of Fairy Tales.’ Details and links can be found in our show notes today. My thanks to Smithsonian Associate for all they do to support the show,  and my thanks to you my dear Not Old Better Show audience for your company today, and I hope you’ll join me next time.  Be safe, be healthy, and please practice smart social distancing, and remember, Let’s talk about better. The Not Old Better Show. Thanks, everybody.