What tales our writers have told in this edition of Enchanted Conversation! Mermaids are the theme, with Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid," is, not surprisingly, the prime focus for the poems and stories that make up this issue.
We've got many a sad tale in this edition, but don't let that stop you! After all, Andersen himself never found love, but only rejection. He, like "The Little Mermaid," traveled toward "higher" society, but was never truly accepted. Andersen always said that he most identified with "The Little Mermaid" -- that she was the character he created who was most like him. The son of a shoemaker, Andersen often used painful steps as a metaphor for all forms of suffering.
Andersen's story, in the original, is viewed by many modern parents as ghoulish, but in his time, the mid-1900s, children certainly knew they might die early deaths, and often saw death and suffering in their families. As students have often written in my fairy tale classes, maybe Andersen "tortured" his heroines (my term) and gave them a chance at heaven to show that after suffering, something good may happen.
Enough about Andersen. The writings in this edition are plenty strong enough to pull our attention away from his sad little heroine. This issue offers plenty of complex, enchanting characters of its own. Just click on the titles below to read each work!
Note on layout: We've had crashes and crashes of crashes for this edition. You may notice layout flaws that we have missed. In many cases, Blogger would not allow us to preview posts. We ask your indulgence, as we will be checking out all the posts in the next few days. If you would like to call anything to our attention, please do so by emailing us directly at EnchantedConversation[at]gmail.com.
Also, submission guidelines will be changed in the near future. If you plan to submit for future editions, please watch for these changes.
Update: The contest information has been posted. See the post below!
Enter The Enchanted Conversation ...
Bonus Story: The Sideshow, By Ariel Woodruff
Bonus Story: The Mermaid and the Stag, By Katie Lovett
NEW ON LIST, DON'T MISS: The Fisherman's Tale, By Breanna Teintze
The Sea Witch, By Nikki Hall
Eyes as Blue as Cornflowers, By Deborah Walker
Lamentation for a Little Mermaid, By Jude Tulli
Ophelia's Remembrance, By Tahlia Merrill
To Dance on Swords, By Ashley Vemuri
The Little Mermaid's Secret Song, By Wynne Huddleston
Home to the Sea, By Ree Young
The Little Mermaid: A Lesson for Women, By Natalie Wendt
The Young Bride's Dream, By Laura Garrison
His Soul Inspiration, By Dorlana Vann
Before the Dawn, the Stars Would Sing, By John C. Mannone
Torn, By Gerri Leen
The Blackpool Mermaid, By Claire Massey
Seashell, By Jacqueline West
The Sea Witch's Daughter, By Ben Langhinrichs
Oceane, By Janet Bucklew
The Lost Mermaid, By Eva Eliav
Foam on the Sea, By K. Curran Mayer
Knives Then Foam, By Cathy McGuire
After, By Juleigh Howard-Hobson
The Not-So-Little Mermaid, By Valerie Koines Anderson
The Sea Calls To Them All, By Alexandra Seidel
The Sea Witch's Tale, By Elizabeth Creith
Sisterhood, By Amanda Marlowe
The Sisters of the Sea, By Paul McCloskey
The Little Mermaid, By Stella Jones
The Mermaid's Eldest Sister, By Keyan Bowes
Jodi Le Bigre, the artist who made the wonderful image at the top of this page, was born in Toronto, but these days lives in Paris, where she makes paintings and prints, among other things. She blogs at http://yewtreenights.blogspot.com/
1 comments:
Looks like y'all got a great line up. I can't wait to start reading.
Post a Comment