Alterations to the Grimm collected fairy tales have been ongoing since, well, the brothers began editing them in the early 1800s! The short tales lend themselves to a kind of metamorphosis that keeps them present across time and borders. In this episode we look at modern retellings of these established stories in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries that reimagine and reintroduce elements—creating new fairy tales for us to remember! [5:09] “A stark contrast to Grimm characters who had these traits of heroism and courage baked into their personality because they are male.” [13:11] “This all ..read more

This is going to be one of those episodes where once you hear about the patterns, you won’t be able to unsee them as you read the Grimm’s collected tales! In this episode we examine common symbols in fairy tales and tease out what they mean. What is so interesting is that these symbols—the rule of three, clothing, the forest, roses—create a subtext or language all their own in the stories making them incredibly interesting to analyze. {Here is the link to the Fashion Institute of Technology exhibit on fairy tale fashion.} [11:28] “While we might find fun sitting back and watching, there is und ..read more

For our final episode in this series, we’re looking at what might have been the last play Shakespeare wrote: The Tempest. This play has marriage, magic, betrayal, and a happy ending—all things you’ve come to expect from the Bard. But what you might not expect is the commentary in the play on Indigenous vs. colonizer conflict. I’ll walk you through the ideas in The Tempest, who’s who, given you an act-by-act summary, and end with an explanation of the epilogue. [5:12] “You’ll notice already that we’re getting a theme of the double: two brothers, two actions to shift power.” [13:57] “A ..read more

In this last episode of the series on the Brontës we’re finally looking at brother Branwell and I recommend some novels that interact with the Bronte’s works—from modern retellings to spin offs. You can see Branwell’s painting of his sisters here. If you haven’t yet read Anne’s novel Agnes Grey, or you’re due for a revisit, sign up for the August 2023 virtual discussion on this book. Click here to sign up and don’t forget to use code podcastlove to get 20% off your ticket to participate in the discussion—it’s better than a book club! [10:52] “Recent years have opened up a more sympathetic unde ..read more

A super juicy look at how Charlotte Brontë negatively influenced the popularity of her sister’s works and how we remember them today. Did Charlotte believe she was acting with her sister’s best interest when it came to their legacies? Or did she have ambitions of being the Brontë sibling we remember the most? Don’t forget to register for the August 2023 virtual discussion on Anne’s novel Agnes Grey. Click here to sign up and don’t forget to use code podcastlove to get 20% off your ticket to participate in the discussion. [8:24] “After the death of both Emily and Anne, Charlotte took the ..read more

Today’s episode is all about the most well-known Brontë sister: Charlotte. While her presence has been felt in the other episodes, here we’ll look more closely at her personal life and her novels. If you’re a fan of the novel Jane Eyre, you might want to read my blog post about the fairy tale elements or listen to the episode titled Modern Gothic from my last podcast series. [4:40] “It would be in this city on the continent, far away from home, that Charlotte would find an infatuation worthy to make into a plot.” [14:34] “While a more public life kept her busy, Charlotte never seemed comf ..read more

This is going to be one of those episodes where once you hear about the patterns, you won’t be able to unsee them as you read the Grimm’s collected tales! In this episode we examine common symbols in fairy tales and tease out what they mean. What is so interesting is that these symbols—the rule of three, clothing, the forest, roses—create a subtext or language all their own in the stories making them incredibly interesting to analyze. {Here is the link to the Fashion Institute of Technology exhibit on fairy tale fashion.} [11:28] “While we might find fun sitting back and watching, there is und ..read more

From Germany to Japan, Chile to Iceland! In this episode we’ll be looking at how the tales collected by the brothers Grimm in Children’s and Household Tales have corresponding stories in other locations around the world. We’ll look specifically at fairy tales “Hansel and Gretel” and “Snow White” to demonstrate how the kernel of a story is mirrored in different countries. [7:59] “Turning our mind east, we can’t ignore the parallels between ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and the often-present fairy tale witch in Russian tales called Baba Yaga.” [20:42] “And it isn’t a group of dwarves, but Bedouin, who act ..read more

In today’s episode we’re looking at the daddy of all patriarchal systems (pun intended!), the church and its teachings and how they are reflected in the Grimm fairy tales. After a quick refresher on Lutheranism, we dive into how Eve’s curiosity in the Garden of Eden becomes problematic, marriage as the only happily-ever-after, and Old Testament justice. Further reading: The Truth About Stories by Thomas King The Owl, The Raven, and the Dove: The Religious Meaning of the Grimms' Magic Fairy Tales by G. Ronald Murphy. [7:45] “So even though we get fairy tales, like The Frog Prince or Beau ..read more

From Germany to Japan, Chile to Iceland! In this episode we’ll be looking at how the tales collected by the brothers Grimm in Children’s and Household Tales have corresponding stories in other locations around the world. We’ll look specifically at fairy tales “Hansel and Gretel” and “Snow White” to demonstrate how the kernel of a story is mirrored in different countries. [7:59] “Turning our mind east, we can’t ignore the parallels between ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and the often-present fairy tale witch in Russian tales called Baba Yaga.” [20:42] “And it isn’t a group of dwarves, but Bedouin, who act ..read more