Once upon a time, in a dark basement office that is not so gloomy as one might think, a writer read a fairy tale that changed the writer’s life.
Okay, that may be an exaggeration. The fairy tale probably did not change the writer’s life, at least not the whole of it. But fairy tales can be like that, having a way of heightening focus on an element of a story to make it larger than life, like a perilous forest or a gleaming castle or an enchanted small something or other. It is probably more true to say that the fairy tale read in the dark but not gloomy basement office offered another way of seeing, perhaps provided a way to frame a matter.
Fairy tales were meant to do this, I believe.
In a short while, National Poetry Month will be upon us. We have some fun plans in store, but first, we invite you to participate in poetry’s annual ball by reading a fairy tale with us. We’ll be reading a delightful retelling of the classic fairy tale The Wild Swans, by Jackie Morris. You’ll find the story poetic in its way (and perhaps it will even inspire you to reframe your own matter).
Join us in reading The Wild Swans, and then come meet us in the comments on April 12 and April 19 to use the story as a prompt and write poems to the fairy tale or make found poems with Morris’s words.
Photo by Peter Kaminski, Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Will Willingham, author of Adjustments: a novel.
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Adjustments is more than a good novel; it is a fine novel. It is, simultaneously, moving and real and surprising and true. We see ourselves and our personal histories in Will Phillips, Joe Murphy, and Pearl Jenkins. Like Will, we bear scars. In Joe, Pearl, and Cameron, we experience offered hope. This is a story about what matters, and it’s told beautifully well.
—Glynn Young, author of the Dancing Priest series.
- Adjustments Excerpt: The Dinner Party - September 9, 2020
- Poet Laura: Difficult to Forecast - August 26, 2020
- The Book of Delights Book Club: Listening by the Lake - August 5, 2020
L.L. Barkat says
Really looking forward to this one. Such a great re-telling of the classic fairy tale (and so nicely rich with images and sound and surprising new plot twists!).
Sandra Heska King says
Snagged. We were talking about fairy tales last week in Megan’s tea class. I need to dust some off and re-read them with a new eye.
Bethany R. says
I just got my copy and am looking forward to reading this tale for the first time. 🙂
Will Willingham says
It’s one of my very favorite stories. And this telling has just a few twists to it to give it a fresh look. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
Bethany says
I’ll start reading tonight!