Today’s letter is Y and author is American fantasy writer Jane Yolen.
There is literally a Jane Yolen book for every day of the year. I’m not kidding, I’m more or less quoting from her web site. She has 365 books to her name, including fantasy, SF and children’s books, including picture books. So no, I haven’t read the lot! Nice to know I have so many to look forward to. And plenty more short stories.
Jane Yolen, who at the age of 80 is still going strong, is best known for her adaptations of fairy tales. She is called the American Hans Christian Andersen. She has won so many awards she has probably run out of space for them, and has six honorary doctorates.
She has done some interesting things with fairy tales. The novel Briar Rose sets “Sleeping Beauty” during the Holocaust. Mapping The Bones does the same with “Hansel And Gretel”.
The short story “Granny Rumple” sets the story of “Rumplestiltskin” in Poland in the 19th century. It’s seen from the viewpoint of the Rumplestiltskin character and his wife. See, the miller’s daughter’s father has bragged about her ability to weave fabulous gold cloth and sew, and she can’t do either to save her life... Instead of a king, it’s the mayor’s son. The local Jewish moneylender, a young man recently married, feels sorry for her and offers her an interest free loan the first time, then asks for interest on the second, as he is, after all, running a business. The money is not looking as if it will ever be returned although she is now wealthy, so his wife goes to ask for the money. It’s near Easter. What follows is a pogrom, with a lot of damage, but only one victim... The author points out that in the original fairytale the only character who actually kept his word was Rumplestiltskin.
You can read this and many others in the latest collection of her fairy tale-themed fiction, How To Fracture A Fairytale - I’ve just downloaded the ebook, plus a verse novel, Finding Baba Yaga. If you are familiar with Eastern European folk tales, you will know about Baba Yaga, the witch who lives in a hut that runs around on chicken legs, and flies in a giant mortar and pestle (You may even know about Koschei the Deathless, a scary character whom I would swear must have inspired Lord Voldemort). But this author, like many others, admires the witch, who can be helpful as well as villainous. Australian-based Kiwi author Juliet Marillier
is one who has used the character in her short fiction.
With 365 books out, and more to come, some of it has to be out of print, but there is plenty to enjoy, including in audiobook.
I do recommend her web site, which includes detailed descriptions of how many of her books were inspired, plus information about what’s coming next. You will find her at http://janeyolen.com/
I do not think that I have read anything by Yolen. The number of books that she has written is impressive. I am also glad to here that she is still going strong. Maybe I will give something that she wrote a try soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Brian! Plenty to choose from. If you visit her web site, she even has the different themes listed separately, eg fairytales have 22 books.
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I'm going to check her out -- she sounds like my kind of author! Thanks for writing about her :-)
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting with the A-Z Challenge music and writing: So Much Fun to Listen to
I'm always so envious of prolific writers. 365 books?! Amazing! I'm going to have to read some - I really love modern retelling of fairytales.
ReplyDeleteShe is a remarkable lady and a storytelling icon :)
ReplyDeleteThe Multicolored Diary
80 years and still going strong. Good work. Thanks to you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations A to Z participant Narayana Rao Zero-Based Productivity Management
Yes, she is special! Thank you, Narayana!
ReplyDeleteI've read a few of Yolen's works, including "Briar Rose", and a number of fairy tale collections she's edited, but people may not realize that she's also the author of the delightful and completely different "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight." She's a regular at the SFF conventions I go to, but I've never yet been placed on a panel with her. Maybe someday!
ReplyDeleteBlack and White: Y is for Ypotryll
Hi Anne! Yes, I do know that she writes a lot for younger children and I think I’ve seen that book you mention on line, though not in the bookshops. Lucky you, getting to see her at cons! I guess she may not be up to much overseas travel these days, so treasure your chances to see her so regularly! I don’t know how your local cons are organised, but here we can just ask to be on a panel and if the subject interests you, go for it! I’ve been on a panel with Charles De Lint, once. When I heard he was coming and that I was invited to be on a panel with him, I travelled to the other side of Australia! But you don’t have to wait to be invited, just ask.
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