A quest for the magic in life, language, and literature
This essay was previously published in the now-defunct online journal Enchanted Conversation. In fairy tales, marriage has a double nature. Its most well-known aspect is as a sign of completion, fulfillment and union; the end of the story, beyond which no more need be told. Cinderella, Briar Rose—this is what we mean when we say … Continue reading Beyond the happy ending
Sometimes I write poetry. It may not be very good, but it gives me pleasure. I don't have a regular time or method for doing this. A phrase or sentence comes into my head and rolls around till I do something with it. Or I observe something, an outwardly visible image that wants to be … Continue reading Mother Holle – a poem
As I get things started here on my new blog, I'll occasionally be posting essays that I wrote for other publications. This essay was originally published in 2011 in the online journal Cabinet des Fees. When Rumplestiltskin offers to spin straw into gold for the miller’s daughter, he reveals himself as an initiate of one … Continue reading Spinning a tale
We put a high value on being smart in our society. Intelligence, defined in a "get-ahead, beat-the-others" kind of way, is rewarded in school and required in order to get a high-income, high-status job. The thing is, this kind of intelligence is not very smart at all. It's pushed us to the brink of the … Continue reading The way of the wise fool