pegkerr | Entries tagged with fantasy

I read this article a couple of days ago and I've been thinking about it ever since. It pins down something I thought about quite a bit when I was writing Emerald House Rising. I was intensely irritated about the fact that so many fantasy authors seem to have difficulty with trying to come up with a reason for women to go out and have adventures. SO MANY. I got sick of books that started with a family being destroyed, or a rape that drove a woman from home, usually on a quest for revenge. Can't you think of OTHER reasons for women to leave home?

I hadn't thought about some of the other points she makes, including that we really don't have any narrative for a woman on the road other than the one that ends in tragedy: she will end up raped and/or dead. The classic example that springs to mind for me is 'Vagabond.,' (or 'Sans Toit ni Loi' in the original French, which translates, I think, 'Without Roof or Law.') You can watch it in its entirety on Youtube, starting here. The movie begins with the woman's doom: she is discovered dead, in a ditch. The rest of the movie backtracks, telling the story of how she got there.

The quest narrative is so important in fantasy literature; it is archetypal. Jung thought that we needed it as part of our human story. So why do we suffer such a lack of imagination if our protagonist is a woman?

This takes on an interesting frisson for me, as I contemplate my daughter going traveling abroad next year.

I am indebted to someone brand new on my friends list,

richlayers, for bringing my attention to this video. As you can imagine, as the author of The Wild Swans, I love this a lot:

Part 1:

( Part 2 )

( Part 3 )

That witch? That's Rita Skeeter, kittens, as poisonous as ever. She played a very similar role in the TV movie Snow White. And

gwendolyngrace informs me that the narrator is John Hurt, better known to Harry Potter fans as Mr. Ollivander. (I thought he looked familiar!) Interestingly, the girl does look rather close to my conception of Eliza.

We came, we saw, we kicked butt!

Delia passed the double black stripe belt test this morning. I did not attend, but Rob was there and took pictures. Hopefully I will be able to download and post some of them tomorrow. She was actually not feeling particularly well, but Rob said that she pulled herself together and had a good test.

We also got the word that Fiona passed the third pre-test screening.

Fiona is testing for Black Belt on December 1.

The test will take place at 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and yes, you are invited. This is the black belt exam which is held quarterly for all the National Karate schools citywide, and it is quite interesting to watch. I will post more information about the exact location later, but again, you are invited to come watch. The whole test takes (I think) about two hours.

As for me, I had two appearances today at the Fantasy Matters conference. The first was the panel on The Wild Swans, held at 8:30 a.m. I read two sections of the novel, one from each storyline. David Lenander suggested the sections, and although I hadn't done those ones at readings before, I thought they were well matched and both suitably dramatic. The first was Elias' second visit to the baths, when he was looking for Sean, and then the scene at Central Park where Sean tells Elias he has AIDS. The second was the scene where William and Jonathan follow Eliza to the graveyard, followed by the scene where she is arrested. The advantage to reading the scenes together was that (hopefully) the juxtaposition made it clear to the listeners that the language describing the men at the baths was exactly the same as the language describing the ghosts in the graveyard. That reading took twenty minutes. It was actually an excellent suggestion on David's part; I think I'd chose those two selections for future readings (if I have many other occasions to do readings from Swans, which probably won't happen, actually. The book is getting harder and harder to obtain, although it isn't quite out of print yet). Then David talked for about a half hour about the novel, relating it to the tradition of fairy tale retellings in general and H.C. Andersen in particular. It was lightly attended, but given the panel time, I expected that.

What totally took me by surprise was the turn out at my presentation on the Heart of Flesh/Heart of Stone. My jaw literally dropped as more and more people came into the room. I thought it would be empty because of the panel opposite on Stardust, but I guess they might have ended it early. Anyway, maybe thirty-five people or so showed up, which was a good turnout. I cut one section of the paper on the fly, but that turned out to be a good decision, because it was really just a secondary example of the point I made in the previous section, and that way, the paper came in at exactly the right amount. NOBODY THREW TOMATOES. On the contrary, there were a gratifying number of thoughtful questions and gracious compliments afterwards. It went much better than I ever expected it would.

Hurrah for all of us!

Current Mood: ecstatic

I asked for and got permission to get tomorrow afternoon off. With that extra time, I think I'll be able to finish it.

I still don't think it's very good. I probably should cut it: I have another couple of sections to write, and it's already 4200 words.

I am not sure which days I'll be attending. Saturday, certainly, but other than that I'm not sure.

Current Music: I Found A Loophole - The Whomping Willows

It is not coalescing at all. I didn't get anything coherent finished despite working on it all weekend, and I am just about in despair. I won't be going to any karate classes until I get it done, which is just making me crankier.

I keep forcibly telling myself that it is unlikely that the audience will throw tomatoes.

This is undoubtedly true, but helps only a little bit.

It is not going particularly well. In fact, it's barely going at all. Much pacing and hair pulling is involved.

Argh.

I got this tonight from the Fantasy Matters conference organizers:

Dear Peg,

We are delighted to inform you that your scholarly work, "Flesh, Stone, or Missing Altogether: The Heart as Embodiment of Humanity in Fantasy Literature" has been accepted to the Fantasy Matters Conference, 16-18 November 2007. We are going to be organizing a number of less formal panel discussions during the course of the weekend. When you respond to confirm your attendance, please also indicate whether you would be interested in serving on a panel.

Also, David Lenander, a scholar and librarian at the University of Minnesota (whom we believe you know) has indicated an interest in discussing your work at the conference, specifically your retelling of Andersen's fairy tale "The Wild Swans" in your novel of the same name. It seems that it would be a fantastic opportunity for you to participate in such a discussion as well, and we were wondering if you would perhaps be interested in reading selections from your novel, then having him present his paper, and then having the two of you lead a discussion of the novel together. Please let us know if this is something you would be interested in.

Yay!

Current Mood: excited
Current Music: Myrtle's Always There - The Parselmouths

(This is 227 words; the maximum is 250):

Flesh, Stone, or Missing Altogether:
The Heart as Embodiment of Humanity in Fantasy Literature

O had I known at early morn Tomlin would from me gone
I would have taken out his heart of flesh,
Put in a heart of stone

In the Author's Afterward to her fantasy novel, Tam Lin, Pamela Dean suggests that the book was about keeping a heart of flesh in a world that wants to put in a heart of stone, and how learning and literature can help their adherents accomplish that. The idea of a heart of flesh versus a heart of stone is a trope that has been used throughout the history of literature, a powerful metaphor which captures something essential about the experience of being engaged with the world, curious, creative, compassionate, vulnerable--in short, being human.

This paper will examine three metaphorical "states of the heart" (flesh, stone, or missing altogether) and explore why fantasy literature in particular is adept in exploring the different ranges of human experience suggested by this flexible metaphor. Examples from the work of Hans Christian Andersen ("The Snow Queen"), Barry Hughart (The Bridge of Birds) and Robin McKinley, among others, will be used to touch upon two advantages particular to the fantasy genre: 1) the illustrative contrast offered by the presence of non-human characters, and 2) the dramatic possibilities inherent in making the metaphor literal.

>>>

Or something. Help me make it pretty? Your comments are very welcome.

Current Mood: creative
Current Music: The Hero - Oliver Boyd and the Rememberalls

I am still trying to come up with a proposal for Fantasy Matters.

Okay, for once I really am looking for advice. Amazing, Peg's actually asking for advice! I just have to get them 250 words of a proposal by Friday, something that looks half-baked enough that they might actually accept it.

Hearts of flesh and stone. Gee, I want to do something about this, because I've been chewing over it for so long, but right now whenever I attempt to corral my thoughts on this, they scatter unhelpfully in all directions like skittering mice, refusing to coalesce. Perhaps its the lingering effect of anaesthesia on the brain. I'd prefer to think it's that, rather than rank stupidity. However, whatever the cause, the problem remains the same: I need to come up with something!

Thinking about: The Snow Queen (the mirror cracks, a piece of glass lodges in Kay's heart, making it cold and frozen). I could re-visit A.S. Byatt's essay "Ice, Snow, Glass" in Mirror, Mirror on the Wall which I ran across while researching the ice palace book, and it really impressed me at the at time. But then I'm kinda pissed with A.S. Byatt at the moment (see "A.S. Byatt and the Goblet of Bile").

I've been thinking of my earlier essays on Heart of Flesh/Heart of Stone. I'm thinking about the afterward to Tam Lin, which started my whole obsession with this subject (although

pameladean said the book was about the study of literature, and how that prevents the heart of stone, rather than about fantasy per se. But why did she choose a fantasy to tell the story? Other than the fact that, duh, she's a fantasy writer?) I've been thinking about George MacDonald's "The Light Princess," which is kinda getting at sort of the same stuff, sideways (using "gravity" and tears as the metaphor for the stamp of humanity, rather than the heart of flesh). Can people name other stories or tales which feature a heart of stone, or that explore this dichotomy? Esp. fantasy stories? Here is a pretty cool story that gets at what I'm struggling to articulate: "The Girl With the Heart of Stone." I've talked about seeing the theme in fiction in general (i.e., in Austen and Dickens) but what does fantasy in particular have to say about this theme?

Throw me a lifeline, anybody, help! Any thoughts that this sparks in you. I'll be ever so touchingly grateful.

Peg, hopefully

Thank you, Friendslist! You're the best! I knew you would come through!

I am now feeling much more confident.

Love and kisses,
Peg

Current Mood: hopeful
Current Music: We Are The DA - Oliver Boyd and the Rememberalls

While juggling a pretty heavy work load at the office today, my back brain was quietly mulling over possible proposals I might make for the Fantasy Matters conference. A few observations:

1) the deadline is in two weeks, so I don't have much time to come up with something, but on the other hand, they only are asking for a 250 word abstract.

2) I guess I'm thinking of submitting to present a paper rather than an author's sample to do a reading; I have fiction I could present (from the ice palace book), but I don't know if I'm ever going to finish that book, and I'm not actively working on it now. It feels more honest, somehow to do a paper. I need to find out how long of a paper they want (and would it get published?); it doesn't say in the Call for Papers. They only give you fifteen minutes for your presentation (it says with five minutes for questions; is that part of the fifteen minutes or an additional five minutes?)

3) What category I'd submit it under is a bit fuzzy. I am a writing professional, although not working actively on fiction now. I have a graduate degree, but am not in a program at the moment. So which category do I submit under? This is probably a question I can send to the inquiries e-mail for clarification.

Vague idea # 1

Something about the heart of flesh/heart of stone theme I've been chewing over with such fascination for so long. I've talked about tracing this theme throughout all the fiction I've loved (including, say, Dickens and Austen, among others). Looking at the specific call for papers for this conference, what can I say about the heart of flesh/heart of stone theme specifically in fantasy literature? Is there something about the working out of this theme that is particularly distinctive in fantasy? The whole germ of my thinking about this theme, after all, came from a fantasy novel, from

pameladean's Author's Afterward to Tam Lin. I'd look again at Emma Bull's essay "Why I Write Fantasy," which in turn, touches upon Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories." (Although that latter essay is such a seminal work in fantasy criticism that it is hardly necessary to thrash it out again; and anyway, in terms of the presentation, that alone would more than take up the entire time allotted.) I'd love to touch upon this using Snape's character in the HP books as an example, as I spoke about during my

snapecast essay. It might be a bit difficult to pitch a proposal on this for two weeks from now, however, when final story arc about his character won't even be coming out until mid-July.

*Sigh* I am not sure that my thoughts would coalesce enough on this idea, or I would be able to develop the structure of a solid paper.

Vague idea # 2

The fantasy element of transformation, specifically of the mortal becoming a bird. I'd have a particular authority to speak on this subject, as I've written a book doing exactly that (although perhaps presenting a paper where your own fictional work is part of the subject might be viewed as rather tacky? I have no idea what academic etiquette would be here.)

kijjohnson once gave me a swan card from a sacred animal tarot deck. The notes accompanying it talked about the swan entering Dreamtime (perhaps the collective unconscious, or even Death), ushering into a time of altered states of awareness and development of intuitive abilities.

"Swan medicine people have the ability to see the future, to surrender to the power of the Great Spirit, and to accept the healing and transformation of their lives. The Swan card is telling you to accept your ability to know what lies ahead. If you are resisting your self-transformation, relax; it will be easier if you go with the flow. Pay attention to your hunches and your gut knowledge and honor your intuitive side."

Could trace these ideas through a variety of works: The Children of Lir, Grimm, The Wild Swans--my re-telling, Nicholas Stuart Gray's, Juliet Marillier's works (which I'm rather embarrassed to admit I haven't even read yet), touching even perhaps The Goose Girl or The Ugly Duckling. There are actually loads of stories using this theme, the challenge would be limiting the subject matter.

Thoughts?

Of course, I reserve the right to do neither one of these paper ideas. I even might not submit anything at all. But do either of these ideas sound faintly interesting?

Current Mood: cogitating

Here's a call for papers for a conference right here in my own backyard, at the University of Minnesota. My thanks to David Lenander (of the Rivendell Group, the local arm of the Mythopoeic Society) for sending it to me. Hmm. I may try to come up with something for this. I think it would be fun to attend and present!

Call for Papers: Fantasy Matters conference, November 16-18, 2007
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Extended Deadline
June 15, 2007

Fantasy literature is everywhere these days. Whether it’s Eragon at the box office or the latest Harry Potter at the bookstore, fantasy literature seems to have captured the public’s imagination and run away with it. In spite of, or perhaps because of this popularity, however, fantasy literature still isn’t taken as seriously as other, more "canonical" literature.

This conference takes the position that fantasy literature does matter, and plays an important role not only in popular culture, but also in the realm of literature itself. Neil Gaiman, author of the Sandman series of graphic novels, and Jack Zipes, noted scholar of fairy tales and folklore, will be the keynote speakers at the conference.

All papers related to fantasy literature are welcome, but participants are encouraged to consider the question of the importance of fantasy literature when forming their submissions. We also welcome authors to participate in this discussion, either by serving on panels or by sharing their own creative works.

Potential panel discussions include:
The relationship between fantasy literature and "canonical" literature

The role of fantasy literature in childhood

Narrative strategies in fantasy literature

Issues of race, gender, and sexuality in fantasy literature

The use of source material in fantasy literature

The relationship between fantasy literature and its adaptation(s) in film
Scholars of fantasy literature at any level (fan, undergraduate, graduate, or professional) are invited to submit abstract proposals of 250 words. Scholars should plan for a 15-minute presentation with 5 minutes for questions; they may also submit entire panels for consideration, planning for three 15-minute papers per panel.

Authors of fantasy literature who would like to present their work are encouraged to submit a 5-page sample of the piece they intend to read. Authors should plan for a 30-minute reading.

All submissions should be sent to

submissions@fantasymatters.org.

For further information, please visit www.fantasymatters.org or send questions to inquiries@fantasymatters.org.

Those submitting proposals will be notified of their status by July 31, 2007.

fictualities considers Fantasy/SF heroes and their places here, with particular attention to Frodo and Harry Potter. Consider: Tourist vs. Lurker?

Yes, of course I might have been delighted that the Two Towers movie has gotten the cover story in this week's Time Magazine. But the condescension of this article makes me want to scream:

Fantasy is "a nostalgic, sentimental, magical vision of a medieval age."

"The clarity and simplicity of Middle-earth are comforting, [Middle-earth? Simple?], but there's also something worryingly childish, even infantile about it."

and

"Are we running away from reality when we indulge in fantasy? Or are we escaping reality just to find it again and wrestle with it in disguise?"

The authors conclude by comparing America bearing its burden [is it supposed to be manifest destiny or something?] to Frodo's bearing the ring. They do seem to concede, at least, at the end, that LOTR is a "grown up" story. Apparently that point was in doubt, because it's a fantasy?

I want to send the authors a copy of Emma Bull's "Why I Write Fantasy." Key sentences I'd underline:

I know why I write fantasy--I know it somewhere down below and behind my lungs. But I can explain it somewhat less well than I can explain why breathing puts oxygen in my blood. I know I don't write [fantasy] so that someday teenagers will grow up and stop liking my books. No, there's something I want to get across--to both adults and kids--that just won't take root and grow in the otherwise fertile ground of realism.

I know that other writers have felt the same way. The tradition of fantasy is as old as literature; Western literature begins with fantasy, with Gilgamesh and the Illiad and the Odyssey. Beowulf pits a mortal man against ghastly supernatural foes . . . and if you respond that this is literature from the "childhood" of civilization, I'll warn you that you're badly underestimating your ancestors.

From Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine Issue Six (Winter 1990).

I do get so tired of this attitude, that Americans like the Lord of the Rings because we long to retreat to simplistic comforting pap in the wake of 9-11.

Muck, I say.

(Ahem.) Just had to get that off my chest.

Peg

Current Mood: irate
Current Music: October Project

Peg Kerr's Journal

The Holy Tree Grows Within the Heart

Women and the lack of Female Road Narratives

The Three Ravens

The Kerr Family TRIUMPHANT!

Fiona is testing for Black Belt on December 1.

Paper report

This paper absolutely stinks

I am attempting to write my paper for the Fantasy Matters conference

Proposal was accepted!

First pass at Fantasy Matters proposal

WHERE IS MY BRAIN?

Thank you, Friendslist! You're the best! I knew you would come through!

Possible paper ideas

Call for Papers: Fantasy Matters conference, November 16-18, 2007

Interesting essay on space/place in fantasy worlds

Aargh!

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January 2026

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