Famous Last Words -- Week 2

(Personal photo, Plump Velma)

         I have enjoyed reading people's stories for the Project Commenting assignment. There are definitely some very talented and creative writers in this class. It is so interesting to see how people put their own spin on stories and make them completely unique. One thing I don’t enjoy is being critical because I do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but I understand that it is an important part of the class and of life in general.  

         I really enjoyed writing my version of the Cupid and Psyche story. I love love stories, especially when they have a happy ending. It was very fun to read this unit, especially because it was so similar to one of my favorite Disney movies, Beauty and the Beast. I made my version even more Disney by having Cupid wake Psyche with a kiss. I think I liked writing this story so much because it was my first story with a “serious” premise. In my first storytelling, I set a scene of Homer’s Illiad on an elementary school playground and had the characters as young children (because that’s how I saw them acting in the original).

         While I had fun with that story, I enjoyed getting more into the complex emotions and thoughts of the characters. Their angst-filled situation gave me a lot to work with. I almost wish I could have written my own version of the entire unit, but there’s no way it would be under 1000 words. (Not to mention, I don’t have the extra time!)

         I am constantly noticing parallels between this class and my honors colloquium, Cognitive Science of Fiction. We just read an article about fanfiction, and I realized that our Storytelling assignments in this course are basically fanfictions. Also, I love having this class as a nice change of pace from my other homework assignments! It’s fun, but I have to do it for a grade, so I don’t feel guilty about not “getting things done!”

(Personal photo, Slender Annie)

Brainstorming Storybook Topics

Storybook Topic: The Darker Disney

Comments: Like most girls, I loved Disney movies as a child and still to this day. I have known for a while that Disney stories were inspired by old fairytales with darker plots, but I have never read any of them. I think this would be a good opportunity to explore some of my favorites (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Aladdin) and find out the inspiration behind the films of my childhood.

Possible Stories: I would most likely use the ample stories offered in the UnTextbook for this topic. Each of the stories I mentioned above can be accessed through this source.

Sample Story: I read "Beauty and the Beast" from the Europa Unit because it was my absolute favorite Disney princess movie. I was surprised to find that maybe the Disney version was darker than this one! In Disney, the Beast is viciously attacked by prejudiced villagers, while in this version he is dying alone in the garden when Bell(a) saves him with her proclamation of love. I like it because it has a happy ending :) 

Bibliography Information: "Beauty and the Beast" from Europa’s Fairy Book by Joseph Jacobs, illustrated by John Batten (1916).

(Illustration by John Batten)

Storybook Topic: Love Across Time and Culture

Comments: I’m a sucker for a good (or averagely good!) love story. I’m sure there are plenty of love stories (apart from the Disney fairytales) available in the UnTextbook. I think it would be interesting to find love stories from different cultures and times in the UnTextbook and relate them together in a storybook. I typically like happy endings, but maybe I would throw in a tragic story…maybe.

Possible Stories: Like I said in the comments, I know there are some love stories in the UnTextbook. I have Cupid and Psyche on my list to read for next week. There are some Japanese love stories. The Faerie Queen also looks promising!

Sample Story: I found "The Cat’s Elopement" in Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang) and had to read it because it is about two of my favorite things: cats and love. It was a really sweet story with a happy ending, and I think I have the beginning of an idea to make it into my own version.

Bibliography Information: "The Cat’s Elopement" from The Pink Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H.J. Ford (1897).

Storybook Topic: Ghost Stories from Around the Globe; or Global Ghost Stories

Comments: I am usually terrified of scary movies, but I can sometimes get into being spooked! The last scary movie I watched was The Awakening (2011) and it was so good! I also sometimes like to watch “real” ghost shows like Ghost Adventures and Paranormal State, though usually just when I’m being lazy at home in Texas with my sister (who loves them). I read a good ghost investigation novel a few years ago, but I can’t remember the name. I think it would be cool to do a sort of ghost detective storybook and tie together ghost stories from around the world.

Possible Stories: Again, I think I would stick to the UnTextbook as a source. I saw that there are Celtic ghost stories and Russian ghost stories so far, and I’m sure there are plenty more.

Sample Story: I read "The Dead Mother" from the Russian Folktales unit. At first, I thought it was so sweet that the mother was coming back to feed her baby since he wouldn’t eat. I was naively hoping for a happier ending, though!

Bibliography Information: "The Dead Mother" from Russian Fairy Tales by W.R.S Ralston (1887).

Storybook Topic: The Beginning of the World from Around the World

Comments: Something I’ve noticed in many of the units I have browsed so far is that Creation is often one of the stories. I think it could be interesting to compare and contrast the stories of Creation from different cultures.

Possible Stories: There are plenty of stories in the UnTextbook on this topic. Many of the Native American units have stories of Creation. I think most of the units from specific geographical regions have Creation stories.

Sample Story:  I read "Creation of the World" from the British North America unit. I liked the way it gave the animals so much respect in the story. They made many sacrifices in order to help the first human on Earth. This is a good example of how Native American culture is centered on respecting nature rather than exploiting it.

Bibliography Information: “Creation of the World” from Myths and Legends of British North America by Katharine Berry Judson (1917).