My Birthday: Archaeology Fun Stuff

Today is my birthday and so I am feeling quite indulgent with myself.   So today is about me.  Since it is also Saturday, I am sure most of you are too busy to care if I veer away from the usual fairy tale related stuff, at least slightly.

A few months ago on my husband's birthday, we went exploring the toy aisles at Target. John and I think birthdays and holiday gifts are more fun if a toy is involved. Well, that day John chose more Magnetix to add to his collection, but I discovered a toy I fell in love with: Mighty World Search for the Lost Mummy.

I have a very amateur interest in archaeology--how could anyone interested in folklore not? I also devoured my fair share of Elizabeth Peters books starting with Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody, Book 1) back the in day which I admit I picked up after adoring Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw in my early adolescent years. (These days I much prefer her Greensleeves which remains a regular reread.)  I still have a report I wrote on the Great Pyramids in 7th grade. I used my mother's college text books to write the report and felt so mature doing so.  Anyway, archaeology, especially the quintessential Egyptian variety, entertains me.

I won't admit if I am getting that playset pictured above for my toy birthday gift, but I had to go explore to see if there are more cool toys I would have enjoyed as a kid, but was born too early to fully enjoy.  There are.  Here are some of the best:

Safari LTD Ancient Egypt Toob

Dig and Play Egyptian Tomb by Toysmith

Egyptian Soldiers

Playmobil Pharaoh's Temple

Playmobil Archaeologist Add On

Thames and Kosmos Classic Science Archaeology: Pyramid

Admit it, don't you wish you could be a kid again just to play with these?  I don't ever wish to be a kid again.  I like being a grown-up very well, thank you, but I do wish I had the ability to play with abandon with toys like these.

Call For Papers: Early Modern Fairy Tales

FYI:

2011 The Renaissance Society of America Montreal Conference Call for Papers


These Calls are prepared by individuals who wish to create a panel on a specific topic. Please contact the individual directly regarding this Call.
Proposed Panel Title: Early Modern Fairy Tales

Contact Information: Nancy Canepa, Dartmouth College

Co-organizer: Armando Maggi, University of Chicago

Proposed Topic Area: We invite papers on any aspect of the development of the literary fairy tale in early modern Italy as well as on the influence exerted by the first Italian tale collections (Straparola and Basile) on other European narrative traditions and cultures. Topics may include but are not limited to: individual authors, collections, and/or tale types; the relation of the new genre of the fairy tale to canonical genres (novella, mythological fable, et al.); the forms and functions of fairy-tale narration; oral vs. literary traditions.

Please send a 1-page CV and 150-word abstract to Nancy Canepa (Nancy.L.Canepa@Dartmouth.EDU) and Armando Maggi (amaggi@uchicago.edu) by May 18, 2010.

********

Some of you may recognize Canepa's name from the covers of such books as Giambattista Basile's "The Tale of Tales, or Entertainment for Little Ones" (Fairy-Tale Studies) and From Court to Forest: Giambattista Basile's Lo Cunto De Li Cunti and the Birth of the Literary Fairy Tale and Out of the Woods: The Origins of the Literary Fairy Tale in Italy and France.  All three reside on my shelves...

Thanks to Kathleen at Myth*ing Links for the heads up!

SurLaLune and Facebook

If you page down the left column of this blog--I know it's cluttered, but that's the nature of these things--you will find a link to SurLaLune's page on Facebook. I have created the page and set it up so that it will import the entries from this blog. So if you prefer to follow SurLaLune through Facebook you now have that option, one that has been requested by more than one of my readers here.

I'll admit I'm not a Facebook fan--one of the reasons I've been delaying creating a page--for many reasons I will not detail here. Okay, time drain, usability and interface design are near the top of the list but not all of it, although I admire its networking power. This is your chance to change my mind if you are an avid Facebook user. My husband is one and so are many of my friends, but you may succeed where they have not.

Let the experiment begin!

New Book: Ivy's Ever After by Dawn Lairamore

Ivy's Ever After is a new book actually scheduled for a release date later this month, but it is already shipping at Amazon.  (Well, it is if you aren't in the flood ravaged Nashville area where I am awaiting a few long anticipated books myself.  Someday they will arrive...)

The book isn't a retelling of a specific fairy tale, but uses many tropes from fairy tales and fantasy which make it quite suitable for this blog...

I've had a short email conversation with Dawn the last few months.  Here's her description of the book, her debut novel:

IVY is my version of a fractured fairy tale for middle-grade readers. According to tradition, Ivy is to be locked in a white tower guarded by a dragon. The prince who slays the dragon and rescues her will, of course, win her hand in marriage. The problem is Ivy doesn't want to be rescued. And Elridge, the rather unferocious dragon sent to guard her, most definitely doesn't want to be slain! Neither wants anything to do with Romil, an unscrupulous prince from the frozen North who will be the doom of them both. And so IVY'S EVER AFTER is a fairy-tale-with-a-twist in which the princess and the dragon actually team up to thwart the handsome prince. I think it's a lot of fun, an adventure with a sassy heroine and a light-hearted, humorous tone.

And the book description from the publisher:

Once upon a time in the kingdom of Ardendale there lived a spirited princess named Ivy, who had no interest in being rescued by Prince Charming, and an undersized dragon named Elridge, who was better at solving word puzzles than breathing fire. Sailing into this world on a ship made of whale bones came Romil, a handsome prince with dastardly designs on Princess Ivy and her kingdom. Ivy and Elridge, both disappointments to their families, join forces to try and thwart Romil's evil plot. In the process these traditional enemies become fast freinds, discover hidden strengths, and earn the respect of all who know them. Full of humor and high adventure--and plenty of slightly skewed fairy-tale motifs--this frothy fractured fairy tale is sure to delight young readers.

I haven't read the book yet--have yet to receive it--but the description reminds me of Patricia Wrede's The Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Dealing with Dragons / Searching for Dragons / Calling on Dragons / Talking to Dragons which I have loved for many years.  Of course, this will be completely different and fun in its own way.  I just imagine fans of that series will be interested in this one.  Or vice versa, if you read this one and enjoy it, you just may enjoy Wrede if you haven't read her books.  Another great choice would be The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye.  (I really should devote a month to great books that deserve reading or rereading, shouldn't I?)

You can also visit IvysEverAfter.com to view a book trailer, read the first chapter and find other fun stuff.  Actually, I can embed the trailer, so here it is:

Piranhas in the Water

I don't discuss it here very often, but urban legends and tall tales are another fascinating part of folklore that I relish. I know I'm not alone. The internet has increased the ease of distributing information and urban legends are included. We have all seen the emails and read the articles with crazy stories. We've also seen the truth and debunking on helpful sites such as Snopes.com.

One of the interesting effects of the Nashville and surrounding area floods will be the stories that arise from it. Many are inspirational and sad already. Some fall into straight urban legend and will be disseminated over and over again in the years to come.

It's early days--we are still wondering if we will have water this weekend if the area doesn't conserve enough and if the second treatment facility isn't repaired in time after all--but the best story so far is of the piranhas.

Near the Opry Hotel and Grand Ole Opry facilities is a mall, Opry Mills. (Or if you are in my family or some friends, Shopry Mills.) This is the home of several of the gimmicky chain restaurants such as Rainforest Cafe and The Aquarium. (The REAL and very excellent Tennessee Aquarium is in Chattanooga.)

Well, Opry Mills was flooded and one of the tales going around, even reported as news, is that all the fish had died since most were salt water based, except for the PIRANHAS which had escaped and were swimming around the mall and would soon escape into the Cumberland River.

My husband shared the story which he'd received from friends on Facebook. I immediately did a search to learn the truth. Already Google had a key word suggestion of "piranhas Nashville" to be used. I clicked it and went reading.

I found this first, Escaped Piranhas, Floating Buildings: the Strangeness of the Tennessee Floods:

As if that wasn't odd enough, WKRN in Nashville ran this video piece in which a reporter said that piranhas had escaped from their aquarium and were at large, swimming the inundated halls of the Opry Mills Mall.

The Opry Mills Mall is a pretty big place, and it's just been humbled -- like much of the Nashville area -- by the swollen Cumberland River.

If you watch the video I linked to in the quote above, the information I was given was accurate to the report, so it at least hadn't had time to grow and change in classic "telephone" mode.

Either way the story has grown and spread, for The Tennessean and other news outlets are now working to debunk it or "contain" it as the case may be, From Nashville Aquarium Restaurant: No piranha loose; most fish OK:

Most of the fish at The Nashville Aquarium Restaurant, Stingray Reef and the Rainforest Cafe, at Opry Mills survived the flooding in Nashville and have been contained.

Owned and operated by Landry’s Restaurants, Inc, the restaurant spokesman reports that aquarium biologists have been onsite since Monday caring for the fish that survived.

Landry's issued the statement in response to local media reports that piranha were at loose in flood waters at Opry Mills. The mall is closed because of flooding.

Nevertheless, I imagine I will hear stories about the piranhas for years to come when the "Splashville" flood is discussed.

The image came from Can piranhas really strip a cow to the bone in under a minute?  More fun reading!

Shrek Nail Polish

OPI Shrek-Tacular Minis Nail Lacquers

A few months ago, I wrote about OPI's special nail polish collection for Shrek Forever After.  Well, if you were interested in any of those funky limited edition colors, they are available for purchase now.  Some are on my own birthday wishlist since I wear a lot of green and blue nail polish, to the point that my husband thinks my hands look strange when I sport conservative colors like pinks and reds.  I can't wear yellow however despite it being a favorite color.

OPI Shrek Forever After Collection Ogre the Top Blue B93 by OPI

OPI Shrek Forever After Collection Rumple's Wiggin' B91

OPI Shrek Forever After Brights Collection-Fiercely Fiona B94

OPI Shrek Forever After Collection What's with the Cattitude? B90

OPI Shrek Forever After Collection Funky Dunkey B89

OPI Shrek Forever After Collection Who the Shrek Are You? B92

Catching up...

My best laid plans for this week are not coming to fruition thanks to the vagaries of Mother Nature and the consequent flood disaster happening in my hometown of Nashville.  I had planned a double week of celebrating mothers in fairy tales for Mother's Day and a series of some of my favorite things since my birthday is this weekend, too.  It will still happen in some way, but not the extent I had hoped.

But disasters, unrelated plumbing issues (I have a large hole in my living room ceiling which will be made much bigger before it hopefully disappears in a few weeks) as well as extended houseguest visits have set me behind.  The houseguest was a blessing and a very dear friend despite all the stress.  Once again me and mine have been very blessed through this crisis, but the emotional strain has been great and the repair and recovery is far, far from over.  The good news is that it appears we won't be losing city water although it came close and the city is still being asked to conserve.  I keep bottled water in more than sufficient supply but the guilt over bathing is not something I usually consider...

All that said, expect random postings this week, perhaps a few and perhaps en masse as I grab time for myself and get things off my lists. 

And thank you as always for your support both verbal and financial by using SurLaLune affiliate links to make purchases.  I couldn't maintain SurLaLune without either.  It won't fix my ceiling, but it doesn't take away from the repairs either...

On a side note, I have been pushing Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse to everyone in my "real world" circle, almost none of whom are fairy tale fans.  At first they are all a little trepidatious, hoping not to offend me in my obvious enthusiasm.  I briefly explain how the poems work and then let them read.  Then the light turns on in their eyes and they start thumbing through to read more as well as admire the illustrations.  No, not all the poems are as strong as others.  I usually offer up the Hansel and Gretel poem first since it is one of the strongest, but many are asking for the title and planning to find their own copies for themselves or as gifts.  It is that magical.  If I didn't already have my own copy, it would be on my birthday wishlist this week.

I know it's still early but I am hoping for a Caldecott Medal for this one. Some poetry awards would be wonderful, too.

Floodwaters and The Lady of Shalott

Hello all.  I am a little distracted as I live in the center of the flash flooding going on in Tennessee right now.  The disintegrating building in the video at that link is not many miles from my home and a place I am very familiar with.  We are experiencing the kind of disasters that usually have greater national coverage but the oil spill and apparently Times Square bombs are receiving bigger coverage.  I agree with the former and wonder at the latter....

I'm posting because some friends are aware that this is the area where I live.  Me and mine are dry and safe and in our homes, but many are not. 

I, of course, was inspired to go looking for flood stories--Noah being perhaps the most famous--but then felt inspired by Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott since boats are the theme of the weekend here.  Her despair and curse are unrelated, but the image conveys many similar thoughts to what is all over the local news at the moment.  Looking at her again this morning, she inspired new perspectives for me, at least.

I hope all of you dear readers are safe and well and if I am gone for a few days--although at this point I don't anticipate as such, if anything being stuck at home may give me the much needed time to write many upcoming posts--I will return once the flood waters have literally receded. 

Tove Jansson's Moomintrolls

For the fans of Tove Jansson's Moomintrolls--which are hidden gems in the United States, but more openly adored in other parts of the world--four of the books have recently been rereleased into hardcover editions, for the first time in several years, perhaps even since the original releases decades ago (although I didn't verify that so don't quote me).

I have a dear friend who adores the books herself and while the books have been more readily available in paperback through special order, hardcovers have been rare or costly if you want a sturdier edition of a beloved book.

Comet in Moominland (Moomintrolls)

Finn Family Moomintroll (Moomintrolls)

Moominsummer Madness (Moomintrolls)

Moominpappa's Memoirs (Moomintrolls)

TOVE JANSSON grew up in Helsinki, Finland. She is the author of nine novels set in Moominvalley, and has garnered numerous awards for her work, including the Selma Lagerlof Award and the Hans Christian Anderson Children's Book Medal. Her books, originally written in Swedish, have been translated into more than thirty languages. Jansson died in 2001 at the age of eighty-six.

So are you a Moomintroll fan?

Moominweek has been going on over at Tor.com--believe it or not I planned this post before I discovered that--so for lots more Moominmania, visit there.