Leibovitz Stages Hansel & Gretel for December 2009 Vogue 2009

There are only a couple of pictures so far because the big news item is not that there's a new fairy tale shoot by Leibovitz (though many people are excited about that), nor is it that Leibovitz is still working and producing quality pieces (though that's newsworthy considering her financial troubles this year).

The 'hot' news item - as far as the tabloids are concerned - is that Leibovitz shot the notorious Lady Gaga (with her camera of course). The other models are Lily Cole and Andrew Garfield.The images released show Lady Gaga playing the role of the wicked witch (if she were dressed by Marc Jacobs that is). The notoriety continued just with Lady Gaga's entrance.

From StyleFrizz:

The tiny column that you can see at the right of the burning picture says so much about Lady Gaga’s desperation that could be written down in a Gaga-why dictionary: she’s so eager to please, so ambitious to get somewhere, so willing to do anything and everything to look different, she showed up for the shooting wearing absolutely nothing except a rubber rain coat and very, very high heels... (Edit FTNH: clicking on that last link will take you to one of the craziest pairs of high heels I've ever seen.)

You can read the rest of the short article, including more fashion label details, HERE.

I'm hoping we'll see the rest of the images soon - and that the order will make some sense with the story. Coming out of the oven first would put a different take on the witch getting pushed in later...

Apparently the shoot was inspired by the Engelbert Humperdink's "Hansel und Gretel" as staged by Richard Jones for The Metropolitan Opera, even down to replicating one of their sets. The Metropolitan Opera's production opens December 14th, 2009. Click on the banner below for more details on the production.

The Boy Who Blogged Wolf (or Why We Need Fairy Tales In the Social Media Age) - Article Alert

I read this fun little UK Telegraph article by Shane Richmond on updating fairy tales to teach caution in today's digital age and thought it was not only amusing but also had something to say:

We often hear that new media poses a threat to our children. How do they learn the dangers of online interaction and how do they equip themselves for this new world? We can bore them senseless with school lessons on the subject but if we really want children to be aware of risk we’ll need fairy tales.

For centuries we’ve used fairy tales to teach children not to talk to strangers, to avoid getting lost in the woods and not to break into houses owned by bears. They need updating for the digital age. Here are a few suggestions:

Little Red Riding Hood
When her granny sends her a friend request on Facebook, Little Red Riding Hood doesn’t check the details too closely. When ‘granny’ invites her to a housewarming party at her new shack in the woods, Little Red Riding Hood goes along...

Keep reading HERE.

Mr. Richmond offers updated examples of Red Riding Hood (more people need to read this version), Aladdin (loved this one), The Boy Who Cried Wolf (timely - also see HERE for a cartoon on the subject and below for the notes on the gorgeous illustrations included in this post), Jack and the Beanstalk (the giant is great - and true!) and a Cursed Princess story (this needs to be emailed to as many friends as possible... ;D ).

Make sure you read the comments, as they're still appearing. Eg uzalparker said:

I think you’re missing the one about the Ugly Duckling who’s tweets weren’t as popular as his peers…until he became a tech-savvy swan and used tweet deck to rt the wolf to eat his gloating siblings. Wait, that sounds strangely familiar. (edit FTNH: rt stands for ReTweet)

Aaaand, I feel I must add one too:

(Ahem.)

Once upon a time there was a teenage Rapunzel, who, stuck (stayed) in her room, only communicating with those who found her isolated blog/Facebook comments/tweets in the middle of the massive internet wood and called up the long, long strands of hairy internet feeds to get her attention. Of course, being so estranged from the real world, the poor girl didn't realize she was being taken advantage of until she got into trouble, at which point her mother cuts off access, so her suitors are left to blindly wander the internet wood looking for her. Her mother, trying to force her to come to terms with her actions, throws her out into the physical world where she wanders until she's eaten by wolves. The End.

Go read, enjoy, think about it... (and if you have any social media cautionary fairy tales feel free to tell us about them in the comments).

NOTE the 1st: The lovely retelling and illustrations of The Boy Who Cried Wolf is from the book "Wolf! Wolf!" by John Rocco (who was also the Art Director on the animated film "Shrek"). Click on the illustrations for a larger view - you should be able to read the text too. The whole book is lovely - I pull it out regularly - and is a very interesting retelling of the story. John Rocco has a great promo site for the book, with sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes info HERE.

NOTE the 2nd: The Telegraph site seems to be having issues showing the page. Keep trying - it's worth it.

The Mad Hatter Offers First Look At 'Alice' Artwork...

... in return for building an army - an army of Facebook supporters, that is.

I know there area few readers who love all things Alice so thought I'd alert you to the buzz.

Here's how it works: The Mad Hatter calls for accolades from Facebook followers and when the called-for number is reached, he reveals more artwork from the upcoming Disney/Burton film.

Quoth the (Mad) Hatter:

The Disloyal Subjects of the Mad Hatter

Oh my, my, my... I have three treasures for my subjects, but what kind of leader would I be if I gave them to you all at once? Here's the first - a morsel to appease. I used to hat the White Queen, but there's not much for me to work with. Her head is so small. Interested in seeing even more? Then I need 7,5...00 Likes! Spread the word! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/disney_pictures/4089669981/sizes/l/)

The poster shown above is the first reveal and he wants 7, 500 'likes' before unveiling the next - (tally is just above 6, 800 at this posting).

You can join in the fun HERE.

Three Little Pigs Chase in Lego

I don't search for these I swear!

I present to you a chase from (a new version of) The Three Little Pigs. In Lego. With a nod to steampunk style (though there are no goggles - shock!).

This is what's called a MOC (My Own Creation) so, no we can't buy the set, but apparently, if we're very clever (and have access to lots of different Lego and Duplo pieces) we can make a set ourselves!From the creator:

Includes Big Bad Wolf minifig and three piglets!

Help the piglet on his tractor rescue his two brothers!

Tractor measures 8 cm and Big Bad Wolf Chopper Supertrike measures 10cm long!

Lowlug - the Dutch Lego club - had a contest called 'Show them how it should be done' in reaction to the general disappointment about Lego set 8967. So the challenge was to make a better chase scene in order to show Lego how it should be done.

All entries can be seen here. My entry is, of course, the Big Bad Wolf going off with two of the three pigs, with nr. 3, the practical pig, going behind them in order to rescue his brothers.

Pigs and wolf may come back in a fairy tale MOC later without chopper trikes or tractors...

Found HERE and created by talented Dutch Lego MOC artist ".eti" (aka Erik Eti Smit). He has many other unique Lego creations on his Flickr site HERE.

Joss Whedon's Sleeping Beauty

I've been wanting to write an entry on the show "Dollhouse" for a while now and found a great fan-made video that succinctly illustrates some of the reasons why this series can be considered a modern and dark retelling of Sleeping Beauty.


The show description posted in the info section summarizes what "Dollhouse" deals with very well and gives all the pertinent viewing information:

Dollhouse is Joss Whedon's latest show, starring Eliza Dushku and Tahmoh Penikett. It explores existential questions such as identity, the loss of self, and the ties between mind and psyche. If you enjoy a good story, a beautiful setting, superb acting, complex character development, or postmodern interpretations of myth, then you owe it to yourself to give this one a try. Visit http://www.whyiwatch.com or view the latest episodes online at http://www.hulu.com/dollhouse. Watch live on Fridays at 9/8C on FOX!

On the surface this show appears to be about fantasies, the opportunity to live many lives/have many experiences, watch beautiful people and vicariously kick a whole lot of butt along the way - all the entertainment a 'fanboy' could want - right? So what is it really about? Slavery? Human trafficking? Compromised morals? What really makes a person? All of those and more.

But that doesn't begin to describe the show. It's about identity, yes, but what that means is way beyond "Who do you want me to be?" (the show's advertising hook for the first season). It's about what people really are, who we really are (on the surface and in our essential make-up) and the half-life so many of us live as we try to cope with our pain and our past. The 'dolls' (whose minds and personalities apparently get wiped and replaced with constructs according to a client's specifications) aren't the only ones who need waking up. While it's entertaining to some extent to see the 'dolls' change personalities, clothes and roles (and pushing their acting abilities to unexpected places), which is what the network has pushed as the hook for new viewers, that's the least interesting part of the show.

It was no surprise to see Mr. Whedon tap directly into the Sleeping Beauty metaphor and base the double-episode season finale on it. The first part (episode 1.11) was even titled "Briar Rose" and began with the Echo (the show's lead) playing the role of a social worker/counselor to a young abuse victim and placing the seeds of self-empowerment so the girl can rescue herself. Of course, this foreshadows Echo's own journey through the season finale and also through the series. Here we not only have the metaphors in play of the castle, the spell, the thorns and various dragons but also the vulnerability of the girl (be it the child or Echo herself) to sexual (and other forms of) abuse and how it can be a catalyst for waking up, or for permanent imprisonment of a different kind. Echo has shown increasing signs of self-awareness despite having her brain repeatedly wiped and imprinted with a variety of personalities and it's become clear the real Echo (or Caroline, as we're told her real name is in the first episode) is still in there somewhere, despite it being theoretically impossible.The show had a rocky start and, admittedly, I stuck with the show because of my respect for Joss Whedon's writing and his mythic sense of story. He said right from the start to "hang in there until episode six" when apparently network interference would back off and the true intent of the show would finally kick in. By episode five, I had just about lost my patience in putting up with apparently two-dimensional story-lines that barely covered as teen-boy entertainment but episode six did prove to kick the show into high gear. It wasn't until episode nine that I was won over though. From then on the show has been mesmerizing - intelligent, layered, complex and very much a thinking person's show (sorry fanboys!). I continue to be irritated by the shallow advertising approach (pretty-people-kick-butt-in-great-outfits-and-can-be-the-stuff-of-your-dreams through to iPhone apps in which you can 'dress the Dushku doll as you desire' - ugh!) but "Dollhouse" now transcends that mentality easily. The second season, though still in the Friday-night-slot-of-death, has gone from strength to strength, to the point that people are now considering this to - possibly - be Joss Whedon's finest work to date.In this sense, the whole show can be considered a type of Sleeping Beauty - and one that's not for kids. The way the story arc has developed and deepened harkens far more to earlier versions of Sleeping Beauty (eg. with Talia) than it does to the well known version, complete with sexual complexities and the intricacies of families and consequences of choices. On top of that the show has made allusions to Eden and Adam and Eve. Are we being told to wake up and create a new, more aware society or is this an indication of where we're headed right now? There are different types of 'sleepers' shown in the show in various states of awareness and, without going into detail on any plot points, each of the Dollhouse characters - dolls, staff and clients - are all dealing with being woken in one form or another. Mr. Whedon's work is already part of university curricula, not only for media studies but in philosophy, social sciences and cultural studies. Not even finished it's second season (and not really counting the first five episodes), already "Dollhouse" presents a myriad of deep questions of cultural significance within a mythic yet deceptively simple fairy tale-like structure. I wouldn't be surprised to see this show added to the 'required viewing' list for college students.There's so much more I could discuss with regard to the parallels with Sleeping Beauty but to do so would be 'spoileriffic'. Just be assured that this series blatantly examines the human condition and what it really means to be a person - just as fairy tales do.

If you like delving deeply into fairy tales, you owe it to yourself to give this show a viewing. (I would recommend starting at episode six, which is said to be extremely similar to the original pilot rejected by Fox. You can always go back and catch up later, perhaps with more patience than I initially had, to pick up on the subtle details that contribute to the show's layering. The original pilot is apparently available on the DVD/Blu-ray First Season box.)

Here's a fairly good trailer that hints at some of the depth in the show. It's a little longer than the usual ads but you'll understand why when you watch it:


Once you've watched the series you may be interested in exploring the Sleeping Beauty parallels in the Briar Rose episode in particular, further. I found this blog article HERE which has quite a few interesting observations about episode 1.11 but please note there are lots of spoilers as it assumes you've already watched the episode.

NOTE: If you're interested in following/catching up on Dollhouse, you should know that while it is regularly scheduled for the aforementioned Friday-night-kill-spot at 9pm, it has been pulled off during the November 'sweeps' (I can only speculate why). The network promises it will return in December with back-to-back episodes for the rest of the season, then, after a Christmas break will return to it's regular weekly time starting January 8th. I hope this is a good sign and that at least a third season will be aired. It certainly feels like we've just opened Pandora's box and I want to know what might happen next.

Sleeping Beauty Steampunk Theatre Production

Note: Yes, I know I said I'd be posting on steampunk Cinderella
and that IS coming but this is breaking news I must share:

There's a new theatrical production of Sleeping Beauty - a steampunk production!

From the time traveling narrator to the set, to the symbolism included in the steampunk influenced costumes, right through to incorporating some traditional ballet-mime gestures from the ballet, this is a Sleeping Beauty that combines the old and the new - literally.

Promotional photo of the Sleeping Beauty production from Storybook Theatre

Here are some excerpts from an article I read yesterday to give you some examples of how the steampunk aspect is employed:

There is also (the) narrator of this tale, which gives the play a true "storybook" feel. But rather than make the narrator be just a regular person, MPC's creative team has turned the narrator into a time traveler who can transcend the years while the lovely princess sleeps.

The creative symbolism goes even further with the artistry of costume designer Kathleen O'Brien, who has taken the fairy princess gowns and added elements of steampunk.

"It's a fun Edwardian romantic style, then you have bits of sprockets of cameras, computers, springs, parts or entire pieces mixed into costumes," said Rosa. "It's an interesting juxtaposition of the Victorian era look with things that are outside that era."

...The theme of timelessness is also incorporated into the set design by Ramie Wikdahl. "The set is wonderful," said Rosa. "It has a Tuscan Renaissance feel to it. Then there is a steampunk element in the land of magic — the fairy section of the set. There is a romance feel and feeling of time passing as well. The stone wall is crumbling down into the land of fairies."

You can read the whole article HERE.

Sleeping Beauty by Margaret Tarrant

Apparently this version has more than one prince trying to rescue Sleeping Beauty - two that fail and one that doesn't, though whether he breaks the spell or just happens to have good timing is often not explained. I'm curious to see if this production does.

Speaking of time, I love this idea of Sleeping Beauty, steampunk and time travel. I've always thought the spinning wheel is a good symbol of time and it works doubly well for the steampunk approach (gears, wheels etc).

The director/choreographer Carol Heiland-Rosa says this production is aimed at the family with fun and wonder for younger children to enjoy but also layers of symbolism and humor the adults will enjoy.

Carol Heiland-Rosa

"This is a very fun version of Sleeping Beauty,'" said Rosa. Many of the fun adaptations are the handiwork of writer Michele Vacca, whose work is known for its ability to mesmerize young audiences while at the same time having enough wit and style to entertain adults.

From the Monterey Peninsula College's website:

Michele L. Vacca's scripts are distinguished by their proven ability to entertain and educate younger audiences, while having the style, verve, and wit to fascinate adults.

The production is being put on by Monterey Peninsula College's Storybook Theatre and had their first performance last night (there was also a preview night on Thursday) and is set to run for three consecutive weekends through to November 22nd. While Storybook Theatre uses theater arts students as part of the production, the standard is professional and company highly regarded. Not surprisingly, some of the shows are already sold out.

Sleeping Beauty by Millicent Sowerby

Here's the information from the end of the article:

·What: MPC Storybook Theatre presents "Sleeping Beauty"
·Where: MPC Studio Theatre, Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont St., Monterey
·When: Opens at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6; continues at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees through Nov. 22
·Tickets: $9-$15, with group discounts available, at MPC Box Office (646-4213) 3-7p.m Wed-Fri. and two hours prior to each show, or online at www.TicketGuys.com/mpc
·Information: 646-4213 or www.mpctheatre.com

For another Sleeping Beauty story involving time travel you can check out Sheri S. Tepper's "Beauty". This book, while centered around the Sleeping Beauty story, retells the stories of other fairy tale heroines too - eg Snow White, Cinderella and more - in a fractured fairy tale-type way. Tepper is known for tackling social issues in her books, such as environmentalism and women's issues and this book is no different. There's an interesting positive review HERE and a different informative one HERE.Regarding the play, I'd dearly love to see this unique production but after much time spent trying figure out my travel options from LA I don't think I can manage it. If anyone attends I'd love to hear what you thought - make sure you go get your tickets ASAP, before it completely sells out.

Break a leg MPC Storybook Theater people!

Jack and the Beanstalk Illustration project by Sam Bosma

These illustrations for Jack and the Beanstalk are part of the final student project of illustrator Sam Bosma and remain part of his online portfolio - and rightly so. The work is wonderful. Though he graduated in May of this year his work has already been recognized by The Society of Illustrators.

The captions below the pictures are Mr. Bosma's descriptions.

The swarthy butcher plans on cheating jack out of his goat friend.

I think this panel with the butcher is my favorite illustration. A lot of storytelling happening in this scene.Jack, halfway up the beanstalk, stops for a sandwich.

The giant's wife shows some hospitality.

He apparently rewrote the story for himself as part of nailing down the concept before laying out the illustrations for a book. Though he doesn't say this in his blog, his version seems to have a South American feel, even with the viking-like headdress of the giant's wife.

The giant is less generous with his golden bird.

You can find all his work in progress posts on this project and see large and lovely versions of the final pieces at his blog HERE. I only wish he'd posted his story too. I have to say I'm intrigued by this version.

Much of his work has an air of a folktales or calls to mind urban legends of various kinds (giants and other creatures abound). The black and white illustrations for the Lovecraft story "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" are wonderfully moody and tell the story all by themselves. I recommend checking out the artist's website and online portfolio HERE.

Review of "Tender Morsels" - Joint Winner of 2009 World Fantasy Award

US Hardcover of Tender Morsels. Illustration by Jody Hewgill

First, the news: "Tender Morsels", the novel length retelling of the Grimm's fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red by Australian author Margo Lanagan, was just announced as the joint winner of the World Fantasy Award this past weekend (the other winner was "The Shadow Year" by Jeffrey Ford). You can read her reaction on her blog HERE and see the full list of nominees and winners HERE.

Now the review:

Many are not surprised at seeing "Tender Morsels" win and I know why. Lanagan's novel has an unusual balance of being beautifully written without drawing attention to the fact.

Here's a taste of her prose (my aim here is to give you some context for all the discussion that comes next):

The girls were two flames at which she warmed herself to humanness, having long been something else—stone, perhaps; dried-out wood. Their perfect trust that the happy times would continue—she watched it and she sipped it as some small birds sip nectar, and she began, if not to perfectly trust it herself, at least to hope more strongly, at least to look beyond the beauties of the immediate season to the plans and practicalities demanded by the next—or the next several years, maybe? Maybe.

Trade Paperback Cover for Tender Morsels (coming Feb 9th, 2010). Illustrator unknown.

In case you know nothing about the book there are three main points about it:

1) It's a retelling of the Grimm's fairy tale Snow White and Rose Red
2) The use of language is gorgeous
3) It's dark content has made it a very controversial addition to the YA genre

I'll begin by saying this: The writing is beautiful, unexpected, quietly poignant and it draws you in. The way Ms. Lanagan uses language is so unique - not at all the way people normally put words together - yet it doesn't feel in the slightest bit forced. I unconsciously slowed my reading down so I wouldn't miss anything.

Ms. Lanagan's handling of the story is to be admired. "Tender Morsels" has rewritten my mental image of the fairy tale in many ways and the passages which deal directly with events of the Grimm's story now seem to me as if they couldn't be any other way. I won't go into a synopsis as I presume you know the fairy tale but to give you clues I'll pose a couple of questions: Did you ever think to ask why a mother of two young daughters lived isolated and alone in the middle of a wood? Did you ever wonder how two girls born to the same woman could be so different in almost all aspects including looks and temperament?

UK Hardcover. Illustrator unknown.

Though I'd heard amazing things about Ms. Lanagan's work for some time and was keen to read a novel-length retelling of a rarely tackled tale, I was put off for the longest time by two things. Firstly, all I really heard about "Tender Morsels", usually coupled with a brief and grudging respect for the writing, was the controversy; how dark and possibly inappropriate the subject matter/context of the story was for young adults to read. I never found myself in a mood to deal with reading about issues of rape, incest and abortion among other dark things so it kept sliding down my to-be-read pile.

Secondly was my awareness of the different covers. The first two I saw were so different from each other it seemed people didn't know what to make of the story. The first one I saw was this one below.

UK/Australian Hardcover of Tender Morsels Illustration by Jerry Caniglia

It felt so dark to me, it reinforced the idea the book wouldn't be something I'd enjoy. I should explain here that I usually read dark stories quite happily. Edgy urban fantasy, dark fantasy, thrillers and suspense that border on (but aren't actually) horror, vampires and monsters of all kinds - bring them on. But when it came to this fairy tale, perhaps because none of the above-mentioned issues are even hinted at in the Grimm's text (unlike Donkeyskin or The Golden Hands/Armless Maiden in which the issues of violence, abuse and incest are clearly part of the story) I think I worried that the 'darkness' was gratuitous. Quite frankly I didn't want to read a story in which some writer indulged in sordid descriptions of pain, abuse and confusion just to garner attention.

The range of different awards being won, along with the cover at the head of the post (which is the second cover I saw and the one sitting in bookstores in the US), changed my perception somewhat. I do think the illustration at the top of the post by Jody Hewgill does a great job at capturing the folktale aspects of the story and the layered, fairy tale nature of the telling. It definitely influenced me adding it to my must-read pile.

I can't remember what finally prompted me to pick up the book, other than a challenge to myself that I should see what the fuss was about, knowing I could put it down should I ever decide enough was enough, but I'm so glad I did. It now among my favorite fairy tale retellings and has been given a place on my 'books I love' shelf.

Australian Paperback Cover of Tender Morsels. Illustration by RuudVanEmpel
(alsoseehere)

Yes, the book does deal with all those issues people are talking about. Yes, you have to wonder whether YA is the right category for this book (clearly YA is a complex genre way beyond preppy high school stories and romantic vampire love interests - "Lord of the Flies" anyone?) but this is what struck me: The scenes which deal with these controversial issues are so matter-of-factly dealt with and somehow gently blunt that you understand exactly how Liga (the main character) feels about every situation. Some is so sadly normal that in some ways it's barely focused on. Other things aren't completely understood by the character and are light on the specifics so it's only from a more aware perspective that we understand what's happening. This doesn't mean it's emotionally distant though - the opposite is true. When Liga finally comes to terms with her past it's a very 'true' scene with great emotional impact.

This excellent article HERE explains Ms. Lanagan's perspective on dark issues in children's literature and why she wrote what she did. And this interview HERE explains more about her process of writing the book and dealing with various characters and subjects.

"Tender Morsels" is hard to describe other than to say my lasting impression of the book is magical, sweet and complicated and anyone that can give me that after taking me through the horrors Liga had to endure is a masterful story teller (expect some discomfort - the first sentence and opening scene specifically clues you in to the fact this isn't a sugar and spice book). For all the darkness in Liga's story and particularly the early scenes, it is the light and magic that remains. It is very true in this case that the light is all the more bright and sweet for the darkness it is pitted against. While you can't forget what Liga went through to bring her two daughters into the world you still have the sense of magic and of fairy tale in it's truest sense.

I haven't even touched on the bear aspects in this book. Bear Day, on which the author writes an additional note in the back of the book, is based on the journée de l'ours (pictures at this link by the way) held every February in a place called Prats de Mollo la Preste (in the Pyrenees) and holds that same combination of raw earthiness and magical wonder the entire book holds. The character of Ramstrong, who is transformed into a bear and retains his gentle dignity, is one of those I'll remember always. He's a pleasant (and healing) contrast to most of the male characters that come before him. Later scenes in which two 'bear-affected' youths bond over tragic events are surprising and touching. Somehow it never seemed important to me that the bear of the fairy tale was a bear as opposed to some other large wild creature. After this novel it now feels that 'bear-ness' is integral to the story.

Soon-to-be-released Australian Cover of Tender Morsels.
Illustration by Shaun Tan, winner of 2009 World Fantasy Best Artist Award.

The new Australian cover (shown above) does a great job of capturing the general feel of the book for me - comforting but with serious teeth and claws. It's not for everyone but then I've never met a book that is. I would suggest reading some excerpts for yourself - lovely ones like the excerpts I posted above and gritty ones (you can find one of the darker passages HERE) - before making up your mind whether or not to pick up a copy.

As much as I adored the novel, I do have some issues with it. I could have done without the details of the cloth men's actions in particular and I have issues with things like the POV juggling and the odd lack of follow-up caused by not returning to various character's POV at key points. There's also the odd, abrupt ending which seemed so at odds with the rest of the book I reread the last chapter to see if I missed something yet overall it's one of those books that stays with you - in a good way. It doesn't have answers, a call to arms or great insights into rehabilitating oppressed and abused women but that's OK because instead it does the same thing fairy tales do: it tells you there's a way to survive, that there are alternatives to being eaten, no matter how tender a morsel you are. It tells you the truth.

Other reviews of "Tender Morsels" (favorable and not so favorable) you may find interesting, are linked below:
Things Mean A Lot
My Fluttering Heart
Locus Online
Fyrefly's Book Blog
The Zen Leaf

Note: There is a list of editions for this book HERE.

Snow White's Wardrobe Gets 'Steampunked'

A few more steampunk fairy tale posts this week!

I found this wonderful custom Snow-White-with-corset outfit by "DamselInThisDress" HERE and had to share. There's a definite steampunk feel to this little number. The yellow "leather" (let's just say it is, ok?) bustle is great too, and though it doesn't come with the corset you can apparently purchase it from DamselInThisDress separately.The funny thing is, this makes far more sense for an outfit to wear in the woods than the standard princess one. Add some heavy duty boots and presto: steampunk Snow White. (I can't help thinking the huntsman would approve of this one too.)

You can see an illustration of a different steampunk Snow White I posted a few months ago HERE. This Snow White apparently developed a 'taste' for hot air ballooning (you can read the artist's idea of the story by going to their deviantArt page and reading their comments there).

Snow White Scenes in Apples

Making the rounds on Twitter yesterday was THIS slideshow here from the BBC News. I recommend clicking for a larger view so you can see just how the apples were used to create these scenes - it's quite amazing.

To celebrate the release of Snow White on Blu-ray, UK food artist Prudence Staite was commissioned by Disney to portray iconic scenes from the movie in food - specifically (and appropriately) apples. Considering all the news is coming from the UK I'm guessing this is to coincide with the UK Blu-ray release as it's already out in the US.

From Boxwish UK:

Staite and the Food Is Art team produced six iconic images from the movie, including the dwarves off to the mine, the Wicked Queen disguised as a hag tempting Snow White with the poisoned apple and the Prince kissing the sleeping heroine for the happy ending. Staite was commissioned to create the innovative art by Disney, who are drumming up interest in the animated classic in the build-up to its Blu-Ray debut and reveals that 14 different varieties of apple were employed for the art attack.

You can read the rest of the article HERE.

I can only find four of the six images mentioned and am only comfortable showing the ones I've found on other blogs, so be sure to click on this link HERE to see all four at a decent resolution. Hopefully the last two will surface soon.

I can't find any information on where or when in particular the scenes were done but I have this vision of photographers standing by and holding their breaths, waiting to start clicking as soon as the last apple slice is placed, before any browning begins. Then what? A healthy feast to celebrate? I don't think I could bring myself to take the first slice.

Or perhaps they've been preserved (via something highly toxic to humans) to stay in their perfect fresh state forever... under glass...

You can find more of Prudence's creative culinary concoctions at her website HERE and at her gallery HERE.