The Brothers Grimm

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales, commonly known as Grimm's Fairy Tales. It's a little foolish for me to recap their life and work on this blog, when the narrative is available in so many other places, but I think it's a perfect day to celebrate their tremendous contribution to the world of storytelling, and to consider the current state of the fairy tale as well.

The great news is that the form is still thriving. One can find a plethora of websites and zines devoted to the form, from Enchanted Conversation to World Weaver Press to Cabinet des Fees, where criticism and study live alongside new iterations and creations. I personally take a great deal of inspiration from fairy tales, and my short story The General Slocum combines a tragic incident in New York City history with a sort of re-telling of the Pied Piper. In it, I imagine how spirits of the "old world" may find their way into the new world, even if uninvited.

Today also marks what is, for many, likely the next-to-last work day before a little holiday, and so perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible to take a moment to lose yourself in your imagination for a while. To that end, I suggest checking out the aforementioned fairy tale blogs and stories, or taking a brief pretend holiday to your own fairy tale land, or reading this insightful analysis of what exactly about the Grimms keep us so enthralled. Here's to fairy tales, and another two hundred years of stories...