Things Found and Shared

Join me on a pilgrimage!

Dear Readers,

I wanted to share a few things that I've recently found. Each one made me want instantly to tell some grand and ancient story in beautiful words. If you too are seeking inspiration or merely a  great teatime read, click below.


The Jackdaw, Married
Goblin Fruit is a journal of fantastical poetry. I loved the whimsy and affection of Matthew Joiner's poem in the Winter 2013 issue.

You'll most likely find him on broken ground:
a discerning collector, though his treasures
seem suspect. Crumbs of glass — mirrored, stained —

 Click here: "The Jackdaw, Married. "


England under the White Witch 
Theodora Goss' engrossing, chillingly crafted tale about the White Witch's reign in England carries echoes of Narnia but also the very real ability of human beings to believe in and follow evil.

At first, there were resistance movements. There were some who fought for warmth, for light. Who said that as long as she reigned, spring would never come again. We would never see violets scattered among the grass, never hear a river run. 

Head to Clarkesworld for: "England under the White Witch."


The Black Dog
Also compelling but very different from "England under the White Witch" is this tale about wishes, childhood, and a little girl named Violet by Elise Forier Edie. I would be interested in hearing what you make of it.

“A stray dog followed me home from my walk,” said Violet to the cook, while scraping the mud from her shoe soles by the scullery door. “He has black fur and brown eyes and I can’t get rid of him.” 

“Well, don’t let him in the here,” Cook said sternly, from her perch by the stove. She was plump, frowned a lot and smelled of cloves. “And don’t touch him, mind. You have to be careful of a black dog when he follows you home.”

Go to Enchanted Conversation for "Black Dog."


The Desire for Dragons
Christie of Spinning Straw into Gold wrote a lovely post about the human desire for dragons. Readers may find echoes of Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and even Thomas Aquinas.

If we occur, un-tampered, with a need for wonder, it logically follows that wonder is something we need to be complete. We need it the way we need lunch, the way plants need sunshine, the way humans digest food and plants photosynthesize light. We transform those things into our very substance. They become an inseparable part of us.

Read "The Desire for Dragons."

___________________________________________________