I’ll be teaching a two-session course on “Cinderella” and “All Kinds Of Fur,” especially the Brothers Grimm versions, at GoldLEAF, the elder college associated with the University of Maine at Farmington.  March 6, 2019 and March 13, 2019 from 2:00pm to 3:30pm, place TBA.

Here’s my course proposal: 

“Cinderella,” one of the most treasured fairy tales, continues to fascinate readers, writers, advertisers, musicians, and television and movie producers.  Yet, how well do we really know it? The first version researchers have found was written down in the 9^th century in China, and hundreds of versions exist around the world. And, then, there’s “Cinderella”’s controversial cousin, “All Kinds Of Fur” (“Allerleirauh”), a tale that few people have heard of, since it opens with a father’s carnal desire for his daughter. We’ll discuss  the “Cinderella” tales we grew up with, read different versions of  “Cinderella” and “All Kinds Of Fur,” see how the Grimms’ edited the tales, consider what meanings lie within the objects mentioned in the tales (such as spinning wheels). We’ll consider why these tales remain popular as we discuss artists and writers who have re-envisioned the tales, especially my book, ALL KINDS OF FUR: Erasure Poems & New Translation of a tale from the Brothers Grimm. Access to the internet will be important.

Here’s my bio: 

Dr. Margaret “Peggy” Yocom, George Mason University, Emerita, specializes in folktales and storytelling, among other topics. She has published on storytelling among loggers in the western Maine, the tales of the Brothers Grimm, and more.