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detail of  Self Portrait by Leonora Carrington

ANALYZING

CONTEMPORARY FAIRY TALES

detail of  Self Portrait by Leonora Carrington

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These publications and publishers are reliable sources for resources of contemporary fairy tale analysis:

→ WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS
 

You could really just look here and you would see most of the recent publications on fairy tale studies. Wayne State is home to the literary journal The Fairy Tale Review, several of the most acclaimed fairy tale studies scholars, and a Fairy Tale studies department. The university's press includes a Fairy Tale studies series. This is the reliable source for contemporary fairy tale studies books.

→ MARVELS & TALES

Marvels and Tales is a peer-reviewed journal based out of, surprise, Wayne State University. It is the (or one of very few) journals focused fully on critical fairy tale studies, as opposed to a focus on folktales and folklore more broadly.

 

 

 

 

→ JOURNAL OF FOLKLORE RESEARCH

This is a free, online, scholarly publication, run by Indiana University's Folklore Institute, which publishes research and reviews on folklore and ethnomusicology, and its intersections with race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. Remember that fairy tales are a subcategory of folklore. You can access the journal's book reviews openly, but need to sign up for a free newsletter in order to access the full journal issues.

→ MYTHS & LEGENDS PODCAST

Myths and Legends is an incredibly popular podcast about, yes, myths and legends, but also sagas, folktales, fairy tales, storytelling and many things at the intersection of magical literary history. New episodes, which run about 40 to 45 minutes each, are released every Wednesday. 

→ HAPPILY by Sabrina Orah Mark in Paris Review

Happily is a monthly non-fiction essay column by author Sabrina Orah Mark. Happily lyrically explores the relationship between fairy tales, motherhood, and the fascinating overlay of fairy tale tropes onto modern life.

ADDITIONAL JOURNALS TO KNOW

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These journals require annual membership fees to their respective societies, and so are a bit more costly than other resource options. Still, if you do have access to a university system, these are strong sources worth consulting:

→ JOURNAL OF AMERICAN FOLKLORE (AMERICAN FOLKLORE SOCIETY)

→ FOLKLORE (THE FOLKLORE SOCIETY)

Screen shot of Paris Review's page for Happily articles
Screenshot of Myths and Legends podcasts website
Screen shot of Journal of Folklore Research homepage
Marvels & Tales cover
screen shot of homepage for Wayne State University Press' Fairy Tale Studies page

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Recommendations of books featuring analysis of contemporary fairy tales. Click a title to learn more about it.  Descriptions are from the books' back cover copy.

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Tips for locating resources specifically featuring contemporary fairy tale visual art.

→ See "General Search Strategies" for additional tips on finding fairy tale resources.

1. SUBJECT HEADINGS

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There's not a wild abundance of fairy tale criticism around, so in many ways you're best off sticking to the non-criticism-specific search terms listed in the subject heading suggestions for →general searches, →literature searches, and →visual arts searches.

For a handful of additional terms that might be helpful, here are the Library of Congress subject headings potentially relevant for locating contemporary fairy tale studies resources:

Many contemporary fairy tale studies are focusing on elements of feminism, disability, and queer identity in fairy tales. Here are some subject headings specific to finding fairy tale studies resources specifically on those subjects: 

  • Disabilities in literature

  • Disability studies

  • Feminist art criticism

  • Feminist film criticism

  • Feminist literary criticism

  • Feminist theory

  • Gender identity in literature

  • Gender nonconformityin literature

  • Gender transition in literature

  • People with disabilities in literature

  • Sex role--folklore

  • Sex role in art

  • Sex role in literature

  • Sex role in motion pictures

  • Women--folklore

  • Women's studies

2. CHECK THE DATE

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Most critical studies of fairy tales are of non-contemporary fairy tales. When looking for resources, keep an eye out for terms like "adaptation," "contemporary," and "post-modern." With books, it's helpful to check the back cover description and table of contents for an idea of the scope of the book.

3. BROWSE THE BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Having your hands on even just one contemporary fairy tale studies book opens up worlds. Check the book's references and footnotes for a list of other relevant resources.

4. FIND VISUAL ARTS ANALYSIS WITH LITERATURE ANALYSIS

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Many fairy tale studies books discuss the prevalence of fairy tales in both literature and visual arts. This is to say that when searching for resources about contemporary visual arts and fairy tale studies in particular, it's helpful to keep your search terms broad (e.g. "fairy tale criticism") rather than use visual arts specific terms. Note: an exception here is for film and tv criticism.

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