The Sheltie Gazette: The essence of emotion, via Snow White & Irish mythology
May 28, 2025 10:01 pm
How was your Memorial Day weekend, ?
We mostly did ballet, which got me thinking about fairy tales.
You see, every year, my kids' ballet studio puts on a full production, with student dancers in all the roles. (All five of my kids have performed in this company, four of them this year.) Sometimes they do classical ballet, but other times they perform kid-centric productions filled with cute animals, evil witches, silly frogs, and twirling friends...aka, fairy tales. This year, it was Snow White.
It's a really cute version of Snow White, but I've seen it a lot over the years, so I had brain space left to think about why Snow White. Why fairy tales. Why they endure through the years, and hold up to so many interpretations.
In many ways, I think the ballet version is the polar opposite of what I am doing with writing fairy tale retellings. I throw a lot of words at simple stories — dialogue, character thoughts, settings, feelings, reasons.
Ballet has no words at all. In fact, it is a strikingly difficult medium to express plot.
But dance is emotion, and I think that's what we're all looking for in fairy tales. My little boys have been reminding me about that in the days since the show. They keep re-enacting all the "good" parts: the "mirror, mirror" scene (with lightning!), the dwarfs skipping together, the woodland animals mourning Snow White's death ("it shouldn't have happened!" they all sob). My kids keep coming back to these because it's at the heart of human experience.
Jealousy.
Togetherness.
Unfairness.
Some of us (possibly more than 8 years old) might think about love — being desired so strongly that it pulls us from the brink of death. Fairy tale love has some problems (maybe a conversation here first, Mr Prince?) but it speaks to desires deep within us, to be loved without conversation. Without analysis. Exactly for who we are. Exactly—
But let's let the dancers show us. Here's a physical manifestation of feeling:
We danced together. I like you. I remember you. I am happy!
(Click here for video. It's much more expressive.)
Some things are best expressed in a dance; some are best expressed in a story...but this is what I am inviting you to experience with my writing.
The moment of joy, relief, desire, belonging, yearning.
The feelings.
So here's Rian and his magical library...
What feelings are these?
Nessa — the character from mythology — wants revenge. She has a giant, gaping "it shouldn't have happened!" in her life. The blind princess has equally primal desires: to be seen for herself, to effect the world, and most of all — to feel something, feel anything, feel more. (Don't we all know someone like that?) Both of them are young women in a world that wants them to be nothing more than decorative.
As for Rian himself...well, I really can't wait to hear what you think.
But what if I need something else to read?
I have two authors for you today offering character-driven comfort reads. The Midnight Society is a sci-fi novella, it starts with a dog and the group of young people have an easy rapport. What are the feelings? Friendship, suspense, protection.
Looking for some classic medieval-style fantasy? The Call of Magic is a free introduction to J Paul Bennett's prolific world, which Reddit-ers say has a difficult-to-find combination of good world-building and character-building. Besides, it also has a feisty daughter who just wants to read books. Her feeling? She longs for her dead mother.
Not quite what you had in mind? Maybe feeling a little blah? How about.... color your world with free fiction? This has all kinds of books, especially mystery, fantasy, and historical. Hopefully, with all those books, they manage a lot of feelings!
Women's Fiction is basically books about feelings, and some friends and I are offering a bundle of signed books. Besides, each author is also offering more prizes and freebies — every entrant gets something!
I've worked with all these authors for a long time and I'm really happy to offer this collaboration. Debra and Lorraine are both some of "my" authors from Feisty Deeds (which is the award-winning collection I edit); Sarah and I worked together on one of my first projects in the WFWA. Lorraine's yellow Lab, her best writing companion ever, has just passed over the Rainbow Bridge — but he was around to guide her through writing this book!
Speaking of dogs...
Sadly, dogs fail to appreciate ballet, so my Shelties had a boring first part of the weekend. However, we did go to a picnic/live music/general fun event at a local winery the next afternoon, where dogs are welcome.
Malin watched over everything. He used excellent manners, as long as you don't mind his fluffy tail in the walkway. (It's kind of like a fishing line, luring in more pets and praise for being such a good doggy.) Malin is happy to report that there were no threats to life, limb or picnic, and his family exited the winery safely.
Upon reading this newsletter, Malin would also like to point out that the problem in The Midnight Society could have been avoided by bringing along a good, suspicious herding dog. They only had a golden retriever, and we know those things are......friendly. Even to aliens, apparently. Malin knows you are supposed to bark at aliens.
Malin confirms there are no aliens in this valley. Just vineyards.
On a final note...
I don't have any pictures of me for this newsletter. It has just been books and dancing, that's it.
But here's a video of the beautiful pas de deux and some excellent leaps. This, by the way, is my son dancing the prince. I try to preserve my children's privacy, but this is a very public performance so I am not sharing anything new.
Except to say ... I must be doing something right, to be raising young adults who have such passion, expression, and dedication.
All the feelings. It's art.
It matters.
Yours very truly,
Christy & the Shelties
Lots of fairy tale feelings for you — the words kind:
