In this hour, Annie Gauger has edited a brand new annotated version of the classic novel "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Graham. She tells Steve Paulson that the characters reflect various aspects of Grahame's personality and that the book began as a series of tales exchanged between Grahame and his son. And we hear some of Alan Bennett's adaptation of the story for the BBC.
Next, Nina Paley has made a film using animation, Indonesian shadow puppets, and a '20s-era jazz singer to retell the story from the Ramayana of the marriage of the Hindu god Rama and his wife, Sita. The film is called Sita Sings the Blues. Paley tells Jim Fleming what inspired her.
Then, Musharraf Ali Farooqi is the translator of The Adventures of Amir Hamza and Hoshruba. He tells Anne Strainchamps about these ancient Indian tales of sorcerers and wizards, originally written in Urdu.
After that, Maria Tatar is the author of Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood. She talks with Steve Paulson about what makes fairy tales so compelling to children. And we hear a bit of Christopher Walken's version of Goodnight Moon from The Simpsons.
Finally, Kurt Schwitters - he was a celebrated modern artist in Europe in the 20s and 30s who both painted and wrote satirical, surrealist fantasies. His career was cut short by the Nazis. Now, a collection of his tales, called Lucky Hans has been translated and edited by Jack Zipes. Zipes, an expert on fairy tales, tells Anne Strainchamps about Schwitters' life and work. [Broadcast Date: May 12, 2010]
(Tags : To the Best of Our Knowledge: Fairy Tales Jim Fleming Audiobook, Jim Fleming Audio CD )
