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THE USES OF ENCHANTMENT
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Program 10-12-19-B |
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Every day you are subjected to a relentless surge of information and facts. We all know it's important to stay informed, but the experience does tend to shut down your sense of wonder. Where do you go to restore your sense of delight and mystery? To find enchantment? In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, writers Neil Gaiman, A.S. Byatt and Salman Rushdie tell us why we need magic.
SEGMENT 1:
Just because we've all grown up and aren't supposed to believe in fairy tales and magic doesn't mean we don't still need them. This hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge offers conversations with Neil Gaiman, A.S. Byatt and Salman Rushdie about the uses of enchantment. Signe Pike starts things off with her story about the search for magic. She chucked her job at a NY publishing house to looking for fairies in Mexico and the British Isles. Signe Pike talks with Anne Strainchamps about her novel "Faery Tale."
SEGMENT 2:
Neil Gaiman is among the most celebrated writers of the fantastic. He's a transplant to the Midwest who discovered the House on the Rock in Spring Green, WI and made it famous in his novel "American Gods." He returned there in 2010 for a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the novel and allowed himself to be pulled away from his fans long enough to talk about it with Steve Paulson. Salman Rushdie's life has been a fantasy, but not necessarily in the way he would have wanted. The Ayatollah issued a death warrant on him after his book "The Satanic Verses," but it has finally been withdrawn. His new book involves dangers of a more literary kind. He tells Jim Fleming he wrote his new book "Luka and the Fire of Life" at his younger son's request.
SEGMENT 3:
Fairy tales are part of all our lives, whether it's Snow White or Cinderella of Little Red Riding Hood. Old stories like those exist in many versions, in many cultures, all over the world. Writer A.S. Byatt has been studying them, and writing them. She tells Anne Strainchamps these are some of the oldest and most powerful stories we have.
CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 10-12-19-B.
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| A.S. Byatt, The Children's Book: a novel (Vintage) | |
| Neil Gaiman, American Gods: a novel (Harper Perennial) | |
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Signe Pike, Faery Tale: One Woman's Search for Enchantment in a Modern World (Perigee) |
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| Salman Rushdie, Luka and the Fire of Life: a novel (Random House) | |
- What is the Staff Reading? CHECK THIS LIST
- Signe Pike's blog
http://faerytalebook.blogspot.com/ - Neil Gaiman website
http://www.neilgaiman.com/ - Salman Rushdie website
http://www.salman-rushdie.com/ - A.S. Byatt website
http://www.asbyatt.com/
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1) Under Salman Rushdie's "Magic carpet" reading: first track on the soundtrack for "The Secret Garden".
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2) After Signe Pike: Derek Bell, "Ancient Music for the Irish Harp." (Claddagh Records Limited). We used Track 8, "Lady Blaney".
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3) Under Neil Gaiman's reading: Strauss' "Blue Danube" waltz, calliope version.
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4) Under Salman Rushdie readings: Ravi Shankar, selections from "Song of India"
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5) Close music: music from the soundtrack for "Stardust" (film based on a Neil Gaiman novel). We used track 7, "Septimus". (Decca Records)
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