Rabbit Holes, Fairy Tales, Inspiration
Whilst preparing for the forthcoming erotic writing workshop, I’ve been doing a lot of research. I’m particularly interesting in finding contemporary erotic texts by women, 2SLGBTQ, BIPOC and disabled writers. So I’m having fun going down various rabbit holes. This is how I learn and this is how I get inspired to create.
For this workshop, one of the rabbit holes is the fairy tales. I love the contemporary subversive feminist remakes of fairy tales. I was a huge reader of them as a child. I devoured Andrew Lang’s fairy books, such as the Blue Fairy Book, published in the late 1800s.
Who doesn’t love Angela Carter’s brilliant and erotic collection the Bloody Chamber? Marie-Claire Blais’ book La Belle Bête (Mad Shadows) has a fairy tale like quality in my remembrance of studying it in university many years ago. Jean Cocteau made a film of La Belle et la Bête and his Orpheus trilogy inspired my poetry book, Kiki.
I love the writing of Helen Oyeyemi, whose Mr. Fox reimagines fairy tales, including the story of Bluebeard.
A search for erotic fairy tales let me to Tanith Lee, a fantasy and short fiction writer, who also wrote lesbian fiction under the pseudonym Esther Garber.
One of my erotic stories, Cinderella and the Glass Dildo, plays with the old fairy tale. I’ve also engaged many times with the story of Red Riding Hood, and my latest poetry book, Beast Body Epic pays homage to a variety of fables and fairy tales in my reimaginings of dreams and delusions.
I am looking for contemporary writers of the fairy tale, particularly those who include erotic elements in their writing. Do you know of any? Please send me links to their sites and books. I’m about to read this article on queer retellings of classic fairytales.
Tell me about your rabbit holes. Where did they start? Where did they lead? How did they inspire you?
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