Teaching “Peter and Wendy” has given me insights into my father and the uses of fantasy. It can be used to shield one against an intolerable reality.
Tag Archives: Childhood
Children Lit’s Changing Racial Landscape
My mixed race granddaughters have children’s books with protagonists of color. It’s a far cry from the Dick-Jane-and-Sally books of my childhood and of the reality described by Toni Morrison’s “Bluest Eye.”
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Bluest Eye, Children's literature, racism, segregation, Toni Morrison Comments closed
Swimming with the Water Babies
Swimming with my granddaughters put me in mind of Charles Kingsley’s “Water Babies.” Kingsley helped us enter into the rich imaginative lives of children.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Charles Dickens, Charles Kingsley, Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, swimming, Water Babies, William Blake Comments closed
“Is My Son Mad?” Mary Asks
In Thomas Hardy’s version of Mary, she’s a mother wondering whether her son is mad.
King Looks to Children for Hope
Despite the horrors he describes, Stephen King’s vision is ultimately a hopeful one. The key, as he sees it, is plugging into childhood hopes and imagination.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Intimations of Immortality, It, Stephen King, William Wordsworth Comments closed
Walking Out in the Sun of October
As we enter October, revel in Dylan Thomas’ celebration of the season.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Poem in October", Autumn, Dylan Thomas, October, Seasons Comments closed
Angel Infancy
Henry Vaughan’s “The Retreat” believes that children have a special connection with eternity.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Retreat", Henry Vaughan, innocence, Intimations of Immortality, Soul, Williams Wordsworth Comments closed
What Rises So Far Above into the Light?
Denise Levertov’s poem about moving amongst tall trees becomes a meditation on life and afterlife.
Tintin to the Rescue
The new film “Tintin” takes me back to my childhood, when my brothers and I scoured Paris book shops to assemble a complete set of what were early graphic novels.
