Climbing the Fairy Tale Tower to Uncover the Origin Story of Mother Gothel w/ Mary McMyne

Why are we drawn to fairy tales from childhood to adulthood? Join Mary McMyne, author of "The Book of Gothel" (a retelling of Rapunzel from the witch's point of view), and Andrew as they discuss why fairy tales often fail to give voice to outsiders like witches. Mary's fascination with retelling stories from marginalized perspectives led her down a creative and scholarly path to discover the origin story of Rapunzel's mother, or as the Brothers Grimm tale calls her the "witch."
Mary delves into her creative inspiration and how she was able to hear and write down the voice of her protagonist, Haelewise. For Mary, the magical tower of Gothel and its powerful female community is not a space of entrapment, like so many believe it is, but rather a space of empowerment. Mary reveals why she portrayed the tower as a refuge for outsiders which subverts its original symbolism in the Brothers Grimm "Rapunzel." After discussing "The Book of Gothel," Mary previews her new novel "A Rose By Any Other Name" which centers on Shakespeare's Dark Lady and aims to challenge the misogyny present in these sonnets by giving her a voice.
You can read more about Mary and purchase her novels here:
marymcmyne.com/
Be sure to follow Mary on Instagram, @marymcmyne.